BOOK REVIEW: CITY OF BONES BY CASSANDRA CLARE
I FINALLY finished the book yesterday...it was a quick read, but I just have not found time to read it!!! (I started it OCTOBER 13TH. Ouch....)
So.
Let's get down to business.
City of Bones was an action-packed, quick read that had me hooked from beginning to end.
It was perfectly composed in just the right way: scary moments, sweet moments, shocking moments, romantic moments, funny moments, and so on.
It wasn't one extreme or the other: it was balanced. <3
I wrote up a list of some of the major points I wanted to discuss, so here we go:
Item #1: The Falcon Bedtime Story
This part of the book almost made me cry. It was beautifully written, and I can not describe my absolute love for this scene. First of all, Jace was, for once, genuinely sweet. Sweet enough to tell Clary a bedtime story, which is the most adorable thing ever (despite the fact the bedtime story was heart wrenchingly sad). Let's focus on the story. I could VISUALIZE this story in my mind, it was so well written. A boy and his falcon...the hostility between them becoming love...and then the falcon's neck being snapped, its body thudding on the ground. I could almost see Jace's face of shock and immense grief. This scene was touching and heart-breaking...I just loved it. A boy telling a girl a bedtime story is just the cutest thing, and then Jace opening up to Clary through the story added to the moment, and then Clary feeling sad for Jace...amazing.
Item #2: Alec
Okay, so I have a question: why is it that the "dark" guys are gay in books now? First we had Nico. Now Alec. Both of these characters would NEVER be suspected of being gay, yet they are. It really makes no sense.
Alec having a crush on Jace is even weirder, especially since Jace considers him a brother. No offense, but I kinda hoped that Alec would die after they fought the Greater Demon...not because he was gay (I'm not THAT against gays), but because I felt his character was so unnecessary. Let's just chuck an un-seemingly gay, scaredy-pants guy into a book that contains nothing but horror and bloodshed. No sense.
Item #3: Creativity
I felt that this story was SUPER creative; it was so well written to the point I could imagine and visualize each page. It wasn't a cliché, boring YA book; it was filled with twists and turns and major shockers. I love that.
Item #4: Sex + Cussing
These two things are what bothered me the most. Of course, I know YA books these days are gonna contain those two items, but I just really find them unnecessary and annoying. Fine, leave the cussing (since the characters' situations are so intense), but could we leave the sex talk out?
Item #5: Jocelyn
At first, I hated this woman. First, she had Clary practically brainwashed. She lied to her. She was Valentine's WIFE. Valentine is Clary's FATHER. Jace is Clary's BROTHER. What even? But once the whole story of the Circle and Valentine was revealed near the end of the book, I understood where Jocelyn was coming from. Dang.
Final item: Jace and Clary
Not once did I ship these two. Not. Once.
Okay, so, a few months ago some dimwit on Facebook posted two major spoilers for me:
1. That Augustus Waters died in TFiOS
2. Jace and Clary are siblings
It made me so mad.
I shoved that thought aside as I read this book, however, and the plot twist still shocked me anyway. (This was the same for TFiOS). But even knowing this fact beforehand isn't what made me not ship Jace and Clary...I don't ship them because there's no way they would ever be able to be a couple, even if they weren't brother and sister. They just don't work.
I ship Clary and Simon. I love Simon.
He's modest, sweet, quiet, and truly, truly, TRULY cares for Clary. When he came in and shot out that skylight when they were fighting the Greater Demon, I seriously smiled so big and just wanted to reach in and squeeze the dickens out of that boy. Even after he did that, he acted like he had done absolutely nothing. He's amazing.
My most favorite part in CoB besides the falcon bedtime story scene was when Simon and Clary laid on her bed like they did when they were little and talked. How Simon revealed his love for her. Simon loved her the whole time he knew her. That's beautiful. And he truly cares for her; I can FEEL it, even though their fictional. That's how well this book is written. Simon is amazing...and he was even a boss when he was a rat. That's just how awesome he is.
Jace turns me off because he's so cocky and annoying; I personally STRONGLY dislike guys who are cocky and think they're God's gift to humanity. I know a few boys who are like that.
Jace has his moments, but Simon is always, genuinely awesome, and I just adore his character.
