City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fantasy 
Series: The Mortal Instruments Book One 
Copyright: 2007 
Publisher: Simon Pulse 
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary: from Good Reads
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. . . . 

Feelings:
So I have to admit that I only started reading this because of the the movie trailer that I saw. I felt a little bit of hesitation when the copy I picked up had a quote from none other than Stephenie Meyer, "The Mortal Instruments series is a story world that I love to live in. Beautiful!" I had been looking at reading the infernal devices series because I really liked the covers. I have been hearing about Cassandra Clare for a while and did wonder if she was another Stephenie Meyer, who I believe to be one of the worst writers, but had decided to give her books a try upon seeing the movie trailer. I have a feeling the movie is going to be very very different from the book and I'm not sure it will be in a good way. I am glad that I did give the book a chance.

This is not to say that I feel like her writing is very original. I wouldn't say that it is I can see aspects of Harry Potter, and yes I am aware she used to write Harry Potter fan fiction but I never read any of it. However, even I can see the connections. Mundie=Muggle. Then there are the similarities between Harry Potter himself and Clary, they both grow up not really knowing about the world they are really from and then things start happening to them that they don't understand. Okay so, seeing as I am not the biggest Harry Potter fan this did bother me a bit. I do think most authors to borrow from those that come before them but this was even a bit much for me. 

I do like the Urban setting of the story and how the world is our world yet there are things we do not see. It makes a city most are familiar with seem dark and foreboding yet tantalizing. The stories and myths told are all true which again I liked. There were times when I had a hard time keeping up with all the different downworlders, those that are not demons but that are not human, that were being introduced. Demons are in simplified terms aliens, not from earth. 

'No way are we bringing her to the Institute,' said Isabelle. 'She's a mundie.' 'Or is she?' said Jace softly. His quiet tone was worse than Isabelle's snapping or Alec's anger. 'Have you had dealings with demons, little girl? Walked with warlocks, talked with Night Children? Have you--' 'My name is not 'little girl,'' Clary interrupted. 'And I have no idea what you're talking about.' (p. 15)

This is the first time Clary meets the Shadowhunters and the first time she really sees something that others can't see. Simon her best friend can't see the Shadowhunters though and she lets it go. This is just the beginning of her being drawn into the shadow world.

 I maintained an interest in the story because there were twists in the plot. I saw most of them coming and, yes, I liked being right.

Cassandra Clare has an interesting writing style and it wasn't exactly what I would have liked but I did like her descriptions of Clary's drawings.

The wings looked so real she imagined that if she brushed her fingers across them, they'd be soft. She let her hand trail across the page, her mind wandering...

And jerked her hand back, staring. Her fingers had touched not dry paper but soft down of feathers. Her eyes flashed up to the runes she'd scrawled in the corner of the page. They were shining, the way she'd seen the runes Jace drew with his stele shine. (p. 322)

 I don't want to give anything away in the story because I really don't like it when I find out things before having read the book myself, discovery is part of the fun. This book is not for everyone the main character is female and I do think that limits the audience a bit even though their are major male characters as well. The movie I have a feeling will have a bit of a Twilight feel to it and I'm not sure that is a good thing. The book however, was not like Twilight.

I will be reading the next books and hope they are better than this one and become more original. I do like the shadow world that is New York City.