August Book Club: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Since the movie was releasing in August we thought it would be fun to read the book and then possibly even review both if we'd had a chance to see the movie by now.

Clary just wants to have a normal life, spend time with her best friend Simon, and get her overprotective mother to let her go out once in a while without freaking out. But when she sees someone murdered in the middle of a crowded club and no one else even notices she finds herself caught up in an avalanche of events that she is powerless to stop. With her mother now missing, her life in danger, and a strange boy telling her she's not even human, Clary has to navigate a world of shadows, secrets, and magic to discover who she really is.

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What we thought:
Jess B: From someone who loves all things supernatural when I saw City of Bones I was all for it. But I will say this: I had shelved countless copies of it at Borders but never gave it a chance until I saw the trailer and my jaw dropped. The book was fantastic! Multidimensional with just the right amount of drama to keep you hooked! I fell instantly in love with Magnus Bane. Kinda wanted to be his bffer...hahahahaha!!! Now for the movie... I loved it! I understood when they needed to take artistic license and where they went with it. There are two things I hated, but they are small. Madame Dorothea and the lack of Alicante. But I even brought Sean with me and he thought it was amazing as well!

Rebecca T: I had tried reading this a while ago and couldn't get through the first chapter, but this time when I started reading I didn't want to stop. I thought that the book was nicely layered with enough intersecting storylines and mysteries to really keep things complex without being too confusing. I thought the characters were very well drawn and I do really want to read the next one. I also loved the movie. I thought they kept the main feel of the book even with the many changes and adaptations. There were 2 significant things from the ending, however, that really confused me. If you have read the book highlight the next blank space with your cursor and you'll see my questions. 1. What about the cup? In the book Valentine takes it, but in the movie Clary still has it. 2. In the book it's pretty straightforward that Clary and Jace are brother and sister, but in the movie they very overtly make you question whether that is so. Perhaps I don't know since I haven't read the other books, but I didn't like that. Overall I thought they did a great job adapting the book and I look forward to the next installment!

Jenn N: I really enjoyed the book. I haven't had a chance to see the movie yet, but I hope to soon. I'm curious to see how the film handles the complex relationships between Clary, her family, and Jace. I thought the world building was very clever. I loved the juxtaposition on modern day NYC against the secret dark underworld. I also appreciated that Clary's powers and skills developed over time and the way she dealt with the weight of her new life seemed realistic. I was quite surprised by the total game-changing revelation that came in the book's close. I can't wait to see how it's handled in subsequent books and the film as the revelation is a total doozy that had me questioning and ranting for days.

In September we decided to have an Emmy party and to keep with that theme we're reading While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax. Also follow along with us on Twitter on Sunday the 22nd as we'll be live tweeting our Emmy joys, disappointments, and, as always, Snark.