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City of Bones: The Mortal Instruments, Book 1
By Matt Berman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Action-packed start to teen urban fantasy series.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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Community Reviews
Based on 30 parent reviews
A Spectacular YA Fantasy Series!
Great book!
What's the Story?
In CITY OF BONES, Clary goes to an all-ages nightclub and encounters Shadowhunters and demons -- both of whom are invisible to everyone else. This encounter, and her mother's subsequent kidnapping, brings Clary into a shadow world of age-old warfare between Shadowhunters and demons, vampires, and werewolves. Working alongside teen Shadowhunters Jace, Isabelle, and Alec, Clary discovers that her mother's past -- and, by association, Clary's own past -- aren't what she thought. In fact, she finds out she's intimately involved in a power struggle among Shadowhunters.
Is It Any Good?
Teen urban fantasy is a popular subgenre, and this first installment of a six-book series has the essential elements. In City of Bones, author Cassandra Clare offers a complex world with reams of backstory involving many characters, creatures, factions, and relationships. In addition to the various sides among Shadowhunters, there are also vampires, werewolves, faeries, warlocks, and others, each with their own politics, powers, and agendas. Unfortunately, Clare's characterization of teen behavior (jealous girls, boys who evaluate girls' bodies and then get violent when upset) is clichéd. Paired with the lack of diverse characters and a reliance on racial, gender, and sexual stereotypes, the book feels outdated.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of The Mortal Instruments book series that City of Bones belongs to. Why do you think people like reading a story over several installments?
How does this book compare with other fantasy novels you've read? What similarities and differences do you notice in the types of characters, their struggles, their romances, etc.
Did you notice women, people of color, or other minorities being characterized in stereotypical ways?
Book Details
- Author: Cassandra Clare
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Book Characters , Brothers and Sisters
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication date: March 1, 2007
- Number of pages: 485
- Last updated: February 5, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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Where to Read
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