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Most Helpful Favorable Review
200 out of 215 people found this review helpful.
Some Good Advice for Twilight Lovers....Read It!!!!
if your trying to decide to read this series or not...dont wait! trust me. the first few pages, i cant lie, i was feeling like i was playing catch up. it starts off in the middle of a night out on the town without really explaining much. but after only a few pages i got...
if your trying to decide to read this series or not...dont wait! trust me. the first few pages, i cant lie, i was feeling like i was playing catch up. it starts off in the middle of a night out on the town without really explaining much. but after only a few pages i got my bearings and learned who the characters were and how they were related to the main character. WARNING!!!...after you understand whats going on, you wont be able to stop. all types of events start to happen in Clary's life which will hav no choice but to lure you in with her! its not crazy-busy but also leaves no room for you to get bored...the perfect mix. :) everytime there wasnt action or almost unbearable suspense, i was soaked up in the lust and romance of Jace and Clary. although it is written in 3rd person, it is so easy to become the characters and be overwhelmed with their intense emotion. its sad for me to admitt, and i probably would hav beat myself up for even thinking this before i read this series, but the Mortal Instruments Series goes hand in hand with the Twilight saga...or probably even better. this is definitely for people who fell in love with Twilight and just cant seem to find a good enough book to fill its spot. And although the end of this book can be heartbreaking...dont give up on it!! it gets better and better with each sequel!!!!
posted by love-2-dance on May 27, 2009
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35 out of 93 people found this review helpful.
Hm......
So I work in a bookstore and I keep watching people buy this book left and right and actually had to try and calm a bunch of fangirls who thought 'City of Glass' came out the day before it's actual release date (Not a pretty picture). So I had to think that there was ac...
So I work in a bookstore and I keep watching people buy this book left and right and actually had to try and calm a bunch of fangirls who thought 'City of Glass' came out the day before it's actual release date (Not a pretty picture). So I had to think that there was actually something to this series. I picked up the first book and read through it and I have to say.......meh. I was really disappointed with how it ended and I really have no draw to pick up the next book, mostly because I'm too miffed about it. I won't say anything to ruin it for anyone else but, all I know is that I really didn't care for it, but that is just my personal opinion, don't etch it in gold or anything.
posted by SwitchKent on April 21, 2009
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love-2-dance
Posted May 27, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Some Good Advice for Twilight Lovers....Read It!!!!
if your trying to decide to read this series or not...dont wait! trust me. the first few pages, i cant lie, i was feeling like i was playing catch up. it starts off in the middle of a night out on the town without really explaining much. but after only a few pages i got my bearings and learned who the characters were and how they were related to the main character. WARNING!!!...after you understand whats going on, you wont be able to stop. all types of events start to happen in Clary's life which will hav no choice but to lure you in with her! its not crazy-busy but also leaves no room for you to get bored...the perfect mix. :) everytime there wasnt action or almost unbearable suspense, i was soaked up in the lust and romance of Jace and Clary. although it is written in 3rd person, it is so easy to become the characters and be overwhelmed with their intense emotion. its sad for me to admitt, and i probably would hav beat myself up for even thinking this before i read this series, but the Mortal Instruments Series goes hand in hand with the Twilight saga...or probably even better. this is definitely for people who fell in love with Twilight and just cant seem to find a good enough book to fill its spot. And although the end of this book can be heartbreaking...dont give up on it!! it gets better and better with each sequel!!!!
200 out of 215 people found this review helpful.
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theReader278
Posted June 23, 2011
I Also Recommend:
Excellent Read
I loved reading this wonderful book! It is a story that keeps you entertained for hours.
74 out of 84 people found this review helpful.
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Intense and compelling urban fantasy
City of Bones is the first book in The Mortal Instruments trilogy for teens. It's an edgy urban fantasy with a roller-coaster plot, intricate and original world-building, and complex characters. Clare's combination of sarcastic humor and deep honesty makes for pitch-perfect dialogue and compelling character development. A must-read for teen fantasy buffs, this book should also be of interest to adult fans of urban fantasy. No surprise that the first two books in this series have already hit the New York Times Bestseller List-- This is some of the best stuff to hit the teen market in the last few years.
