City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 485
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

From goodreads.com: 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. . . . 

WARNING:  This review is spoilerific and I make no apologies.

If you haven't read it and don't want to be spoiled look away now.

My sister had been bugging me about this series FOREVER.  Ever since she first read the series she's been on me to read it so she could have someone to talk to about them.  She even spoiled the end of this one for me so she could talk it out.  I didn't mind though, and I still don't because surprise incest is not a good surprise for anyone.  I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Clary (Clarissa) Fray is a normal New York girl until she encounters Shadow Hunters in a club one night.  She is then very quickly thrust into a world where nothing is the same, there's danger in everyday places, and she doesn't know who to trust.

The strength of this book, I feel, lies in the characters and the emotions.  There is not one character I didn't like.  I felt betrayed when they were betrayed, I was scared for them all because I was truly invested and enjoyed each of them.  Also, the humor is fantastic.  The dialogue reads so funny and true to life (if life involved demon slaying).  There's this one bit about Clary and/or Simon giving Jase a sponge bath after they get out of danger that I just loved.  

“Do you remember back at the hotel when you promised that if we lived, you’d get dressed up in a nurse’s outfit and give me a sponge bath?" asked Jace."It was Simon who promised you the sponge bath.""As soon as I’m back on my feet, handsome," said Simon.

I can't wait to continue on with this series and the Infernal Devices books because I'm dying to find out where it's all going!