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dtrumps's review against another edition
4.0
cute and lighthearted, despite the heavy issues touched on like death of a mother and the emotional withdrawl of a father.
spinitch127's review against another edition
awesome book this book is one of the books that I love
gabrielavmarques's review against another edition
4.0
If you're looking for a book that will make you go 'awnnnn' and spit water out of your nose laughing, this is it!
I had high expectations for this book, having read and really enjoyed The Karma Club and Jessica Brody didn't disappoint.
Lexi is simply the perfect YA contemporary heroine: clever, hilarious, witty, ironic and up to no good ;p
I had high expectations for this book, having read and really enjoyed The Karma Club and Jessica Brody didn't disappoint.
Lexi is simply the perfect YA contemporary heroine: clever, hilarious, witty, ironic and up to no good ;p
capesandcovers's review against another edition
4.0
I've wanted to read this for quite some time now, so when I finally got the chance to read it I was really excited. At first it didn't satisfy me, I had assumed that the protagonist would be someone a little more likeable than Lexi. I kept reading though, and pretty soon I couldn't put it down! I found Lexi to be emotionally relatable, which was unexpected. Through out the novel, you really get to see her grow as a person, and actually grow an attachment to her. My favorite characters were Cooper and Rolando.
NOTE: I wrote this review as a memory trigger for myself, but hopefully it can help someone else.
NOTE: I wrote this review as a memory trigger for myself, but hopefully it can help someone else.
remusreads's review against another edition
5.0
I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by this book - I had bought it a few years ago and it somehow ended up put at the back of my bookshelves which meant I couldn't see it, nor remember I had it! But I decided to go through my shelves recently and rid of any books that I'm no longer interested in and I stumbled upon this! This one made the "keep" list and went onto my "I'll read it eventually" pile, but it ended up being pushed forward after I re-read the premise and found myself intrigued... But I definitely didn't have high hopes at the time!
I truthfully thought that this book would be childish, irritating and very cliche - but it ended up being none of the above and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is, essentially, a story about a silly, spoiled girl getting her comeuppance and being taught the values of respect; and it is done in a way which is tactful, interesting and impressive.
Lexi is taught some very valuable lessons throughout the span of this book - from how to respect those that are working class (I also really loved the portrayal of the jobs that she had to do - never where they depicted in a demeaning or offensive way; she always saw the better of the jobs after getting used to them), to how to respect money.
The character development is a really strong element and something that I highly valued as watching Lexi turn from a spoiled brat to a mature adult was something I was impressed by because throughout the novel you could see the events slowly beginning to change her and make her into a better person. I personally favoured the contrasts between the start of the book to the end wherein she would say "I will never do that job!" To where she says "I want to do that job!" I feel like she gained a lot of personality and this added so much to the story as a whole. I started off not liking Lexi, which was the purpose, to being smitten with her character because of who she became and how far she had travelled to become her.
A lot also has to be said for her fathers character development - I entered the novel with a very negative picture painted of her father, but left with an illuminating image of a man who does truly care but has lost his way through grief. I found the family element to be a fantastic addition, also, and I truly loved the way it was played out and was woven carefully into the story as opposed to be spontaneously thrown in. I loved the family aspect wholeheartedly (even with her extended family of butlers and lawyers) and found it to be another factor which helped this story be thoroughly well rounded and interesting.
I found the friendships entangled within this novel to be one of my favourite aspects - her friendship with Rolando was a particular favourite and I really wish we could've seen more of Rolando throughout the span of the novel as I feel he was a really well written, pivotal character. And he was ridiculously sweet! He made my heart well and truly melt.
I also really liked the addition of the love interest - I am a sucker for hate progressing to love and this was written perfectly and executed brilliantly; and they were so utterly cute together! I feel that Luke added to the story in a really positive way without making himself be the reason that she turned herself and her actions around. Typically in YA fiction, the main character will turn themselves around in order to please their potential love interest but I can't say I really felt that happening much here - it was more focussed on her wanting to do it for herself, which was a really important factor that I really enjoyed. Whilst Luke was a main character, the story didn't shift to be about him and not every single problem was solved because of him. She found her own way in her life and Luke was just along for the journey, which is a unique factor that I am thankful for.
