m4rtt4's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I was afraid I wouldn't like the City of Bones as everyone's read it like 10 years ago in middle school, but I'm glad I gave it a try — and ended up liking it! It took me a while to get a proper grasp of the world, but once I was in, I could easily devour 100 pages in one sitting. The plot twist in the end was great and unpredictable, though I also hate it because...
can't wait to read the sequel!
Spoiler
I could guess pretty early on that Clary was Valentine's biological daughter, but there's no way Clary and Jace are actually siblings??!! For once when I was actually rooting for the protagonist's love story my hopes are crushed... hopefully not forever and it's just another sick game of Valentine's. Anything as long as Clary doesn't end up with Simon, I really don't like him and the idea of them as a couple even less (sorry Simon but you should stay in the friend zone or even be a rat idc).can't wait to read the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, Injury/injury detail, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Xenophobia
booking_along's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Let’s start with the two things i didn’t love since that’s faster:
i disliked the trope of two boys being interested in the same girl and behaving in ways that makes me want to smash their heads together to make them stop with their jealous postering.
and the second thing is the “forbidden” love trope that is mostly added as a shock valued. the shock could have been there without it the “love” part since being friends would have been an easier option especially with the amount of time those two characters knew each other at that point.
i just really dislike that particular trope since i have not read one book we’re it was used were it could have been done differently without issues and left the ick factor out of the entire thing.
moving in!
i liked the tiring even if the descriptions are sometimes very out there but not too extreme so that it doesn’t make sense anymore.
the world is well developed and explained for book one and gives a nice overview of what’s out there on that world and that was interesting.
the characters and the behaviors where sometimes a bit stupid but honestly they are 15-17 so i can let it slide by for the main characters even if i have to say that the adults - beside Magnus! that character deserves an entire 12 book series just for giving stories about that character and his shinanagangs please!- they behaved quite often more childish than the actual kids.
the entire book was a bit drawn out for the amount of plot it told overall but it wasn’t too bad and it kept me entertained and i wanted to keep reading so clearly nothing too bad.
so all in all?
it’s a good book.
i can actually see why so many people love it even if i strongly dislike the love-tropes used. the reader want too bad and it was overall very entertaining and a quick read!
i disliked the trope of two boys being interested in the same girl and behaving in ways that makes me want to smash their heads together to make them stop with their jealous postering.
and the second thing is the “forbidden” love trope that is mostly added as a shock valued. the shock could have been there without it the “love” part since being friends would have been an easier option especially with the amount of time those two characters knew each other at that point.
i just really dislike that particular trope since i have not read one book we’re it was used were it could have been done differently without issues and left the ick factor out of the entire thing.
moving in!
i liked the tiring even if the descriptions are sometimes very out there but not too extreme so that it doesn’t make sense anymore.
the world is well developed and explained for book one and gives a nice overview of what’s out there on that world and that was interesting.
the characters and the behaviors where sometimes a bit stupid but honestly they are 15-17 so i can let it slide by for the main characters even if i have to say that the adults - beside Magnus! that character deserves an entire 12 book series just for giving stories about that character and his shinanagangs please!- they behaved quite often more childish than the actual kids.
the entire book was a bit drawn out for the amount of plot it told overall but it wasn’t too bad and it kept me entertained and i wanted to keep reading so clearly nothing too bad.
so all in all?
it’s a good book.
i can actually see why so many people love it even if i strongly dislike the love-tropes used. the reader want too bad and it was overall very entertaining and a quick read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Blood, Violence, Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gore, and Homophobia
psliz's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
idk. lots of info-dumping. weird dialogue for a bunch of teens. the pacing was fast yet slow at the same time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail and War
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Death, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, and Suicide
slipp99's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m a simp for Jamie Campbell Bower
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, and Child death
Minor: Incest
dosxhime's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Given that the Mortal Instruments series is rife with lore, world building, and characters, it makes sense that Clare stretches this series out. It was kinda a drag to read this and it makes me feel like we go from one event to another without pause.
It feels like a lot of details are just dumped onto you, without letting all this new information soak in. I would be normally fine with this, since I'm mostly into the characters for a good ol YA novel.
