City of Bones

City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

ISBN: 9781416914280
New York:  Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007

Plot - Clary Fray and her best friend, Simon, go to a nightclub where Clary witnesses a murder that leaves no victim, no evidence, no blood.  The victim she swears she saw killed in a storage closet suddenly disappears, and the good looking boy who killed him tells her he was a demon anyhow.  Clary can't call the police for help given that nothing appears to have happened, and even Simon claims never to have seen the killer and his friends, a boy named Jace, who like his friends, was covered all over with mysterious tattoos.  The very next day, far from being able to forget what might have been a vision anyway, Clary sees Jace again.  He invites her to his home, but suddenly her mother calls her in a terror and tells her not to return home, which is of course exactly what she does, with Jace not far behind.  Her mother has been kidnapped, her home torn asunder, and a demon waits especially for her.  From there, Clary moves inextricably deeper and deeper into Jace's world filled with others like him, the Shadowhunters, and their enemies, demons.  Searching to rescue her mother, Clary finds more of herself than she would ever have believed possible before she knew she had "the Sight."

Critical Evaluation - The plot in City of Bones moves fast and is engaging, and the characters are fun, though not developed to the degree that this is they we want to follow.  The story is what pulls the reader in as Clary goes deeper and deeper into the adventure, discovering her place among beings she never even conceived of.  Balancing the fact that the writing is at times clunky and the plot is somewhat predictable, though exciting, is the repartee between Clary and Jace.  Clare puts in just enough humor to keep the darkness of the story from taking over. 

Reader's annotation - Within hours, Clary learns that she has to save her mother from demons, deal with an arrogant, smart-mouthed and tattoo-covered guy who claims to want to help her even though she saw him murder what looked to be an innocent boy, and come to terms with the fact that her family is nothing at all what she thought it was.

Information about the author - Cassandra Clare, a pen name, travelled the world as a child with her parents, and through that experience became a voracious reader because books were a constant source of comfort and familiarity she could take anywhere.  Her writing career began in the United States and included work for a series of tabloids where she wrote about Hollywood stars and their romantic exploits, which she hated, until 2004 when she began writing City of Bones.  Clare is a tough giver of advice to new writers, telling her audience that writing is hard work and involves more hard work as time goes by.  She has not time for talk of inspiration or muse.  She regards writing as any other job--if doing it the first time is fairly easy, the rewrites will come to come like a tidal wave.
Genre - YA urban fantasy, YA fantasy
Curriculum Ties - None to speak of
Booktalk ideas - 

1. Read the scene where she finds her mother missing, beginning on page 49, ending on pg. 50 with "Clary stumbled to her feet and turned around slowly."
2. Read the scene where the Greater Demon is trying to get the Cup.  Begin on pg. 353 with, "It began to move toward her" and end with "The demon struck, its razored hand lashing down at Jace" on pg.354.

Reading level - 13+ is recommended by School Library Journal, although I would advise carefully with girls or boys who don't have experience reading urban fantasy or who might be surprised by the sexual tension between Jace and Clary.

Challenge issues - possible challenges due to sexy scenes, though not sex fully; sibling relationship revealed between characters with sexual tension between them.

Challenge defense ideas:

• Librarian must read the book carefully and include it as a resource intended for older teens.
• Librarian greets students and regularly discusses their reading choices; she provides individualized, age-appropriate guidance in book choice.
• Explain the ways in which the librarian accompanies and guides younger students looking for books, and knows students well as individuals.

Why I included this book -The book is worth appearing in a top 50 list of resources simply for its grand adventure and Twilight-like slow, steamy romance.  School Library Journal named it in the Top 100 Teen Titles in 2010, and it has been immensely popular both for teens and adults who enjoy YA books.  It's another fun read, with great adventure and characters who may not last in the reader's mind long after the book is over, but who make an enjoyable addition to the YA world of young adventurers and heroes.