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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

City of Bones

I finally got around to starting The Mortal Instruments series and let me tell you I'm hooked. A paranormal world of sexy demon hunters that exists right under our noses? Sign me up.

In City of Bones, Book 1 of the series by Cassandra Clare, Clary Fray is an average teenager with a problem: she has witnessed a murder, but no one else can see the killers and the body has disappeared into thin air.  When her mother is then mysteriously attacked and kidnapped, Clary is suddenly thrust into the world of the Shadowhunters - a special group of humans who are trained to hunt and kill demons.  Clary must discover the connection between her mother and this supernatural world (that includes vampires, werewolves, and faeries) before she is lost to her forever.  Befriended by a group of teen Shadowhunters, Clary learns the truth about her mother's past and the immediate threat of rogue Shadowhunters, the Circle, to the mortal world.  Will she be able to find her mother in time? And will she be able to stop the Circle from destroying the new world she has become a part of?

This YA novel is full of suspense and twists and turns. The character development is done well, and it kept me reading well past my bedtime. While all the new lingo and supernatural explanations were a bit much at first, I quickly fell into step with Clary as she learned all about this new world.  Of course there were links to the Harry Potter series, and even Twilight (the main bad guy wants the blood lines to be pure, werewolves and vampires aren't friends, there's a love triangle, etc., etc.) but even so I still found it entertaining and fresh.  And Jace is definitely swoon worthy, which is a must in new YA paranormal. As I've realized lately with other YA novels, I can usually guess the plot twists pretty early on, and I get frustrated that the main character can't see it.  But even now, as I'm starting the 3rd book in the series, there are still things that surprise me, and one big twist that I know is coming, but I'm not sure how it will be played out.

4.5 out of 5 stars. If you're a paranormal fan, you should check this one out.

**SPOILER ALERT**

If you've read the book, I have a grievance to air.  Why in the hell would Clare make Clary and Jace siblings? As I stated in my notes as I was reading, "Boo." I am not a fan. Like I said, I'm currently beginning the 3rd book and I just know they can't really be brother and sister, but dammit, I'm sick of waiting for how Clare is going to resolve this issue. (This is not, however, an entreaty for you to explain it to me. Please don't ruin the suspense.) But really, it's just kind of gross and I would much rather see them kissing then fighting. Just sayin'.

1 comment:

  1. I keep hearing great things about this series and I think I'm definitely going to have to check it out now. Great review!

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