Wild Things: YA Grown-Up discussion
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Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare
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I have the second book sitting at home, waiting for the first book to get in at the library. They don't have the 3rd book yet.So I'll have an update soon!
I was in the middle with you, Luann. Maybe leaning a bit more toward the neg side. I thnk the premise is interesting, but I think Clare as a writer has a lot of issues and seems very amateurish. City os Ashes was a bit better, and I have heard City of Glass really improves, but I have a feeling that the things I don't like about her writing are bad habits that will probably never be broken. I will finish out this series, but I don't know if I wll ever start another by her.
well she wrote Harry Potter fanfiction that had to be deleted cause she plagiarized, right? Thats pretty weird.
I quite enjoyed this trilogy. I wasn't wow-ed by the writing but I liked the story and the characters. I'd pick up another by her for a quick, fun read.
Weird, I can't believe I didn't write a review for these books... I really enjoyed this series. The second book was the best in my opinion. I thought the writing was fine, and though I did see the influence of other works, it wasn't to the point where it bothered me or detracted from the story. I heard something weird about her Harry Potter fanfiction too, so I was a little hesitant to pick up the books. But I'm glad I did, they held my interest better than a lot of the other books I've read lately.
I enjoyed the first two. I haven't read the third yet though. It's sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to have more time.
I think I'm in the "hate it" group. My review is here (no spoilers). I gave it two stars, because I did finish it and I was kind of curious as to what would happen next. (Not curious enough to actually read the other books, though.)I didn't know about the HP fanfic scandal until after I read it and saw someone else's review, so I looked it up. Kind of crazy.
Allison, I have the third book. So if you get caught up by the time I read it I can send it you, if your library doesn't have it yet. Unfortunately, I may not get to it until July. This year of teaching has been a bit tough on my reading. Anyway, let me know.
I recently read this series and enjoyed it. For those of you who also liked it, I have good news: there is going to be a 4th book in 2011!! City of Fallen Angels
It seems like a long ways to wait, but I'm still excited about it.
It seems like a long ways to wait, but I'm still excited about it.
I read the 1st one online (it was free) and I want to get the actual book and the rest of the series to continue it. So, I guess that means I'm in the love group...hehehehe.
hmm, i thought it was supposed to be a trilogy, and that she as going to start another series with some of the same characters, but pretty much change everythin else..i hav to say i adored these series when i first picked it up, although i was dissapointed with the size of it..it really gets to me how you buy the series, and then when they new one comes out, they change the cover design, or make them different sizes..dont know why, but it really annoys me..can anyone feel my pain??
I recently finished "City of Bones," and I'm currently reading "City of Ashes." They're certainly enjoyable, just as Twilight, and it's annoying how many people hate it for "bad writing." If the book is fun to read and keeps me interested, then to me it's a good book. Twilight wouldn't of been so great if it was written like a "Shakespearian" play...The Mortal Instruments books are a Trilogy: City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass. Clark is coming out with a new trilogy which is a prequel; taking place centuries before Clary and Jace, it involves completely new characters... although she did mention Magnus being in it (since he's immortal and all...)
Anyway, I plan to read City of Glass and her new trilogy in the future.
Zainab wrote: "hmm, i thought it was supposed to be a trilogy, and that she as going to start another series with some of the same characters, but pretty much change everythin else..i hav to say i adored these ..."
I feel you. If I buy one of a book in paperback, I have to wait for the rest to come out in paperback. And when they have different designs, I need them to match. I was really screwed up in the Harry Potter series, because I had paperback, but I wanted to buy them when they came out (I abstained), and also because I like the second printing covers more (the more muted silhouette ones), but they are harder to find; really, I knind of wanted both. It is one of the few series' I have mixed.
I've read all three, and enjoyed them, but with reservations. The writing is pretty bad, and I don't usually notice bad writing if the story's entertaining me enough, so that shows you just how bad it is! I also thought that the main character, Clary, was the least fleshed-out and 'real' of all of the characters, and as the books spend a lot of time with her...that can be a bit annoying... I just feel that executed better, or in the hands of someone else, this series could have been amazing.
Josie wrote: "The writing is pretty bad, and I don't usually notice bad writing if the story's entertaining me enough, so that shows you just how bad it is!"Exactly.
Misty wrote: "I feel you. If I buy one of a book in paperback, I have to wait for the rest to come out in paperback. And when they have different designs, I need them to match..."Yeah, I've also got the vampire academy series, and I am bummed out by that as well, because they changed the cover design...i understand @ harry potter, although i don't mind that much, because on the side, they have the colours, so in a way, they do kind of go togethor...
