The popular young adult fantasy novel, “City of Bones,” by Cassandra Clare is the first installment in the “Mortal Instruments” series.

The series revolves around a young girl named Clary, short for Clarissa, Fray. One night, Clary and her friend Simon are at a local teen club when Clary sees three teenagers kill another young man. When Clary alerts security guards to the situation, she discovers that she is the only one who can see the perpetrators.

So begins Clary’s foray into the world of the Shadowhunters, demon hunters who can only be seen by their own kind. The plot follows Clary as she discovers more about herself, her past and her hidden powers.

The story features a mixture of paranormal themes and characters while managing to stay away from the cliched plots of other young adult novels.

The plot is solid and interesting and eerily realistic for a paranormal fantasy novel. The multitude of characters is interesting but often feels underdeveloped. It takes readers a while to become invested in characters other than Clary because of the fast-paced nature of the novel.

This novel is recommended for older teens due to violence and other mature themes.

“City of Bones” has been made into a movie and is currently in post-production. The release date for the film has been set for Aug. 23 of this year.