City of Bones

by Cassandra Clare
published: Simon Pulse, 2007
pages: 485

Clary Fray is a normal girl living in New York City, but when she starts seeing people and things that her friends can't, she goes looking for answers.  She meets Jace Wayland, a Shadowhunter -  warrior dedicated to destroying demons, and Clary's carefully balanced world turns completely upside down.  The answers to her questions bring trouble and all sorts of complications to her life. When her mom goes missing and she is attacked by a demon, Clary looks to Jace and his friends to help find her mom and figure out exactly why the demon attacked her.

I hesitated hugely when it came to reading this book.  I didn't really know much about it, other than it is part of a series and that there is a movie adaptation.  There were several people who told me that I would love the book and some that told me it wasn't worth the read.  However, I decided that I wanted to see the movie, so naturally I had to read the book first.  

I was completely sucked into this story from the get-go.  It is fast-paced and gripping the entire way through.  I liked the city setting; New York City meshes well with the pace of the story.  It's a perfect place for things to go unseen and unnoticed.

Some of my favorite characters are actually secondary characters.  Simon and Magnus hold the top places in my book.  Magnus' charm and wit are completely entertaining; I couldn't help but smile when he was in a scene.  As for Simon, his loyalty and determination to help earn him a top spot.  However, I did find some of the characters highly annoying at very inopportune times.  I thought Clary needed to stop and think a little bit more before rushing into situations she was not well equipt to take on.

 This book has a solid plot with great pacing, but the last twist at the end was really very unnecessary.  It  irritated me rather than strengthened the story.  It felt like the author purposely put that in there to frustrate the reader.  If I'm perfectly honest, I'm not sure it was all that believable either.  This story didn't need the further complications that came because of the twist.  Needless to say, it was a bit of a let down.

Despite my reservations, I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series and exploring the lives and the world of Clary and the Shadowhunters.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Clare's atmospheric is spot-on, informed equally by neo-gothic horror filmd and the modern fantasy leanings of Neil Gaiman... Fans of... Bufy the Vampire Slayer will instantly fall for this series."
     --Publishers Weekly

"Readers of urban fantasy will devour this deliciously overwrought adventure."
     --Kirkus Review

"This fast-paced fantastic thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats."
     --VOYA