City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

I tried reading this book about a year ago, and just could not get into it.  I made it to page 170, and then decided I couldn't go any further and returned the book to the library.  I told myself I'd try it again sometime.  When my sister, Kira, told me that she planned on reading this series, I decided that the time had come to give City of Bones another try.  But, where Kira has now read all 3 in the series (the fourth book - of six - is due out this spring), I only finished this first book a couple of days ago.

So, what did I think this time around?  I definitely enjoyed it more.  I didn't have a difficult time getting into the story at all, which was a relief.  I was actually worried that I would get stuck at the same spot and not want to read on.  I'm glad that didn't happen, because I ended up liking the story quite a bit.  Jace definitely intrigues me (I may have a teeny crush on him, too), and I'm interested in seeing what Clary can make of herself.  (I have to say, though, that the name 'Clary Fray' annoyed me the entire time.  Not a name that really flows well off the tongue.)  What kind of Shadowhunter will Clary be?  And what does the future hold for Clary, Jace, and Simon?  Simon is a cool character, too, and I'm already wondering what will be in store for him.

One thing that kind of bothers me about YA books these days is that almost all of the main characters seem much too young to be in some of the situations they're placed in.  I just can't wrap my head around a 14- or 15-year-old doing some of the things authors have them doing these days.  I felt that way with Clary.  She seemed a bit too naive and young to be a Shadowhunter.  I know she had a completely different upbringing than Jace, Isabelle, and Alec did, but a part of me still can't accept that someone so young (barely 15 years old) can do the sorts of things a Shadowhunter does.  And reading about Clary and a certain someone kissing in the hallway kind of shocked me, too.  Don't get me wrong - I wanted her to kiss this certain someone, but at the same time I was thinking how young she still is.  Maybe it's just me, and it's been too long since I was a teenager and felt urges like that. ;)

Anyway, I look forward to continuing with this series.  I really thought there were only 4 books in the series, and knowing that there are really SIX and that I'll have to wait until 2013 to finish the series is depressing.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Also in the series: City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels (April 2011), City of Lost Souls (2012), City of Heavenly Fire (2013)