Josie wrote: "The writing is pretty bad, and I don't usually notice bad writing if the story's entertaining me enough, so that shows you just how bad..."I feel exactly the same as you. I found the main character annoying and selfish, and I couldn't get into the story because of that as well as the bad writing. I basically forced myself to finish all three because I bought them thinking they would be great.
Well I sound pretty harsh, but I did not enjoy the series at all!!
I really enjoyed the series, even though it was far from perfect. Clary seriously irked me sometimes, but I really liked some of the characters, especially Magnus, and there was so much action it was hard to dwell on the bad points. The last book was a little too fast for me though - sometimes I felt like she was trying to pack in a lot to make it into some kind of epic novel, but as they're her first novels I was kind of impressed (:
I know they had their bad points, but I honestly enjoyed them.
And yeah, City of Fallen Angels is about Simon (who I like way more than Clary), and then the Infernal Devices trilogy is set in Victorian London and Magnus pops up in it (if you go to Cassandra Clare's website there's an excerpt from it, seems good).
Oh, and the movie! Apparently the rights have been bought by some big film company, I really hope it doesn't fall through like the Libba Bray books :( The movie should be awesome.
But I'm hoping in her next books she'll abstain from the incest thing - it's in this series, her fan-fic, and in that Love Is Hell anthology she did in some form or another. Weird :S
Gemma wrote: "I really enjoyed the series, even though it was far from perfect. Clary seriously irked me sometimes, but I really liked some of the characters, especially Magnus, and there was so much action it w..."I think Magunus was one of the best characters in the book, although I like Jace better, no matter what everyone says...
I haven't heard that Clare was writing a book about Simon though...is it supposed to be part of the same series, or altogethor different??
I also heard 'rumours' about them making a movie-how far into it has it gone? Have they chosen characters and such yet, or have they just begun?
Hahaha @ incest
xD
spoiler**************I just finished book one. I did enjoy it. I wish that clary and Jace had a little more sexual tension. Now that they are or think that they are brother and sister I am afraid that in book 2 that will not be going on at all. Should I keep reading? Will clary get a HEA? I have to say Simon is not doing it for me. I just want to read about Jace.
Horserider wrote: "I recently finished "City of Bones," and I'm currently reading "City of Ashes." They're certainly enjoyable, just as Twilight, and it's annoying how many people hate it for "bad writing." If the book is fun to read and keeps me interested, then to me it's a good book. "I'm with you on this one. I read a ton, but I don't get this "bad writing" thing. It didn't seem bad to me...... Maybe I'm just not very discriminating? But in any case, I loved the story and couldn't put the books down! :)
Kelly: Keep reading. Have no fear! Go get the next book right now, and read it!
I agree with you, Horserider, that if it keeps me entertained, so what. But with this one, though it kept me entertained enough to want to read the next book, that was just barely. The writing thing, for me, was that it felt kind of clunky and like it was written by someone in high school. A good high-schooler, but still. Not horrible, just not developed and polished. But I did keep going, and #2 was a bit better for me. I have yet to read 3. But I don't want that to keep anyone else from enjoying it; I just wish I could have enjoyed it more. I did however love Magnus.
Magnus plays a fairly large role in Book 3... so if for no other reason than that, you should read it! :) There's one scene where he's wearing a tie-dyed shirt and rainbow-striped leather pants. Oh geeeeez! I was like, "ROCK ON, MAGNUS!!" It was so sweet!
Alright, I'll bite. I will have to bump it up on my tbr list.
Alexis wrote: "I think I'm in the "hate it" group. My review is here (no spoilers). I gave it two stars, because I did finish it and I was kind of curious as to what would happen next. (Not curious enough to actu..."After reading the first one, I'm with Alexis. HATED it.
I almostnotquite hated it. I saw potential, but I was disappointed.
I'm with you Misty. I'm debating about reading the second in the series. Kelly, I could not completely figure out the Simon character either. The reason he was so involved just did not seem real enough to me. I found myself getting annoyed by his rather juvenile behavior and intrusions.
I have to chime in here on the side of those who liked the series. I do however remember having some problems with the way some of the things were written - an awkwardness in some dialogue and character interaction I think it was. It was only a minor annoyance at the time. I'm an inexperienced reader and only about a year ago discovered the amazement of this pastime. The more I read the more I wonder what I would have thought of the earlier books. I know I would still like the stories that I liked and if there are some things that might get in the way of that, then I'm glad I read those books when I did because I truly enjoyed them at the time.
