skip navigation links

Readers > Talk it Up! > Discussion guides > The Higher Power of Lucky

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Summary

Fifteen-year old Clary likes her life in New York City, hanging with her best friend, Simon, creating art and hanging out at dance clubs listening to the latest music. When she sees three teenagers attacking what appears to be an innocent boy, she is shocked to hear them call the boy a demon and see him disappear into thin air when he’s killed. She soon discovers that the teenagers are part of a group of guardians who call themselves Shadowhunters, created to protect people from demons and other creatures who prey upon humans. No one can figure out why Clary can see them when they are supposed to be invisible when they fight, but after Clary is attacked by a demon and her mother disappears, she discovers that her memory has been tampered with and that she is connected to the Shadowhunters and their mission.

Booktalk

When Clary spotted the hot, blue-haired punk guy at the club, she could hardly take her eyes off him. So she was watching him when he made eye-contact with the gorgeous girl in the white dress. She was watching him when the two would-be lovers slipped into a private room to hook up. AND she was watching when the other two teens followed them silently into the room, too. She worried that maybe there is going to be a lover’s quarrel, or that someone is going to get beat down, but when she opens the door, she is shocked to see the blue-haired guy being beaten and stabbed by the other three…and even more shocked to see him bleed black blood and disappear into thin air when he’s killed. The attackers tell her a crazy story about how they are warriors called Shadowhunters, who protect humans from demons like the blue-haired boy, but Clary decides they are crazy and gets away from them, convincing herself she was mistaken about what she saw. But less than a day later her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. With help from the Shadowhunters and her human best friend, she discovers that there is another world out there, one with demons and vampires and powers she didn’t know existed, one filled with lies and deceptions and truths her mother never told her. A world in which she belongs.

134 pages, 4 grade and up

Discussion questions

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Clary’s mother made the decision to keep Clary away from the world of the Shadowhunters. Do you agree with the decision? Why or why not?
  2. Many of the characters are shown to have strengths and weaknesses. Which character is your favorite? What characteristics do you like about them? What don’t you like?
  3. If you’ve read fantasy books before, you might recognize familiar characters, such as demons, wizards, and vampires. Were there any new characters or themes that made this book different from other fantasy novels you’ve read? If so, what were they? If not, would that make you more likely or less likely to recommend it to another fantasy reader, and why?
  4. This book is the first in a trilogy. What characters would you like to see more of in Book 2? What storylines do you think will be explored in the following books?
  5. Clary discovers she has a brother and a father, but she also has people in her life that already fill those roles for her. Discuss the differences between family relationships through blood and through choice.

If you liked this book, try

Created in part with funds granted by the Oregon State Library under the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library. Send feedback to Katie O'Dell, Reading Promotions Coordinator