Mundie Moms

Friday, April 20, 2012

City of Fallen Angels Read-A-Long Day 3: Sevenfold



Welcome to Day 3 of the City of Fallen Angels Read-A-Long. You can follow the entire read-a-long and find each of the day's posts here. Remember there's no right or wrong way to participate. Your comments can be as long or a short as you'd like them to be. You can answer one or each of the questions asked, it's totally up to you, BUT, in order to be entered into the COLS giveaway (which you also had to sign up to win), you do need to be actively participating in the read-a-long. 

Today's discussion is about: Chapter 3: Sevenfold
  • Poor Simon! I feel horrible for him over his mom's reaction to learning he's a vampire and what he has to do to make her forget. Did you except his mom to be more understanding or have the reaction she did? Just curious, would you have had the same reaction she did, if you were in her shoes? 
  • What do you make of Jace's nightmare? Could he be seeing something that he's going to eventually do, or do you think his fear and worries are getting the better of him?

Please DO NOT POST SPOILERS. There's some fans who are joining the read-a-long who are reading COFA for the first time. 

28 comments:

  1. *Um... well, I don't really know him (we just know that Clary thinks he is hot and that he sings well). I think that he will join the band...
    *I did excepted his mom to be more understanding... but I guess that if I were in her shoes I would be scared as well.
    *I think that Cassie is planning something bad. I think that he is seeing something that he's going to eventually do.
    I loved this chapter :)

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    1. I agree, I loved this chapter too.

      I deleted that first question, because it was a bit lame considering we don't know Kyle yet.

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  2. *I felt so horrible for Simon. I kinda thought his mom would freak out, but I didn't expect that much of a freak out. I don't know how I would react if I were in her shoes. I mean that is a lot to take in.

    *I don't think I can really answer the second question since I have read the book already. This is a great question though and I am curious to see what first time readers think. :)

    I really loved this chapter too. ;)

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  3. Wow, these are really great questions for today's chapter. I felt so sorry for Simon, especially the effect his mother's prayer was having on him. I think that she had been so worried, and she expected to find drugs. But when she found blood, she did not know what to think, so she assumed he was in a cult. So when you combine worry, exhaustion, and shock, I think she reacted the way most caring moms would react. She had thought her son was at least LIVING until this point in the book. Poor thing!

    I think that death messed-up Jace more than we realize. Dreams in literature usually foreshadow future events, and these dreams have aways concerned me because since death was cheated by Clary...maybe death is coming after her! Dum, dum, duuuuuummmmmm!!!! Just kidding.....Cassie would have a mutiny on her hands with her fans if anything ever happened to Clary.

    One thing I love about this chapter is Simon and his ever-evolving band's name...Cassie cracks me up with some of them!

    Thanks for hosting the Read-a-Long! I am posting about it this afternoon on my blog.

    xo,
    RJ

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  4. Great questions! I expected Simon's mom to be more understanding, because they seem to have a pretty good relationship. That being said, I can see how that news could be overwhelming. I feel like Simon should've just said he was doing a science experiment or something. Though I thought it was interesting how he learned to use his powers of persuasion.

    I think Jace's nightmare was pretty scary, but I think his fears about them are irrational. He has enough control over himself not to accidentally stab Clary, and I don't know why he won't just tell her. They've been through enough now together, so you think they'd be able to talk about something like this.

    Here's one funny thing about Jace's nightmare: I realized in re-reading that what Clary is wearing in it (tank top, white shirt tied up over it, skirt, braids) sounds a lot like a school-girl outfit.

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  5. This chapter has always bothered me a lot. I don't understand how his mother could react that way. I understand the freak out about finding the blood and her anger at Simon for thinking he's been lying to her, but I can't understand how she could push him away like that. I must have this part over at least 5 times and it still makes me really angry at Elaine Lewis for treating her son that way. I can't imagine a mother treating her child that way. mothers protect their children mothers love their children. Poor Simon when he needs her the most his mother isn't there.