However, I felt that they fell flat and I really couldn't care what happened to any of them. It just felt meh. I can see the potential in the MI world and I love how Clare builds them up. So points for potential.
3.5 / 5 C-
It feels like a lot of details are just dumped onto you, without letting all this new information soak in. I would be normally fine with this, since I'm mostly into the characters for a good ol YA novel.
However, I felt that they fell flat and I really couldn't care what happened to any of them. It just felt meh. I can see the potential in the MI world and I love how Clare builds them up. So points for potential.
3.5 / 5 C-
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Murder, Violence, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
qcupquake's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.75/5
- i LOVED this book
- jace>>>>>
- i went into this book knowing that
- THE PLOT TWIST WHEN
- BRO ALSO LUKE WAS
- imagining jcb as jace was just <3333 bc i love jcb and he's a perfect cast for jace
- loved this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series
- i LOVED this book
- jace>>>>>
- i went into this book knowing that
Spoiler
Jace and Clary were revealed to be siblings, but it was a lie. so i knew from the start that they were not siblings- THE PLOT TWIST WHEN
Spoiler
HODGE GAVE THE CUP TO VALENTINE. MY JAW HURT FROM HOW WIDE IT OPENED- BRO ALSO LUKE WAS
Spoiler
A WEREWOLF??? WHAT????- imagining jcb as jace was just <3333 bc i love jcb and he's a perfect cast for jace
- loved this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping
Moderate: Genocide, Incest, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
jaynovara's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Death of parent, Incest, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
happilyeveralli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a whirlwind. There is literally no other way to describe it XD. The reveal in the last two chapters made my skin crawl I was rolling! It's not a masterpiece but it was a recommendable experience!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia and Injury/injury detail
tiana_king's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
You really hit the ground running with this book. An exciting story start to finish with an intriguing “other” world that exists within our own. The characters could have been fleshed out more but it is only the first book. I’m interested to know more about this bad guy and the plot twist at the end is a bit heartbreaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Car accident, and Incest
yustawrites's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I've read this book when I was about 14, and now that I am 24 I must say I didn't like it as much.
I disliked the main characters (Clary and Jace). Clary is rude unprovoked, a know-it-all when she knows nothing at all. She's too judgemental, commenting on other girls' appearances as if she knows them. Overconfident yet very weak. Why is she slapping Jace all the time? That's assault.
Their relationship was totally unnecessary. There was no chemistry AT ALL so they kissed only to find out later that they are siblings? Just why? It's gross and ineffective.
I disliked the main characters (Clary and Jace). Clary is rude unprovoked, a know-it-all when she knows nothing at all. She's too judgemental, commenting on other girls' appearances as if she knows them. Overconfident yet very weak. Why is she slapping Jace all the time? That's assault.
Spoiler
Their relationship was totally unnecessary. There was no chemistry AT ALL so they kissed only to find out later that they are siblings? Just why? It's gross and ineffective.
Not only that, but Clary is also... dumb. "Jocelyn... Could it be my mother??" - well, yes. How common is the name "Jocelyn"? (I'm guessing not really that common).
Her relationship with Simon, her best friend since childhood - she treats him like an afterthought after the plot begins. She lets others treat him like a non-human, yet she dares to question how friendships change and how Simon has changed. It took this girl 5 days to put him aside as if he meant nothing to her. It is Simon that - regardless of his nerdy, disbelieving and introverted nature - constantly comes back to help Clary with whatever
Alec, who I remembered as a bit of a villain was actually the only normal person of the four, although he seemed a little underdeveloped as a character.
I found it weird to read about Isabelle (a 15-year old girl) being so sexualised and sexually provocative. Please - stop.
Further - chapters: 13, 14 and 15 could have been cut. We learn nothing new and we take away nothing forward to help the plot move forward. It made the story drag.
Towards the end I began to be a little sad because there were no strong female characters. Especially in the last chapter (not Epilogue) women were at t heir weakest and told to shut up all the time. Gave me very toxic vibes.
I'm bumping my review from 2.5 to 2.75 because of Luke's story. I did enjoy Clare's writing style and I am interested in reading a different, more recent book of hers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest and Blood
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/injury detail