The Laughing Listener
Reread July 2018
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Molly C. Quinn & ED WESTWICK *Swoons*
Length: 12 hours & 39 minutes

Story Rating: 3 Stars
Performance Rating: 3 Stars
*Ed Westwick = AMAZING
Molly Quinn = TERRIBLE*
Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Okay, first of all, Ed Westwick you guys. ED. FREAKING. WESTWICK.

For the last three novels, Natalie Moore has been the narrator of the audiobooks, so imagine my surprise when a MAN started reading this. And not just any man, but one with a magically hypnotic British accent. I officially want him to read everything to me now. The different voices Westwick did were wonderful and every time he played Simon, he did it with an accent that was kind of... British New Yorker?? It's sounds like it should be terrible, but it reeeeally wasn't. Unfortunately, I wasn't too thrilled with the girl Molly Quinn and actually stopped it towards the end so I could just read the damn thing. But to be fair, I can't tell if it was because of her or because she had to compete with ED WESTWICK. I mean, we ALL sound terrible in comparison.



Thankfully Ed Westwick's voice was here to comfort me because we're getting into the half of the series I don't like. Generally I just loathe Sebastian and we have to put up with him for the next three books, so I get a tad salty. But everyone is just so annoying in this one! Jace is having nightmares about killing Clary, but never bothers talking to anyone about it. Dude, asking for help IS NOT A CRIME. Simon is running around dating two girls at once. NOT COOL. Clary is too busy being worried about her relationship status to notice that Jace is WHITTLING AWAY. Girl, he is not eating or sleeping. OPEN YOUR EYES. And Alec wigs out on Magnus and starts asking questions about how many people he's been with. Honey, he has been around for HUNDREDS OF YEARS. Of course he's been with a lot of other people???? *Le sigh* Isabelle, Maia, and my boy Luke are really the only sane ones in this installment.

This has always been my least favorite in the series and now I remember why. It's just a lot of angst and why-doesn't-he-love-me drama. I dragged my feet so much during this audiobook and then had to force myself to finish it. I will say that the ending is pretty awesome, but that's only a few chapters out of the whole book. I only really perked up and paid attention when anyone mentioned the name Will or whenever Brother Zachariah was around.

"Would that I had been here, he said, his voice unexpectedly gentle, when you were growing up. I would have seen the truth in your face, Jace Lightwood, and known who you were."

Oh my GOD!! *Sobs* This is my first time reading the series after The Infernal Devices and I LOVE catching all the details I missed before!!! I can't wait to keep going and notice more of the little things I missed.

FINAL WORD

Ugh. I liked hearing more from Simon's perspective and seeing Brother Zachariah. Plus, Clary and Jace had some cute moments once they got their act together. But there was just too much angst for my liking. If you've loved the rest of the series so far, it's worth ripping this off like a band-aid so you can move on to the other books.

#1 ↦ [b:City of Bones|256683|City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432730315s/256683.jpg|2267189] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#2 ↦ [b:City of Ashes|1582996|City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432730356s/1582996.jpg|1575860] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#3 ↦ [b:City of Glass|3777732|City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1369452339s/3777732.jpg|3443248] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#4 ↦ [b:City of Fallen Angels|6752378|City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1369452302s/6752378.jpg|6948844] ↦ ✦✦✦✧✧
#5 ↦ [b:City of Lost Souls|8755776|City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)|Cassandra Clare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460477703s/8755776.jpg|13629058] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
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