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moonchild720's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so adorable. This is a great summer read. It’s easy and fun and I loved every minute of it. I kind of had a feeling at the beginning of what would happen, and I was right. In the end Lexi got the guy (the right one) and she got her father. She learned that there’s more to life than money, social status, and who she can boss around. So happy I picked this one up!
katieann01's review against another edition
5.0
This book was great! It really taught a really good life lesson. It taught me to think of others before me and realize that when I think my life is hard, someone else's is harder. Jessica Brody's book was amazing. I found it funny that one of the parts talked about the new Miley Cyrus movie. That seem's like such a long time ago!
krisis86's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of misleading - it's not actually about her 52 jobs, or even half of those. Not award winning literature by any means, but a fun, diverting read anyway.
angelcwrites's review against another edition
4.0
You can find this review and many more at Mermaid Vision Books!
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: If I had to narrow down my experience with this story to one word, it would definitely be "surprise." Jessica Brody's tale of a pampered, spoiled heiress may not sound like it has substance, but the layers of characterization, humour and just plain good writing made me believe in it from page one.
Surprise #1: Lexington Larrabee was a great character. While real-life people like her may be lambasted as much as they are adored in popular culture, I genuinely enjoyed Lexi's idiosyncrasies. I could relate to her frustrations, even if I've never worried about losing a multi-million dollar trust fund. It was obvious from the start that Lexi's self-esteem issues and attitude were the products of a not-so-healthy family life, and Brody handles each of these aspects with an understanding heart. There was a real optimistic teenage spirit to this story--you get the sense that Lexi's determination to get what she wants is also what's going to lead her to the right place. There's also a brilliant family dynamic that I won't discuss for fear of spoiling the plot, but suffice to say that this is a contemporary story that you could never have expected. And that leads us to...
Surprise #2: Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer hilarity of this book. Lexi is placed in awkward situation upon awkward situation, she deals with people who do jobs she never knew existed, she experiences the fallout of her own mistakes. All of these things are not only written well for the development of the story, but they are also really funny to read about. Brody has a way of finding the humour in any situation, and she plays it off Lexi's own honest lack of knowledge about the real world without being condescending. I loved knowing that readers from any part of the economic spectrum could find ways to relate to Lexi and her journey. Many of Lexi's experiences actually reminded me of my own, as I'd grown up with a nanny and housemaid who ensured that I didn't have to do chores. Remembering how I'd had to learn to do the laundry and clean the house properly made Lexi's experiences more real--and more funny--to me.
The Final Say: YA needs more genuinely funny and heartwarming stories like 52 Reasons. Take this one to the beach. And school. And L.A. And New York. Just take it and love it.
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: If I had to narrow down my experience with this story to one word, it would definitely be "surprise." Jessica Brody's tale of a pampered, spoiled heiress may not sound like it has substance, but the layers of characterization, humour and just plain good writing made me believe in it from page one.
Surprise #1: Lexington Larrabee was a great character. While real-life people like her may be lambasted as much as they are adored in popular culture, I genuinely enjoyed Lexi's idiosyncrasies. I could relate to her frustrations, even if I've never worried about losing a multi-million dollar trust fund. It was obvious from the start that Lexi's self-esteem issues and attitude were the products of a not-so-healthy family life, and Brody handles each of these aspects with an understanding heart. There was a real optimistic teenage spirit to this story--you get the sense that Lexi's determination to get what she wants is also what's going to lead her to the right place. There's also a brilliant family dynamic that I won't discuss for fear of spoiling the plot, but suffice to say that this is a contemporary story that you could never have expected. And that leads us to...
Surprise #2: Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer hilarity of this book. Lexi is placed in awkward situation upon awkward situation, she deals with people who do jobs she never knew existed, she experiences the fallout of her own mistakes. All of these things are not only written well for the development of the story, but they are also really funny to read about. Brody has a way of finding the humour in any situation, and she plays it off Lexi's own honest lack of knowledge about the real world without being condescending. I loved knowing that readers from any part of the economic spectrum could find ways to relate to Lexi and her journey. Many of Lexi's experiences actually reminded me of my own, as I'd grown up with a nanny and housemaid who ensured that I didn't have to do chores. Remembering how I'd had to learn to do the laundry and clean the house properly made Lexi's experiences more real--and more funny--to me.
The Final Say: YA needs more genuinely funny and heartwarming stories like 52 Reasons. Take this one to the beach. And school. And L.A. And New York. Just take it and love it.
andiabcs's review against another edition
3.0
As some of you know I have a hard time giving up on a book that I find annoying and that doesn't grab me. It takes a lot for me to not finish a book. Honestly I contemplated not continuing with this one after about 150 pages. But in my normal Andi way I powered through and although this wasn't the best book it became more enjoyable and not such a hardship to get through. Actually I found myself liking Lexi and enjoying her obvious growth. Because let's face it, Lexi was obnoxious and spoiled in the beginning so there wasn't much to like. She thought she deserved things instead of earning them and that isn't a quality I find attractive in people. Was her father mean to her? Absolutely. He treated her like a property and not his daughter. But I also got where he was coming from. He made his way up the corporate ladder while coming from nothing and he wanted his daughter to do the same to see what she was actually capable of. And the transformation of Lexi was amazing. Seeing her stop thinking of only herself and start thinking she was worthy of more was truly inspiring. Definitely glad I read it.
justenjoy's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun and easy read. You don't need to be super focused or trying to figure out how and what... this one was just a breeze. I liked how Lexi went from a shallow, selfish, childish, spoiled brat to someone who actually cares about people and don't think of themselves as 'better than anyone else'. I liked the side characters; however, I do wish that they would have had a bit more depth. Same goes for the romance. I know the main focus was on Lexi getting her life lesson, but with Luke in the picture, a bit of romance would have been nice! I can totally see how this would be as a movie though, and if one day this story makes it to the big screen: save me a ticket already.
sayitcharlie's review against another edition
5.0
"Sometimes it feels as though the whole world is waiting on the edge of their seat for my next screw-up." - Lexi
The very first Brody book I've read and I totally love it! I enjoyed Lexi's POV and I had a good laugh while reading it.
Lexi may be your spoiled rich kid, who gets what she wants and doesn't care about anything except fashion and glamour but she's a wounded kid underneath all that. I really thought I'd hate her whining and complaints but Brody did a great job in putting some depth in her tantrums. I can feel the bitterness underneath her complains about her father and instead of hating her, I actually sympathize her. I like how she took her job while pretending to be someone else. I found creativity and optimism in it with how determined she is to try to separate it from who she really is and not letting any of it break her spirit. The character development was also well paced and I love how Rolando and his family was a part of this change. Along the way, you just can't help but cheer for her and wanting her to finally succeed and prove herself.
I wish her other brothers were given some spotlight though, but then again, Lexi already said that she was not really close to them except Cooper. In other books, I would really, really feel stuffed when the book was filled about the protagonists POV and everything revolved around him/her. But there's something about the absences of some characters in this book that doesn't make me dislike it. I actually love how it focused on Lexi's gradual change without making it suffocating.
Brody did a very good job in this book that touched the sore subject of a rocky relationship between parents and their children. This is about love, loss, responsibility and the true meaning of family.
theretiredlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
A rich spoiled brat has to complete a series of low wage jobs in order to get her trust fund. Along the way, she learns important lessons about life, herself and her father. I really liked it. It was funny and sweet.