So, overall, I give CoB 4 out of 5 stars, or 95%.
I liked it :)
~Amanda
So.
Let's get down to business.
City of Bones was an action-packed, quick read that had me hooked from beginning to end.
It was perfectly composed in just the right way: scary moments, sweet moments, shocking moments, romantic moments, funny moments, and so on.
It wasn't one extreme or the other: it was balanced. <3
I wrote up a list of some of the major points I wanted to discuss, so here we go:
Item #1: The Falcon Bedtime Story
This part of the book almost made me cry. It was beautifully written, and I can not describe my absolute love for this scene. First of all, Jace was, for once, genuinely sweet. Sweet enough to tell Clary a bedtime story, which is the most adorable thing ever (despite the fact the bedtime story was heart wrenchingly sad). Let's focus on the story. I could VISUALIZE this story in my mind, it was so well written. A boy and his falcon...the hostility between them becoming love...and then the falcon's neck being snapped, its body thudding on the ground. I could almost see Jace's face of shock and immense grief. This scene was touching and heart-breaking...I just loved it. A boy telling a girl a bedtime story is just the cutest thing, and then Jace opening up to Clary through the story added to the moment, and then Clary feeling sad for Jace...amazing.
Item #2: Alec
Okay, so I have a question: why is it that the "dark" guys are gay in books now? First we had Nico. Now Alec. Both of these characters would NEVER be suspected of being gay, yet they are. It really makes no sense.
Alec having a crush on Jace is even weirder, especially since Jace considers him a brother. No offense, but I kinda hoped that Alec would die after they fought the Greater Demon...not because he was gay (I'm not THAT against gays), but because I felt his character was so unnecessary. Let's just chuck an un-seemingly gay, scaredy-pants guy into a book that contains nothing but horror and bloodshed. No sense.
Item #3: Creativity
I felt that this story was SUPER creative; it was so well written to the point I could imagine and visualize each page. It wasn't a cliché, boring YA book; it was filled with twists and turns and major shockers. I love that.
Item #4: Sex + Cussing
These two things are what bothered me the most. Of course, I know YA books these days are gonna contain those two items, but I just really find them unnecessary and annoying. Fine, leave the cussing (since the characters' situations are so intense), but could we leave the sex talk out?
Item #5: Jocelyn
At first, I hated this woman. First, she had Clary practically brainwashed. She lied to her. She was Valentine's WIFE. Valentine is Clary's FATHER. Jace is Clary's BROTHER. What even? But once the whole story of the Circle and Valentine was revealed near the end of the book, I understood where Jocelyn was coming from. Dang.
Final item: Jace and Clary
Not once did I ship these two. Not. Once.
Okay, so, a few months ago some dimwit on Facebook posted two major spoilers for me:
1. That Augustus Waters died in TFiOS
2. Jace and Clary are siblings
It made me so mad.
I shoved that thought aside as I read this book, however, and the plot twist still shocked me anyway. (This was the same for TFiOS). But even knowing this fact beforehand isn't what made me not ship Jace and Clary...I don't ship them because there's no way they would ever be able to be a couple, even if they weren't brother and sister. They just don't work.
I ship Clary and Simon. I love Simon.
He's modest, sweet, quiet, and truly, truly, TRULY cares for Clary. When he came in and shot out that skylight when they were fighting the Greater Demon, I seriously smiled so big and just wanted to reach in and squeeze the dickens out of that boy. Even after he did that, he acted like he had done absolutely nothing. He's amazing.
My most favorite part in CoB besides the falcon bedtime story scene was when Simon and Clary laid on her bed like they did when they were little and talked. How Simon revealed his love for her. Simon loved her the whole time he knew her. That's beautiful. And he truly cares for her; I can FEEL it, even though their fictional. That's how well this book is written. Simon is amazing...and he was even a boss when he was a rat. That's just how awesome he is.
Jace turns me off because he's so cocky and annoying; I personally STRONGLY dislike guys who are cocky and think they're God's gift to humanity. I know a few boys who are like that.
Jace has his moments, but Simon is always, genuinely awesome, and I just adore his character.
So, overall, I give CoB 4 out of 5 stars, or 95%.
I liked it :)
~Amanda
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