Review (1): City of Bones

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 27, 2007

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Pages: 512

Source: Bought
Author Website: http://cassandraclare.com/cms/home

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....

(From Goodreads)

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Why I Read This: I had heard a lot of things about this series and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Characters: I absolutely love Clary and Jace, the main characters. They are both so different and they make the story amusing. They are constantly either fighting or flirting with each other and that really makes the book fun to read. Despite only knowing each other for a short amount of time, they form a strong friendship that helps them both grow and get through some of the tough things they have to face. Simon, Clary's mundane best friends, is also very lovable and adds something extra to the story. He has known Clary for years and has harbored a secret crush from her for half as long which causes an interesting love triangle. The Lightwoods, Alec, Isabelle and Max, are also prominent characters that each offer something different to the story. Each has a distinct personality that would be very missed if they were to not be in the book.

Relatability : Obviously, vampires, werewolves, and shadowhunters don't actually exist, but other than that, this story is very relatable because the characters face many situations that kids today can relate to. There is always that one boy/girl that you like but know will never be yours, nobody's family is perfect and their will always be disagreements and arguments, etc.

Cover: The cover for this book is awesome. In my opinion, it pretty much sums up the whole novel. Having Jace on the cover makes it that much better.

Overall Impression: AMAZING! If you haven't already read this book, what is wrong with you?

Rating: * * * * *