Recent Reads Series

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Background: Clary is just an ordinary girl, or so she thought, then she began to see things that weren’t really there. A mysterious and very handsome boy takes an interest in her ability to see him when others cannot. Clary thinks she is witnessing a murder, when really these mysterious people are Shadowhunters who fight demons on earth to protect “mundanes” or human. The City of Bones is the first book in the Mortal Instruments series and has all the suspense, action, and romance a teen reader craves.

Review: This was a great story. Clary the main character is wonderful to follow; she is a confused teen with few friends and lives believing that her father has long been deceased. Throughout the story Clary makes realizations about herself and her life that form her character all too well. The romantic triangle between her, Simon (her best friend), and Jace (her new mysterious follower) is hilarious and full of sarcasm, drama, and confusion. I really enjoyed this read but was very upset at how this romantic involvement turns out, but I won’t spoil it.

City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Background: Clary’s mother is in a coma after dealing with her insane father and menacing bad guy Valentine, and all she wants is for things to go back to normal. In this, the 2nd book in the Mortal Instruments series, Downworlder children are dying and Valentine must be up to it. The Shadowhunters are blaming Jace for all the bad things his father has been doing and to make matters worse, Clary’s best friend Simon is acting stranger than normal. All they can do is wait and hope that Valentine does not start all-out war with the Clave.

Review: I loved City of Ashes, so much more than City of Bones. Here we see the character development continue with the suspense and tension from book one, but so much more. I know it is weird, but I am coming to think that Jace and Clary should be together; all of the tension wouldn't/ couldn't be for nothing right? So cleaver though.

I think my only hang up was that the word incredulous/incredulously was used a lot..but I may just be weird about things like that. I really enjoyed the teenage tensions between Clary and Simon, Clary and Jace, and Simon and Maya...fun to read.

I am always a little sad when a book ends on a cliffhanger, but I knew it was a series so the next one is waiting for me. :)

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Background: Clary and crew are planning to travel to the City of Glass to save her mother. Jace plots to leave Clary behind, making her illegally enter the city and getting Simon into a mess of trouble with the Shadowhunters. The Clave is trying to decide what to do about the Valentine situation that is on their heels and Clary and Jace learn about their pasts.

Review: I really liked this story line especially because of the Clary/ Jace developments, but I thought this was also the last book of a trilogy and I was misinformed. I think that the story line could have ended where it is. Again Clare uses the word incredulous all the time and it is bothersome, but there is also a lot less action in this book. They talk A LOT, and then once the action and war began the book was about over... I don't like when there is that much build up to a rather disappointing end.
I loved how Clare told us the pasts of Jace/Clary/Sebastian and how they were all linked together but I also felt like there were some wholes that I couldn't quite put a finger on.

I am interested to read the next installment to see how the story progresses further, since I believe this could have been the end...

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