City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray is a normal teenage girl. At least that's what she thinks until she witnesses a murder committed by three teenagers with strange tattoos all over their bodies. What's more, no one else can see them, only Clary. She soon learns that the murderers, Isabelle, Alec, and Jace, are Shadowhunters, warriors who rid the world of demons. Clary gets caught up in their world when her mother goes missing and her apartment is ransacked. She quickly learns that everything she thought she knew is not as it seems (literally and figuratively) and sets out to find out the truth about her father, her past, and the surprising love triangle she finds herself in.

I really, truly enjoyed this book, which, I have to admit, I didn't have very high expectations for. The plot was undoubtedly well thought out; everything just seemed to fit. There was a lot of back story, which is always a good thing. Also, there were quite a few twists that not even the best guesser could think of ahead of (we're talking real shockers here). The writing is snappy and clever and moves super fast (as my best friend says,"It was pretty witty!"). This book is an all-around must read.

Jace has got to be one of my favorite characters of all time. I always looked forward to his dialogue because it genuinely made me laugh out loud. His too-cool-for-you attitude was believable and admirable. Also, Clary wasn't the typical heroine that you read about these days. She doesn't have the standard look and she is pretty independent (and kick-ass if I do say so myself). I love that she doesn't fall over guys and have her life saved by them the whole book. Sure, there's romance, but in an unconventional way that doesn't overshadow the true story.

Cassandra Clare has outdone herself with this debut novel. This unforgettable book will undoubtedly go far-and so will she.