Overall this was a fun, easy, quick read with humour, drama, excitement and love packed throughout to make a fabulous combination which came together to craft a brilliant book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I think the author did an exceptional job of taking a simple plot and making it something rather brilliant! There is the right proportion of sadness to happiness with this one without it being too dramatic or too overbearing, and I think it makes for a perfect contemporary story.
There was very little I didn't enjoy about this book, and anything that might've irked me whilst reading hasn't stuck with me and so my rating for this is a firm five stars! What I expected to be a dud book turned out to be one of my favourites of the year so far, and I 100% recommend this to anyone who wishes to read a lighthearted, funny contemporary about a spoilt girl learning what it's really like to live in the "real world".
I truthfully thought that this book would be childish, irritating and very cliche - but it ended up being none of the above and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is, essentially, a story about a silly, spoiled girl getting her comeuppance and being taught the values of respect; and it is done in a way which is tactful, interesting and impressive.
Lexi is taught some very valuable lessons throughout the span of this book - from how to respect those that are working class (I also really loved the portrayal of the jobs that she had to do - never where they depicted in a demeaning or offensive way; she always saw the better of the jobs after getting used to them), to how to respect money.
The character development is a really strong element and something that I highly valued as watching Lexi turn from a spoiled brat to a mature adult was something I was impressed by because throughout the novel you could see the events slowly beginning to change her and make her into a better person. I personally favoured the contrasts between the start of the book to the end wherein she would say "I will never do that job!" To where she says "I want to do that job!" I feel like she gained a lot of personality and this added so much to the story as a whole. I started off not liking Lexi, which was the purpose, to being smitten with her character because of who she became and how far she had travelled to become her.
A lot also has to be said for her fathers character development - I entered the novel with a very negative picture painted of her father, but left with an illuminating image of a man who does truly care but has lost his way through grief. I found the family element to be a fantastic addition, also, and I truly loved the way it was played out and was woven carefully into the story as opposed to be spontaneously thrown in. I loved the family aspect wholeheartedly (even with her extended family of butlers and lawyers) and found it to be another factor which helped this story be thoroughly well rounded and interesting.
I found the friendships entangled within this novel to be one of my favourite aspects - her friendship with Rolando was a particular favourite and I really wish we could've seen more of Rolando throughout the span of the novel as I feel he was a really well written, pivotal character. And he was ridiculously sweet! He made my heart well and truly melt.
I also really liked the addition of the love interest - I am a sucker for hate progressing to love and this was written perfectly and executed brilliantly; and they were so utterly cute together! I feel that Luke added to the story in a really positive way without making himself be the reason that she turned herself and her actions around. Typically in YA fiction, the main character will turn themselves around in order to please their potential love interest but I can't say I really felt that happening much here - it was more focussed on her wanting to do it for herself, which was a really important factor that I really enjoyed. Whilst Luke was a main character, the story didn't shift to be about him and not every single problem was solved because of him. She found her own way in her life and Luke was just along for the journey, which is a unique factor that I am thankful for.
Overall this was a fun, easy, quick read with humour, drama, excitement and love packed throughout to make a fabulous combination which came together to craft a brilliant book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I think the author did an exceptional job of taking a simple plot and making it something rather brilliant! There is the right proportion of sadness to happiness with this one without it being too dramatic or too overbearing, and I think it makes for a perfect contemporary story.
There was very little I didn't enjoy about this book, and anything that might've irked me whilst reading hasn't stuck with me and so my rating for this is a firm five stars! What I expected to be a dud book turned out to be one of my favourites of the year so far, and I 100% recommend this to anyone who wishes to read a lighthearted, funny contemporary about a spoilt girl learning what it's really like to live in the "real world".
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED!!!
Lexington Larrabee is living life as a socialite; going to clubs, shopping, traveling, crashing expensive cars, drinking and causing scenes, planning vacations, and waiting on her $25 million trust fund to kick in. But her bad behavior may have just went too far. She's just landed in daddy's doghouse, and it's not a place you want to be. Now in order to get her trust fund and freedom from the Larrabee media empire, she's going to have to work 52 low paying jobs in 52 weeks or risk being completely cut off!!
If that's not bad enough, daddy's hired a brown nosing, intern, babysitter to keep tabs on her. So Lexi decides that she's got to suck it up and show everyone who expects her to fall on her face that she's more than just a pampered princess... but these jobs are hard for someone who hasn't worked a day in her life and wasn't planning to!!
