City of Bones

At the beginning of the summer, two things happened. A patron wanted a list of the Monarch Nominees for 2011 and asked if we had heard about the Bluestem Awards. Yes, we had the former, and no, we had not heard of the latter. I had just finished reading all of the Caudill Nominees, had already acquainted myself with the Monarchs and was now presented with a new list. I was stunned.

On the same day, a family came to the library - a mother and her three children. She needed something different for each, but wanted to find books to inspire all of them. The little girl and the tween boy were easy. The teen girl was not. You could comfort me and tell me that it wasn't my job to direct her in the right direction. I could just send her to Young Adult in the furthest corner away from Juvenile. I attempted to book talk several appropriate books that we have, but there is something alluring about a Y on the spine rather than a J.

I decided to make a new pamphlet. It's finished, but I haven't yet presented it to Katie. You won't find it at the library - yet. It contains the 2011 nominees for all of the Illinois young readers' awards. Yes, the Monarch, the Bluestem, the Caudill and the Abraham Lincoln all on one double-sided 11 x 14 sheet of paper. There is something on it for kids in Kindergarten through High School. I'd argue that there is plenty on there for the adults as well.

Then what always happens - happened. I became obsessed with a new list. The Abraham Lincoln Awards. 22 nominees every year for the teen set. Whew! Someone save me now! City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is the 2010 Winner of the Abraham Lincoln Awards. It is the first in a trilogy called The Mortal Instruments. Periodically, I will review a Young Adult novel from now on. My oldest is ten and I know fifth-graders who already, mistakenly, only shop in the Young Adult department. Some parents pay attention to what their children check out. Others don't. And sometimes a book jacket or review doesn't paint the entire picture.

The cover of this particular book is racy. It makes the Twilight series look tame. I bare-chested, male, teen, with this quote smack-dab in his middle: "Funny, dark, and sexy. One of my favorite books." - Holly Black of the Spiderwick Chronicles. And the day I checked it out, I started to look like a grown-up reader again.

I can start by saying there is no sex. There is mention of "sleeping together", but nothing beyond. I remember one cigarette. There is one incident of underage drinking. There were a few strong words, but not used blatantly. There are a couple of gay characters. The book, in this respect, is cleaner than public high school.

More parents will be most concerned with the demonology. The premise is that demons exist in many dimensions and that they can enter our world as well as others. The Angel Raziel descended from on high and mixed angel blood with human blood in a cup called the Mortal Cup. Whoever drinks of it becomes a Nephilim, a new class of warrior called the Shadowhunter. Their job is to kill the demons and protect humankind.

Most people cannot see this world of demons, Nephilim and Darkworlders because Glamour is used to conceal them. But Clary Fray has the sight and can see through the glam - all of a sudden. She is at a rave with a friend and sees a strange boy enter a storage room with a gorgeous girl. She follows as two boys enter the storage room as well. What she finds is unbelievable. Three exotic teens kill the strange boy in front of her and the strange boy disappears.

Now she has seen too much and she doesn't know why or how. When her mother is parentnapped, a plot begins to unfold concerning the return of a feared Shadowhunter - Valentine. He is after the Mortal Cup and he thinks that Clary's mother may have hidden it. The only way to find Clary's mother is to find the Cup, so Clary joins the young Shadowhunters on a ride of self-discovery.

I truly enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading the next volume. The characters were delightful. One complaint. I think the surprises were not very surprising. I remember being flabbergasted when Luke found out who his father was. I remember sitting agape when we learned of a twin sister who was strong in the force. I remember grinning ear to ear when Han told Leia he loved her and Leia said "I know." This book was too clear. Too much foreshadowing perhaps. I wasn't surprised and that is a disappointment.