Book Review: City of Bones

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

by Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Publication: April 2009

Format: Paperback, 485 pages

I’m reading this book after two of my friends in fanfiction.net recommended this book to me. Plus, I’ve seen lots of readers giving this book good high ratings and good reviews. So... I really have a high expectation from this book.

At the end, I have a mixed feeling about this book. I wanted to really like it. But I just couldn’t. I had to sit back for a while to think of what is it that I like and didn’t like about this book.

City of Bones is well-written. I admit that Cassandra Clare is a great storyteller. She did a good job in creating an interesting world of Shadowhunter. The first page had a bit mystery behind it which makes me wanting to read more. It has an interesting start. But then it was starting to bug me when it got to the second part. Clary’s investigation on her mother’s whereabouts was slow. I thought there were some unnecessary scenes – like the part where they have to rescue Simon. Their adventure to rescue him was nice, but it was unnecessary. 

I’m not sure if I like the heroine very much. I can’t seem to connect with Clary. Perhaps it was because I had a totally different personality with her (and what is it with YA heroine with artistic talent?). But Clary strikes me as, well, ordinary. While Cassandra Clare’s imagination and portrayal on the world sounds wonderful, her characters development is not. Her other characters, Jace and Simon didn’t have that squealing factors (you know, when the characters made their appearance and you start to squeal like a rabid fan girl) for me.

So, what did I like about this book? The dialogue, the humor and Cassandra Clare’s description. What I didn’t like much are the characters and the predictable endings. But I will still read the continuation to this book to found out what will happen to the characters. I hope it will be better.

Book Cover’s Description

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. .