City of Bones

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - ☆☆☆☆☆

I know I am VERY late reading this series for the first time, and I am very behind in the series! I really enjoyed learning about Nephilum, or Shadowhunters, and the world that they inhabit. Cassandra Clare did an excellent job of setting up and describing the world in this book, and I was drawn in from the very beginning of the book. 

The story centers around fifteen-year-old Clarissa "Clary" Fray and her introduction into the world of the Shadowhunters, The book opens with Clary and her friend, Simon, going to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, and Clary witnesses a murder committed by three tattooed teenagers with strange weapons. The body of the murdered victim disappears into thin air, and Clary discovers that only she can see the teenagers, and Simon can't. She then learns that the victim was a demon and that Shadowhunters rid the world of evil demons. One of the teenage Shadowhunters is Jace, who is handsome, witty, and sarcastic. Following this incident, Clary's mother is kidnapped, and Clary is attacked by a demon in her home. The rest of the novel unravels the mystery behind Clary's mother's disappearance and how Clary and the Shadowhunters intertwine. 

Cassandra Clare's writing is excellent and flows really well. The character development is really well-done with dynamic characters. The book was well-paced, and the characters were relatable. Readers will be able to see what drives them or why they feel or act a certain way. Overall, this was an amazing read. I was so into the book that I read it in less than two days! 

***SPOILERS***

I was really rooting for Jace and Clary to become romantically involved until about halfway through the book when I started to guess that they were somehow related. I actually wasn't disappointed by this because Clary seems to be really good for Jace, by building him up and supporting him. Clary and Jace make each other grow as characters, and I am interested to see where their relationship goes in the future books. 

I was suprised that they had the same father, Valentine. I thought Jace may have only been a half-brother. I was also really surprised that he was so easily pulled into Valentine's game at the end of the book and at how hard Clary had to fight for him to come back and realize that he was her family and that he wasn't abandoned by his mother on purpose.