Review: City of Bones

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: this series is all the rage; Body part book for What's in a Name? Challenge

Synopsis: "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. . . ."

First line: " 'You've got to be kidding me,' the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest."

My thoughts: This was a book that kept me reading well into the night! I think it would be great to recommend to girlie Twilight fans and also to boys - it has vamps, werewolves, faeries, demons, slaying, flying motorcyles, and a tiny bit of romance. And Clary is a great heroine - she quickly adapts to numerous scary, life-changing, unbelievable events. She's very brave, determined to save her mother and also her friend Simon when he gets himself into a shape-changing mess.

Like most first-in-a-series books, a LOT happens in City of Bones - the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders has to be set up, as well as the Uprising that caused a rift between two factions of hunters. There was a lot to take in, but it didn't feel overwhelming. And there were enough action-packed scenes to make it worth reading through the set-up stuff.

The verdict: I can see why this series is so popular with teens and I'm glad I read the book so I can recommend it to them. I'll probably also read the rest of the series, City of Bones definitely leaves you hanging off a cliff at the end.