Book #97: City of Ashes

Title: City of Ashes (Book #2 of the Mortal Instruments series)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Date started reading: July 14, 2012
Date finished reading: July 17, 2012

Publish date: March 2009
ISBN: 978-1416972242
Number of pages: 496

Official summary: "Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?" (http://www.cassandraclare.com)

How I obtained the book: Bought for $4.49 at used book store. (It was a publisher's remainder, not actually used)

My commentary: 

• As with the first book, I was totally hooked on the story. Everything about the world that the author has created is addictive.  
• It's weird "shipping" a couple who are supposed to be brother and sister. It's weird wanting Jace and Clary to be in love and a couple, when they share parents. But yet, I want them to be together and live happily ever after.

Memorable quotes:

• "How do you manage never to get mud on you?" ~ Alec
  "I'm pure at heart. It repels the dirt." ~ Isabelle
• "There was no point telling him how badly she wanted Jace not to be her brother. You couldn't rip out your own DNA, no matter how much you wished you could. No matter how much it would make you happy." ~ Clary
• "(Jace would) pick a fight with a Mack truck if the urge took him." ~ Clary
• "I don't want to be a man. I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can't confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead." ~ Jace
• "I'm not sure there's such a thing as a normal life." ~ Luke
• "Lucifer was rewarded for his rebellion when God cast him into the pits of hell. If you defy my authority, I can promise that you will envy him his fate." ~ Inquisitor to Jace
• "Somebody's girlfriend, somebody's sister, somebody's daughter. All these things I never knew I was before, and I still don't really know what I am." ~ Clary
• "Everything changes in my life, and the world stays the same." ~ Clary
• "Every time I annoy him, he retreats into his No Mundanes Allowed tree house." ~ Simon about Jace
• "Look on the bright side. If they need a human sacrifice, you can always offer me." ~ Simon
• "Love does make liars out of your kind." ~ Seelie Queen
• "You know how the bonds of family are, my lady. They cling as tightly as vines. And sometimes, like vines, they cling tightly enough to kill." ~ Jace to Seelie Queen
• "Desire is not always lessened by disgust. Nor can it be bestowed, like a favor, to those most deserving of it." ~ Seelie Queen
• "I can only assume that mortal emotions amuse you because you have none of your own." ~ Jace to Seelie Queen
• "When you love someone, you don't have a choice. Love takes your choices away." ~ Clary
• "Being human is overrated." ~ Clary
• "I get the feeling you'd rather pine over someone you can never possibly be with than try being with someone you can." ~ Simon to Clary
• "Fate is never fair." ~ Valentine
• "We poison and destroy everything we love." ~ Valentine to Jace
• "Jace reminds me of an old boyfriend. Some guys look at you like they want sex. Jace looks at you like you've already have sex, it was great, and now you're just friends -- even though you want more. Drives girls crazy." ~ Maia to Clary
• "Vampires scare me to death." ~ Maia
• "You disappear so completely into your head sometimes. I wish I could follow you." ~ Jace to Clary
• "If you can't tell the truth to the people you care about the most, eventually you stop being able to tell the truth to yourself." ~ Luke

Buy on Amazon.com: City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments)