City of Bones

From the publisher:

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. . . .
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end."


 This is a huge series in YA paranormal right now.  It is soon to be a movie, so that should add to the hype.  Our 8th graders can't get enough of this book.  It was one of the very first YA paranormal books I read, and I wasn't all that impressed.  I should probably read it again now that I'm used to the genre. 

Areas of concern:  I read this quite some time ago so I don't remember much, but other sites have mentioned some language, quite a bit of kissing (nothing graphic), and some gory violence.  I've heard that the books toward the end of the series get quite a bit racier.

Suggested ages:
School Library Journal - Grades 8+
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 14+