The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

A good friend of mine has been nagging me for quite some time now about reading Cassandra Clare’s ‘Mortal Instruments’ series. To my shame, I really had no intention of doing so, but my friend is nothing if not persistent. She came by, dumped ‘City of Bones’ in my lap… and I was hooked from the first couple of lines.
 

"This urban fantasy series opener spices its fight against evil with sexual tension. Fifteen-year-old geek hipster Clary thought she was just a normal kid, but normal kids don't see invisible people, and normal kids' mothers don't suddenly disappear, seemingly captured by horrific monsters. But like many fantasy heroines, Clary isn't normal, and she's got all the secret parentage, dramatic revelations, and amazing magic powers to prove it....The story's sensual flavor comes from the wealth of detail: demons with facial piercings, diners serving locusts and honey, pretty gay warlocks, and cameo appearances from other urban fantasies' characters....Lush and fun."

- Kirkus Reviews

It’s after dark in New York City, and Clary Fray is seeing things.  The best-looking guy in the nightclub has just stabbed a boy to death – but the victim has vanished into thin air.  Her mother has disappeared, and a hideous monster is lurking in her apartment.

With her life spiraling into darkness, Clary realizes that she has stumbled into an invisible war between ancient demonic forces and secretive Shadowhunters – a war in which she has a fateful role to play…

"Demons. Faeries. Vampires. Werewolves. And finally, to keep them all in line, Shadowhunters- the warrior-protectors of the citizens. But like the police of the mortal world, sometimes they abuse their authority. Sometimes they dole out more pain than protection. Welcome to the Shadow World, little Clary Fray. True, you're fifteen, and you're a New Yorker, so you automatically think you know everything."

- Haley Beedle from Goodreads

 

Overall, this is one, jam-packed book... It has everything... I do apologize to my friend for doubting her book selection... even after she made me read the terrible Twilight saga...