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City of Ashes: The Mortal Instruments, Book 2

(2008, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by Cassandra Clare)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    City of Bones sequel is a whole lot gorier.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–15

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Lots of fantasy violence, much of it very gory, more so than the first book -- stabbing, impaling, throat and wrist cutting; severed limbs and bodies; organs coming out; children being eaten; descriptions of puddles, bowls, and rivers of blood; many deaths. Also, a father deliberately breaks his son's bones; a pregnant woman commits suicide.

  • Sex:

    Some kissing and making out, and a brother and sister resist their incestuous feelings for each other; porn channels mentioned; several mentions of sex; some innuendo; two characters are gay and may be having an affair.

  • Language:

    One use of "asshole," "bitch."

  • Consumerism:

    Toys, computer games, electronics, snack brands mentioned.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Wine and beer drinking by adults and underage werewolves.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About City of Ashes: The Mortal Instruments, Book 2

Parents need to know that there is a lot of gory violence here, including throat and wrist cutting, dismemberment, stabbing, severed limbs, and more, all with lots of blood. There are also mild sexual references, including to incest and homosexuality, and some kissing.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the trend of the series towards more, and gorier, violence. Is it necessary? Does it help to sell more books? Do you think it's done with an eye towards an eventual movie version? Would the story have been better or worse with less of it?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Blazing Innocenc ...
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Loved it

    very good loved the book

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Parent Reviewer
    Twilight Mom
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language

    Great for adults, use discretion for tweens, not appropriate for children

    Again, a lot of "minor" curse words and one gd word. Plot was excellent, but would have been just ass good without the language.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  3. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Bloody Gorgeous
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 4.0

    Just Need to Add Something!

    Right well I know I already reviewed this, but I had to say that I gave it 4 stars because it has an incredible amount of typos and the language could be a little more upscale. Thats one of the things I love about books, learning great new words.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  4. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Bloody Gorgeous
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 4.0

    Love It! Cant Wait to Finish!

    Oh my gosh what can I say? This was wonderful! I love all the characters, the story, the everything. It just keeps getting better and better. Yes, I must admit, since it is a fan based book, it gets a little obvious where Miss Clare gets her ideas from. But i don't care anyway because I love this series.There are some good twists and turns. It's a page turner, and you'll be flipping through to get to the last book. Actually, i already started it, so my I'll be reveiwing that one soon. Anything to worry about? Nothing really, unless you freak out about a vampire craving blood and well, a girl who is madly in love with her brother, who's relationship somehow someway, will to work out. Trust me,these books are SO worth reading!!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  5. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    xox.Tegan.xox
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0

    Modern Literature

    This book is wonderfully written, using a wide variety of sentence structures and delicious words. While this book my include homosexuality, gore and a hint of incest, they're all things that your child is going to grow up around anyway (blame your generation for the state of ours). Not only is it well written, this book has an intricate plot, believable characters and a logical conclusion to everything. It's a must read for EVERYBODY!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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