City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Bibliographic Information:
Clare, C. (2007). City of bones. New York, NY: M.K. McElderry Books.

Plot Summary:
One night, at a popular club, Clary Fray, and her best friend Simon, are having a great time until she sees hooded figures murder a guy. These people are not like anyone she has every seen since they are covered head to toe in black tattoos and, mysteriously, the murder victim disappeared into thin air. Unfortunately, Clary is spotted by these assassins and they are just as she is because no ordinary human should be able to see them. In fact, the only people who can see them are their fellow Shadowhunters--an elite group of people who have the ability to vanquish demons.

Completely unnerved, and confused, Clary returns home to learn that she and her mother are on the move again. Clary and her mother are not strangers to this routine since they have been moving around all her life; Clary's mother and father split up a long time ago so it's always been them and Luke (her mother's best friend). Moreover, every since the the "murder", she has been followed by a really hot guy. Just when things could not get any worse, her "stalker" finally reveals himself (his name is Jace) and learns all about the Shadowhunters and the the possibility that she may be one herself. Lately, people have been turning up dead and readers learn that they are not ordinary human beings--but wizards, fairies, and vampires. Something is going on in New York and the Shadowhunters must find out why these groups are retaliating against one another. Clary always knew she was different, but she didn't count on the becoming a demon hunter. Unfortunately, this news comes a little late when Clary's mother is kidnapped and the only way she can find her mother is with the help of the Shadowhunters. Why would anyone take her mother? Her mother is the key to finding a chalice called the "Mortal  Cup" that has the power to turn any ordainary human into Shadowhunters and somehow, someway, Clary's mother is connected to a man named Valentine Morgenstern who may be after the Cup.

Critical Evaluation:
Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series is a blast. When I read the first one I could not put it down since Clare hits the reader with an exciting moment that he or she did not expect. although critics, and othe reviewers, say that the story is comparable to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I find that assumption hard to believe. In fact, the only thing the two stories have in common is the demon hunting. Clarey is the average teenager who is completely unaware of her capabilities. She has a strong affinity for art and readers will be able to relate to her story because she feels unfulfilled; all her life something has been missing and we will learn why as the story develops. The male lead, Jace, is the stereotypical bad boy who breaks hearts and is a loner. However, Jace is also unfulfilled because he eventually learns that his whole life has been one giant lie. The other Shadowhunters (unlike Buffy's crew) are tougher, more sophisticated, and deeply troubled. Although these teens have amazing abilities, they are also very vulnerable and insecure. I highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to step away from the formulaic vampire and werewolf love stories (starring wishy washey or vapid characters), City of Bones is a great place to start.

Reader's Annotation:
Fifteen-year-old Clary Fray witnesses a murder, but learns that the supposed victim is a demon and the murderers are demon slayers called Shadowhunters. However, Shadowhunters can only be seen by other Shadowhunters so Clary is in fact one of them. Not knowing how to deal with this news, life becomes more complicated when her mother is kidnapped and the only to save her is with the help of Jace, another Shadowhunter, and finding the Mortal Cup. 

Information about the Author:
The Mortal Instruments series is Cassandra Clare's first Young Adult series. According to her website, she has lived an extraordinary life where she spent most of her childhood moving around the world and actually spent a month of her infancy in her father's backpack as they trudged through the Himalayas. Clare was educated in Los Angeles where she begin writing her own short stories and an epic novel entitled "The Beautiful Cassandra."  After graduating college, Clare moved to New York and actually worked for tabloid magazines writing articles on various celebrities including Brad Pitt, Brittney Spears, and Paris Hilton. When Clare began writing the City of Bones, she quit her job and started writing fulltime.

According to Cassandra Clare:

[she] hates working at home alone because she always gets distracted by reality TV shows and the antics of her two cats, so she usually sets out to write in local coffee shops and restaurants. She likes to work in the company of her friends, who see that she sticks to her deadlines(para. 3).

The fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments is out on April 11, 2011.

Genre:
Fantasy

Curriculum Tie-In's
N/A

Booktalking Ideas:
Since this is a fantasy book that is constantly being compared to "Buffy the Vampire" slayer, a general survey of how many people have seen Buffy and if they have ever heard of her. Although I grew up watching Buffy, I am not sure of the teens of today are even aware, or interested, in that series. Once the total have been tallied, the Librarian can provide a brief review of the shows premise and see if that peeks any interest. Once the reaction has been seen, the Librarian can then reveal to teens that this books is NOT at all like Buffy and it's actually a lot cooler than Buffy. After fooling, and engaging the teens, the Librarian can proceed with the booktalk.


Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to City of Bones:

• Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle Trilogy) by Libba Bray

Challenge Issues:
Although it's not explicit, the whole occult and demon slaying plot may rub conservative parents the wrong way. Librarians can explain to parents that is a dark fantasy that is meant for teens; however, by handing reviews and explaining the plot of the story might help them better understand the story and drop their protest.

Why did I Choose this Book?
I picked this particular title because, after Twilight, I refused to read campy vampire love stories. In fact, I was looking for quite the opposite where the main characters weren't humans and vamps being lovey dovey, but humans kicking supernatural behind. I really wasn't looking for romance, but, alas, this book has it, but it's not overbearing. As the series progressed, the romance became a bigger element, and, at times, a little weird, but I still kept reading. Although Clary and Bella are two out of place teenagers, I think Clary's character would reach out to the teens who were either upset with the Bella character or were looking for more out of the heroine. As for the whole "Buffy the Vampire" read-alike nonsense, I do not agree because Clary doesn't fall for a hot dead guy, but a hot living, breathing, guy. 

Awards/Recoginition:

•  ALA 2010 Top Ten
  

References:
Cassandra Clare Bio and Contact. (n.d.). Cassandra Clare. Retrieved December 30, 2010, from http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/bio