Common Sense Media Review
Action-packed start to teen urban fantasy series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 31 parent reviews
Based on 220 kid reviews
Kids say that this book offers a captivating mixture of fantasy, romance, and humor, highlighting strong characters and diverse relationships, including LGBTQ representation. However, many are conflicted over themes of violence and incest, with some praising the world-building while others caution potential readers about mature content that may not be suitable for younger audiences.
- fantasy elements
- character diversity
- romance issues
- violent themes
- age appropriateness
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
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 Paired with the lack of diverse characters and a reliance on racial, gender, and sexual stereotypes, the book feels outdated.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 :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster
- Publication date : March 1, 2007
- Number of pages : 485
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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