The Mortal Instruments Bk. 1:
City of Bones
by Cassandra Clare

    CITY OF BONES by Cassandra Clare
    Category:  Paranormal
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  3/27/07
    Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry
    Reviewed by:  Jocelyn Pearce
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Clary Fray thinks she’s a fairly ordinary fifteen-year-old girl--until the world as she knows it falls apart, all starting
    the night she and her best friend, Simon, visit the Pandemonium Club. Sure, in a city the size of New York, a lot of
    weird things happen; Clary didn’t expect to witness one of the weirdest.

    What she sees that night is a murder, a murder committed by tattoo-covered teenagers no one else can see--a
    murder with no body left behind. That’s certainly a sign that Clary’s life is about to get a little farther away from
    normal, and it certainly does so.

    Clary’s life is falling to pieces. Her mother goes missing. Clary is attacked by a creature - a demon. She’s seeing
    things no one else can--including the Shadowhunters, demon hunters whose world is hidden within Clary’s own. She
    meets three young Shadowhunters - Jace, Alec, and Isabelle - and is quickly sucked into their world, searching for
    her mother, trying to protect herself, trying to sort out what’s real, what’s true, and what’s not. It is, obviously, a bit
    much for anyone to handle, but Clary’s got no choice. Along the way, she’s discovering her past, herself, and just
    who the Shadowhunters really are.

    This debut novel from a brilliant, smart new voice in young adult literature is a marvelous adventure, full of fantastic
    twists and turns just when they’re least expected. The complexity of the story, the threads from the past and present
    intertwined, is reminiscent of the Harry Potter series--and that’s high praise!

    The writing of this magical story is excellent, and I was very impressed with the wonderfully lifelike characters and
    amazing magical world hidden within our own. I was reminded of Holly Black’s mastery of the urban fantasy genre.
    The captivating story told by the very talented Cassandra Clare in CITY OF BONES is surely the start of a brilliant
    series--I can’t wait for the next MORTAL INSTRUMENTS book. This paranormal fantasy is truly unforgettable.