Need Clockwork Princess NOW.

^^Guy on cover= Jem. Will was on the Clockwork Angel cover.

AJSDLIFNSIOFH;SD;FIJISDF;SDF;JI. SLDKFOSIDHFOIS;DF;NDSKLNF.

What's that? You don't understand the language of SKJF;8A? Sorry. I just can't... seem... to find... English... words.

I just finished reading Clockwork Prince, the second of the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. There was a lot of hype about this book before I read it, and having read Clockwork Angel over the summer, I was excited. I probably should have done less reading and more paper-writing since Tuesday, but I regret nothing. Because it totally lives up to the hype.

Now, it seems I am among the few people who read this book without bawling my eyes out. I laughed much more than I even thought about crying, but I felt the impact of the sad moments just the same. It's probably better to attribute my lack of tears to my own personality rather than the book itself. Because the book itself is... ODSIHFDKS;DFJHS;.

After reading the first of the Infernal Devices books, I wasn't exactly sure what I thought about it. I honestly wasn't sure about Tessa, not for the same reasons that other people claim not to like her (to those people: you're going to get mad at her for trying to get over someone who broke her heart? Really? Go read Twilight-- or better yet, New Moon). I couldn't really put my finger on it, but something about her just seemed undeserving of protagonist status. I knew that I loved Will despite everything he did to the people around him. I knew that I probably should love Jem more than Will, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew that the writing did a sufficient job in making me want to travel in time to Victorian England. But that was about all... I wasn't sure how I felt about where things were going, how the next book could be all about Benedict Lightwood trying to wrest control of the Institute away from Charlotte, how there was going to be an inevitable love triangle between Will, Tessa and Jem.

But Clockwork Prince cast all my doubts aside. The plot is much more compelling and easy to follow-- being less focused on Tessa's escape from the Magister, and more about trust and betrayal and good vs. evil. Add on top of that the fact that the love triangle is actually well-done in that it doesn't come between Will and Jem, and I am a very happy reader. Plus, there's more Will! I knew I loved him (someone on Tumblr said it best: "WILLIAM HERONDALE. I knew I loved you for a reason, you sorry b*stard"). This is the part that I assume everyone bawled about, and I see why. [SPOILER ALERT! STOP RIGHT NOW if you wish to remain unspoiled. Here, I will add a jump-cut so you are not tempted to read on.]

Cursed, so that everyone who loves him will die because of it? No wonder he's so cruel. He even saved a Lightwood's life with his cruelty-- the little sister of nemesis Gabriel and his brother Gideon. She was crushing so hard on Will when they were 12 that she wrote "Tatiana Herondale" all over her diary, and then he read it aloud to a room full of people. Every despicable thing he had ever done is now shed in a light that proves him completely worthy of the affections he so valiantly fought off for five years. But nobody knows! And then he finds out that there was no curse! His sister died not because she loved him, but because the demon which supposedly cursed him stung her with his tail! For 5 years he has been living behind a wall that kept the world safe from him, and for nothing!

So then he becomes very un-Will like, walking with a prance in his step and smiling and saying nice things to people, because he can finally allow Tessa to love him back. He tells her about all of this, and what does she say? That Jem, Will's dying best friend and blood brother, has proposed to her and she has said yes. By the Angel, will things never go right for William Herondale?! The book is more about Will than it is about Jem-- heck, there is a long section toward the middle where Jem is not even present at all-- and yet Jem is the one who gets the girl. COME ON.

