This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com. 
 I was late the Mortal Instruments Loveathon, but I refuse to admit that this fact makes me any less a member. However, when I heard that there would be three more books in the series, my first reaction wasn't glee. When an author writes more than he or she initially intended, it invariably messes with the happy ending. Therefore, I was pleased when I read that CoFA was to be Simon's book. That was okay with me. It meant Jace and Clary could still have their HEA. Then I read Cassandra Clare's statement that CoFA wasn't Simon's book, it was all the characters', and I was once more pitched into happy ending-anxiety. CoFA (because I refuse to type the whole title over and over again), lived up to these fears. I don't mean that it wasn't good. I liked it. Some parts I really liked. Others...not so much. 
 By far, my favorite aspect of this book was the exploration of Simon, Isabelle, Maia and a new character named Kyle. Simon is believably in denial about the vampire he has become. His denial is aided by his ability to walk in the sunlight. So, while Simon can keep up the semblance of a "normal" life, it interferes with his ability to adjust to--and accept--the way his life has changed. Simon is floundering and his dual romances with Maia and Isabelle emphasize his paralyzation. He's completely incapable of making decisions. Speaking of the love triangle, it was clear to me where Simon's preferences truly lie, and the end of the book confirmed my hypothesis. 
 Isabelle--due to her relationship with Simon--is the other character we get to see more of in CoFA. She's definitely someone who needed more definition. While Clare made her likable and full of amusing idiosyncrasies in the first three books, she was definitely a side character. I think she's grown up a lot, and I think we know her better. By the end of the book, I liked her a lot more than Clary. 
 I can't say much about Kyle and Maia without being spoilerish, but we don't see much of the latter. Kyle is the more interesting character anyway, and I liked him a lot, and I really, really hope to see more of him. I like, too, that Simon has the opportunity to make a male friend. Or, to be more accurate, a friend who isn't Clary. Because that girl has few thoughts in her head besides Jace. Not that it would be awful to have Jace on your mind all the time. It just makes you a lousy best friend. 
 The plot was really more of an instrument to get the series started. It worked, and I think it mirrored the internal conflicts of both Simon and Jace in an effective way. Jace's scars are old, and deep, and it makes sense that being with Clary wouldn't not be enough to magically erase all of that. Simon's scars are newer, but run to a depth that is nigh equal to Jace's. The difference is in their circumstances. With Clary completely wrapped up in her new boyfriend and her mother's upcoming wedding, a mother he dares not reveal his secret to, and two girlfriends he's trying to keep in ignorance of each other, there really isn't anyone he can turn to. He also doesn't really know how to articulate his problem, or even have an idea of what he really needs. Jace, on the other hand, knows exactly what his problem is, and consciously refuses to address it. 
 In the first three books, I was all about Jace and Clary. In this book, I could have done without them. Clary has devolved into an ineffectual heroine, and I'm kind of over Jace. His philosophy seems to be "my life sucks and that gives me permission to block out the people that care about me and also, to act like a jackwagon." I kept picturing Clary spending the rest of her life reassuring Jace that she loved him, that he deserved to be loved, that he wasn't the evil monster Valentine tried to make him. I don't know if Clare's portrayal of Jace changed, or if it was a "this, again?" reaction to the same old Jace or maybe my opinion of him just changed. I don't know. What I do know is that I did not find Jace as appealing in this volume. I hate to say that I'm over him--but, honestly, the end of the book made me roll my eyes, groan and consider writing Clare, demanding to know why she felt it necessary to add to the fire of Jace's self-pity. 
 Simon, Kyle, Maia and Isabelle made this book worthwhile for me. I'm looking forward to seeing the next two books, but not for them alone. Clare is a great writer, and she often makes me laugh. Her dialog is witty and fun, but self-consciously so. And, who knows? Maybe Jace will turn the corner in book five and I'll go back to fantasizing him with his shirt off. C'mon guys. It'd be illegal if I said "nude." He's a minor.