City of Bones
Ratings943
Average rating3.6
it was awful???? but i also couldn't put it down??!
nothing redeeming about this book except Magnus and Isabelle, i don't like any other character
First read: July 2013Pretty much disliked reading this. Not a fan of any of the characters. Re-read:August 2021The plot of this book is still ridiculous, I just can't take it seriously even in the context of make-belief. The only character I really enjoy is Simon...okay and maybe Isabella at times. But I was in the mood for something silly and fast-paced so my experience with this was better this second time around. I'm still not in the slightest tempted to pick up the next one in the series and find out what happens next. The ending of this book and that plot twist is just too lame, I don't care for it and I don't want to invest further time into this.
Please consider that I am in my mid-thirties and just read the book for the first time.
Somewhat of an interesting story with a very hard to like protagonist. And I don't mean hard to relate to. I mean hard to like.
The story: Ignoring some minor inconsistencies, the story was good. I liked the setting and the lore. I believe it will get even better when the world “opens up” more in following books.
The characters: There have been books where a young protagonist will actually entice me to read, as they are generally more eager and openminded. Not in this book. Eagerness was replaced by moody stupidity. Open-mindedness was replaced by stubbornness and being judgemental. Nothing and no one was ever good enough for Clary (the main character) and she treated absolutely everyone horribly. Tantrum after tantrum, showing no gratitude or empathy, being vindictive, being openly hostile to a girl just for being pretty, consciously using her so called “best friend”, slapping people for actually saving her life... The list goes on. There is a difference between being a badass independent young woman, and being an ignorant entitled edge-lord douche. Clary, sadly, belongs to the latter.
The rest of the cast was somewhat okay, though Simon was also rather unlikeable at times. I did like the Lightwood siblings. At some point towards the end of the book I started liking Jace as well. And I simply loved Magnus Bane.
The romance: Lukewarm at best. I detected no chemistry between Clary and either of the boys. Maybe there was a bit of it with Jace at some point (which is why I found the plot-twist at the end rather annoying), but honestly, all of it kind of bored me. And I don't mean that I wanted “steam” in this YA novel. I mean, I wanted to see bonding, connection of some sorts. I got pretty much none of that.
The writing style: I am no expert in writing, so anything I say here take with a grain of salt. I didn't mind it much, with the exception of the abundance of obscure adjectives and adverbs utilised in casual conversations between teenagers (assiduously, stringent, inimical, etc.).
In conclusion, had it not been for the main character, I would've liked this book way more.
2.5 - 3 stars, mainly for the story.
This is a fast paced fantasy based in the modern world. While the more widely-read will recognise many common tropes of the genre, they are handled very well, creatively and with a hefty dose of humour.
If you are looking to introduce someone (perhaps a younger teen) to the modern-set fantasy genre, this seems a very good place to start.
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: City of Bones
Shadowhunters are the unseen protectors. Fighting demons and keeping order among the creatures that humans do not see. People without the Sight, mundanes, cannot see into the world of the Shadowhunters. But somehow, Clary Fray witnesses three Shadowhunters kill a demon. When her mother goes missing, she must depend on the Shadowhunters to keep her safe and help find her mother.
I first read City of Bones in 2014. I almost immediately fell in love with Jace. His witty comebacks and determination made me swoon. After reading Infernal Devices this year and absolutely loathing Will, I thought oh no, I'm going to hate Jace if I read Mortal Instruments again. The two characters are so similar in their sarcastic and dark humor. Well, I decided to give it a re-read and chance it.
The dynamics between Jace and Clary still won me over. And Jace's famous one-liners made me laugh. As a character, Jace is much more appealing to me than Will. I also enjoyed that Clary doesn't back down to Jace and is just as willing to speak out. She isn't the type of girl to immediately swoon and is fiercely independent. The two work to balance one another and carry the story forward.
Even knowing what ultimately plays out, I enjoyed every moment of this book. Being able to see how the characters behave at first and knowing how they are going to evolve as the series progresses only adds to the enjoyment. I was also able to pick up on the internal battles that some characters experience, and it added a new layer to the story.
The world created by Cassandra Clare is dark and exciting. Readers of all ages can enjoy the action and magic found in the City of Bones.
I bought this book at a library book sale so I thought I would give it a try. I have never read any of Cassandra Clare's books. I am actually a little too old for the story. I think 15 year old me would have loved this series. The story was fine, but I felt it to be a little too young for me. I am a little curious about what happens in the series. I may pick up the next book in the future, but it is not something I really need to read right now. It is a good YA fantasy book.
This is my first time reading a YA novel in years. Figured i should give this best-seller everyone raves about a chance. What a big mistake. The writing is just bad as bad the author of Twilight, but this time I won't make the same mistake I made in middle school where I would force myself to read an entire series once I started it, no matter how much I disliked it. I thought it was the only way my opinions or reviews could be valid.
The author also copied from a ton of popular stories, Harry Potter to name one of them. I know there's really no such thing as an original idea but the similarities were way to similar and literally everything was predictable. There just wasn't enough deviation from borrowed texts. Dropped hints were more like spoilers. JK Rowling did a much better job with this. Impressive, really. This book is once again proof that as long as you follow the common YA plot formula, it doesn't matter how poor the writing is and if the idea is original or not, you'll have a successful book. Anyone can become a published author at this point. At least I recognize I should leave the writing to other people.
