{Review}: Halflings by Heather Burch

Title: Halflings
Author: Heather Burch Website | Twitter
Stand Alone or Series: (Halflings, #1)
Genre: YA Fiction/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Zonderkidz (January, 2012)
Hardcover: 287 pages
ISBN: 9780310728184
Source: *NetGalley
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.
A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

My Review

First Impressions: Talk about an action packed start. In the first pages Nikki is chased by hell hounds.


Plot & Characters: Not one, not two but three supernatural mysterious guys. Mace, Raven, and Vine are trying to find out what it is about Nikki that causes the forces of darkness to want her dead. I enjoyed the love triangle, the strong female character and learning about the history and role of Halflings. The mysterious villain is someone I wish to learn more about in the next installment of this series.


There are many parts where you can predict what will happen next and wonder why it is taking the character so long to figure things out. There are other parts where you are left wondering and trying to figure out what is going on. The writing is good but I just don't feel that Halflings offers anything different from the rest of the YA angel paranormal romance novels that are out there. I enjoyed it and will read the next one mostly because I want to find out more about the villain.


Final Thoughts: If you are a hard core YA paranormal romance reader that cannot get enough  love triangles, mysterious bad boys, "I love you but It's better if we are not together" conflict and demon fighting angels then you will enjoy Halflings.


Buy, Borrow or Skip: Borrow for now, I really have to see where this story is going. The first book was good but nothing stood out.


My Rating:

Book Trailer: 


*Thanks Zondervan and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read Halflings prior to its release in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Review}: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand Website | Twitter
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher (Jan 17, 2012)
Hardcover: 416 pages
ISBN:  9780061996184 
Source: NetGalley*
Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook

Description from GoodReads:
For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

My Review

First Impression: I absolutely loved Unearthly by Cynthia Hand so I was just dying to read the second in this series. I love that it begins where the other left of.


Plot & Characters: We get more of our favorite characters. We get to know Christian a lot more and of course we get more Tucker. In Hallowed, Clara not only has problems with deciding which boy she likes the most but also trying to predict what loved one is going to die and of course deal with a certain Black Wing. Can her life get anymore complicated. The plot and characters where phenomenal. I loved every minute of this book. Make sure you have tissue prepared because this book made me cry.


Final Thoughts: Everything I expected. I loved the plot and that we learned more about Christian. Recommended to those who enjoy a healthy love triangle and a great angel story.


My Rating:
                  




Book Trailer:

{Review: ARC The Last Archangel by Michael D. Young

Title: The Last Archangel
Author: Michael D. Young
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Bonneville Books (July, 2011)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN: 9781599558943
Source: NetGalley
Available on: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository

My Rating: 3/5

Description from GoodReads:
Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.

My Review:


The Last Archangel follows Xandir a rebel angel and Eden a women having marital problems. Their stories come together briefly a throughout the book.

Let's begin with Eden's story. Her husband  becomes angry and aggressive out of no where. Then just disappears with the only explanation that he found another woman. Eden gets her friend Judy to help her find her husband. On her journey she encounters demons, other scary things, and learns things about herself.

Now for Xandir, his job is distribute mercy and justice as a punishment for something he did in the past. Then for some unexplained reason he is reassigned to be Eden's guardian angel. Then he decides to work for a Giant and steal a seed from a tree in the island of Atlantis to save the woman he believed dead.

There were a few times when I wanted additional information. Examples: Why is Xandir reassigned? They tell Xandir that he must protect Eden at all costs and he just leaves. Shouldn't he get into a little bit of trouble?

I liked how Michael D. Young's writing takes the reader into a behind the scenes on the life of angels and how some are punished for their sins. I enjoyed the mythology and the subject matter.

I would have liked a little more on Xandir love story. I would have liked to understand why he was so willing to give up everything for her. This book was a little hard for me to get through. I was not able to get into the story and care for the characters. I am not saying that the book was bad it was just not for me. I need  more romance and better character development.

I recommend this book to those who would like to learn more about angels, an adventure to Atlantis and few demonic battles. If you are looking for romance then this is not the book for you. It does contain an angel risking everything for the woman he loves but it is more about his adventure not about how they love each other.

