Author: Cassandra Clare
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5507-8
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Copyright: 2007
Plot Summary: City of Bones begins from the point of view of a demon disguised as a punk teen entering a nightclub called Pandemonium in search of lively humans to devour. Concealing his weapon behind a glamor, he finds the perfect eye-catching victim, a girl in a floor-length white gown who beckons him into a NO ADMITTANCE section of the club. The point of view switches to Clary, a teen girl who has dragged her friend Simon to Pandemonium for a night of excitement. She spots the punk teen entering the secluded room and the shadows of two other teenages stalking him, and rushes to the rescue. Clary's selfless action leads her to entering the supernatural world of demons and Shadowhunters, of Downworlders and magic. Soon, Clary comes to realize that she has always had the power to see demons, and that it was hidden from her by her mother and the warlock Magnus Bane. Soon, she comes to realize how she feels about the wild Shadowhunter Jace, with the looks of an angel and the devil.
Critical Evaluation: The plot of City of Bones is well-paced for a multi-volume work and while it leaves as a cliffhanger in regard to the greater plot of the war between demons and Shadowhunters and between the Clave and Valentine, Clare ties it together in a satisfactory end that makes the reader want to get the next book without feeling left hanging. The dialog and characterization between the characters is witty and gritty, given the war-setting of the book, adding a nice contrast between what was left of Clary's normal life and how the Shadowhunter teens live. All of the main characters are well-rounded and Clare does not give all of the information about them up at a time, having the readers learn snippets about them as if they were actually meeting them. There was a certain amount of foreshadowing regarding the romance between Clary and Jace, as well as Alec's romantic interest, especially during their first encounters.
Reader's Annotation: Clary is a normal girl who lives with her mom and Uncle Luke, going to school with her best friend Simon and spending time together. Then, in a dingy nightclub called Pandemonium, she sees a demon for the first time and three shadowy teens who exterminate it, called Shadowhunters.
Information About the Author: Cassandra Clare's parents were abroad in Iran when she was born, a hallmark of her future globe-hopping life. She began writing in High School and worked for entertainment magazines after college.
Her first novel, City of Bones, was started in 2004 and was inspired by her favorite city, Manhattan, New York. Read more about the author and keep up with the newest releases in the Mortal Instruments series at her website.
Genre: Supernatural; Fiction; Romance
Curriculum Ties N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
- Clary is just a normal girl who likes anime, sketching, and hanging out with her best friend Simon. One day, she drags the unwilling Simon into the nightclub Pandemonium and enters the world of demons and Shadowhunters, the Nephilim, sworn to defeat the demons that manage to enter the human world.
- Focus on the difference in the relationships between Clary and Jace as well as Clary and Simon. How does Clary act differently with the two boys?
Reading Level: 15+
Challenge Issues:
- While there is violence within this book, it is between teens and demons in a supernatural light. None of the violence is shown as torture, instead it is part of the war between the Nephilim and demonkind. Similarly, the character Jace's desensitization to violence makes more sense when put into the context of a war setting, as he is a soldier, not just a teen.
Why This Book?: Staff recommendation
Reference Page:
Clare, C. (2007). City of bones: The mortal instruments book one. New York: Simon Pulse.
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