"Just because you call an electric eel a rubber duck doesn't make it a rubber duck does it? And God help the poor bastard who decides they want to take a bath with the duckie."
- Cassandra Clare, City of Bones
Review by Chase
Book Details:
Published: March 27, 2007
Publishers: Margaret K. McElderry Books
496 Pages
Book Synopsis:
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...
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.
General Review:
I know I'm probably the last person in the world (other than Kathren and Dylana) to read The Mortal Instruments Series and I don't know why it's taken me this long. I was given City of Bones to read by a friend back when it was first published but I had to return the book before I was able to finish it, therefore; I never finished the book and up until recently I forgot all about it. It wasn't until I saw Book 5, City of Lost Souls, that I remembered that I had once started City of Bones. I was initially worried that reading it as an adult (at least somewhat of an adult) would ruin the entire thing because I would be overly critical, but alas, I was not. The story is original and the writing is acceptable, though not entirely flawless.
Plot:
While the idea of the story was original, the plot of the book was extremely predicable. I was able to guess the ending before I even reached the halfway point, but amazingly, by the time I was at the ending, I completely forgot that I had already seen it coming. I loved the characters and the overall idea of the story was so amazing but the plot was extremely cliche at times. Now, as it is the first in a series, I wasn't too disapointed because I think that Clare was using this novel to set up the remainder of the series so I didn't think that much was going to go on during the first book.
Characters:
Overall, I really enjoyed the character development as each one had their own unique personality. However, the character development for the minor characters was a little dissapointing. I get that you need to focus on the main characters, but that doesn't mean that the minor characters have to suffer. Also, while the characters are original, they tend to do predicable things, but that is mainly the plot's fault.
Final Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised at this book and it made me excited to read the rest of the series. Clare did a wonderful job presenting her world and creating a suspenseful story to ensure that readers would read the next installments with as much enthusiasm as the first. Writing the review after reading the rest of the series really makes me see how important this novel is to the rest of the story and I promise that the rest of the series is just as amazing as the first one.
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