Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

City of Bones

by Cassandra Clare

Reviewed by Ruby and Coral


Ruby's Review.

Clarissa Frey is your average, everyday teenager who goes to clubs and poetry slams with her best friend Simon. Then something weird happens; she sees three teenagers kill someone. The really weird part is that she is the only one who can see them.

Soon after, her mother is kidnapped and Clary is attacked by a demon. Now she finds herself in the world of Shadowhunters, a group of people that fight evil. Clary now must figure out what a demon and some rogue Shadowhunters want with her mother and her before it’s too late.

I have to admit I was hesitant to read this book, especially after I watched that god-awful movie, and YA books have never really been my thing but I was surprised after finishing it. It wasn’t great but it was enjoyable and sometimes that’s enough.

The universe the author created was interesting and well thought out. I’ll forgive the pages of exposition because it is the first book in a series and they weren’t that long, thankfully. The story, also, seemed to drag in some places but overall it was good.

The main problem I had was that the characters were mostly flat and one dimensional- but, again being the first book of a series I hope the author will flesh them out a bit more. Because most of them have the potential to be interesting and I do want to find out more about them.

Clary was one of the few characters that actually had dimension, but it didn’t seem to help her much. I am trying to figure out if the author is writing her as dumb or selfish; I haven’t decided yet. She spends the majority of the book getting people to do things for her and then completely forgets about them when they don’t have any more use to her. If she had been a little less annoying I would have liked her better. And while I know it would be weird for a fifteen-year-old who was suddenly thrown into a world of vampires and werewolves to start beheading them with a sword or something I was still glad that she wasn't completely useless.

I see the potential behind her and the book in general, so for now I am going to continue reading the series.

Grade: D

Coral's Review.

I'm going to echo my sister's comments about being hesitant to read this book because of the movie, but I decided to give it a chance. And while I will continue to read the series, having developed a soft spot for secondary characters Alec and Magnus, I really wanted to be able to scream at some of the main characters.

First, the plot point where every adult Shadowhunter is out of town for the Accords just seemed unbelievable. Why would every adult need to be there? Especially ones who are in exile, basically? It just seemed like a convenient plot driven way for the teenage main characters to have to step in and face the big bad of the book.

I don't understand how Clary and Jace have managed to keep Simon and Alec respectively as their friends, given how they treat them. I don't mean in not returning their romantic feelings, because obviously they aren't obligated to return any feelings Simon or Alec have, but they call Simon and Alec their respective best friends but treat them awfully. Clary is basically introduced to us while not even listening to Simon talking to her while they are at a club together. Jace isn't much better in how he treats Alec, basically ignoring him in favor of someone he just met.

I wish Clary and Jace's relationship had been built up better in the book. They go from him insulting her to him kissing her. I hate the message that relationships like that send, that insults mean that the guy likes you.

There is so much poor decision making in this book it's ridiculous. Yes, let's wander into a portal even though I have no idea where it goes or what a portal really is. Yes, let's not take along any back up and go back to the site of a demon attack with a person who has no experience fighting demons. Yes, let's not call for back up and just go into a vampire den just the two of us!

Still, the book was easy to read and I am interested in the larger overall plot.

Grade: C