City of Bones by Michael Connelly / Book Review // Kids Game
When you search City of Bones on Google, all you find City of Bones from Cassandra Clare.
Though I have read that series, and The Mortal Instruments is certainly a popular fantasy series than this book, it does not seem fair that City of Bones by Michael Connelly does not turns up until enter you Connelly into the search.
I have good idea how Google works (as a digital marketer) but still, it could do better.
City of Bones is a book I completed in two sittings, which I does not happen so much with me now. But the book hooks you from the beginning. All of it and without leaving its niche space.
Rogue policeman, last case, a junior girl, paedophile there, a child is dead, no identity, and a tragedy.
It is a routine template for this type of stories.
Victim suffered gruesome injuries before dying. Inspector feel bad and bend rules to get the murderer.
Sometimes the story comes out good, sometime bad.
This time, City of Bone comes out very good.
Its fast, its intriguing and its make you care about the character.
So the writers can stay inside the trope and can produce quality material. There is no originality in the art. Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy. Everything has been written.
What makes City of Bones good is good how easy it feels to read it.
Easy reading is hard writing. Some books are hard to tongues, and some books are hard on mind.
This one is easy on both. There is no complexities. The one narrative clears everything up. There is no hiding the fact going on.
No fragments of sentences and no keeping the reader in the dark.
The recent thrillers are following a trend of lying to the reader and then revealing the truth as a secret in the end. Like how am I supposed to feel surprised when the author lies to you.
Agatha Christie did it.
Obviously there is no reason for a writer to stick to any writing rule — but still, you have to be honest to the reader. I remember discussing this in detail in some another book review so I am not doing it any more.
What happen in City of Bones?
In City of Bones, police team find the bones of kid at the top of some hill. The bone doctor told them the kid suffered abuse all his life. The description from doctor is the turning point of the book.
As a reader, and as a detective, you get hooked and feel responsible to find out who did this to the boy. The world who failed to protect the kid, now feel bad for his death and seek justice.
Because death makes you more guilty. Death is the final statement a person can make.
So the team starts to look for the boy’s identity. Telling more would be a spoiler.
There is also a man (accused of child abuse 10 years back) living near to the bones. But he said he never did anything wrong. He was falsely accused. Then he suicides.
There is also a junior female cop. She fall in love with the senior cop. The she shoot herself too.
Too many things going on. The end is twisted and funny. Jealousy and stupidity is a poor mixture.
People die for little
Open a newspaper, and you will see for how little a murder happen.
A car. A cycle. $100. A watch. A person accidentally spilling the food of another person. One rude remark. One stupid comment. Even over a silence.
No reason is too small when it comes to people killing people.
For one, these murders does not happen randomly. It might look like the person killed another person because the person was taking wrong turn.
The wrong event is only the point of no return. The pressure is building for week, months and years. It just go out in an instant when the breaking point is breached.
Media and Misinformation
In the book, a news channel runs the story of the person with child abuse case. Now the case in the news does not have to be right or wrong. Just new.
But the people watching the news believe it like truth.
The news, science and research does not tell you the truth. It only tells you the new findings. But people hard time understanding this.
And it make the life difficult for many people. A media justice is the result of a tired society. People tooo tired of daily work and jobs, finding it hard to research the news, and follow the news, believe whatever is said to them.
At the core of it is the carelessness. What is the harm in accepting it as truth. Even if it is false, it does not affect the person on the spot. But when 100000 people thinks it, it does affect.
An individual small reaction becoming big and making an huge impact.
But what we can do? V can remember remember.
Do I recommend City of Bones?
Yes. City of Bones tightly written fast pace story of organic motivations. Right people are wrong, and innocents are criminal. Shady story and nicely executed.
City of Bones
City of Bones is a dark novel dealing with child murders, pedophile, hollywood, cop corruption and media justices. Good book.
URL: https://www.bookaapi.com/book-review/city-of-bones-michael-connelly-book-review/
Author: Michael Connelly
4
