Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Overall: I gave City of Bones by Cassandra Clare 4.5 out of 5 stars because I genuinely liked this book, the characters, and the general tone. City of Bones starts off following Clary, a supposed 'Mundie' girl--meaning mundane, or non-magical--with her best friend, Simon, as they are entering the Pandemonium Club. Right from the start I liked City of Bones because of the multiple perspective used. It was nice throughout the entire book to see things from a slightly different view.
City of Bones details the lives of a group of Shadowhunters, or part-angel demon hunters. Right from the start I could tell that something dark was coming...and that something dark turned out to be Valentine, one the most calculating and cruel evil villain's I've read. I would recommend City of Bones to anyone who enjoys an action-packed novel filled with faeries, weapons, and the perfect bad boy ever.
The Characters: The novel starts off with Clary and her friend, Simon. Although I liked Clary, throughout the entire book I found myself annoyed by her rude, downright childish actions. Several times I found myself muttering to myself, and scoffing at the actions of Clary. Though her actions can be construed as 'loyal to a fault,' I rather found them bothersome.
Simon, another mundane, was delightful to read. He was funny, loyal in a more pleasant and realistic way than Clary, and he was such a dork that it was adorably laughable. Simon was almost my favorite character, coming at a close second when compared to Jace. Jace was...amazing. He is unique, such a misunderstood bad boy, and I absolutely loved him from the moment he found himself amused by unrequited love to the moment the book ended.
Overall, the characters were generally well-developed, and mostly likeable. They all had their own unique personalities; the personality aspect was definitely pulled off very nicely.
The Dialogue: At times, I found the dialogue between Clary and other somewhat contrived, but that's mostly because Clary really came off as whinny to me. Otherwise, the dialogue between characters was realistic and amusing. Several times while reading the book I found myself laughing out loud, which rarely happens when I am reading. The personalities of the characters really came out through the dialogue, and the talking never weighed down the plot.
Everything was very smooth and effortless, tying in completely with what was going on. At no point did the dialogue feel forced, and it always had a point. The dialogue was very well done.
The Plot/Setting: If there's one thing Cassandra Clare is good at, it is making her characters come alive. But running a close second, the plot and setting of the novel was very well developed. The imagery was very intense, and extremely well done. The plot...the plot was amazing. Cassandra Clare obviously did a lot of research and thought deeply about her topic, and it showed in the plot. I adore the theme of the story, and am so glad that I read this book.
The Originality: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is undoubtedly a unique and original novel. Everything about this novel was unique, and very easy and fun to read.
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