My Thoughts:
I can't believe this is my first Jessica Brody book. Well I assure you it won't be my last! I flew through this book because it was so entertaining. Lexi isn't exactly a character that you fall in love with right away. She's sort of bratty and definitely spoiled.... but she has this really funny/snarky voice that even if you don't agree with what she's saying, it's like a friend is telling it to you. She's funny and like a fish out of water, but I couldn't help giving her credit for trying.
You find out pretty early on in the book that Lexi's relationship with her father is less than ideal. He's always sending his employees to stand in for him in important fatherly moments and when he is around it's usually a part of a publicity thing. They don't talk and never really have. That alone made me feel bad for Lexi and had me understanding exactly why she was the way she was. I actually expected someone raised in her situation to be worse. I could see a real person with real feelings inside of her bursting to get out and it made me sad for her.
I wasn't 100% sold on the romantic relationship just because I felt it was a little obvious from the get-go. (And I don't like guys with sticks up their you-know-whats even if they do change in the end.)
Overall: So cute, funny, witty, adorable!! A definite must-read for anyone who wants a break from the darker, emotional stuff that a lot of YA books are. It is a truly entertaining read and I totally recommend! And wouldn't this be the cutest movie?? It's like Billy Madison met Nicole Richie!
My Blog:
http://pinkpolkadotbookblog.blogspot.com
Lexington Larrabee is living life as a socialite; going to clubs, shopping, traveling, crashing expensive cars, drinking and causing scenes, planning vacations, and waiting on her $25 million trust fund to kick in. But her bad behavior may have just went too far. She's just landed in daddy's doghouse, and it's not a place you want to be. Now in order to get her trust fund and freedom from the Larrabee media empire, she's going to have to work 52 low paying jobs in 52 weeks or risk being completely cut off!!
If that's not bad enough, daddy's hired a brown nosing, intern, babysitter to keep tabs on her. So Lexi decides that she's got to suck it up and show everyone who expects her to fall on her face that she's more than just a pampered princess... but these jobs are hard for someone who hasn't worked a day in her life and wasn't planning to!!
My Thoughts:
I can't believe this is my first Jessica Brody book. Well I assure you it won't be my last! I flew through this book because it was so entertaining. Lexi isn't exactly a character that you fall in love with right away. She's sort of bratty and definitely spoiled.... but she has this really funny/snarky voice that even if you don't agree with what she's saying, it's like a friend is telling it to you. She's funny and like a fish out of water, but I couldn't help giving her credit for trying.
You find out pretty early on in the book that Lexi's relationship with her father is less than ideal. He's always sending his employees to stand in for him in important fatherly moments and when he is around it's usually a part of a publicity thing. They don't talk and never really have. That alone made me feel bad for Lexi and had me understanding exactly why she was the way she was. I actually expected someone raised in her situation to be worse. I could see a real person with real feelings inside of her bursting to get out and it made me sad for her.
I wasn't 100% sold on the romantic relationship just because I felt it was a little obvious from the get-go. (And I don't like guys with sticks up their you-know-whats even if they do change in the end.)
Overall: So cute, funny, witty, adorable!! A definite must-read for anyone who wants a break from the darker, emotional stuff that a lot of YA books are. It is a truly entertaining read and I totally recommend! And wouldn't this be the cutest movie?? It's like Billy Madison met Nicole Richie!
My Blog:
http://pinkpolkadotbookblog.blogspot.com
probablyytori's review against another edition
3.0
Check out my blog, YA Book Queens!
This was an impulse read for me. A very, very impulse read. Literally I was on my phone around 10 o'clock at night on YouTube when I came across the video trailer for this book. The minute it was over, I got the book and started reading it. I read until around 1 or 2 in the morning. That's how intriguing this book was. Don't be fooled by my three star rating. If you've read my reviews in the past, then you'd know that I rate books pretty harshly. Three stars just means that I liked it, but it wasn't a favorite. Most books I read are three stars or so.
Okay, so first off, I really enjoyed that this book was so entertaining. There really wasn't a dull moment in this book. Although the beginning was a bit slow, it was still interesting and wasn't boring. The beginning just took 1/4 or 1/5 of the book to really get into the plot, which was just fine. The other thing that I liked about 52 Reasons to Hate My Father was the romance. It wasn't overpowering, but it still there. I think it's important to have a bit of romance in a young adult book, because that's what interests young adults (love. Oh, the love. Prince Charming, where art thou?). Unless you're a guy. I know for a fact that most guys really don't care. But like I said, the romance in here was minimal, but it was present. I've found that this is the kind of romance that I like. I hate it when romance shadows the rest of the plot, and 52 Reasons to Hate My Father didn't do that, which I appreciated.