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  6. Even though Simon and his mom have a great relationship, I think she had a right to freak out. Especially if she is a very religious person it makes sense. If his mother essentially has thrown him out, what would his sister say? Or what will Elaine tell her daughter when she asks where Simon is?

    I also don't feel right answering the second question since I read the book already, but I remember reading it the first time and thinking to myself, "are they ever going to catch a break!?"

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  7. Oh Simon...His poor mother has no experience with the Downworld...deeply religious and she freaks out....understandable but I would like to think I would handle it a little better...He is her son...a mothers love is unconditional

    Poor Jace...what a horrible dream...He loves Clary so much..his greatest fear is losing or hurting her...and his overly analyzing nature just makes it worse....it would be best to talk to Clary not keep it all inside....


    StephAnnee

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  8. AAAck! I'm late to the party because of TLA. Ok, Simon. Well, Simon might have expected his mom to come around eventually, but I really don't think she will. It was really sad. He turns into such a lonely character in many ways. Now that he's a downworlder he doesn't belong with the Shadowhunters (as a human he could still go to the institute) and he doesn't want to be a part of the vampires. He really is a wanderer, just as the story of Cain foretold.

    When I read this for the first time, I knew that there was something more to Jace's dreams, but I really couldn't figure out what is was, exactly....

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  9. I felt absolutely horrible for Simon! All he wants is to just be normal and his mother's reaction isn't what he'd been hoping for. I can understand her freaking out in a way, but I'd been hoping she'd been a bit more understanding. Panicking in that kind of situation seems beyond normal, who wouldn't?

    Poor, poor Jace. He just doesn't seem to be able to get a break. And I new there was something to his dreams, I just wasn't sure exactly what the first time through. He does seem to worry and put the weight of the world on his shoulders, though.

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  10. I feel so bad for Simon! I mean, his own mother doesn't trust him! If one of my friends told me they were a vampire, I might have the same reaction depending on how much I trust them. However, if it were my family I would definitely not shut them out like that.

    I think the dreams mean something. Cassandra Clare has always used dreams to foreshadow and I think this is another example of that method.

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  11. Wow- poor Simon. And I feel sorry for his mother, too. How can she possibly cope with something like that, so suddenly? As someone who is also very religious I know that if I were in her place, I'd have trouble comprehending it, too. However, I also think that if it were me, my love for my son would be the most important thing. I would do anything to keep him and understand what happened to him, no matter what I felt inside.

    I also love this bit about Jace. Cassandra Clare does such a good job with his character, peeling back the layers to show him to the reader at his most vulnerable times. She definitely uses dreams to add to and foreshadow the story- I like how people besides Clary are now having dreams too. I won't spoil anything, but I do like how she incorporates these dreams as both character development and plot foreshadowing.

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  12. So the whole Simon thing was so hard to take. I have a son and I can't imagine doing that to him for anything. Poor Simon goes through so much in this chapter with the sevenfold thing and then his mom. But you know he does some growing there. Love him for that.

    Now, Jace's dream is very worrisome. Nothing is accidental for Cassie. I hope it isn't prophetic especially since Jace loves her so much even that evil Jace loves her. But with Cassie you just can't know.

    The waiting is gonna kill me here. Rereading seems to be making the waiting harder. =)

    Valerie
    StuckInbooks

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  13. I wish Simon's mom would've taken the news a little better. Although it would be devastating to know it happened to my own child, I could never push him away. I hope that one day that Simon won't have bewitch his mom so to speak so that he can stay near her. Not the mention the part about the Mark the leaves a huge burden he has to bear. But it was so worth it to see Simon live. He deserves some happiness now.

    Jace's dreams are unnerving, and really just down right creepy. It feels as if there is something in his psyche pushing to do something he wouldn't do in a million years to Clary.But as I have learned through out the other books that anything thing that can happen to Jace and Clary will.

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  14. I felt sorry for Siomon when his mother reacted the way she did. But that's his mother and I think she still loves home no matter what he is, but it's kind of hard to understand that when you don't believe in those things. Jaces nightmares are scaring me but Iim hoping they don't come true.

