City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones
Series: The Mortal Instruments
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publishing date: March 27, 2007
ISBN:9781416914280

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Clary Fray unexpectedly witnesses a murder committed by mysterious teenagers at a New York City club. As the body vanishes, Clary discovers a hidden world of Shadowhunters, demon-fighting warriors. With her mother missing and herself targeted by demons, Clary is thrust into this dangerous realm, encountering Jace, an angelic yet abrasive Shadowhunter. The truth behind her newfound abilities and the demons’ interest in her and her mother becomes a pressing mystery.

My Review:

When I picked up City of Bones by Cassandra Clare as an adult, it was an interesting journey down memory lane. And it was worse than I remember. It occurs to me that many of the YA books I did not mind reading in my teenage years are filled with fluff over substance. The Netflix show “Shadowhunters” was the reason I wanted to reread this series, but it is likely the reading journey ends here.

From a literary standpoint, the writing leaves much to be desired. It tends to be bland and “info dumpy,” overwhelming readers with excessive information. The characters themselves fail to make a lasting impact, lacking depth and memorability. While I generally don’t like love triangles, this one, involving a “friend-zoned” boyfriend, felt contrived and added little value to the narrative.

City of Bones struggles with originality, borrowing heavily from other famous works. This lack of authenticity becomes glaringly obvious, making the story feel like a modified fan fiction rather than an original creation. This is evident since this writing started as a Harry Potter Fan Fic. It’s disappointing when a book relies on someone else’s world to make a profit.

The laziness and repetition in the storytelling are hard to ignore. The narrative spoon-feeds information to readers without subtlety or depth, lacking nuance. However, scattered throughout the book, there are occasional moments that genuinely elicit laughter and surprise.

In terms of narration, City of Bones suffers from inconsistency. While a third-person omniscient perspective can provide flexibility, here it feels forced and contrived. The focus primarily follows Clary, only to without notice switch to another character’s point of view when convenient for the narrative. This jarring shift disrupts the flow of the story.

The writing itself, though comprehensible, raises eyebrows due to its dialogue and descriptions. The manner of speech feels unnatural, and it’s difficult to believe anyone would talk that way in real life.

The issue of information dumping reaches its peak in the final scene with Valentine. An entire chapter is dedicated to an exposition session where the villain reveals his past and provides explanations to potential victims in great detail.

Characterization in City of Bones is generally one-dimensional and lacks development. Attempts to add layers to the characters often feel abrupt and out of place, lacking a gradual and consistent progression. Overall, the characters remain stagnant, failing to evolve throughout the story.

Despite its flaws, Jace stands out as the most developed character, displaying traces of depth beyond being labelled a jerk. He embodies the struggles of someone with daddy issues attempting to maintain a tough exterior. Though as you might see this is shallow waters when it comes to character depth and reasons.

In essence, City of Bones feels juvenile, lacking maturity and depth. Even during critical plot moments, it’s difficult to take anything seriously. The initial promise wanes as the narrative ventures into ridiculous scenarios, such as Simon’s transformation into a rat, encounters with vampires and werewolves, and even motorcycles that fly. These absurdities undermine the story’s credibility because it is introduced so abruptly.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare falls short in terms of writing quality, character development, and originality. While it offers sporadic entertainment and decent pacing, it caters primarily to a younger audience seeking lighthearted fantasy. For those seeking more substance and depth, there are better options available.

About the author:

Cassandra Clare was born overseas and spent her early years travelling around the world with her family and several trunks of fantasy books. Cassandra worked for several years as an entertainment journalist for the Hollywood Reporter before turning her attention to fiction. She is the author of City of Bones, the first book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. Cassandra lives with her fiance and their two cats in Massachusetts.