Although I liked Luke and Lex together, I thought that they needed to be a bit more fleshed out as a couple. They really didn't hang out all that much, and when they did, it was because Luke was forced to drive Lex around and babysit her. I think that they needed more heart-to-heart moments to sell me on the fact that they're in love with each other. I know I'm being a bit contradictory with this point because up above I said that I like minimal romance, but I also like when they have reasons to be in love (haha, not-so-funny joke: 52 Reasons to Be in Love. Yeah, I'm done).
I think the fact that this book was so entertaining had to do partly with Lex's inner monologue. She was hilarious, in my opinion. I read a few reviews where people didn't really like her because she was arrogant, but I think that they need to realize that she was basically raised by her brothers and/or her father's staff. People that were hired to take care of her. I think that if her dad had spent more time with her while she was growing up, then she wouldn't have been so...her. I thought that it was interesting to see the perspective of a supposed rich daddy's girl. I say supposed because I doubt that Brody is a real-life rich daddy's girl.
That's really all I have to say about this book. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I don't think I'll be rereading it anytime in the near future (too many other books that I need to knock off my TBR! And oh, god! Christmas! So many books!), but that's okay. There are a lot of books that I like that I probably won't be rereading for another twenty years or ever. I think that this was well worth the read, and it's an easy read at that. If you're looking for something to just sit down and plow right through with, then 52 Reasons to Hate My Father is definitely the book for you! Or if you're just looking for something to read next, this is a good option. It's fun-filled, and definitely something I'd recommend to my friends in real life.
It's Cinderella in reverse.
This fairy tale has officially become a horror story. Happily Ever After on a yacht in the Mediterranean has turned into Crappily Ever After in the dark dungeons of Brentwood. And the princess--who used to be so glamorous and beautiful and on the CIP list of every ball in town--has been handed a bucketful of cleaning supplies and poofed into a maid.
This was an impulse read for me. A very, very impulse read. Literally I was on my phone around 10 o'clock at night on YouTube when I came across the video trailer for this book. The minute it was over, I got the book and started reading it. I read until around 1 or 2 in the morning. That's how intriguing this book was. Don't be fooled by my three star rating. If you've read my reviews in the past, then you'd know that I rate books pretty harshly. Three stars just means that I liked it, but it wasn't a favorite. Most books I read are three stars or so.
Okay, so first off, I really enjoyed that this book was so entertaining. There really wasn't a dull moment in this book. Although the beginning was a bit slow, it was still interesting and wasn't boring. The beginning just took 1/4 or 1/5 of the book to really get into the plot, which was just fine. The other thing that I liked about 52 Reasons to Hate My Father was the romance. It wasn't overpowering, but it still there. I think it's important to have a bit of romance in a young adult book, because that's what interests young adults (love. Oh, the love. Prince Charming, where art thou?). Unless you're a guy. I know for a fact that most guys really don't care. But like I said, the romance in here was minimal, but it was present. I've found that this is the kind of romance that I like. I hate it when romance shadows the rest of the plot, and 52 Reasons to Hate My Father didn't do that, which I appreciated.
Although I liked Luke and Lex together, I thought that they needed to be a bit more fleshed out as a couple. They really didn't hang out all that much, and when they did, it was because Luke was forced to drive Lex around and babysit her. I think that they needed more heart-to-heart moments to sell me on the fact that they're in love with each other. I know I'm being a bit contradictory with this point because up above I said that I like minimal romance, but I also like when they have reasons to be in love (haha, not-so-funny joke: 52 Reasons to Be in Love. Yeah, I'm done).
I think the fact that this book was so entertaining had to do partly with Lex's inner monologue. She was hilarious, in my opinion. I read a few reviews where people didn't really like her because she was arrogant, but I think that they need to realize that she was basically raised by her brothers and/or her father's staff. People that were hired to take care of her. I think that if her dad had spent more time with her while she was growing up, then she wouldn't have been so...her. I thought that it was interesting to see the perspective of a supposed rich daddy's girl. I say supposed because I doubt that Brody is a real-life rich daddy's girl.
