Book Review: City of Bones

City of Bones

 (The Mortal Instruments #1)
By:  Cassandra Clare
Published By: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication Date: March 27, 2007

Page Count: 496

But it at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound

Source:  Purchased by Reviewer

  Audience:  Young Adult - Fantasy

 

 Granted, City of Bones has been out for a while and reviewed thousands upon thousands of times, but as each new installment in this series is released, it becomes relevant once again.

I couldn't wait to dive into this series once more as I wanted to refresh my memories of what has transpired thus far, and each time I read these wonderful books, I am just as captivated with the story as the first time I read them.

Cassandra's world building is just beyond comprehension.  She has a real talent for creating a world so intricate and yet nothing is superfluous.  I always catch more tidbits on each rereading of these books that did not occur to me as significant when I first read them and as we are already much further ahead in the story.  

 

The characters of The Mortal Instruments are so rich, you get a real sense of each of their selves -- their individualness -- each character is distinct and integral to the story.  I truly ended up caring about all of them in one way or another.  I even wanted to find redeeming qualities in Valentine.

However, when I first tried to read City of Bones, I have to admit that I almost gave up a few pages in as I did not relate to the heroine of this series, Clary.... I don't know why, but I just couldn't.  Perhaps it was because she seemed so young and a tad immature when the story first began.  But at the urging of one of my bestest book friends to give this series another try, and as I really began to appreciate this world, I found her to become a strong yet vulnerable protagonist, and I loved her as I got to know her.  Like many teenage girls who truly do not see themselves as beautiful, her insecurities did not weigh her down.  And being new to the Shadowhunter lifestyle, and coming to the realization that this whole other world even existed all along and was thrown into it head-first, showed us what she was capable of and she continues to amaze me as the story unfolds.

And what can I say about Jace.  He is such a complex character and worthy of sharing the spotlight as one of the main characters in these books.  His cockiness is tempered by his thoughtfulness much of the time.  He IS gorgeous, of course, and he knows it.  I wanted to NOT like him (for his arrogance), but I just couldn't.  He seems much older than beyond his years, but at the same time, he is still like a child.  I definitely feel that he and Clary share the stage in this story equally.

Clary's and Jace's families and friends wonderfully enrich this story, too.  Simon is just simply awesome.  He's so vulnerable where Clary is concerned, and growing up together with the thought that they could go in perhaps another direction keeps us wondering what it would be like between them.  Isabelle, Alec, Luke, Hodge, Magnus, Jocelyn... all integral to the story without cluttering it.  Valentine, one of the most evil villains in YA lit that I've come across, is just that... evil, with not a lot of redeeming qualities, as he will sacrifice his own flesh and blood to further his cause.  He's not above using anyone he 'loves'.

Each time I read this story, I am still crushed when 'that something' is discovered between Clary and Jace close to the end of City of Bones.  It still had me saying NOOOOOOOOO... even though I know how it all turns out. 

While, I know what is to come in the subsequent books that have been released already, I still get anxious and totally invested in this amazing series.  This world that Cassandra has created is unique and super-intriguing!  An excellent story... and definitely one of my all-time favourites! 

Summary:  

 

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.