City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Review

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Publication date: 2/19/2008

Pages: 512

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. . . .

-Overview from Barnes and Noble

What I loved:

• Very witty dialogue - I actually laughed out loud several times throughout this book. Humor was incorporated into this story very well. 
• JACE! Okay, so, he's this dreamy sort of jerk who would do anything for his leading lady. Just my sort of leading man! (Except for that little bit at the end when he got all nostalgic and weird)
• Vocabulary! There were a few times I had to use the "look up" feature on my NOOK while reading this book. I can really appreciate a YA read that can still offer a challenge here and there
• The action - it came quick and often. Clare did a really nice job helping the reader to envision and engage in the action throughout the story

What I didn't love:

• CLARY! Ugh! I felt like she was so wimpy and whiny during so much of this book. She was in this constant state of despair for most of the book, and then every once in a while she really took some action. When she did it was so unexpected and out of character that I just didn't buy it. 
• The word MUNDANE. Could she have possibly used it once more than she did? 
• Slow start - I think Clare took so much time trying to give the reader insight into the world of Mundanes, then Shadowhunters, then Downworlders . . . that the story just didn't hold my attention until the latter half once all of that had been developed
• Sort of surprise twist - I didn't like it one bit. I'm sure it'll turn around, but I felt like it was such a disappointing end to this one for me being the love junkie reader that I am. 

I heard SUCH great things about this series that I HAD to download it right away. I started this on a day off from work expecting it to grab me and pull me in right away. I spent all morning doing housework, poured myself a tall glass of water, brought a snack with me and plopped down in the corner of my couch with plans to do nothing for the rest of the day but read. I found myself doing everything but reading.

After the first 30 or so pages I found myself browsing the internet, blogging, watching television, listening to my husband (who I usually can ignore pretty successfully when I read, SORRY HUBS!), etc between pages. I just couldn't get into it. DETERMINED to like this book, I kept trudging along. It worked. By the end of the book I did like it. I just didn't love it. 

AM I THE ONLY ONE? Does the series get better or is it a lot more of the same? I still have hope for the other books! Let me know what you think!