Goodreads | City of Bones

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Cat rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

05/19/08

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: fans of urban fantasy

I read this one while taking a break from school books and papers, and I needed some mindless but entertaining brain rot. Therein lies the appeal of this novel.

If you've even dipped a pinkie toe in the online Harry Potter fandom, you've probably heard of the author (if not, just employ some google-fu and you find everything you need). The buzz generated by Clare's fandom notoriety probably was a great boon for this book, and I admit it's the only reason I read it. Although it's har...more

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Natalie rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

12/01/07

bookshelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

I have never been more disappointed and aggravated by a book. (Slight spoilers follow.)

I had been looking forward to this book for months because I enjoyed her fanfiction (despite the controversy surrounding some of it), but this book is easily one of the worst I have ever read. Trust me, that's saying something.

The prose is rambling and full of extraneous and misused descriptors that fail to be poetic, and there are multiple similes and metaphors that are so bad that I cringed. It reads ...more

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Shelley rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

07/04/07

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: no one

Pure and utter crap. I wish there were ways to give negative stars. I certainly want the time from my life back.

I grant you, I was probably never going to give this a five star rating. I dislike Cassie Claire immensely from our time in fandom together - she is a liar and a documented unapologetic plagiarist who gives fandom a bad name. I've never been fond of her writing style, outside of some of the Very Secret Diaries, but I was going to give the book a chance. I like sci-fi and fantasy, i...more

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Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 1416955070)

09/02/08

bookshelves: 2008, urban-fantasy, ya

Read in August, 2008

Clary Fray is a regular fifteen year old, living with her mum, Jocelyn, an artist, in Brooklyn. Her father, she has been told, died before she was born. One night at an underage club with her best friend Simon, she witnesses something no one else can see: three teenagers kill what looks like a boy, but is really a demon. She shouldn't have been able to see anything - she's a "mundane", and doesn't have the Sight. Or does she? Has her mother been lying to her about who she really is? Wh...more Clary Fray is a regular fifteen year old, living with her mum, Jocelyn, an artist, in Brooklyn. Her father, she has been told, died before she was born. One night at an underage club with her best friend Simon, she witnesses something no one else can see: three teenagers kill what looks like a boy, but is really a demon. She shouldn't have been able to see anything - she's a "mundane", and doesn't have the Sight. Or does she? Has her mother been lying to her about who she really is? When her mother disappears and Clary is attacked by a demonic creature, the three kids - Jace, Isablle and Alec - are the only ones who can help her find her mum and explain this new, frightening underworld to her.

Comparisons to Harry Potter are unavoidable, mostly because of the author's background in writing HP fanfiction. I don't care about any of that, or any controversy surrounding said fanfic. I read and review books based on their own merit, as often as possible. You do get "mundanes" instead of "muggles", and the evil Valentine instead of Lord Voldemort, but there aren't many more similarities than that, and those are pretty superficial.

The "mortal instruments" are three artefacts with magical properties, including a cup that turns humans (mundanes) into Nephilim: Shadowhunters, those with the Sight who fight and kill demons who come from other dimensions. The cup has been missing for fifteen years, and Valentine wants to get his hands on it because with it he can create an army and kill not just demons but "downworlders" - the fairies and elves and ifrits etc.

It's not a powerful story, though there are some telling comments and descriptions about the Shadowhunters, especially Valentine and his "Circle", touch on racism and superiority issues - that cleansing thing that was also a theme in Harry Potter - but it is a good story, fast-paced, full of adventure and a couple of twists - one of which was predictable, though the reasons for it weren't so obvious.

The characters could have done with more depth and development - Clare has fleshed them out well enough, but then they became static. Hopefully in the following books they'll grow some and move away from stock character traits. Clary's a solid protagonist, with a firm head on her shoulders, but Jace was a bit two-dimensional and Isabelle and Alec weren't really explored at all.

The pacing is cracking and rarely lets up - we're flung from one predicament into another, facing off vampires, gay warlocks and traitors. It's a lot of fun, but the character development suffers for it. It's not bad, it just could have been better. I loved Magnus Bane, he was a real character, but that just proves my point.

As for plot, there was one glaring plothole that I noticed - I can't give the details without spoiling it, but if you're reading it or have read it, check page 375 - did she ever give Jace his stele back? Yes she did, on page 358. But look, here it is in her pocket just when she needs it! It was a bit glaring, and I'm surprised her pre-publishing readers, and her editor, didn't spot it - it could've been easily fixed.