I felt the second was a bit better, Lydia, and I started really liking Simon in it.
On your recommendation, Misty, I will give the second a shot. I often find that if the story and basic plotting works in the first of a series, the author's writing tends to improve. Perhaps this is the result of having an involved editor.
Be warned, it's never great. It gets better, and I start liking Simon. I've heard 3 is pretty good, but I haven't felt the need to find out yet.
Oaky, just finished City of Ashes and will be reading City of Bones for the YA Challenge #3. Yes, the writing was slight improved, but still there are places where she seems to step outside of the established point of view, and therefore takes me out of the story.Misty, I found I liked Simon even less and don't get me started on the parental figures!
Yeah, I agree with Lydia on not liking Simon that much.
I just finished reading everyone's comments and I am definitely in the love category. I read CoB and immediately started in on CoA and then had to go out and buy CoG because I needed to find out what would happen. And I thought that CoG had a satisfying ending not a forced "wrap everything up - perfectly happily ever ending type ending" like Twilight (and I like the Twilight Series). The books were easy to read and moved along quickly. I liked the humor in it. And several friends who read the series also really liked them. City of Fallen Angel is the fourth book which focuses more on Simon and the mark that Clary put on him. I really liked Simon and so I am glad that this will focus on him though from some of the hints from Clare I am concerned about what might happen between Jace and Clary. (The new book takes place shortly after the end of CoG.)
I am most definitely going to read the Infernal Devices Series which comes out on August 31st and is set in Victorian England. The excerpts sound fun. And I will be reading CoFA as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Oh, my goodness, there's a fourth book? Or is it a new series based on existing characters?
Does anyone know who the person on the cover of book 3 (City of Glass) is supposed to represent? Book one is Jace and book two has Clary, but I can't figure if 3 is supposed to be Sebastian or Alec?Oh, and I've now read all three. I think that #3 is the best of them so far. I'll read book 4 when it comes out but I'm not that excited that it's all about Simon. I am really looking forward to The Infernal Devices though!
Horserider - Sebastian is on Book 3 (City of Glass). And Lydia - The fourth book City of Fallen Angels(March 2011) is part of the Mortal Instruments Series (City of Bones, City of Glass, city of Glass) and will focus more on Simon and the mark that Clary put on him. Though the others will be in it and new characters will be introduced.
The Infernal Devices Series begins with Clockwork Angel and comes out in August 2010 and will focus basically on the ancestors of the the characters in Mortal Instruments. The excerpts that have been released look good...but then if you hated the first three then you will likely not enjoy the new series. I on the otherhand...am eagerly anticipating all the new books coming out.
The Infernal Devices sound interesting.
Here is the link to the Infernal Devices and it has the excerpts and FAQ...http://www.theinfernaldevices.com/inf...
Alyson wrote: "I just finished reading everyone's comments and I am definitely in the love category. I read CoB and immediately started in on CoA and then had to go out and buy CoG because I needed to find out w..."How did you find out there was a 4th book in the Mortal Instruments Series? I really enjoyed this series and I like the ending. I thought it was an appropriate way to end the series. I would like to know more about the 4th book because this is the first time I have heard about it.
Midnight - Here is the link to the Mortal Instruments websitehttp://www.mortalinstruments.com/mort...
Also, there is a google discussion group for Mortal Instruments where Cassie Clare participates and sometimes posts excerpts and other interesting pieces of information. And there are several fansites that are fun to check out. I like the MundieMoms site. They recently had a chat with Cassie and Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan and Saundra Mitchell all "popped in" as well. With the fourth book, there will be no ARCs and it is under pretty tight wraps so there are only an occasional quote being released.
i really, really loved this series.and just FYI....she announced a couple of months ago that CoB has been optioned for a movie.
Wild Things: YA Grown-Up
Books mentioned in this topic
City of Fallen Angels (other topics)City of Bones (other topics)
Alexis wrote: "Luann wrote: "5.1 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (Top YA Novel, 485 p.)"
Luann, what did you think of this?"
This seems to be one of those books that some people LOVE and other people HATE, judging by the reviews I read here at GR. I wasn't in either one of those camps. I enjoyed reading it, but did have a few problems with it. You can read my review here. I will most likely read the others in the trilogy at some point in the future.
What did you all think of it? Have you read the entire trilogy yet? Some people seem to think Clare's writing style gets better with time.