City of Bones

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
ISBN: 1416914285

Recommended for Grades 9-12
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Clary Fray just witnessed a murder. Even though she is in a club full of people, no one else saw the strangely tattooed murderers. Clary has to discover if she is going crazy or if something more sinister is going on.

Plot Summary:
When Clary Fray sees a trio of tattooed teens kill another boy, no one else believes her because no one else can see the murderers, and the victim disappears. Next her mother disappears after a monster attacks her apartment. She manages to kill the monster with the help of Jace, one of the tattooed teens. Before long she discovers that these teens are called Shadowhunters, a group of demon and monster hunters. Clary’s mother was one of these Shadowhunters and Clary needs their help to get her back. Clary must embrace her heritage and learn about the power she has inside of her. And the closer that she gets to Jace the more secrets she learns about her family's past and the true identity of the father she never knew.

Evaluation:
Clary struggles with discovering the truth about who her mother really is and learning who her father is. Jace’s adoptive brother Alec struggles with the internal conflict of his homosexuality and keeps it a secret from his family. Both serve as positive examples for teens facing their on conflicts.

Notes:
There are two other books in the “Mortal Instruments” series:
City of Ash
City of Glass

Twilight

Title: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
ISBN: 0316160172

Recommended for Grades 9-12
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Bella knows there is something strange about Edward. He is pale, his eyes change color, and oh yeah, he can stop a speeding car with one hand.

Plot Summary:
When Bella Swan moves from Phoenix to Forks, Washington, she does not hold out much hope for an exciting year. That is until she meets devastatingly handsome Edward Cullens. But he has been avoiding Bella like she is the most repulsive thing he has ever seen. That all changes the day Edward stops a van that is about to hit Bella with one hand.

Bella now unravels the truth about Edward and the rest of the Cullens family. They are vampires, though they choose to drink animal rather than human blood. Edward is extremely attracted to the smell of Bella's blood. Despite the danger to Bella's life, the two fall in love. But Edward finds himself battling his own kind as a coven of vampires move into Fork and set their sights on Bella as their next victim.

Evaluation:
Meyer takes the classic Romeo and Juliet-esque tale of star-crossed lovers and adds the fantastic vampire element. The fantasy element of vampires and the continuing question of Bella's future help keep young readers hooked.

Notes:
There are 3 other books in the Twilight series: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.

A 2008 film adaptation was released by Summit Entertainment.