Book Review: City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

city_of_bonesHave you seen “The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones?” Well, the movie is based on a saga of six books. These books and soon-to-be movies, are written by a famous author named Cassandra Clare. She has also another series called The Infernal Devices. They both are based in a world within our own. There are half human, half angel people named Shadow hunters, there are also Warlocks which are magical beings like wizards. They also have demons, vampires, werewolves, and a whole bunch of other creatures.

City Of Bones is about a young girl, Clarissa Fray, who collides into this other world. Clarissa, otherwise known as Clary, meets up with her friend Simon to go to a club named The Pandemonium Club, in New York, and she witnesses something no ordinary human would see. She saw three people- or she thinks are people- kill a boy or rather, a demon with strange weapons. She thought she was having a mental breakdown, because nobody else can see them. When she sees one of the three people, she questions why she can see him and nobody else can. He tells her that he is a shadow hunter: half human, half angel. He was made to get rid of the demons that are coming into  Earth. Clary goes home and her mother has disappeared and the house is destroyed. Clary has to team up with a group of shadow hunters to find and get her mother back at all costs.

This series is my personal favorite series. The characters are perfectly thought out, the scenes are amazing. This book is also great for guys, because it has a lot of action and it’s not about the love. My mother told me to read the books because she said I would like them. So I read them and I totally loved it! I told my friends about the books and they love it. My friend said that “The one thing I loved about the books is that you never really know what going to happen next, so you get pulled into the book and you feel what the characters feel during the time. I loved it and I couldn’t put the book down.”

The books are truly amazing and well thought out. I highly recommend this series!

-Meagan R., 8th grade

Transitioning from Young Adult Novels to the Classics

bookstack2The transition from young adult novels to classic novels can be difficult. I started reading classic novels when I was in eighth grade. However, I still read young adult novels. I love both genres!

The key to transitioning from reading young adult novels to reading classic novels lies in the plot. Many young adult novels are affiliated with the supernatural, be it vampires, werewolves, zombies, or magic. The common factor is an element of fantasy. Most teens dismiss classic literature as boring but what they might not know is that classic novels were catalysts for contemporary young adult novels. Examples include Dracula by, Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by, Mary Shelley. Dracula and Frankenstein are two of the oldest fantasy novels. Frankenstein is considered by some to be the first science-fiction novel and Dracula, of course, was the first novel to debut vampires. They are also two of the most famous classic novels– cult classics, even.

dracula_coverDracula was written in 1897 and Frankenstein was written in 1818. Dracula is the story of a vampire who moves from England to Romania. Jonathan Harker is in charge of Dracula’s move but after spending time in his castle, he starts to suspect that Dracula is a vampire. Once he comes to this realization, he also realizes that he’s trapped in the castle and barely escapes with his life. He makes his way back home but little does he know that Dracula is now terrorizing his fiancee Mina and her friend Lucy by drinking their blood. Lucy begins to become very sick and Mina calls Dr. Van Helsing for help and he realizes what is happening to her but does not reveal it. Mina then becomes sick herself and it is then when Van Helsing and others try and put a stop to Dracula and they follow him back to Transylvania for a final battle.

frankenstein_coverFrankenstein is the story of a mad scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a creature. Frankenstein is commonly mistaken as the monster when in fact, Frankenstein is the creator of the monster. Victor has been passionate about science since he was a child and gets the idea of reanimation from watching lighting strike a tree. He reanimates a creature with expectations of beauty and is disappointed with how the creature turns out and rejects him, so the creature flees. Victor sees his creature again framed for his brother’s death. The creature explains his innocence and says that if Victor would make him a female companion, he would leave him alone forever. Victor agrees and makes him a companion but kills her out of fear of them breeding and creating a race. The creature sees Victor kill his companion-to-be and the two fight for the last time.

While it is true that classic novels start off slow, it is worth it to read them until the end. It is easier to ease into classic literature with novels that include aspects of what you’re already used to reading. The familiarity is essential in transitioning!

-Sarah B., 12th grade