SHADOWHUNTERS AND DOWNWORLDERS gives an in-depth look at
some of the themes and ideologies of Cassandra Clare's
popular The Mortal Instruments series. With pieces all
edited by Cassandra Clare herself ranging from a history of
tattoos to why the best friend never gets the girl, this
book explores why The Mortal Instruments series is so
unique.
Being an English major and loving all things involving
literature and analysis, or any combination of the two, as
well as loving hearing other authors' opinions on my
favorite books, I thought this was a great collection. I've
read The Mortal Instruments series numerous times,
but many of the topics
touched in SHADOWHUNTERS AND DOWNWORLDERS, I never thought
to give any extra thought to.
A topic I particularly enjoyed exploring in this book was
Kami Garcia's "Why the Best Friend Never Gets the Girl".
Witty and humorous, she compares Simon's losing battle with
Jace with a few John Hughes films (Pretty in Pink, Sixteen
Candles). The breakdown of exact reasons why Simon isn't
with Clary, in the lens of his social standing with her, is
truthful and intriguing. Many of the reasons, such as how
the bad boys (or simply non-best friends) like Jace don't
pine while the best friends do, I didn't consider before.
I do, however, think a large part of my enjoying this book
comes from already enjoying more scholarly articles on
literature. Had I just been wanting a little background or
bonus information on The Mortal Instruments series, I
don't think I would have
liked it. The pieces are mostly intellectual works with real
research to support their ideas, though well-inserted and
not dry. They still manage to be funny and enlightening at
the same time. For younger teens reading The Mortal
Instruments, I would' t
suggest this as a supplemental reading to the series, but
for older teens and/or adults who have fallen in love with
the series, it would be a nice read, especially for a book
club.
Explore the world of the Mortal Instruments with Cassandra Clare and more Join Cassandra Clare and a Circle of more than a dozen top YA writers, including New York Times bestsellers Holly Black, Rachel Caine, and Kami Garcia, as they write about the Mortal Instruments series, its characters, and its world. Inside you’ll read: A cinematic tutorial on why the best friend (Simon) always loses out to the bad boy (Jace) The benefits (no, really!) of incest . . . at least in literature What we can read between the lines of Alec and Magnus’ European vacation The importance of friendship, art, humor, and rebellion And more, from the virtues of Downworlders to the naughty side of Shadowhunting
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