Cassandra Clare: City of Bones

In her debut novel Cassandra Clare she introduces readers to a hidden world that regular knows nothing about, but it is the people in this world that keeps everyone safe:

When Clary Fray heads out to club she just expected it to be a another regular night of dancing, she never expected to witness a murder, let alone a murder that no one else could see and with a body that seems to disappear into thin air. Clary is about to enter the world of the shadowhunters where nothing is as it seems especially humans that she used to know and trust. When her mother is attacked and taken away, Clary will do anything to find her and get it back even if it means joining the shadowhunters in their strange world and the Demons are about to find out that it is dangerous to mess with a mundane and her family.

Unfortunately, for me, this book did not live up to the hype that seems to surround it. I found that not only was this book was very predictable and at times boring but very childish as well (I know I know it is a YA book, but I found it was even below that at times). I think within the first chapters I was able to predict the Clary-Valentine connection to everyone and everything. I do think that book got better at the 3/4 mark but I can understand why people choose not to make it that far, as the book began okay but from the beginning to the 3/4 mark it was fairly boring and slow. Also there is a slight twist in the end, but this does not make up for the rest of the book.

I know there are many adults out there that read YA books on a regular basis (and I will say I am not one of them) but overall I think this book would appeal more to young adults than adults. I have read a few YA novels now and this one is by far the one that I think is for just the YA and not adult readers. There is really nothing of substance here that I think would attract an adult reader.

Please save me from the teenage love triangle...really...really....I wanted to strangle all three of the characters involved. Jace, who is supposedly this great ladies man, doesn't know how to handle Clary, who instantly doesn't fall for him (or at least makes a show of not falling for him). And all his sexual innuendos made you think he was playing on a completely different field from the other two, but really he was just another silly boy. Simon also made me mad. Why would he think a friend would instantly want to go out with you just because you say you have feelings for them. You cannot expect that type of thing, and trying to make Clary jealous by dating Isabelle, really, that is the best idea you could come up with. Save me from silly teenage drama, I understand that some of this may be what occurs with teens but I never thought it would be this bad. I felt that the teenage drama over shadowed the whole plot of the story, you know saving Clary's mother and protecting the mundane.  

This book and series are more for teens than adults as the relationship and character are very teen like (even Jace who tries to put on the air of being older and wiser), which is what they should be for a YA book. Even the overall theme when compared to other YA novels I have read is less dark and more straightforward. I do not think I will continue on in this series, it was not for me.

Cheers!!!

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