54 out of 68 people found this review helpful.
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One of my Favorites!!!
This is definately one of my new favorite books. I couldn't put it down the whole time I was reading it. I know a lot of people are complaining about the ending but they need to grow up, its just a twist it doesn't mean anything. I will also say that anyone who enjoyed the Harry Potter series will love this even more. The characters are funny and sarcastic (which I love) and well developed. The book is worth the read abd you will not be dissapointed. Well for the most part. When you finish it though I highly recommend you read the next one because it hints at the end of it in contrast to the twist at the end of the first one. Or if you're too lazy for that just check out the website. Anyway back to the actual book. Its very thrilling and I have to say I thought the funniest character was Magnus. Jace and Simon were funny too but Magnus was funnier. The whole book is fast pace and full of twists. Some suprised me more than others. So, if you're into a book with lots of action, sarcastic characters, and plenty of twists trust me this book has it.
36 out of 41 people found this review helpful.
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Hm......
So I work in a bookstore and I keep watching people buy this book left and right and actually had to try and calm a bunch of fangirls who thought 'City of Glass' came out the day before it's actual release date (Not a pretty picture). So I had to think that there was actually something to this series. I picked up the first book and read through it and I have to say.......meh. I was really disappointed with how it ended and I really have no draw to pick up the next book, mostly because I'm too miffed about it. I won't say anything to ruin it for anyone else but, all I know is that I really didn't care for it, but that is just my personal opinion, don't etch it in gold or anything.
35 out of 93 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted May 30, 2009
Disappointing
I was very disappointed with this book. The writing was very choppy and I felt that the characters were undeveloped. Clary is just a mess of contradictions, and the age of the characters really come out in the childish and overly emotional dialogue. The only person who seems solid in this book is Valentine, and that is because there is barely any dialogue with him in the book and the most description of his character is given. The plot developments had crude transitions and it seemed that with everything else in the book, more preparation, imagination and suspense could have been used. In the end, I never finished the book and got the cliff notes version to the rest of the series. Again, I was very disappointed.
28 out of 87 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted September 16, 2009
I Also Recommend:
City of Bones
Cassandra Clare, the author, creates a fascinating world within our own, one where demons--more like malicious beings from other worlds; don't think biblical--menace "mundanes" (regular humans, like Muggles in Harry Potter) and need to be kept under control by Shadowhunters. Faeries wander New York City, vampires party at night, warlocks cast spells, and werewolves change at will.
As for the people that populate this world, I love Clare's characters. Clary, the main character and viewpoint of Clare's third-person narration, is a strong and funny female lead. Her best friend, Simon, is witty and nerdy in the most adorable way. Jace, a Shadowhunter and Clary's main love interest of the book, is one of the most entertaining characters I have ever encountered. In fact, practically every character is funny. City of Bones is a very quotable book. Most of the best lines are between Clary and Jace, who have great banter. Recommended read.27 out of 31 people found this review helpful.
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anymouse
Posted December 29, 2011
Should've known better
If Stephanie Meyers liked it, I should've known better than to buy this without reading the sample first. Suffice it to say, she could have written this...it's that caliber. Will probably be the next obsession franchise, which is truly unfortunate. It's barely readable, and I honestly couldn't force myself past the first 10 pages. Wish I could get my money (and my time) back. Ugh.
24 out of 56 people found this review helpful.
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sand7s
Posted July 3, 2012
I Also Recommend:
Very interesting and entertaining. Very good book. finished it v
Very interesting and entertaining. Very good book. finished it very quickly
23 out of 27 people found this review helpful.
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Nadia521
Posted February 17, 2009
OMG...I think I'm in love!
