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Novel Study Focus Assignment [|City of Bones Glogster]

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.

Read so far: chapters 1-4

Why did you select this novel? I choose this novel because I had not yet read it and it received some very good reviews. I also read it because my brother has it already. If we were allowed to read any books, then I would have read Ender's Game or Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card.

What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why? The setting of the novel is in New York City, but it could have been anywhere because the setting hasn't influenced the events at all yet. I think that he setting may be important later on in the novel (or series), but for the foreseeable future, I don't think that it will influence the events of the story

What's going on as the story begins? As the story begins, Clary is at a club called Pandemonium, with her friend Simon. Also she is fighting with her Mom about going on vacation. This makes her leave to a coffee shop with Simon. While in the coffee shop, she gets a creepy call from her mother telling her not to come home. So, of course she does, but when she gets there, her mother is gone, and she is attacked by a demon.

What is the initial or first problem faced by the main character? The very first problem faced by the main character, Clary, is that she can suddenly see what nobody else can see. What she sees is three people about to kill another human (that's what she thinks). Actually, the killers are a group of people called shadowhunters that rid the earth of demons. They turn out to be the other main characters of this novel.

What has happened so far: Clary went to a club, and she witnessed a murder of a demon by a strange group of people. She went to a coffee shop, after storming out on her mother, then she got a creepy call from her mother, telling her not to come home, she came home and was promptly attacked and poisoned by a different demon. The main shadowhunter, Jace, brought her to the shadowhunter's facility, also called the institute.

10/10

Journal Entry 2 Read so far: chapters 6-9

What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses? As ﻿the novel progresses, Clary learns that her mother is being held by a Shadowhunter gone-bad named Valentine. Clary also learns that he wants the Mortal Cup, an item that can create Shadowhunters out of real people. Clary believes that she can trade the Mortal Cup for her mother.

Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose? A new character that is introduced is Madame Dorothy. Her purpose is to show Jace and Clary her Portal, which Clary leaps through. She ends up at her mother's friend's house, Luke, and they meet Simon there. Clary, Jace, and Simon break into the house to see if Luke is there. They hear him come back with two other people, so they spy on the other people who turn out to be warlocks. Also they killed Jace's father, and want to know where the Mortal Cup is.

What plot twists or unexpected events happen as the novel goes on?  As the novel progresses, Clary learns that her mother was a Shadowhunter, and in Valentines group, The Circle. She also learns that her mother put a block on her mind, so that she couldn't see demons.

How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest? Cassandra Clare gets the reader to hold interest by using exciting plot twists and cliffhangers that make you really want to read on. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books, even though I've only read half of it. PLEASE READ THE CRITERIA FOR THE JOURNAL ENTRIES. 7/10

Journal Entry #3 Read so far: chapters 10-14

Plot outline

Chapter 10 Clary went to the Silent brothers, a group of powerful monks, to look at her memories. They wanted to look at her memories because they thought that there would be a clue to Valentine in her mind. Instead they found that her mind had a block put on it by a warlock called Magnus Bane.

Chapter 11 Not much in the way of action happened in this chapter, except that the shadowhunters found an invitation to a party at Magnus's house.

Chapter 12 They went to the party and found that Magnus had put a block on Clary's mind to prevent her from seeing downworlders. They also found out that it was Clary's mom who wanted the block put on Clary's mind. Also, Simon came along, but at the party, he drank a potion that turned him into a mouse, and he was taken by a vampire who thought that the mouse was his friend.

Chapter 13 In this chapter, Clary and Jace went to rescue Simon from the vampires.

Chapter 14 When Clary and Jace got into the house, they asked for Simon back, but just then, a pack of werewolves burst in and started fighting the vampires. In all the hubbub, Simon escaped and ran to Clary, and they managed to escape back to the Institute.

To what age group is the novel aimed? Support your answer with evidence. I think that the novel is aimed at teenagers, because the main characters are teenagers. Also the language is too hard too follow for anyone younger that 11, and the book is about demons, so it is too childish for adults.

Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown? I think that the emerging theme is the struggle in one's being as they try to cope with many new things happening to them at once. I don't think that it is shown very clearly, but no books do that.

Comment on the style of the novel. Is it easy or hard to follow the events? The style of writing makes events easy to follow, but still hasn't revealed anything completely yet, which I think is very well done.

Journal Entry #4 Read so far: Chapter 15- Chapter 20

Chapter 15 The shadowhunters went back to the Institute and got scolded by Hodge. They healed and talked for a while, and not much happened.

Chapter 16 In this chapter, Clary discovers how to bring objects out of paintings, and she goes to show Jace.

Chapter 17 After Clary shows Jace how to bring objects out of pictures, he leads her to the roof and after talking for awhile they kiss. Then Simon gets mad at Clary for kissing Jace, and Clary feels bad about it.

Chapter 18 Clary finds where the Mortal Cup is, and they go to look for it at her apartment. When they get there, they get the Cup from a painting.

Chapter 19 No sooner that this happened, then a Greater Demon (more powerful than a regular demon) came through the Portal In the room. They started to battle the Greater Demon, But they were losing pretty badly, until Simon came in and shot the skylight. This exposed the demon to sunlight, which sent it back to wherever it came from.

Chapter 20 When they get back to the Institute, they show the cup to Hodge, who promptly steals it and gives it to Valentine. Then he releases Hodge from his curse (the reason that Hodge gave the Cup to Valentine) and leaves.

What is the climax of the novel?

I believe that the climax of the novel occurs when the shadowhunters rescue the Mortal Cup, and they have to battle the Greater Demon. After they rescue the Cup, Valentine steals it, and they must go after him. After they obtain the Cup, I believe, everything in the story changes.

Is the novel believable? The novel is definetly not believable, because it is centered around some people who fight demons. Also there is magic, vampires, werewolves, and monks that can read minds, all of which doesn't exist (I think).

How are the major and minor conflicts solved? The minor conflicts are solved simply, like by saying "I'm sorry", but most of the major conflicts are resolved by fighting it out.

Journal Entry #5 Read so far Chapters 21-23

Chapter 21 Luke tells Clary about the Circle, and how he is a werewolf, which is the reason he was cast out of the Circle. He also tells her about how the Circle attacked the Clave (the Shadowhunter organization) and lost. Because of this, Valentine went into hiding, but they all believed that he was killed in a fire. She also learns that her father is Valentine.

Chapter 22 In this chapter, they go to what they believe is Valentine's base of operation, and they find that he is there, but with an army of giant monster. Luke brings his werewolf pack, and they battle the army while Clary and Luke slip inside. Inside, they find Clary's mother in a coma, and Clary freaks out, because she thinks that Valentine did this to her mother. While they are in the room with Clary's mom, two guys come in. They are the same people that were at Luke's house when Clary was spying on them. They also killed Jace's father. As Luke battles them, Clary escapes into the hallway, and finds Jace. he takes her to see Valentine.

Chapter 23 At the start of this chapter, it seems that Jace is on Valentines side, but they talk for a little while, and then Valentine asks Jace to follow him through a Portal, but Jace refuses, showing that he is still good. Valentine escapes through the Portal, then smashes it, so that nobody can follow him.

Is the novel believable? I think that the novel isn't meant to be believable, but it has believable elements to it, like all of the love drama between Clary, Simon, and Jace.

Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend? I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes fantasy novels, because it is a good read. I think that it is a good novel because it has many different parts that tie in together well. I think that this novel is well written and fun to read.

What were the major things that helped to resolve the plot? The major things that helped to resolve the plot were that nearly everyone betrayed Valentine so that he didn't have any support. Also Valentine didn't build a very good army, they were propmtly taken apart by the werewolves. Other than that, the plot is very resolved, because they haven't captured valentine yet.