Despite what looks like a lot of criticism, this is an enjoyable fantasy story with engaging characters, and I definitely want to read the next one. ...less

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Rachael rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

04/29/08

Over the course of a single day, Clary’s whole life changes. When she goes to Pandemonium Club, she sees the murder of a blue-haired boy by three strange-looking teens wielding strange-looking weapons. But what she can’t believe is seeing the body disappear before her eyes, as if it was never there in the first place. And after that, Clary’s mom disappears and Clary is attacked by a mysterious creature, only to be saved by one of the strange teens from the nightclub. And with that, Clary i...more Over the course of a single day, Clary’s whole life changes. When she goes to Pandemonium Club, she sees the murder of a blue-haired boy by three strange-looking teens wielding strange-looking weapons. But what she can’t believe is seeing the body disappear before her eyes, as if it was never there in the first place. And after that, Clary’s mom disappears and Clary is attacked by a mysterious creature, only to be saved by one of the strange teens from the nightclub. And with that, Clary is dragged into a dangerous world she never imagined existed.

Clary finds out that she’s connected to this new world not only by the teens who saved her, but by her mother and her mother’s friend Luke. But since her mother’s gone and Luke refuses to help her, Clary has nowhere to turn to except the mysterious teens, who reveal themselves to be Shadowhunters, an elite group of people whose job is to kill demons on earth. Soon, her best friend Simon is dragged in too, and Clary finds herself in the midst of a struggle to find the Mortal Cup before a very dangerous and unstable Shadowhunter named Valentine does.

It is very difficult for me to describe my initial reaction when I finished this book, but it goes along the lines of gasping, screaming, and ranting – but in a good way. City of Bones was one of the absolute best books I have ever read; it ranks up with Twilight and A Great and Terrible Beauty. It is a combination of some of my most favorite stories ever to create an awesome and unforgettable super-story.

I really love how Cassandra Clare incorporates the underworld into modern-day New York City. The world she creates in City of Bones is one of dangerous fun, and I was absolutely thrilled to go along for the ride. There is nonstop action throughout the whole book and I think that Jace is almost amazing enough to rival Edward Cullen in his sexiness. The only past of the book I was opposed to was how Clary and Jace ended up being related, because it ruined their chemistry.

City of Bones should be mandatory reading for every teen, and I would recommend it to everyone, especially fans of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, the A Great and Terrible Beauty series by Libba Bray, the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, among other supernatural books. I guarantee that no one who picks this novel up will be able to put it down until they’ve finished this amazing story, and I know I cannot wait until I pick of the sequel, City of Ashes.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot......less

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Holly rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

03/30/08

bookshelves: youngadult

Read in October, 2007

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Karin rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

01/06/08

bookshelves: faeries, favorites, vampires, youngadult

Clary Fray lived a normal life. At least she did until she witnessed a murder at a dance club while out with her best friend Simon. What she couldn't understand is why the victim disappeared in front of her eyes. You see, she wasn't supposed to see it in the first place. Not because there weren't supposed to be witnesses to the murder, but because the murder victim was a demon and the ones who killed the demon were Shadowhunters.

Shadowhunters are warriors dedicated to ridding the earth o...more Clary Fray lived a normal life. At least she did until she witnessed a murder at a dance club while out with her best friend Simon. What she couldn't understand is why the victim disappeared in front of her eyes. You see, she wasn't supposed to see it in the first place. Not because there weren't supposed to be witnesses to the murder, but because the murder victim was a demon and the ones who killed the demon were Shadowhunters.

Shadowhunters are warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons and Jace is one of the best there is. When Jace realized Clary could see everything, he knew she must have some Shadowhunter blood in her and wants to take her back to the Institute where Shadowhunters train and live. Before Jace can convince Clary to come with him, she gets a frantic phone call from her mother talking of danger. Clary can tell that her mother is attacked because the phone line goes dead in the middle of their conversation. Without thinking about the possible danger to herself or what she might find when she gets there, Clary abandons Jace and heads for home as fast as she can. There she meets a creature worse that anything she could have imagined. She manages to kill monster, but is injured in the process. Thankfully, Jace followed her home and was able to help her back to the Institute where she could recover.

Once she enters the world of the Shadowhunters everything in her life changes. Her relationship with Simon is drastically changed, she discovers the true identity of her father, and she learns what betrayal really means. On her quest to find her mother, Clary and Jace form a strong bond. Together they fight vampires, werewolves, and other creatures from strange demon dimensions.

CITY OF BONES is filled with action and humor. Jace's character is lovable and causes you to laugh all through the book. If you are a fan of fantasy you will definitely love this book and be chomping at the bit until the next one comes out in 2008. The sequel is called CITY OF ASHES.

...less

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Jarrah rated it:

(review of isbn 1416955070)

12/28/07

bookshelves: author-cassandraclare, broadgenre-ya, cliche-magicalobjects, cliche-vampires, cliche-weres, country-america, genre-yafantasy, series-mortalinstruments, setting-secretworld

Read in September, 2007

recommended to Jarrah by: Sarah Rees Brennan

YA urban fantasy. Clary sees a boy - or possibly a boy - killed in a night club, and is pitched into a world of shadowhunters and downworlders, where she might fit in better than she imagined.

I will admit that I read this purely because Cassandra Clare wrote the ridiculously well-known Secret Diaries of the Fellowship of the Ring. (And there's a Secret Diaries reference in the book, which is cute.)