This book was SOOOOO AMAZING! I...just...jeeze. Hold on while I find words.<BR/><BR/>The beginning was a little slow, I had to get into it. But once I did (whenever Jace was present) I just couldn't stop reading it. Spent most of my waking moments reading it, more of my unconscious nights dreaming about it. I don't know, it was like some kind of addiction. One time wasn't enough.<BR/><BR/>I had to re-read it because it was just that good! The ending...oh man, the ending was a heart break. I felt so bad FOR them, ecspecially Jace. I'm still praying that it was a fluke. Jace was definately my favorite character. Him, Magnus Bane, and Simon had me rolling most of the time. Their so sarcastic and witty, it reminds me of me and my friends.<BR/><BR/>Cassandra's writing is amazing, but what first caught my eye was the cover. (What hormone crazed teen skimming the library wouldn't be attracted to a book with a shirtless guy and the word "sexy" on the cover?) Yeah...that and the fact that it was shiny! <BR/><BR/>But anyways, It's a really good read for any teen into sci-fi. I put it right up there with the Twilight Saga. Something I never thought I'd be able to do. I hope they make a movie too!
22 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
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City of Bones Leaves You High and Dry
Having picked up, read completely more than a dozen times over the popular novel by Cassandra Clare called Clockwork Angel, I decided it was time to read where The Mortal Instruments Series began. My envision was that City of Bones would give me a reason to fall in love with the current series, and want to complete all the books. However, CoB left me completely short-handed in so many ways, I can't begin to describe them all.
From an outside glance, the book looks like it holds weight; young Clary is thrown into a world of the supernatural, where she encounters and falls into a pack of renegade children who are Nephilim. Discovering herself, Clary bonds and bands with them, not only to understand who she is, but to understand where her mother is and save her. I had read the preview of this from B&N and decided to try it, but I put this book down so many times it put me to shame. Clary is this whiny, 2D character who doesn't really shine through until the very end of the novel when her friend's life is on the line. Jace is a literal mirror of Clare's previous characters from Clockwork Angel, namely William. Then there's Alec, who is so underdeveloped it's a crime, and Isabelle, who is mainly used to make Clary feel jealous or sound like a Valley Girl when she speaks. Really now?
Jace didn't bother me so much (mainly due to the fact that I Wiki'd the rest of the series that's currently out and discovered he is in fact related to William Herondale- good recovery, Clare!) but Clary completely and utterly left me disgusted. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, memorable or important about this girl. Sure, she's been mind blocked, sure, she's a hidden child of the Nephilim, but other than that she's merely wasted space. Reading segments from Clary's point of view was like taking a knife to my brain, and I haven't felt this terrible about a MC since Twilight came out with whiny, inconsolable Bella Swan. But it's not just Clary- it's the writing entirely. So many short sentences that could have been woven and cropped together would have made the reading experience much more enjoyable.
Even though I've been told that the series, does, in fact, get better as her books go on, I'm afraid this is one series I won't revisit for a while, if at all.15 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
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FINALLY A BOOK THAT DEFEATED THE TWILIGHT SAGA
I love this book so much. It has everything anyone would ever want in a book. It has action,humor and romace. Its awesome for both genders and its WAY better than twilight. I was amazed at how good of a writer Cassandra Clare turned out to be. I love the plot of the book and the characters. A MUST-BUY BOOK.
15 out of 22 people found this review helpful.
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Luna-Nueva
Posted September 4, 2011
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Not Recommended. At all.
Everybody on here was commenting things like, "If you love Twilight, read this!" and "Awesome for Twilight Lovers!"
Well, Stephenie Meyer said it's a good series, and everyone said if you love Twilight you should read it. I gave it a shot.
And I wish I hadn't.
I am a HUGE Twilight fan. I've read the series over ten times and I memorized most of the lines in the movie. This book disappointed me so much.
Let me start off by saying that the beginning was extremly slow. I was lost, and everything was complicated. I didn't understand anything that was going on, which made it hard for me to read.
I said, "What the heck? Beginnings are always like that. Let's see what happens."
I will admit it got a little bit better, but I was still as lost as I was before. Nothing became interesting, and I finally gave up on the book. I was never going to read it again, so I deleted it from my nook. I had a $50 gift card, so I bought the Immortals Series by Alyson Noel instead. And loved it.
Multiple people asked me what I thought of it, and I said that it was the worst. book. I. have. ever. read.
If you're a Twilight fan, go ahead, read it. I don't think you'll like it, but I don't know what people like. Lemme get this straight: City Of Bones = Worst book ever.
