City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I have finally read a book in this series. So many people kept telling me I should read the books but it took me awhile to find the time. It helps that I had a friend read it at the same time as me. Part of the reason I hadn't read the book yet is I wasn't sure which series to read first: The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices. The second one is actually the prequel series to The Mortal Instruments and I always find it weird to read books/series and then find out a book or books came before it. I still might check out The Infernal Devices at some point but for now, I''ve got City of Bones and eventually will read its sequel, City of Ashes.

About the book from Goodreads: "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. . . .


Characters: They are a bit different. There is a kind of a triangle, with the friend and new guy but it's not quite the usual characters used in the same situations. While I liked almost all of the characters most of the time, many of them had moments where they annoyed me a little bit. Like Simon's, the friend, had a personality that at times with his remarks would bug me. And I normally root for the friend over the mystery boy but he makes it less of a need. And the main character... Clary isn't very observant, especially when it comes to Simon. Like, there are several moments where she notices something or he does something and she doesn't catch on until he flat out comes out with it. Wanted to shake her a little. And even Jace got to me with some of his moodiness. I think I'm going to like Alec but will have to wait and see as they develop in the series.

Story: Thankfully, this story had action and Clary was willing to take action. She ended up in a few of the situations but she doesn't just wait to be saved, whether Jace was there to rescue her or note, though he is around most of the book. There are twists and turns that keep the story moving forward, which is always good to see in a book. Action helped to keep the story flowing and interesting even though a few of the chapters were really long.

Overall Impression: It was interesting. At first I wasn't sure how I would feel about the book and I did put the book down for a couple of weeks as I waited for my friend to get a copy and then again for another week since I ended up with a bad cold. But I did become interested in the story the author created. It is one I'm sure many readers will like, especially those who like a mixture of fantasy/paranormal creatures used in a single story. While it didn't strike my fancy in a large way, I still mostly liked the book.


Dawn's Verdict: 7/10

Friday, June 03, 2011 | Labels: , |

 

1 comments:

Denise Covey said...

I love the name of this book and have read a fair bit about it on the blogosphere. It's a matter of taste, isn't it? As is all reading.

Good, honest review Dawn.

Denise<3

June 5, 2011 at 3:46 PM  

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