City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Review

Jen's Review

Clary Fray suddenly finds herself thrown into a whole other world that she never knew existed. One full of demons, shadowhunters and other creatures. As she learns more about this other world, Clary finds out something about herself, a huge secret that everyone has been keeping from her her whole life.

This book is action packed, fast paced and there are definitely no dull moments. The problems I had with this book were the fact that everything seemed to be rushed right from the very start. You were suddenly introduced to this whole other world with all these new characters, new creatures and new terminology with seemingly no time to let it sink in before you were introduced to something else new. I also had issues with the main characters of the book.

While I liked Clary, at times I was annoyed with how impulsive and reckless she was, with no regard to those who would inevitably have to risk their lives to come and save her. Jace also consistently got on my nerves throughout the whole book, with his egotistical and arrogant attitude. As for the other characters, there wasn’t much about them that I did like, however I am hoping that this will change as the series continues. There were also many plot twists that just kept coming, which made the story interesting. However there was one major plot twist towards the end that I just did not like at all. I am curious to see what happens in the next book though!

Overall, despite all my complaints, I did like this book and rated it 3.5/5 stars. However I do feel that I would probably give a higher rating on a re-read. This book would suit those who like YA and fantasy reads.

Mel's Review

Days prior to her 16^th birthday, Clary is thrust into the world of the Shadowhunters. Along with discovering the existence of demons, vampires and werewolves, she uncovers a secret that has been kept from her her whole life. But not all is well in the Shadowhunter world. There is an evil brewing that will change Clary’s life forever.

As a fan of fantasy novels, this book fits my interests perfectly. Set in modern day New York, City of Bones is action packed, with shocking moments and occasional humour, and characters that will stay with you until well after the book ends.

I had few disagreements with this book, but the stand out problem that I picked up on after several rereads, is that Hodge (the tutor at the Institute) didn’t recognise Clary when he met her (especially after naming her mother). This is explained away in the way that he didn’t want to come to the conclusion unless he was sure, but my brain just doesn’t accept that as an excuse. It seems like a plot hole that has been only lightly addressed.

I love most of the characters, but I think the one that entertained me most was Magnus Bane, the sassy, eccentric warlock, who openly flirts with Alec. Isabelle is another stand out – head strong, confident and priority driven, but still shows the occasional vulnerability.

I give City of Bones a 5/5 rating and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy or YA novels.