City of Bones Book Review
by Shraddha Gulati
Everything about this book is amazing, from the characters to the environments, the plot twists to the entire world that Cassandra Clare has created. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone interested in reading books. Do read the prequels, sequels, and novellas as they add so much to the overall story. Great for lovers of fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller. There is a bit of romance as well. You can read the plot given below to understand what this story is about and I am pretty sure that you will feel the urge to give this book a read.
City of Bones is the first part of The Mortal Instruments, a Young Adult (YA) urban fantasy trilogy, as well as Cassandra Clare’s first full-length novel. Set in New York City, the story opens with fifteen-year-old Clary witnessing the murder of a blue-haired teenage boy in a nightclub — the only problem is no one else can see what she has seen.
As the story begins, a normal, teenage girl, Clary Fray, is out at an all-age club, Pandemonium, with her best friend Simon where her life is changing. A boy who has blue hair and green eyes fascinates Clary. The boy notices a beautiful girl come near him, and he follows her into a closet. Two other boys, one with a knife, follow the pair into the closet. Clary is the only witness as the girl and two boys kill the boy with blue hair. Even stranger, she realizes that no one else in the club can see the three teens in the closet, so she pretends to have imagined it.
She follows one of the boys outside to confront him about what she saw. He tells her that he is a shadow hunter named Jace and that what he killed was a demon. He explains that normal humans cannot see him because he has cast a glamour to be invisible. This, he says, proves that Clary is no ordinary girl.
Clary wakes up in a sanctuary for shadow hunters in New York, called the Institute. Jace has brought her there to treat the poison. She finds out that her mother was once a shadow hunter and belonged to a group called the Circle, led by a man named Valentine. He has returned and is searching for the Mortal Cup, which can turn any human into a shadow hunter, should the human survive the transformation. This man has kidnapped Clary’s mom. Hodge, a man who is being punished for his participation in the Circle and cannot leave the Institute, and Jeremiah, a Silent Brother, tells Clary there is a powerful spell blocking her memories from her mind. To find out more about her memories, she must go to the City of Bones.
There is a developing romantic relationship between Jace and Clary, one that Simon can’t stand. Simon has loved Clary for years, but Clary never noticed, and Simon never did anything about it. With Jace in the picture, Clary and Simon’s friendship is deeply damaged. When the group finally finds the Mortal Cup, they bring it to the Institute. Hodge turns out to be a traitor, trading his loyalties for his freedom, and summoning Valentine, who takes the cup and Jace away. Hodge tries to run, but Clary chases him. Hodge attacks, but a werewolf — actually Luke, her mom’s best friend — jumps in and saves her. Clary also discovers that Valentine is actually her father, and Jace, her brother. Jace and Clary’s story ends with them trying to come to terms with the fact that they’re related. They take one last amazing flying bike ride over the city at night, and Clary appreciates the wonders of the world layout before her. One reoccurring theme in this novel is Elitism. Elitism is the belief that a person or group of people are better than others and deserve special treatment. Valentine and his Circle are an elitist group who feel that they should kill all Downworlders. They believe that if they kill all Downworlders, it will leave the Earth pure for humanity. They not only feel that humans are better than any other race but also place themselves above the rest of humanity.