Review Detail

City of Bones is the first book in the Mortal Instruments series. At first I wasn't even sure I wanted to read it, considering there are already four HUGE books out and a fifth to come. But I sucked up my laziness and bad attitude and plunged head first into the novel. And boy am I glad I did! This book is very original, and even more complete with characters who have depth.

For those of you who have read the book, you know probably are in love with Jace (at least I am.) He's sarcastic, confident, and a little bad ass. I've been reading lots and lots of books lately and I've been drudging through boring male characters. They don't even have to be funny, I just want some substance to grab on to! Well, Cassandra Clare hit the mark with Jace. He's a guy that has a lot of baggage and some messed up childhood memories. In fact, I could connect with all the sub characters. From Simon to Alec, Clare made an ensemble cast that fit well together.

Her writing was another great aspect of the book. Constantly when I was reading it I felt like I was reading Harry Potter. I didn't know why, but the style kind of brought me back to J.K. Rowling's style a bit. Besides the overuse of similes, I felt like it was a very well written. That being said, I did think that there were some places that could have been edited down. Maybe it's just me. I'm not a marathon reader...I'm a sprinter. I like to get through books as quick as possible so I can either read the sequel or move on to another one. That and marathon's make me tired...and depressed, considering I don't even think I could finish one. Anyway, the book was fantastic despite it's length.

I would recommend this for anyone who loves witty guys, similes, and original story telling!