I ended up skimming the last third of the book. Needless to say, I won't be finishing this series. The first book was a waste of time. I'll go back to the non YA fantasy books that tend to have far better writing, well developed worlds, and better plots (I recommend Wheel of Time, The Kingkiller Chronicles, and the Stormlight Archives). Seriously, once you try a fantasy novel, you will rarely go back to YA except for that diamond in the rough.
I have heard this author has improved significantly so I'm considering trying another novel from her but I'm honestly not sure if it's worth my time and effort. I would need to know someone with the same opinion I had of this book to actually likes her newer ones.
Loved it! Can't believe it took me this long to start this series. Amazing worldbuilding!
Reread. Last time read: February 2017.
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I always like city of Bones enough to continue with the series. I always think and experience that the books get better. (Hence the fact that I love city of Glass and City of Heavenly fire♥️)
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City of Bones is book 1 in the Mortal Instruments series written by Cassandra Clare (Queen
Honestly, I expected to absolutely hate this, but I didn't! Was it good? Nope, but it was action-packed enough that I can say I had an okay time flying through it. Obviously it's cheesy and derivative (I think if you squint at the cover you can see Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker on the rough of middle building). The amount of girl hate is appalling. The MC is a bland, cardboard cutout and clearly written so the reader can insert themselves into the story. There's nothing wrong with those kinds of stories though if that's the kind of escapism you're looking for. Overall, not my cuppa but an easy read.
Took me a month, no idea why. Loved it. But, I like TV-Show Clary more than book Clary!
Erin and I have decided to continue reading the books in the shadowhunter world. We have read The Infernal Devices which were rereads for me and now we are reading The Mortal Instruments. City of Bones is a reread for me but I haven't read any of the other books in this series Erin has read all of them before. I have shared my original review below and I still feel pretty much the same however this time around Clary really annoyed me with her jealousy. Beyond that I don't really have anything else to add besides that I am keeping my rating the same and be warned my original review has spoilers so if you haven't read this book don't read the next part.
I was a little skeptical going into this book because a lot of people didn't like this series and actually gave up on it about halfway through. I was worried because I absolutely loved The Infernal Devices trilogy and I didn't want this series to tarnish that for me but overall I really enjoyed this.
This book had a slow start for me and that had a lot to do with the long chapters plus there wasn't a whole lot that happened in the beginning. Yeah Clarys mom goes missing and she fights some demons but for the most part it was mostly an info dump. You learn as Clary learns. One thing that bugged me is how everyone talked to Clary like she was stupid and like she should know what they were talking about even though they know she didn't grow up with the knowledge. Another thing that bugged me is how much they all would be like it's to dangerous he doesn't need to be part of this but yet they let Simon tag along anyways.
Overall I enjoyed all of the characters although I found all of them to be annoying at certain points except for Isabelle. I think at this point she is the most likable character out of all of them. Alec was way over dramatic. Some of his reactions to certain situations didn't work for me. It just didn't fit the situation in my opinion. I look forward to getting more Magnus in the following books. Jaces sarcasm was on point and I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this book. As for Clary I'm neutral when it comes to her right now. She didn't really wow me but I don't hate her.
That plot twist ugh so help me if I continue on with this series (which I plan to do) just to find out that Clary and Jace are actually brother and sister I will hate this series. I know that is harsh to say but I hate when authors play with my emotions like this. I mean why make me fall in love with the characters and ship them together to throw a plot twist like that at me no just no.
Toward the end of the book was when things started happening and where I was fully sucked into the story. While a lot of things annoyed me Cassandra Clare still managed to draw me into the story and make me want to continue with the series. I know this review is all over the place and I am sorry about that.
3/5 stars
Personally, I didn't like this book. I liked the concept, but I couldn't get through the actual book. I have been recommended this book multiple times, but that isn't enough motivation to finish this book. I was personally more invested in the side characters than the main characters. From what I read, Clary seemed to be the I'm-not-like-other-girls trope, which I can't really stand. I only read books with this trope when I am sure that the character has developed and changed. Maybe I would have liked it if I had read it when I was eleven, but at the moment I can't like it or get through the entire series.
I can't tell this series is going to super interesting. Really enjoyed tho book especially the setup for future books.
This was a very inserting book. I really the world and the characters so far. Hope it keeps it up! :D
I might have finished this book, but I have 535921 more in the Shadowhunter world to read if I am ever going to get to Lady Midnight.
RTC
This book was a reread for me, and I enjoy it every time I read it. The Mortal Instruments is my favorite Urban Fantasy series and this book is such an amazing start to the world of the Shadowhunters. This book is filled with an action-packed plot, amazingly written and loveable characters, and it's a book that you won't want to put down. So go check out Cassandra Clare's books. They're magnificent.
I read this back in 2014. I am making it a mission to finish as many series as I can in 2017 but in order for me to do that with this series I had to start over. I enjoyed this the second time around. I love the characters, and it has a slow build up, all and all it was a good way to spend a few hours.
Who cares about some 10 year-old livejournal drama? I really enjoyed this book, and that's all there is to it.
I came into it expecting a campy, silly fun read, and came out actually fully bought in. I loved this story! It exceeded all expectations. I was really invested in all the characters quickly–including minor ones–which for me is a sign of a series I want to stick with.
That ending though, for people who read it. I don't even have words.
Can't wait for the next one!