Let's talk for a moment about Jem and Will. Jem is, Tessa has convinced herself, the safe choice. The one who will be a steady, comforting presence in her life, who will stand by her side always. This, of course, is completely true. This is what he has done for Will since they became parabatai and it's just who Jem is. It's easy to love Jem. Will is quite the opposite, the dark-haired brooder with deep blue eyes who likes all of the same things as Tessa. He is often likened to sweet poison (as Sophie puts it, "Master Will has always been the brighter burning star, the one to catch attention-- but Jem is a steady flame, unwavering and honest"). But his good looks and brooding are not why I love him more than Jem. He compares himself to fictional characters. He's cynical and sarcastic and hilarious. He doesn't necessarily flaunt the fact that everyone thinks he's gorgeous, but when he dresses up he jokingly tells Tessa to be prepared to swoon at his finery. He's so selfless that he has no problem making himself seem selfish, if it's for the good of the people he loves. He actually cites reasons why he loves Tessa, whereas Jem just states that he loves her and is not sure when he started, and then goes on to quote inscriptions even though he hates poetry and tells her she is the center of everything he does and thinks and feels. But alas, when Will finally tells Tessa how he feels and why he has said such mean things to her, it's too late. She's already engaged to Jem.

And at first, Will tells Tessa Jem will understand. That he'll forgive them. But then there's the whole Jem thinks his love for Tessa is keeping him alive thing, and the fact that while Will has always ensured Jem's safety and health, he's never thought about his happiness before. So he ACCEPTS IT. When they make the announcement of their engagement, he pretends to be happy for them. It's just not fair! I can't help but think (and, as much as I like happy Will, hope) this will lead Will back to his old ways.

Anyway. My favorite thing about this book is probably the opposite of everyone else's: how much it made me laugh out loud. I wish I could go through the whole thing again and pick out every moment in which I would have looked crazy had there been anyone else in the room, but there are just too many. One of my favorites, though, is toward the end, right before Jem makes the announcement about their engagement, Bridget's singing another one of her morbid songs, and this one happens to end with "Or saw ye the lad that I love best, And his name it is Sweet William?" and Tessa thinks "I may murder her." It's so sudden and hilarious and the most unladylike, violent thought Tessa has ever had. Oh, and then there's the whole demon pox thing-- how since the beginning of the first book, Will has been fascinated by "demon pox" and it's his first answer for every ailment anyone has, even though everyone thinks he's insane and made it up, and then they find out someone has it and Will is overcome with giddiness, so he calls Jem a "brute" for having evidence of its existence and not telling him about it. I just... ahahahahahahahahahahhaaha.

So yeah. I failed gigantically at keeping this spoiler-free, but I couldn't very well write a coherent reaction to the book without being forced to write down the causes of it. Sorry.

I have a strong desire to relate a playlist to this book (although, mostly it will be in reference to the love triangle).

1. Walk Away- the Script (Will being bad news to make sure Tessa doesn't love him)

2. Someday When I Stop Loving You- Carrie Underwood (Will after accepting Tessa and Jem's engagement)

3. The Way I Loved You- Taylor Swift (Tessa being engaged to Jem but knowing part of her will always be Will's)

4. Untouchable- Taylor Swift (in the infirmary when Tessa wakes up and Will's there and she thinks she's dreaming)

5. Exit Wounds- The Script ("I don't know how much more love this heart can lose, 'cause I'm dying, dying from these exit wounds" :(:(:(:()

6. Song About Love- Lee DeWyze (self-explanitory... except it's worse, because Tessa refused to tell Will she loves him)

7. Basket Case- Sara Bareilles. (OH.MY.GOD. "He's not a magic man or a perfect fit, but had a steady hand and I got used to it, And a glass cage heart and invited me in, And now I'm just a basket case without him"... "I've been saving your place, and what good does it do?")

8. All Fall Down- OneRepublic (the violin seems very England. Mostly I'm focusing on the lyrics "love till you hate, strong till you break")

9. Spot In Line- Jon McLaughlin ("And I'm gonna try, to keep this feeling for you at some distance, but the sweetness of your face is what I'll find, and I guess it's time I found my spot in line")
10. Almost Lover- A Fine Frenzy ("Goodbye my almost lover, goodbye my hopeless dream" asd;ofuhjnkds;f You are the first dream of my soul. The only dream I ever was unable to stop myself from dreaming. ...With hope at last, William Herondale.)

That's all I've got.