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  15. I really didn't expect Elaine would react like that, I thought it was going to be more of a shock amd take some time to process and understand. If I were in her shoes I'd probably be in shock at first, think about it for a moment then talk about ot but not react like Elaine. I kinda felt bad for Simon's mom for her overreaction.
    Jace's nightmare was a bit strange for me, didn't quiet get it, maybe it's a signal or something that he shouldn't be with his sister?__?

    Today was my friend's birthday, so I spent time with her and her family. Didn't mind to stay up late and read, there's no school morrowXD

    All right going off to bed
    Good Night everyone=)

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  16. I do feel bad for Simon. I would be fine with the news, but then I live California and the strange is normal here.

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  17. THANK YOU for all your comments! I love reading through everyone's comments. I just wish we could all be in a room together talking about this.

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  18. This chapter sets the mood for the whole book. Both main male characters are set to suffer in this book :-(

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  19. I think this is where Cassie's evil mind is getting the better of us. She loves to torment us with the best story ever! Anywho, Simon's mom? Well, I kinda saw that one coming. Wasnt he afraid of telling her? My AP English teacher would tell me thats foreshadowing.

    And Jace's nightmare.... I feel so bad for him! I read this chapter the first time-and I'm usually a silent reader, wrapped up in my own little book world- and suddenly burst out yelling OH MY JACE!!! THAT SUCKS! My sister is still mad at me about that. (As I have already read the book, I can't say much more)....but something is comming for Jace and Clary. I just hope its not a small little thing like an interfearing parent. That wouldn't make for a good story

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  20. I think the nightmares are beset on his fears on what has happens on the past with Clary. He has a constant fear of loosing her. He knows there is danger out there and that can separate them anytime.

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  21. I really didn't expect Simons mum to react that way. I thought she might be angry and upset but I don't think she would go that crazy, I guess I expected her to ring Clays mum and she would come to some sort of understanding. But I guess it is a start to the fact that Simon will have to say good bye to his family at some stage, he can't be 16 to them for ever.
    And the dream, well I thought this was going to be one of Cassie's famous DSBS (dirty sexy bedroom scene), and so early in the book too! Ok serious now, I think this is an introduction that not everyone can live happily ever after, and after the end of City of Glass, there are possibly some post traumatic stress or similar.

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  22. I agree. Simon definitely has "Sexy Vampire Mojo" ;)
    And poor Jace! Those nightmares must be killing him. :( This chapter sort of kills me inside...

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  23. I felt so bad for Simon when his mom went crazy on him. I think with her being so religious that she was not going to understand how Simon became a vampire, but she took it way too far. But then again I don't really see her having a different reaction than the one she had. Simon's mom was already getting paranoid about him so I think that factored into her meltdown as well. I don't think I would have gone as crazy as her. I would have been angry and confused but Simon is still her son, that should still mean something to a mother.
    Jace's nightmare was very interesting how it goes from a steamy moment to stabbing Clary. Coming back from the dead is obviously messing Jace up. He would never do that to Clary, his biggest fear is losing her. So I say his fears and worries are coming out and playing with his mind. But most likely he will keep this bottled up, which will probably mess with his real life if these nightmares keep happening.

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  24. Well, the first question is easy. I'm a mom first. I can't imagine shunning my child, regardless of what they have become. I think I would have been hurt that they hadn't told me what was going on, but I couldn't have thought them evil or totally shut them out. I'm glad readers never got the chance to know her very well, because it would have really made me dislike her even more.
    The second question is a little harder, so just in case I accidentally let something spoilery slip, I'm going to graciously avoid it ;)

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  25. I did not expect Simon's mom to be so harsh and if I was in her shoes I would have accepted for who he now was.The dream may be a vision of the future.

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  26. Jace's nightmare made me uneasy, in fact, I felt like something was just kinda off about Jace last chapter. As for Simon's mom...I hoped she would just take it with open arms, but I always had a feeling she wouldn't. Not everyone adapts to the supernatural so well.

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  27. I didn't expect Simon's mom to react that way. I honestly thought that she would just be shocked for a little bit, and then accept that her son was a vampire. I felt so bad for him. :(

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