Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry Books

Page Count: 485 pages, Paperback

Date Published:  April 14th 2009 (first published March 27th 2007)

Find it on Goodreads: City of Bones

Source: Purchased

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...

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

My Thoughts:Well... I finished it. FINALLY! *This review will hold a probably unpopular opinion*


I remember seeing this book for the first time in the sixth grade. I tried to read it and I think I finished it, but I'm uncertain about that fact. The point is that I didn't remember it. When a friend of mine asked if I had read the series a while back, it got me thinking if I should. Everyone seems to love it and so I decided heck, why not!? Yeah... I only just finished it and I started it two or three months ago. Needless to say, it wasn't the book for me. 


Don't get me wrong, I think Cassandra Clare must  have improved considering her fan base, but the story just wasn't for me. I didn't connect well with any of the characters and that is something very important to me while reading! If there is not a single character that I care whether or not they die, it puts me in a bit of a rut. I did like Simon, because he was funny and sweet, but I didn't feel any connection to him! I really didn't like Clary, I felt her to be bland and boring, as well as angry and whiny. To be honest, I didn't feel really anything for Jace. He was the biggest cliche in the history of cliches when it comes to bad-ass, stuck up heroes. Yes, his story did make me like him a little bit more than I would have, but at the same time I couldn't get over the fact that he completely loses all coherent thought and concept after Valentine comes into the picture. I'm sure that the books evolve more and that is why Clary and Jace seem to be one of the most loved couples ever, but in this book, it didn't work. WHY? Because of the crazy twist at the end that made me want to tear my hair out! WHAT!?!?! I'm sure you've read this book and know what I'm talking about, but if not then I'm sorry. But anyways, it was one of the biggest WTH moments I've had in my life. There is obviously a huge twist and turn to the story in the next books, because without it I'm sure these books would cause a lot of controversy towards Jace and Clary being the golden couple. I see so many people saying that they are one of their favorite book couples, so I'm assuming Valentine was lying or is delusional, (both of which are highly possible). 


The other problem I had with the book was the plot. There was so much going on that I had no clue what was going on half of the time! I had to go back and reread too many times and that was a bit irritating. I have never been a huge fan of books that have a ton of different paranormal creatures in it, but this one felt as if it had every creature imaginable and then some! It was too much! This is a fairly long book but I can usually read 500 or so page books in 2-3 days! But with City of Bones, it was much too long. There were too many instances where I was left pondering what was happening in the book, instead of what was going to happen. In some scenes the sentences were all a jumbled-up, incoherent bunch of words that took a while to decipher. The prose was very... Well, I think the author was trying a little too hard to make it original, and it fell flat. For sure there were moments where the writing was better, with more description and detail, but for the most part it didn't work. I didn't really feel anything for any of the characters and I couldn't care less about the plot, other than what happens with Jace and Clary, because that plot twist was nut-so. 

I have the next two books on my shelf, but I'm not sure when I will be reading them, or even if I will be. I would like to one day, but with such a large TBR already, I need to finish my review copies first. I'll most likely read the next one at least, and if that one improves then I will probably continue the series. I'd love to know your opinion on this series... I know so many people love it and I find it fascinating reading contradicting thoughts on books. I am very disappointed that I didn't enjoy it all too much, but hopefully the rest of the series will be a different story!

Happy reading!
~Kristy