{Review}: Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Title: Guardian of the Gate (Prophecy of the Sisters, #2)
Author: Michelle Zink
Genre: YA Fiction

Publisher: Little Brown  (August, 2010) 

Hardcover: 352 pages

ISBN: 9780316034470

Source: Borrowed from Library

Available on: Amazon

My Rating: 4/5

Description on GoodReads:

The ultimate battle between sisters is nearing, and its outcome could have catastrophic consequences. As sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy, her twin sister Alice hones the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants: There's also Lia's boyfriend James.
Lia and Alice always knew the Prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do. In the end, only one sister will be left standing.

My Review: 
Here is my attempt to review this book without spoilers about Prophecy of the Sisters. 
    I am glad I decided to give this series a chance. After finishing Prophecy of the Sisters I was a little discouraged because it didn't meet my expectations. This book turned it all around. It left me waiting anxiously for the next in the series. 
   Guardian of the Gate is about Lia making choices and playing her part in the prophecy. She goes to London to prepare for her battle with twin sister. It contains many things that I expected to be in the first book. It has adventure, she goes on a journey to find the missing pages of the prophecy. It also has wonderful creatures that made her world even more fascinating. We meet interesting new characters that give the story new twists. The best part, at least for me, is the romance. In Prophecy of the Sisters she has a relationship with James that is hurt by her role in the prophecy and her inability to tell him the truth. In this book we finally get romance. I won't say more because I don't want to ruin it for you.
   Now I just have to wait for Circle of Fire, which comes out August 2011, to see how this ends.

{Review}: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Title: Prophecy of the Sisters

Author: Michelle Zink

Genre: YA Fiction

Publisher: Little Brown  (August, 2009) 

Hardcover: 352 pages

ISBN: 9780316027427

Source: Borrowed from Library

Available on: Amazon

My Rating: 3.5/5

Description on GoodReads:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-
One good...
One evil...
Who will prevail?
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. 
Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.
They just know they can't trust each other.

My Review: 

Have you ever read a book and enjoyed it but it just didn't meet your expectations. This is one of those books. I enjoyed it but I was just expecting more. More action, more romance, more. 


I liked reading about the sisters and the roles that they have to play in the prophecy. It's great that we get the story from one of the sister because even after reading about all the horrible things the other does we can't help but still like her because her sister does. I am sorry if it sounds a little cryptic but I don't want to reveal which sister is good and which is bad. 


The story has a lot of potential. It is part of a series and I am hoping that the next installment in this series will reveal more and hopefully a good fight between the sisters.  

{Review} Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: HarperTeen (Jan 2011)
Hardcover: 435pg
ISBN: 9780061996160
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Available on: Amazon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

"In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has apurpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart."

Review:

I admit that the reason I grabbed this book was the amazing cover. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but I have done some of my best book discoveries this way. Then when I read that it was about angels I just had to buy it. What can I say, I love my fallen angels and this book delivered.

Let, me begin by telling you what I liked about this book.

• The girl is the angel not the guy 
• I love Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Fallen by Lauren Kate but enjoyed the girl being the heavenly creature and she being the one that takes him flying
• Clara's friend Wendy is wonderful, the gift she gives Clara for her birthday is amazing :)
• The relationship she develops with her love interest (I won't tell you who it is so that you can enjoy) is a healthy relationship
• She get's to know him, goes on dates, and become friends before she realizes that she is in love
• I am tired of books where the characters fall in love at first sight and then 70 pages later are willing to sacrifice the world for them without getting to know them.
• She is a 17 yrs old, and acts like it. She doesn't want to spend an eternity with the first guy she meets. She has the right to change her mind.
• The last 100 pages or so are amazing, I could not put the book down. 
• I was holding my breath for some of it, I couldn't believe what was happening
• Cynthia Hand has an interesting view on angels and their world and writes a book that takes you in 

Now for what I didn't like:

• The character of Angela
• I understand that she needed a friend that understood her angelic side but I don't see how she contributed to the story. Maybe, she will be more important in the next book.
• Apparently everyone and their neighbors are angels
• I liked the twists in the story but it just seemed a little strange how they are everywhere and humans don't know of their existence. Even when they fly during the day.
• The character of Christian was a little flat for my taste.
• We don't really know much about him other than he wants to study business and likes to ski and then the reason of why he is standing in the forest while there's a forest fire. Hopefully, the next book tells us more about him since he is a main character.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you are like me and want another angel YA novel to fall in love with then pick this one up.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (1): City of Fallen Angels

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly even hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we are eagerly anticipating. 