That's really all I have to say about this book. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I don't think I'll be rereading it anytime in the near future (too many other books that I need to knock off my TBR! And oh, god! Christmas! So many books!), but that's okay. There are a lot of books that I like that I probably won't be rereading for another twenty years or ever. I think that this was well worth the read, and it's an easy read at that. If you're looking for something to just sit down and plow right through with, then 52 Reasons to Hate My Father is definitely the book for you! Or if you're just looking for something to read next, this is a good option. It's fun-filled, and definitely something I'd recommend to my friends in real life.
It's Cinderella in reverse.
This fairy tale has officially become a horror story. Happily Ever After on a yacht in the Mediterranean has turned into Crappily Ever After in the dark dungeons of Brentwood. And the princess--who used to be so glamorous and beautiful and on the CIP list of every ball in town--has been handed a bucketful of cleaning supplies and poofed into a maid.
emjrasmussen's review against another edition
“My father is going to kill me.”
And thus begins 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, a hilarious comedy full of blunders, triumphs, and all different kinds of love.
Lexi quickly amends that statement, though, going on to say that he will actually send someone to do it for him and enumerating a few of the times he has hired surrogate parents to take his place. Brody wastes no time laying their relationship bare and develops it in depth throughout the course of the story. The father-daughter give and take portrayed in this book is common in YA novels about wealthy teenagers, but because this one makes up a main storyline rather than a subplot, it receives more elaboration. By giving it plenty of attention, Brody keeps Lexi’s relationship with her father from becoming a cliché. The author instead adds original details and gives the characters’ tense feelings a surprising backstory.
Lexi’s father becomes a major component in her characterization, as his strange punishment affects his daughter’s personality more than any normal discipline would. At the beginning, Lexi is as spoiled and apathetic as one would expect, but as she stumbles over menial work while readers look on laughing, she grows so much. Lexi learns from the jobs themselves, and her father also aids her progression by indicating that he does not believe in her but giving her a reason to prove him wrong.
The plot, while it could be noted solely for its hilarity and character development, also features a strong storyline about a secret the Larabee clan is hiding. As Lexi travels closer to the truth, her questions not only provide suspense, but illuminate her parent’s questionable actions. By discovering the pain of her father’s past, Lexi grows to understand his behavior toward her, which provides the final missing piece in their steadily improving relationship.
Sweet, funny, and unrealistically true, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father is a delightful book that will leave readers laughing, empathizing, and thinking about what it means to be family. Each scene shows forward movement in Lexi’s relationship with her father, making this book a memorable story about what people do for those they love. And in this case, that happens to involve a large amount of fast food tomato slicing.
This review originally appeared at www.litup-review.com.
And thus begins 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, a hilarious comedy full of blunders, triumphs, and all different kinds of love.
Lexi quickly amends that statement, though, going on to say that he will actually send someone to do it for him and enumerating a few of the times he has hired surrogate parents to take his place. Brody wastes no time laying their relationship bare and develops it in depth throughout the course of the story. The father-daughter give and take portrayed in this book is common in YA novels about wealthy teenagers, but because this one makes up a main storyline rather than a subplot, it receives more elaboration. By giving it plenty of attention, Brody keeps Lexi’s relationship with her father from becoming a cliché. The author instead adds original details and gives the characters’ tense feelings a surprising backstory.
Lexi’s father becomes a major component in her characterization, as his strange punishment affects his daughter’s personality more than any normal discipline would. At the beginning, Lexi is as spoiled and apathetic as one would expect, but as she stumbles over menial work while readers look on laughing, she grows so much. Lexi learns from the jobs themselves, and her father also aids her progression by indicating that he does not believe in her but giving her a reason to prove him wrong.
The plot, while it could be noted solely for its hilarity and character development, also features a strong storyline about a secret the Larabee clan is hiding. As Lexi travels closer to the truth, her questions not only provide suspense, but illuminate her parent’s questionable actions. By discovering the pain of her father’s past, Lexi grows to understand his behavior toward her, which provides the final missing piece in their steadily improving relationship.
Sweet, funny, and unrealistically true, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father is a delightful book that will leave readers laughing, empathizing, and thinking about what it means to be family. Each scene shows forward movement in Lexi’s relationship with her father, making this book a memorable story about what people do for those they love. And in this case, that happens to involve a large amount of fast food tomato slicing.
This review originally appeared at www.litup-review.com.