City of Bones

First – I did like this book.  Still,  I have a bit of a rant.

When I was reading Eldest I came across a line that was so annoyingly derivative that it has lodged itself in my mind forever and forever.  “Barges, We don’t need no stinkin’ barges”  Which is either an homage or a blatant rip off of The Treasure of  the Sierra Madre oft misquoted line “Badges!? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!!”    I almost threw the book across the porch I was so annoyed.  And I know this is ridiculous but it ruined the whole book for me.

I had that moment in City of Bones, and I am trying very hard not to let it ruin the book.  But it is hard.  I was so enjoying the world Clare created.   But there was this niggling thing, and I just knew what was coming but it is a MAJOR spoiler so I really don’t want to do the whole rant about the plot twist that was at best an homage?!? to some classic mythology that has been done in a fairly major pop culture event and at worst derivative.    In fact when it happened and I had figured out the plot twist and was so annoyed, and frankly a little grossed out, that I verbalized this annoyance – which since it was silent reading caused some interest.    So here I was mentally planning this nice positive post about enjoying City of Bones and how I felt about all the characters but I am having a hard time getting past this.  .   .

Ok so Clary gets herself involved in another world of shadow hunters, and demons, and war, and betrayal.  Turns out she has a connection to this world she wasn’t previously aware of.  And there is some romance, unrequited love, adventure, dysfunctional families.  Great cover.  The ending is a little heavy on the exposition.  A lot of the backstory is just told to the reader in several pages – you know the point in the movie when the villiain stupidly reveals his nefarious plans to the good guy who he is getting ready to kill even though you know the good guy will escape and foil the bad guy.  And of course the bad guy brags about all the things he has done giving the good guy time to escape or whatever.  Yeah, that is the way the end of the book was for me.  Lots of telling, not showing.

::sigh:: I want to like this book.