I can't wait for...

City of Fallen Angels ( The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare

Hardcover: 432 pages

 Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (April 5, 2011)

ISBN:978144240354

Pre-Order: Amazon

Description from GoodReads:

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments. 
“City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”

I know April 5th is almost here but I can't wait to return to the world of The Mortal Instruments and learn more about Jace, Clary, Simon and Magnus.

Am I the only one???

{Review:} Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (August 2010)
Hardcover: 496 pages
ISBN: 9781416975861

Source: Library 
Available on: Amazon

Rating: 4 out of 5

Description on GoodReads:

"Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still. 
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. 
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. 
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

Review:

I don't know what to say about Clockwork Angel.

Let me start by saying that I love the Mortal Instrument series and that I was really looking forward to reading this book.

Overall, I liked the book and it was a good beginning to the Infernal devices series but I was left feeling a little empty.

Let me explain, I really like the characters, shape-shifting Tessa, sweet Jem, and bad boy Will. Yet, something was missing that didn't allow me to relate to them as I did with the Mortal Instrument characters.

Clockwork Angel just left me with too many unanswered questions I understand that, that is what the first of series is supposed to do, but I was just left confused. We still don't entirely understand what Tessa is, and what is troubling Will. Not to mention the strange relationship between Tessa and Will. I really hope the second gives us more answers and more romance.

One thing I did love was the appearance of Magnus Bane. I guess he really is old.

I can't wait to read the second book of this series, to get some answers!

View all my reviews

{Review} Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Angelology
Author: Danielle Trussoni
Genre: Literature & Fiction/ Mystery & Thriller
Publisher: Viking Adult (March 2010)
Hardcover: 464 pages
                                    ISBN: 9780670021475
                                    Source: Library Book
                                    Available on: Amazon
Rating: 4/5

Plot: 17/20
Setting: 18/20
Writing: 18/20
Characters: 15/20
Creativity: 18/20

Total: 86/20 = 4/5 stars

Description from GoodReads:

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now twenty-three‚ her discovery of a 1943 letter from philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late Mother Superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans‚ the Nephilim

Plot: Good: Danielle Trussoni creates a fabulous world where the Nephilim still exist and are evil, selfish, 7 foot beautiful creatures. Angelologist have come together to fight the control of the powerful Nephilim. The ancient battle between good and evil never ceases to exist. We meet Evangeline, a beautiful nun that works in the library of her convent and Verlaine, a young art historian and both have to dig into the past to unravel the mystery of certain correspondence between Abigail Rockefeller and a simple nun and why this information is worthy of killing for to the Grigori family.In their journey they discover that the powerful Grigori family and Evangeline share a past that might change the future of both humans and Nephilim. Bad: It took me about 100 pages to really get into the story. It would have also liked if it explained how study of Angelology began.

Setting: Good: The mountains of Bulgaria were a great setting for the Angelologist's discovery. The author does an incredible job in transporting the reader to it's locations.

Writing: Good: The way Trussoni describes how the Nephilim came to existence was captivating. Bad: The narrative voice was a bit dry. It was also strange how ancient Nephilim, nuns, Angelologist from different times and art historians all read the same.

Characters: Good: I enjoyed reading about Celestine, in my opinion the most developed character in the book. Bad: The main characters are undeveloped and flat.

Creativity: Good: The Nephilim are not a new concept but I found the part of their degenerative disorder refreshing.

Extras

Cover Art: A beautiful cover!
Action: As a thriller is has plenty of action.
Romance: It's there, not a major part but definitely there. I would have liked a romantic ending but it left me wanting to read the next installment.


Overall: This is a must read if you, like me love history, mysteries, theology, and fallen angels with a love story.

