City of Bones

Title: City Of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Other Books in the Series: City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
Published: March 2007
ISBN: 1416955070
Pages: 485
Price: 12.99 (paperback)
Plot Summary: Clary Fray is just an average New York City teenager till one night when she witnesses a crime the goes unseen by everyone else. Clary can see Shadowhunters, which is both a surprise to Clary and the Shadowhunters. She witnesses the shadowhunters killing a person at a club, which Clary finds out is a demon. Shadowhunters are humans with angel blood and they protect the world from demons, vampires, werewolves and other downworlder creatures. Usually, the shadowhunters can go unseen by humans as they carry out their jobs but somehow Clary can see them. Clary soon finds out that she isn't as normal as she once thought as she finds more about her life and family and the world of the Shadowhunters. Clary soon joins the world of the Shadowhunters as they try to find out why so many demons are finding their way into the human world. Though joining the Shadowhunters also puts her in danger and her mother disappears after Clary is attacked by a demon. No one knows why she was attacked, or where her mother went or why Clary can see the shadowhunters.
Review: The story features well developed and diverse characters as well as a plot that is full of twists and mystery. The world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders has been well developed by Cassandra Clare with great back stories and a rich history that slowly comes out through the series. There is plenty of action and fighting to appeal to boys reading the series and of course there is romance. I like that Cassandra includes Alec and Mangus who are both gay characters, but she treats them just like all the other characters and their sexuality isn't a big focus but rather them being gay is just a part of who they are. There is also some obvious sexual tension between Clary and Jace that is engrossing. Jace is a bit of the typical bad boy, with a constant need to walk on the edge. The story is extremely addicting and a fun read.
Reading Annotation: What if demons walked among us and the ones who fought them were hiding in plain sight.
Main Themes: angels, demons, secret worlds, identity
Bibliotheraputic Usefulness: Clary struggles with her identity and finding her place. This will appeal to teens who feel that they may not fit in or don't know their role in society. The story also is a battle of good vs evil. Teens can use the fantasy battles against demons as inspiration to battle their own real life demons. The book also provides an imaginative and fun escape from the real world.
Book talking ideas: City of Bones has the great ability to make the fantasy feel part of everyday life. For book talking focus on the idea of a world that is existing all around us that no one sees, the world of Shadowhunters. Of course there is great action, adventure and romance to pull in teens.
Issues: The series does have teen drinking and risk taking behavior. There is a lot of focus on romantic relations that may be inappropriate for younger teens. The main challenge may be the idea of vampires, werewolves, and humans with angel blood. Some religious parents may feel it's sacrilegious or have objections to the idea of fantasy being weaved into everyday life.
Author Website: http://www.cassandraclare.com/
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
Why included this book?: The Mortal Instruments series is a New York Bestseller and is being turned into a movie that is being released this summer. It is book that combines both vampires, angels and werewolves and has huge appeal to fantasy fans.