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alistofsydneys's review against another edition
4.0
Oh my goodness, this book is amazing. Wonderful, it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I can't wait to read the second book.
ourmoontouch's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
theveiledreader's review against another edition
4.0
The writing was of course, good. I couldn't stop turning pages.
But at the same time, nothing stood out to me.
It was enjoyable and it was entertaining. The fact that I could finish this book in a few hours says it all.
There was just something unsatisfying about it. Something that will not allow me to give it a five stars.
I've no idea what this feeling is, but it's there. Like. More. It needs more punch.
It's like a bottomless stomach and I am hungry for more.
But at the same time, nothing stood out to me.
It was enjoyable and it was entertaining. The fact that I could finish this book in a few hours says it all.
There was just something unsatisfying about it. Something that will not allow me to give it a five stars.
I've no idea what this feeling is, but it's there. Like. More. It needs more punch.
It's like a bottomless stomach and I am hungry for more.
mbookishbanter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
eva_clow's review against another edition
4.0
2016 - I absolutely loved this book I cannot wait to read the next one!!
2024 - It’s so funny reading this book 8 years after reading it for the first time. I still do love it and it just feels so nostalgic to me but it really feels like a YA book now which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it way more simplistic than I remember it being.
The best thing about re-reading this now (I seem to re-read this series every 4 years at this rate) is that I don’t actually remember what happens at all, like I remember the main plot points but all of the intricacies? Not a scoobie! Very very excited to read the next one and get back into this world.
2024 - It’s so funny reading this book 8 years after reading it for the first time. I still do love it and it just feels so nostalgic to me but it really feels like a YA book now which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it way more simplistic than I remember it being.
The best thing about re-reading this now (I seem to re-read this series every 4 years at this rate) is that I don’t actually remember what happens at all, like I remember the main plot points but all of the intricacies? Not a scoobie! Very very excited to read the next one and get back into this world.
warriorbard's review against another edition
The writing is painfully clunky, the characters don't act in a realistic fashion, and the plot is convoluted and poorly-paced.
comfsp's review against another edition
4.0
i loove this book, but i think 90% of that love is purely nostalgic, and because i have thought about this series as my all time favourite fantasy series for the last 8 years. i have read countless fanfics, have watched the movie a bunch of times, have read the comic and everything, so i just have this incredibly strong bond to these characters that i have been cultivating since the first time i met them (at a quite impressionable age). so this rating is hugely influenced by that and not really a testament to the quality of the story, but oh well, ratings are subjective.
i love the story, love the universe, love the characters (except clary in the first maybe 2-3 books), and i really appreciate all the work and thought that cassy put into building and expanding it throughout the years. obviously the first series is quite tacky and the writing isn't the best, but it lays the foundation of every other book and branch of the story to come.
something that didn't quite click when i first read it tho is that they're all so young? maybe bc i was that young as well, so i didn't think much of it, but now it's quite hard to piece everything together. we know clary is 15, same age as simon. izzy must be about the same age as well, (tho it's not mentioned explicitly) bc she's at least 1-2 years younger than alec. alec was already a toddler when the lightwoods were exiled, and she wasn't born yet. alec could be anywhere from 16 to 19, and he's close in age to jace, who is over 17 for sure, because jocelyn mourned him for 17 years, and he was already a toddler when he 'died'. magnus we know is like 100s of years old, so it IS really weird that he starts flirting with alec when he's probably underage or just barely legal, but oh well, it was 2007 when we lived for problematic drama.
i love the story, love the universe, love the characters (except clary in the first maybe 2-3 books), and i really appreciate all the work and thought that cassy put into building and expanding it throughout the years. obviously the first series is quite tacky and the writing isn't the best, but it lays the foundation of every other book and branch of the story to come.
dmumtbz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
starkiwi's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely love this book. It is one of my favorites. Most people say this is one of those “love it” or “hate it” kind of books, but I cannot see how anyone wouldn’t like this. City of Bones is one of the top rate fantasy books, and while it takes a little while to get attached and to the action, it is worth the wait of a few chapters. Once you do get to the action you are automatically hooked. Especially when a hot, mysterious guy, whom no one else can see, named Jace, comes into the plot line.
Cassandra explores an amazing idea in this book and applies it too our own world. This idea might be one of the reasons why I loved this book so much. It makes you ask questions no one knows the answer to, and will make you question all that you know. I have never read nor looked at a book, especially fantasy, the same way again ever since I read this series. DON’T BE AFRAID. Im sorry if I scared you off there. This book really is amazing, and when you see things in a new way it is not bad, but good. It is like you feel like you have been asleep your whole life and now your eyes have opened up to this whole new world, even though it is the same world. If you don’t want to read it now because I have told you this, you loss. I promise you wont regret reading this book.
While the story is about finding out who you are and who you want to become, it is easy to look past that and just see the struggle the characters go through, in case you don’t like the flaw, aha moment, character realization kinda thing. However, if you do then the characters do show a tremendous amount of growth throughout the book. This is the perfect book/series for almost anyone. There is a lot of everything. Fantasy, YA, adventure, romance, supernatural, mystery, and fiction. Yet, “all the stories are true.”
Cassandra explores an amazing idea in this book and applies it too our own world. This idea might be one of the reasons why I loved this book so much. It makes you ask questions no one knows the answer to, and will make you question all that you know. I have never read nor looked at a book, especially fantasy, the same way again ever since I read this series. DON’T BE AFRAID. Im sorry if I scared you off there. This book really is amazing, and when you see things in a new way it is not bad, but good. It is like you feel like you have been asleep your whole life and now your eyes have opened up to this whole new world, even though it is the same world. If you don’t want to read it now because I have told you this, you loss. I promise you wont regret reading this book.
While the story is about finding out who you are and who you want to become, it is easy to look past that and just see the struggle the characters go through, in case you don’t like the flaw, aha moment, character realization kinda thing. However, if you do then the characters do show a tremendous amount of growth throughout the book. This is the perfect book/series for almost anyone. There is a lot of everything. Fantasy, YA, adventure, romance, supernatural, mystery, and fiction. Yet, “all the stories are true.”
one_last_page's review against another edition
4.0
You'll either hate it or you'll love it.
I think most that hate it don't have in mind that this is a YOUNG ADULT novel.
It's written for TWEENAGERS, not your overly critical twenty something selves...
Anyway it was a fun read. I enjoyed some of the characters and theories and will readily read the next book
I think most that hate it don't have in mind that this is a YOUNG ADULT novel.
It's written for TWEENAGERS, not your overly critical twenty something selves...
Anyway it was a fun read. I enjoyed some of the characters and theories and will readily read the next book