Sort-of-book-review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #1)

This is my second 'review' for this book pasted directly from GR. Contains spoilers and fangirling, with the movie coming out tomorrow. That's right, I reread City of Bones, and re-reviewed it. And ALL THE DAMN FEELS ARE ATTACKING ME AGAIN. Note: Not in usual review format, hence the name "sort-of-book-review."

Firstly, before I go on and on and on about how I love this series and Cassie Clare and everything-- I'd like to state that this book is definitely worth reading, and rereading, over, and over, and over again. There are a lot of mixed reviews. You either love this book or hate it. Well, judging from the avg rating, a lot of people liked it, with the exceptional few. I'M TELLING YOU THAT TMI IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SERIES AND I'M STILL OBSESSED WITH IT EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME.
This is the second time I've read this book (of course, reread for the purpose of the upcoming movie). This is my second review, since I'd noticed that my first review did not give this amazing book justice. Because I was a sucky reviewer (maybe I still am but seriously), and too excited to know what I was talking about. Still, I recognize that this book deserves much more than a 5 stars, but unfortunately GR has its limits rating-wise.

City of Bones was not my first encounter with Shadowhunters, Nephilim who fight demons. Half angel, half human. My very first encounter was in Clockwork Angel, which, obviously, was my very first Shadowhunter book. But that's a different story. (Speaking of which, I have to reread Clockwork Angel too.)

CoB is the story of Clary Fray, a girl who'd thought she was normal until she stepped into Pandemonium (a club) with her best friend, Simon, and encountered teens dressed in black and marked with strange tattoos and bulked up with weapons. And coincidentally, her mom disappears.Clary is determined to find her mom, and meanwhile, leaving Simon (who, not to mention, is trying so hard to hang on to reality) in the dark-- which he is none too happy about. Soon, Clary discovers some shocking truths, and that takes the story for a wild turn. And that's a good thing. 

Usually, I despise this type of story. A girl trying to insist that she's normal, even when a bunch of supernatural beings unfold before her eyes. But seriously, Cassie Clare is the ONLY author that I know of that DID IT RIGHT. Clary learns to accept things, even though she was in denial for just a little bit. (Or was she?) Clary is just stuck in the middle of things, trying to do something. She's really an amazing character and protagonist that we readers admire.With the movie coming up, and the cast's faces embedded into my brain, it was different reading this for the second time because I'd imagined the actors as the characters. (Except Valentine. Valentine HAD to be JRM. Not that I mind. He looks great. But it clashes with my image of book Valentine. You know, the blond one? So my book image of Valentine was flashing in and out with JRM.) Now, before I lose myself and start fangirling about how great Jamie (Jamie is so beautiful) and Lily (so is Lily) and Robert (wow wow wow Rob is perf) and Aidan (Aidan just looks perf for Luke) and Kevin (ahh Kevin) and Jemima (perf for Isabelle I'm telling you) and Godfrey (beautiful) and EVERYONE looks I'm just going to calm myself and continue with the review.

In this process of rereading, it surprised me at how much I'd forgotten, so it was just like I was reading it for the first time again. Sort of.

Now, Jace. I need to dedicate a section of this review for Jace. Jace is Mr. Charming. You know, Clary's love interest. Amazing Shadowhunter. The blond dude of the story. Cocky. I feel like if I had to pluck out the best lines of this book, all of them would be Jace's. Jace just really had the best lines, making me crack up. Ah, Jace. What would this series be without Jace? One doesn't really know fictional-hot-guy until one meets Jace. Or Will. Or Jem. But you know.

I still have an obsession with Simon. Enough said.

Now, below is the spoilery part of the review, and I won't bother putting it in spoiler tags, so if you haven't read the book (or the rest of the series. There will be references to the rest of the series) I advise that you stop reading and come back after you have immersed yourself in this story and/or the rest of the series!

When Jace was taken by Valentine and put in that room, and when Clary barges in and claims she's here to rescue him, and he refuses to go, I knew that Jace wasn't Jace. And that whole incest thing. Ugh. I don't want to go through that whole incest thing again. I don't recall when exactly that they find out they aren't actually brother and sister, but I know there's a huge chunk in CoA in which Clace is just being held off. Which bothered me.

I honestly wanted to see more Magnus. I'd totally forgotten how little he showed up in CoB. AH, MALEC. Why did it have to end? I really hope they get back together in CoHF. Seriously. Alec was just really annoying in book 1, wasn't he? He just, wow. Alec sucked. He was mean. So was Simon. But we all know they change..

I just have too much to say about this book. And it just kind of leaves me speechless because it's tricky typing a review for such an amazing work. I'll just drop it and leave it here at that, and once again, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone without a second's hesitation.

With the movie coming out tomorrow, shall we show our Shadowhunter pride?