City of Bones

City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 512
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

I should have known what to expect from a book with a Stephenie Meyer quote on the front and a bare male torso. The book isn't terrible, but a few more edits would have made it really great. My guess is that the author and publisher were trying to capitalize on the Twilight wave. It's playing off the vampire/werewolf in real life, the love triangle, and the weak female protagonist themes of Twilight. 

The book follows Clary, a fifteen-year-old girl living in Brooklyn. She has the ability to "see" -- meaning she can see the supernatural around her when other humans can't. Her life flips upside down when she goes a club and witnesses a murder.

"Isabelle tossed her hair. "Kill it, Jace," she said. "It's not going to tell us anything." Jace raised his hand, and Clary saw dim light spark off the knife he was holding. it was oddly translucent, the blade clear as crystal, sharp as a shard of glass, the hilt set with red stones. The bound boy gasped. "Valentine is back!" he protested, dragging at the bonds that held his hands behind his back."All the Infernal Worlds know it -- I know it -- I can tell you where he is --" Jace turned the knife in his grasp, the edge sparkling like a line of fire. Clary could take no more. She stepped our from behind the pillar. "Stop!" she cried. "You can't do this."

If it wasn't for the pacing, the plot, and the characters, this would be a really great book. Clary learns most of her information about the other world from explanations -- not experience. Because of this, the action only happens in brief bursts followed by pages and pages of description. Enough stuff happens to keep the story moving, but it still requires too much patience for a young audience.

The plot is all too predictable and fragmented. The reader guesses Clary's past about 150 pages before she figures it out. Besides the lengthy explanations, the plot also takes frequent birdwalks that may be exciting, but do little to propel the story or characters. The love triangle is perhaps the only constant in the plot, and Cassandra Clare does a great job of slamming that door shut at the end.

The Twilight-esque love triangle theme is only emphasized by Clary's complete inability to take care of herself. After spending weeks at what is essentially Hogwarts, she still doesn't know enough to even attempt at self-defense. She doesn't even have the wits figure out the painfully obvious. She's completely dependent on the two boys who fight for her affections. The boys, Clary, and the adults are all very static characters. The hiccuping plot line is the only thing driving this book to the painful end.

Read this if you liked Twilight, but if not, spend your time somewhere else. Also, a movie is being made this summer. Watch it if someone else buys your ticket.