City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) in Pick-a-Shelf

Mar 16, 2016 Christa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: overdrive-audio

Rereading.

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Jun 17, 2014 D.G. marked it as dnf

Started it once, never care enough to finish it.

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Aug 02, 2007 Mita rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2007, fantasy, must-reads, children-and-young-adult

Having loved Cassandra Clare's epic fanfiction, Draco Trilogy, I was really looking forward to reading a great adventure - and I sure wasn't disappointed.

Clary Fray is just a normal 15 year old girl going to a club to let her hair down like every other girl. But then she saw a murder, and yet there was no body and nobody else seemed to care. What she discovered next was the world of the Shadowhunters, demons, faeries, werewolves, vampires, all set in the heart of New York - a great urban fantas ...more

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Oct 11, 2018 Carrie rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, vampire, werewolves, supernatural, demons, angels, mgr

Review to come

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May 09, 2009 Luann rated it liked it

Shelves: 2009, young-adult, gr-author, fantasy, movie

A nice enough read, but like other reviewers here have mentioned, I kept finding elements that were VERY like elements from other fantasy stories. Of course all stories are going to have some elements in common with some other story, but this just seemed to have a LOT of them. The funny thing is, I did enjoy the story even while thinking, "Hey, that's just like in Harry Potter," or "Hey, I bet Cassandra Clare is a Buffy fan." I liked the characters and will probably read the second book in the t ...more

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Apr 26, 2009 emily rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, 2008-to-2010, fantasy-urban-fantasy

when i found myself at the checkout counter purchasing this book, i almost didn't know how i'd gotten there. i hadn't planned to buy it, especially not after seeing it reviewed favorably by the author of 'twilight'. i think part of my logic (faulty though it may be) was paying forward a little karma from a fellow fangeek who'd like someday soon to be published herself. also, as a former reader of ms. clare's fanwriting, i was pretty interested to see how the skills that made her a big name in th when i found myself at the checkout counter purchasing this book, i almost didn't know how i'd gotten there. i hadn't planned to buy it, especially not after seeing it reviewed favorably by the author of 'twilight'. i think part of my logic (faulty though it may be) was paying forward a little karma from a fellow fangeek who'd like someday soon to be published herself. also, as a former reader of ms. clare's fanwriting, i was pretty interested to see how the skills that made her a big name in the fan-world would translate.

in the end i gave 'city of bones' three stars, because while i found it better than just 'okay', i wouldn't say i really liked it. i found it amusing, interesting, creative and smart, exactly the kind of book i would have reread until it fell apart when i was fourteen. it isn't, however, the kind of book i'll reread and re-reread now at twenty-five. the charm and wit that drove her fanfiction isn't quite present here; there are some scenes that feel forced, and some of her characters' choices and dialogue feel a little flat. but for all that, it's still a pretty good book, and for a first novel i'd say it's better than good. the story moves quickly and the plot is interesting; it didn't once lose my attention, even in the moments i was rolling my eyes.

i judge YA writing pretty stringently, and one of the main criteria in my opinion is whether or not it's age appropriate. no question; 'city of bones' is a perfect book for teenagers. the kids are independent, brave and smart, but they're definitely still kids. one mistake a YA author can do is make his or her characters act too old, but these teens almost always act their age, clary and simon especially. i'm excited (though not at all surprised) that one of her main characters is gay, and i'm really looking forward to seeing how that element of the group dynamic plays out. and though a few of the reviews refer to the book as 'sexy', i thought the romantic parts hit just the right note in terms of how graphic they were (that is to say, not at all, but without being boring either).

ms. clare has created an engaging world and a story that's definitely going somewhere, and i definitely plan to keep reading the trilogy. ...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Sara rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, the-worst, 2013

First , I want to say that I won this book in the goodreads giveaway. Yay for free stuff! Second, I am so thankful that I didn't waste money on this miraculously published fanfiction. Had I spent even $2 on this, it would have been too much.

I didn't finish this book to be completely honest. It pains me to admit it because this is one of the few books I've left unfinished. I made it to page 114 before I gave up.

Major problems with the book:

1. The reprehensible similes. It's astounding that someon ...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Joanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, borrowed, winter-challenge-2010-2011, series

I could go 3 or 4 stars on this one but since I'm feeling generous, I'll do 4. A few girls at work have been reading these so I jumped on the bandwagon. This is first in a series about demon hunting teenagers called "Shadowhunters." Seemingly normal Clary Fray sees 3 Shadowhunters kill a demon one night and then her own mother goes missing and she finds herself in the middle of a world she never knew existed.

If I analyze this one too much I'm going to drop the rating. It's silly, teen fantasy st ...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Stormy rated it liked it

Shelves: at-the-library, paranormal, challenge-books, young-adult

This book grabbed me right away and I enjoyed it all the way through. The epiphany was interesting, quite a twist that I didn't see coming. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the last little bit. Didn't seem to add much to the story really. Anticlimactic. Jury's out on whether I'll read the rest of the trilogy. Not sure that any of the characters would rate up with my faves, but all in all they were reasonably likable. ...more

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