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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

By Cassandra Clare Read by Ari Graynor

Published in 2007 by Simon and Schuester

15 Hours (485 Pages)

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Three Stars

(Now a major Motion Picture)

Fifteen year old Clary (Clarissa) Fray was your typical teenager. She lived with her single, artist, mother in Brooklyn, NY. Her best friend from childhood, Simon, was a musician as they often tend to be. She was a moody teen aged girl, until one night at her favorite goth club Pandemonium, she witnesses a murder no one else can see. And, I mean really see. Simon cannot see the three strange people their age with weird markings on their bodies and weirder weapons kill a guy that turns into a not so human remain. Angry, Clary tries to take these people on, but knowing it will all be for naught. Reeling, Clary never thought she would see these people again; especially the boy who did the killing. The boy who intrigued her the most. But, as it often goes, of course she does. Because, as much as she doesn’t understand them, she needs them more than any of them realize. Why, because her ordinary mother gets kidnapped by not so ordinary captors, but by strong demonic forces. Clary, now a motherless girl who fought off something a mundane, as she later gets called-a human that can’t see there are other world beings out there like the demon she saw the three people kill and the thing that tried to kill her; there is not one world now she must try to navigate, but two. The down world where the downworlders try to live in the human world: Vampires, Demons, Werewolves, and the shadow hunters who are after them to protect the human race (the mundanes they say condescendingly. Oh, we owe you so much! Thanks for being rude about it).

Clary, shaken and confused, turns out to be one of the three teenagers, a shadow hunter. Her mother, one of the most skilled her left that life violently behind until it caught up to her. Clary has too much on her plate already, so why not throw in a love triangle (or two while Cassandra Clare is at it?)

Meet the three strangers: the most gorgeous boy alive (of course) Jace and brother and sister duo Alec and Isabelle. They are some badass shadow hunters that Clary never wanted to meet. Oh, but she did. As did she meet the silent brothers, mutilating shadow hunters who can read minds and travel through them all while talking INSIDE your mind. Yes, inside, because they sewed their mothers shut. Their eyes, gone. They are some cold, strange people that constantly wear hoods and travel in glamorized carriages. Yup, I said glamorized. Jace, Isabelle, Alec, all these people glamour themselves to hide what really goes on. Hello True Blood and fantasy books I don’t really read. You all sound so familiar.

I listened to this book on audio, so maybe it is a different experience reading the book. Maybe the hidden worlds read better than being listened to (even though Ari Graynor was a great narrator). I just couldn’t stand Clary. I won’t say the novel was totally predictable, but as I have discovered with a lot of YA Fantasy/paranormal books there is a formula of sorts. Not entirely a bad thing. Just not really a good thing either. True Blood and witches are really all that I go for. But, the trailer to the movie looked so good. Now, after reading the book, I am turned off by the movie. The casting = epic fail in my book. Jace is not attractive in the movie, in my opinion.  Isabelle doesn’t look as hot or tough as in the book. If the guy who plays Alec in the movie was blond, he might be a better Jace.

                                (Lily Collins (Clary), Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace),  Kevin Zegers (Alec) Jemima West (Isabelle), and Robert Sheehan as Simon)

Just seems all wrong to me. The special features, though still look good and up to par with my visions so I will still try to check it out.

I am going to rate this book three stars because there were many aspects I enjoyed. Clary’s whining, not so much. The love triangle between Clary, Jace, and Simon got a little pathetic mostly because of the master of drooling and possible unrequited love, Simon. He was a little much, in a whiny love scorned way. (You are only FIFTEEN, Simon. Relax). I know there are always love interests. I am still a sucker for it. YA authors, though, please. Most of your characters, if real, would not end up together twenty or even five years down the line. So, stop throwing it at us. Oh, he is the one. My only. You are too young! OK, I may be a little cynical after reading soo many of these soul mate novels. I still love YA novels, though. I do. Don’t ever change! (maybe a little).

And, Cassandra Clare, I liked your novel. It was good. Not without its faults. Not every book is a five star worthy book. Three stars is a good rating. If I based it on the characters alone, it might have been two to two and a half stars. I liked the adventure aspect, and the shocker at the end. The BIG shocker of an ending. That pushed your book forward, Clare. However, even with an average B rating, I will not read the other five books in the series. Nor, the two spin-off series (why stop with one successful series and beat it to death with multiple spin-offs with similar action taking place in different years/locations?). I may read or listen to book number four. I won’t spoil it with the reason why. And, yes, I may have wikipedia-ed the other books to know I am set, pretty much, to not read the lengthy sequels.

I would recommend this book to those of you that like YA paranormal books, but know as much action, and deception there is, and how badly I wanted the mom rescued so Clary would stop throwing a pity party for herself (I would, too, though. Maybe not as whiny though) love, true love, takes center stage at would be, should be, big moments. Take your chance on this, but don’t put it on top of your shelf. Maybe number 5-10 or so. Still read it, if it’s your thing. Isn’t really mine, yet I did like it.

Happy Reading!

-indiereadergirl