The good, the bad and the shadowhunters

After author Cassandra Clare captured so many of us with her thrilling 2007 novel “City of Bones,” I had unbelievably high standards for the movie adaptation, none of which were met.

The nights of sleep I lost to stay up reading the novel were made up for by my mid-movie nap.

This month, “The Mortal Instruments” prepares to hit the screen again as an ABC Family television series.  Apparently after receiving a 12 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the production company got a clue. This last-ditch effort at reviving the franchise is a much better route than the movie, but could very easily crash and burn.

The first drastic mistake made with “City of Bones” was trying to fit 485 pages of constant action into one movie, dooming the film from the start. Many important details were left out. By drawing out the adventure over several episodes, they can add more detail without making for an even longer and blander movie.

Aside from missing critical details, the “City of Bones” movie was incredibly cheesy. In the world of lengthy young adult novels, it aimed for the Harry Potter but landed among the Twilights. The actors in the movie had all the looks but none of the talent. For the television series to stay afloat, the new cast should be a little less teen romance and a little more genuine emotion.

Fingers crossed that “The Mortal Instruments” will fulfill every fan’s wildest dreams. Series like “Pretty Little Liars” have already set the bar extremely low for book-to-TV adaptations, so it can’t be an impossible feat. Clare’s world of brave demi-angels on TV has the potential to be as captivating as ever, instead of resembling an episode of “Degrassi.”

Finally, to the creators, don’t mess this one up (or you could have a lot of angry fangirls on your hands).