City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
pages: 485
released: March 2005
publisher: McEldery Books
cover love: ♥♥

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder – much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing – not even a smear of blood – to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…(From GoodReads)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON 11/28/2010 ON BOOKSLIKESTARS.NET

Review:

First, let me admit, I had no idea what this book was about when I requested it from the library.  I just had to find out why everyone was going crazy over these characters named Jace and Clary and where all this love for Cassandra Clare was coming from.  So there I was (at work) cracking open the world of the Mortal Instruments for the first time.  And I read the first two chapters and then put the book down.  There was something missing.  I felt like I should be enjoying the book a little more than I was and that’s why I put the book down, picked up my phone and googled Cassandra Clare.  Sometimes, especially when there’s a lot of book hype, I have to do a little digging about the author and how the book came about.  This helps me get a sense of what I’m dealing with and I’m able to get a more well rounded approach to what I’m reading (yeah, I’m weird, don’t ask). 

Let’s just say I was shocked at what I found.  I had no idea she lived in the same city as me and that there seemed to be a lot of controversy surrounding Cassandra Clare and her demon slayer series.  I read a few reviews of City of Bones (some will say this is not a good idea because it can sway your judgment) and I found that few readers were on middle ground when it came to this book, majority of them either hated it or loved it. Readers claim that Clare “stole” many factors from Harry Potter, Buffy and Star Wars. All this bookish drama!

So where do I stand with CIB?

I’m not going to participate in this debate.  Too messy.  I’ll just sit on the fence this time.  Yes, I did see parts of CIB that were very similar to HP and Star Wars.  But I’ll say this for Cassandra Clare:  She can tell one damn good story.  For all its flaws, I cannot say I did not enjoy reading this book. Clare does use a forceful brush to paint her urban fanstasia. And she uses every color she’s got. She casts an array of supernatural beings:  weres, vamps, feys, warlocks, angels and even creates some of her own.  It’s hard to get bored in this world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders.  Even at almost 500 pages it’s a fast-paced, action driven ride the whole way through.  I loved the idea of a whole invisible world warring with each other right out in the open and we, Mundies, not having a single clue what’s going on.  Even in the Big Apple.  It was easy for me to get comfy around the story because it takes place in New York City.  So when the characters go off to Park Slope or take the FDR through Manhattan, I can put myself right there with them because it’s all so familiar to me.  Sorry, but I hated Jace for about 75 percent of this book.  He’s way too narcissistic, I don’t care how hot he is.  But by the end, I was warming up to him.  I was more into the story aspect than the actual characters.  

So, did I like this book?  Yes.  But all that hype…really, it’s not that serious.  Still, I was definitely impressed with Clare’s supernatural monstrosity.  I just didn’t catch the fever.  But I still have two more books to go, so who knows?  All-in-all, this book was like being at an amusement park.  I enjoyed the first ride, now I’m ready for more.  

3