View all my reviews

{Review} Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Blue Bloods
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion (May 2006)
Paperback: 302 pages
                                                ISBN: 9781423101260
                                    Source: Library Book
                                    Available on: Amazon
Rating: 4/5

Plot: 17/20
Setting: 17/20
Writing:15/20
Characters: 15/20
Creativity: 17/20

Total: 81/20 = 4 out of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

"When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society. The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries.
But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think.
Could those vampire legends really be true? Steeped in vampire lore and set against the heady backdrop of the rich, young, and powerful in the heart of New York City, Blue Bloods will be devoured by Melissa de la Cruz's legion fans."

Plot: Good: This book has fallen angels, vampires and history. To me, this was like a red flag for an amazing book. Bad: Be prepared to get a little annoyed by the awkward pace of the story. In some chapters Melissa  will drag the story and focus on how the jeans look on Schuyler. On other chapters she will speed by and drop all the major twists.

Setting: I like how she incorporates 1620 America into the story. New York is also a great setting for the rest of the story. Where else would Blue Bloods live? :)

Writing: I don't like all the focus on brands and "Gossip Girlesque" style of the story. This wardrobe centric style of writing may work for some but not for me. I also didn't really like the fact that it is narrated by 3 different people, (Mimi, Bliss and Schuyler) but it was bearable.

Characters: I don't like Mimi at all and Bliss sounds so weak minded to me. The only one I kind of like is Schuyler but I need to learn more about her. So far, I am not in-love with any of the characters

Creativity: I like how this book brought together angels and vampires.

Extras

Cover Art: The cover leaves it clear that this book is about Vampires. I like the pearls on the bitten girl's neck she could be any of the blue blood children that attend Duschesne.

Romance: Jack and Schuyler have their moments. Just like any other YA fiction, they can't explain why they love each other they just do.

Overall: I recommend this book if you like reading books with the above mentioned elements (fallen angels, vampires, and history) and if you can read a few pages describing how amazing a pair of jeans look.

View all my reviews

{Review:} City of Ashes

Title: City of Ashes
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (March 2009)
ISBN:9781416972242
Source: Kindle E-book
Available on: Amazon

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Description on GoodReads:

"Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father. 
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?" 

Review:

We begin right were we left off. Clary is trying to adjust to the idea that her father is a monster, her mother is in a coma and she is a Nephilim that is in love with her long lost brother, Jace. Yep, pretty complicated life.

*Spoilers*

It is hard for Clary and Jace to act like siblings, when they are in love. To complicate things more Simon, Clary's best-friend gets turned into a Vampire. We also learn that Clary is able to create new more powerful runes and Jace is able to do incredible jumps. So now, Clary has to adjust to more changes, like having a Vampire ex-boyfriend/best-friend (Simon) and having to go to the City of Glass to find a powerful warlock to save her mother. I don't think that she will need to go to Club Pandemonium to get away from her simple life.

I was really hoping that Valentine was lying and Clary and Jace were not siblings. So far, they are still siblings but something tells me that in City of Glass things will clear up. If not, this is a very messed up series! It even makes me feel a little uncomfortable because I want them to be together.


View all my reviews

{Review:} City of Bones

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (March 2007)
Hardcover: 485 pages
ISBN: 1416914285
Source: Kindle Edition
Available on: Amazon





Rating: 5 out of 5

Description from GoodReads:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? 
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.... 
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Review:

Before I read a book I always check out reviews and I was really confuse about this book. Some people love it others completely hated it. I decided to go ahead and read it anyway. WOW, I was completely blown away. Not because the book is a literary work of art but because it has a twist in the story that I was not expecting.

*Spoilers*

This was very different from the books I have been reading lately. Most YA stories begin with a girl describing how her life is very normal or missing something and then she meets a mysterious guy that changes her world. Then they fall in love in the next 30 pages and they end up knowing that they will be soul mates.

This book began with Clary witnessing a murder, her mother disappearing and her realizing that her mother has lied to her about her origins. She does meet a handsome stranger but things are not what they seem. She is introduced to a world of demons, warlocks and vampires. (No, the main character is not a handsome vampire he is a demon killer). So far not that different from what you were expecting. Nothing really impressive, until almost towards the end when the author adds a twist that I was not expecting. The villain of the story turns out to be her father and, Jace, the shadowhunter Clary is falling in love with turns out to be her lost brother.

Yep, this is a very dysfunctional family. I just purchased the next book in the series and I am really hoping that he is not her brother.