Kim: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 512
Release Date: February 19, 2008
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Personal Copy


I am not exactly sure where to even start with City of Bones. I consider myself a pretty avid reader (thus, I began a blog about my reading ventures); however, it took me forever it seems to get through City of Bones. I initially began my journey with Clary, Jace, and the others back in October. I know... seriously? Seriously.

Clare fabricates a beautiful, deadly, and romantically dangerous world in this first book of The Mortal Instruments series. Readers follow Clary, our main protagonist, through a wild ride as she discovers secrets about her family and about herself. Set in a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons coexist, Clary finds herself intertwined with the darkest creatures of this world. Coincidentally, or not, Clary first discovers the Shadow World in a nightclub as she witnesses a "murder". Through an engaging opening scene, Clare introduces readers to Jace, Alec, and Isabelle - Shadowhunters, killers of demons, protectors of humans mundanes, upholders of The Accords (an outdated treaty amongst monsters that forbids the killing of and unveiling to humans). Throughout the book, we tag along with Clary and the Shadowhunters as they search frantically for Clary's mother who has been kidnapped by the dangerous and resurrected Valentine, a Shadowhunter feared by all.

Because Clare's Shadow World is so complete and complex, I believe the vocabulary is really what hung me up. I literally had to sit down and write out a mini-glossary for the first half of the book so I could keep track of all of the creatures and locations. People, for example, are called "mundanes" - for obvious reasons - and there is an influx of new cities and historical landmarks to be known. By the end, I had the hang of it, but I definitely struggled through much of the first half of the book to remember and keep people straight. This problem, however, speaks volumes of Clare's ability to create a place so whole and thought out. I really did become mesmerized by the littlest details she would put into her descriptions of times and places.

Other than its complexity, I was also turned off by Clary's "woe-is-me"-ish actions. For a heroine, Clary spends much of the novel appearing helpless or dependent on the supporting characters' actions. She has trouble making up her mind or drawing her own conclusions - especially when it comes to boys... I can only anticipate that her character becomes more confident and strong as the series progresses.

All in all, I would totally recommend this book to my fantasy-inclined friends. I read this book with a group of girls in my English class, and they definitely enjoyed it, too. I think out of curiosity, I will continue on in the series and see what is in store for our Shadowy friends.