Young Adult (YA) literature will always be one of my guilty pleasures. The stories are fun to read and generally simple -- I don't have to search for the symbolism or interpret allusions. The fantasies are fantastic.
However, I'm currently trying to wean myself off of these addicting novels, making only one last exception for Clockwork Princess, the last novel in The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. The novel reminded me why I liked YA books in the first place, and why I began to read fewer of them.
Set in London in the late 1870s, the novel follows Tessa Gray, a young woman who has realized that she is not quite human. The story begins as Tessa is planning her wedding to Jem, a Shadowhunter. Shadowhunters, or Nephilim, are tasked by angels to save the Earth from demons. Jem is dying from the drug he must use to stay alive, prompting Tessa and Jem to marry earlier than they had anticipated.
Complicating the matter is Will, Jem's parabatai (blood brother). Will loves Tessa, but she cannot tell him she loves him because she loves Jem as well. Reading this synopsis, I realize that I need to read less YA literature.
Tessa is captured by the villain Mortmain, after his automatons injure Jem. Will sets off to rescue Tessa, but realizes along the way that Jem has died. Upon rescuing Tessa, she finally confesses her feelings after Will tells her of Jem's death.
The following day, they kill Mortmain with the help of a Silent Brother -- Jem. The transformation means he is no longer human, and his parabatai bond with Will is broken. He is semi-immortal and will live for many years. He encourages Tessa and Will to marry, as he is no longer free to do so. The novel ends with some happiness, as Tessa and Will plan to wed.
The novel was everything I expected. Clare managed to excellently tie together the loose threads and questions I had, though the plot was quite predictable. My expectations were a double edged sword -- I enjoy reading novels with a predictable ending because I do not need to worry that the characters will have to suffer undue sacrifice.
Yet the epilogue changed that. Set in modern day London, Tessa is waiting for her yearly meeting with Jem, renamed Brother Zachary by the Silent Brothers. She reminisces about her life with Will, their children, and their adventures. Unlike her, Will was mortal and died in 1937.
She is interrupted by the arrival of Jem. A cure for his addiction was found, and he was released from the Silent Brotherhood. He struggles to tell Tessa that he still loves her. Tessa is confused by his reappearance, and thinks about loving Jem again. He is mortal as well, and will die as Will did. She runs after Jem, and the epilogue implies that they will live together as well.
The epilogue made the rest of the story far more plausible. YA literature irks me because the story is often unrealistic. The characters are static and rarely seem make difficult sacrifices. They deal only with superficial plot twists necessary to make the book 300 pages long. While I enjoy imagining that my only problem is what dress to wear, I often look back at these books only to realize that I have taken nothing meaningful from reading the book.
But as Tessa remembered her life with Will, the pain and the happiness she felt truly made her a person. She had made difficult decisions, and some of her choices were out of her hands, just like many of the ones we make everyday. Her realization that everything ends, but that she still has to keep living was poignant. As I closed the book, I felt a little twinge of sadness that the story was over, and there was no easy escape for Tessa or Jem. Just like life.
Overall, I really loved the novel. If I can manage to make it the last YA novel that I read, it will be a good choice.
kaledo-art
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
romaincrisis
