Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/YA/Romance
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: May 27th, 2007
Edition: Paperback, 486 pages
Source: Purchased
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.
After the movie came out, and before I watched it, I re-read this book. It was better the second time around. I love Simon and Magnus. I think they are two of my favorite characters. All the banter between Clary and Jace, makes me laugh. I really like Jace's character development. He starts out as this slightly detached person who hides all his emotion because he was taught that's what makes a good fighter. To take emotion out of the equation. But then he meets Clary who wears her emotion on her sleeves, and she is just as strong and brave as he is.
Clary is possibly my favorite female character in YA-Fiction, at least in my top 6. She is so awesome. Even before she learns about her amazing gift, she is so brave and strong. Between Clary and Isabelle, it's great that there are characters out there for young girls. No more of the helpless damsel in distress. Isabelle, or Izzy as she's referred to more in the books, is also incredibly bad-ass. She used this metal snake whip to kill demons, misbehaving vampires, and werewolves. The Shadowhunter world is pretty awesome, makes me wish it were real and that I was a part of it. After reading these books I don't know a single person who doesn't want to be a Shadowhunter.
The dynamic between Jace and Alec is quite interesting. Alec is a gay character who is pining for his best friend, his Parabatai, and his adoptive brother. Alec's jealousy towards Clary is interesting for his character development. It forces him to admit how he feels and it scares and angers him.
Each character has some pretty great development in the book. I don't know what to say about this book from a re-read standpoint. My first impression is kind of forgotten, but the ending of the book when we're told that Clary and Jace are siblings, I remember being very weirded out and at the same time feeling that it was bull shit. The way Valentine told them they were siblings, he had a smile on his face, like he thought it was funny. I don't care how crazy, power-hungry someone is, if they found out their children were in love, they wouldn't think it was funny.
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