CITY OF BONES The Mortal Instruments, Book One

After witnessing three teens murder a vampire in a Manhattan nightclub and then returning home to find that her mother has been kidnapped by demons, Clary realizes her typical teenage life is over. As Clary discovers her magical background and becomes confident in her destiny as a Shadowhunter, narrator Ari Graynor often falls short of the mark in depicting her emotions. Voices for the other teens are not well defined. A minor character is the only one with a New York accent, and the growls employed for monsters are hard to take seriously--much like this urban fantasy itself, which does not translate well to audio. M.M.O. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]