This is definitely a different kettle of vampire bikies. I have slightly mixed feelings. I...more

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Jess rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

07/27/07

Read in June, 2007

Really, there's nothing very original, or satisfying in the book. She borrowed so heavily from Buffy, Harry Potter, and Star Wars that it sticks out like a sore thumb. It reads like altered fan fiction. And I love fan fiction, make no mistake, but it's not attempting to make a buck off someone else's world, either. Which is essentially what the book is. Cobbled fan fiction that has no cohesion.

I knew Clare as Cassandra Claire from Harry Potter fandom, I will admit...more

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Leila rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

06/18/08

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: Anyone to believes all myths are true

I decided to pick this up based on YALSA's list of what teens are reading in 2008. And I'm glad I did. While the series is lacking a bit in originality (it doesn't, for example, turn vampire mythology on its head like the Twilight Saga), it makes up for it in pure spunk. That's right, spunk.

First, the characters are extremely likable--even cocky, self-assured Jace. Simon seems like your typical "I'm the nerd that's secretly loved you forever," but you can tell something more is goi...more

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Allie rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

06/09/08

bookshelves: rated-3-books

recommended to Allie by: myself
recommends it for: teenagers.. girls and guys.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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sabrina added it (review of isbn 1416914285)

04/10/08

In conclusion: eh.

I will say for certain that it's better than stephanie's Twilight series, but I wouldn't be willing to dedicate shelf space to housing this book.

The part that probably turned me off the most was Clary. Dumb as a rock. Beautiful but unaware of it. Object of affection for all the guy MCs. OH AND OF COURSE ENDEARINGLY CLUMSY.

Nothing that was done here felt new. From the battles to the characters' backstories to the TWIST(s) to the love triangle, it's all been done b...more

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Dracolibris rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

02/09/08

bookshelves: 2008, ya-lit

After reading a few realistic fiction YA books, I like to throw in some other genres to lighten things up. This book had it all- Nephilim, vampires, faeries, werewolves, mages and even mermaids- all set in the urban landscape of New York. By throwing almost every fantasy convention into the mix, some stuck better than others. I gave it three stars because when I put it down and thought about it critically, I admit the book could have been shorter, the pace faster, the characters a bit less ste...more

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Stephanie S. rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

09/21/08

recommended to Stephanie S. by: book club ;-)
recommends it for: teen girls

This book, while incredibly good, incredibly disappointed me. Not because it was poorly written or anything, but because the plot took a twist that I wasn't ready to handle.

SPOILER ALERT:

Clary and Jace have incredible chemistry and I wanted so badly for them to end up together at the end. I thought it was going to happen too. They kissed and everything! They were seriously IN LOVE, not just a little crush or anything, they were IN LOVE. Then they find out that, get this, JACE IS HE...more

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Zen rated it:

(review of isbn 1406307629)

12/01/07

bookshelves: kidslit, sff

Read in November, 2007

I thought this had a lot of promise in the beginning, and settled down in happy anticipation of a trashily enjoyable read, but then it got boring. Probably it would have helped not to have been spoiler'd; usually I don't mind being spoilered for books, because if they are good books it doesn't really matter, but this probably needed the twists to surprise in order to be effective.

I think there are two reasons why this wasn't as much fun to read as her fanfic:

1. Her own jokes are not very...more

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Devyn rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

02/23/08

bookshelves: young-adult

Read in May, 2007

Reading level: Young Adult

City Of Bones -
Clary Fray is your average teenage girl, arguments with her mother, staying out too late and a best friend who is in love with her--but she is too blind to see it. That all changes when Clary and her best friend visit the club Pandemonium.

At Pandemonium, Clary is witness of a murder, a murder that only she can see. Her world is turned upside down as she is thrown into a world of Shadowhunters, Demons & werewolves--and a missing mother. She...more

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Jenny rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

09/12/07

Though I love Ms. Clare's fannish work, my expectations for her first novel were a bit on the low side. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised! (I actually finished it in the airport yesterday and instead of beginning the next book I had with me, I started rereading City of Bones instead.) Come to think of it, I actually should have expected this novel to tickle me as it did; it is, of course, right up my fannish alley. There are all manner of supernatural elements in a delightful hodge-podge and t...more

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Mitzie rated it:

(review of isbn 1416914285)

11/14/07

bookshelves: children-and-young-adult, fantasy, must-reads, read-in-2007

Read in November, 2007

recommends it for: Harry Potter fans, urban fantasy readers

Having loved Cassandra Clare's epic fanfiction, Draco Trilogy, I was really looking forward to reading a great adventure - and I sure wasn't disappointed.

Clary Fray is just a normal 15 year old girl going to a club to let her hair down like every other girl. But then she saw a murder, and yet there was no body and nobody else seemed to care. What she discovered next was the world of the Shadowhunters, demons, faeries, werewolves, vampires, all set in the heart of New York - a great urban fa...more

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Srcsmgrl rated it:

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