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| City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) | 
 enlarge | Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy Used: $4.81
You Save: $13.18 (73%)
New (27) Used (18) Collectible (2) from $4.81
Avg. Customer Rating:  118 reviews
Sales Rank: 11301
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 496
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.8
ISBN: 1416914285
EAN: 9781416914280
ASIN: 1416914285
Publication Date: March 27, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Has potential April 21, 2007
32 out of 47 found this review helpful
I liked the world that was portrayed in this book a lot, and I thought that it was done pretty well. But I have to say that some parts of the book just didn't make sense to me, and bits and pieces of the plot and the characters seemed to morph unexpectedly. People would remember certain parts of conversations, and not other, critical parts, which confused me to no end. I wasn't sure if it was a mistake, or if the characters were supposed to actually have forgotten. I also was disappointed by the lack of depth in the story overall - the setting was really rich, but the characters and the plot were pretty predictable and I saw every twist coming way ahead of time - so much so that I thought the author must be setting me up to be shocked, but the shock never came. I did enjoy the book, and will read the next two, but I'm hoping that the following books will be more creative in terms of plot and that the characters will become more easy to relate to and like.
 No logic! Wimps for heroes! July 5, 2007
32 out of 41 found this review helpful
This book had a lot of promise. Some of the banter between the characters was clever and witty. But what this book lacked was logic and intelligence. The characters just acted dumb! Fr'instance: A friend is taken by vampires, so the hero and heroine, ALONE, go to rescue him, instead of asking assistance from friends. Two people (one of whom is ignorant of vampires and knows nothing about fighting) against a whole nest of vampires??? The Omnipotent Authorial Hand engineers their escape *big surprise*.
Then they decide to find the Mortal Cup to rescue Clary's mother. But what exactly will they do once they have the cup? How will they use it to get her back? There is no plan, not even a discussion of possibilities. They just lurch from one event to another allowing the author to plunk them into one silly situation after another.
Then there is the problematic attraction between the hero and heroine. I kept wondering why they didn't act on it. And when they finally did (a passionate kiss), it really didn't go anywhere. And, at the end, you find out why. In other words, the distance between them was completely artificial so that a crucial plot element wouldn't creep people out. Ugh. Serious Ugh.
And, then at the end, the Absolute Worst Part of the book: the good guys have a chance to kill the bad guy, BUT. DO. NOT. A seriously evil man is allowed to escape because the main characters are wimps, complete absolute pathetic weenies. Obviously, the authorial hand stopped the killing so there could be a sequel and another and another. But they won't be read by me.
 City of Bones April 1, 2007
31 out of 75 found this review helpful
Was this the best book ever in the history of the universe? No. But I don't really think that's the point of a YA Fantasy novel.
I was entertained, I cared about the characters, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this trilogy. You will be, too.
 I was expecting better April 16, 2007
31 out of 56 found this review helpful
Having read Cassie's fanfiction religiously, I expected a book that was witty, deep, and fun. City of Bones is a tepid version of what I expected. The continuity is lacking, the prose not as funny (perhaps because Cassie was limited only to what she could come up with, instead of sampling everyone else's funnies). The characters don't have depth. The incest thing should have been played out more (I certainly didn't see them falling in love with each other...) Great use of old fantasy themes, but both Cassie and Holly have disappointed me. DV was better than this! Perhaps my bar has been set too high.
All the stories are real... May 11, 2007
31 out of 50 found this review helpful
Clary Fray is just an ordinary girl, til she's the only person in an all-age nightclub to see a murder and her mother disappears. A mysterious stranger, just a bit over her 15 years, comes to her aid and plunges her into a world where 'all the stories are real.' That includes demons, vampires, elves, etc.
The novel started out with a bang, but was too long to deliver the kind of speed needed to keep me hooked. Clare's world is interesting. Her concept that faeries are a result of angel and demon matings could explain a lot. I also laughed at the ultimate bikers--vampires, who would have thought that?
She's assembled a good ensemble cast. Clary's a likable kid who just wants her life back. She's also the kind of young woman who can take care of herself. One particular scene where she slaps Jace stands out strong in my mind. Simon, Alec, Isabelle and the rest of the crew are also interesting folks you can come to care about pretty quickly.
The imagery of her writing is good. It's obvious she's been strongly influenced by Chandler and Parker's noir detective novels. My problem is, the Chandleresque material doesn't fit in as smoothly as it could with her own voice.
While "City of Bones" was acceptable, if I'm going to read more YA fiction, I'd much prefer the stronger writing of Holly Black.
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