City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray had no idea that her life would drastically change when she went to the Pandemonium Club in Manhattan with her best friend Simon. While dancing among fog and strobe lights, Clary witnesses a murder by three teenagers with crazy tattoos, wielding strange weapons. If that wasn't weird enough, she is the only one that can see them. When the teens discover that Clary can see them, they reveal themselves to be Shadowhunters, members of an alternate world that hunt demons. Suddenly Clary is thrust into the Downworld when she herself is attacked by a demon and her mother mysteriously disappears. To unlock the secrets of her past and find her mother, Clary must assist the Shadowhunters Jace, Alec, and Isabelle to locate an important magical tool, the Mortal Cup, and keep it from the clutches of an evil Shadowhunter.

Oh. My. God. That is only way to describe this book. It was amazing! I'm generally not a big fan of fantasy, but I absolutely loved City of Bones. Cassandra Clare does an excellent job of creating this alternate universe that co-exists with ours, one that humans are not aware of. The book had thrills, drama, humor, romance, and twists and turns that kept you flipping the pages until the end. I practically had to pry myself away from it so I could finish my homework. Everything is told in great detail, and I felt like I was experiencing everything along with the characters. The characters, by the way, were awesome. Everyone had a unique personality and a real in-depth-ness to them. Even the shallow characters weren't that shallow. Clary is the ultimate heroine, plus she has red hair like me, which makes me love her even more. I claim Jace, the hot and sexy demon hunter, as my new boyfriend and Simon made me laugh almost every other page. The only thing stopping this book from being a 10 is the big twist at the end. Those who've read this book know what I mean. I wasn't too happy about it, but I have to admit, it made the book more interesting. I can't wait to see what Cassandra Clare has in store for us in City of Ashes.

9.5 out of 10.