Just not my cup of tea.13 out of 44 people found this review helpful.
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5718549
Posted July 17, 2011
Terrible end
Not going to read the second 1 cuz the end sucked! Im just going to stick to the hunger games cuz those book are100% better
13 out of 46 people found this review helpful.
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Writes like a Child
Story ok a little too all over the place. Writing nothing grand.
11 out of 32 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 7, 2009
I Also Recommend:
A little upset...
The ending is horrible! I will not ruin the ending for anyone but I think it's the ulitmate twisted ending. I thought the book was pretty good up until then. I'm guessing that was the point to seperate this series from all the rest.
11 out of 38 people found this review helpful.
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HC2012
Posted June 25, 2011
Stupid!
I love reading books and after reading the Twilight series my friend recomended this series. Well I got the first book the other day and let me just say that I had to physically drag myself through the whole thing. It was horrible! It was dry and blan no romance and WAYYY to much discription I couldn't picture any of the characters or any of the settings. She used way to much dictionary words for teenagers these days and spoke in langauges that "obviously" we were expected to know. Lame. I wanted to light this book on fire and send it back to the horrible author that wrote it. For the sake of your sanity don't read this series let alone this stupid book.
10 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
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LASR_Reviews
Posted June 10, 2010
Energetic and Captivating
Originally posted at: www.aurorareviews.blogspot.com
What if they world you think you know is more than you could have ever imagined? Vampires and werewolves walk among us. Demons and Angels are real. And the man that you've always thought was your father isn't... it's all a lie told to you by your mother to keep you safe from your real father.
Fifteen year old Clary Fray is as about as average a teen as they come. She spends time with her friends, goes to dance clubs, and ... witnesses a murder? Okay, that last part wasn't so average, but even Clary isn't sure that what she thinks she sees is real. Thanks to her mother and a powerful sorcerer putting a spell on Clary to hide the magic around her, Clary has missed or forgotten a world that is just out of her reach.
I originally picked up this first book in the Mortal Instruments series because of a recommendation by another YA phenom, Stephenie Meyer. She was so excited about getting to read the third book in the series before it was released that it made me curious to see what another favorite author was reading. I'm glad I took a chance on Cassandra Clare.
City of Bones is chock full of fun dialogue while taking the reader deep into a fantasy world of Shadowhunters, demons, vampires, mundanes (that's what they call us humans) and werewolves to name a few. Besides Clary there are several other secondary and main characters that bring this adventure to life. First there's her best guy friend Simon that has had a crush on Clary since forever. Then there are fellow Shadowhunters Jace, Alec and Isabelle. Alec and Isabelle are brother and sister and Jace has lived with them so long he's practically a brother. Jace is the dark anti-hero of the series. He wants only to forget his past and hunt demons until he either kills them all or dies trying.
I've read other reviews that bemoan the long narratives in City of Bones. While they aren't exactly wrong, I can see the need to describe the world of the Shadowhunters a little more in this first book, including the history of the Nephilim.
The obvious bad guy in the books is Valentine. He's easy to dislike because he makes no apologies for mentally abusing his son early in life as well as using people with low self esteem to do his dirty work. He's on a mission, much like Hitler, to destroy anyone that isn't a part of the Shadowhunter elite.
I think you'll find this book has a little bit of everything: mystery, magic, intrigue, paranormal, romance and even betrayal. I read this first book in the series straight thru and couldn't wait to get my hands on City of Ashes since I was left with so many questions at the end of City of Bones.
If you are a fan of the Harry Potter and Twilight series I think you'll enjoy Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments as well.10 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Mrs-Severus-Snape
Posted April 10, 2010
Mildly Predictable
I found this book predictable to a point. The characters were ill-developed and the plot line had some elements of cliche. While not being bad for an introduction into teenage fiction, it was overdone and if not for a few plot twists here and there that could quite possibly have been undetectable beforehand were the reader not paying attention, the book would have been unreadable.
10 out of 33 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 28, 2012
15?
I started reading this book...but I just can't get over the fact that they're so young! With the talk about drugs, clubs, seduction I thought they would at least be around 17 or 18. It just felt wrong and it was a little sickening.
9 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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