City of Bones
By: Cassandra Clare
Description: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.
Review: I didn't know this going into the book, but apparently the author is quite famous in the Harry Potter fandom world. I really didn't have any idea what the book was about when I started. Frankly, I just liked the cover.
This book was pretty much a combination of Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I could pick out elements from all the different books/series, and use them to predict what was going to happen next. In some ways, that was good, in others, it was a little corny.
The characters were mostly good, none really stood out to me as being fantastic. Except perhaps Luke. I really liked his character and learning more about him as the book progressed. I also really liked the integration of vampires, werewolves, faeries, and demons. The vampires were not sparkly, and the wolves were not full of teen angst. The underground world was fascinating, similar to Harry Potter's world.
Overall, the book was fun. It wasn't brilliantly original or anything, but it had some good points. It was good enough for me to continue the series.
Rating:
I gave the book 3.5 stars, and rounded up to 4.
Book A-Likes:
Harry Potter, Star Wars (even though that isn't a book), Recommended for those who like Urban Fantasy.
Profanity: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild. There is mention of drugs and clubs with alcohol.
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Moderate. I mean, they are vampire/werewolf/demon killers. There has to be some killing.
