A review by artemishi
52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Characters: 6, Lexi and her father are more developed as characters than Luke and just about everyone else in the story. But I wouldn't call them complex, realistic, or really well-developed. The secondary characters range from Plot Device to One Trait Personality. Of course, this is a contemporary, fluffy YA novel so I didn't really expect them to be. 

Atmosphere: 7, maybe it's because I actually lived in LA for a time, but I had no problem picturing everything from the mansions with a gated entrance and manicured grounds to the cracked-window graffitied Inglewood apartment to the Filiberto's-esque fast food joint. There was definitely humor with the fish-out-of-water scenes, and even though I pretty much hated shrieky, spoiled toddler-attitude Lexi at the start (as the reader is meant to), that humor kept me immersed in the story until I could genuinely care about her enough to want to keep reading. 

Writing: 7, the writing style was fun, the pacing was good, and it was the kind of fluff it purported to be, which I appreciate. There were a couple of scenes that pulled my nitpicky brain out (like Luke putting a hand on Lexi's shoulder while also having an empty champagne glass in one hand a plate in the other so I guess he has three hands?). But for the most part, it flowed smoothly and was contemporary without the character dialogue being unrealistically snappy. 

Plot: 8, the pacing was good and the plot was nice in that the primary focus was Lexi's journey (the romance was a B plot, which I prefer). There weren't any big twists, but it was definitely a YA take on women's fiction, with a growth-and-family tale. 

Intrigue: 7, I was stuck at home with a very sick dog and needed a total mental distraction, so it's tough to say how much of this keeping my attention was the book and how much was my running away from stress. That said, I did tend to read large chunks of it in each sitting, and I couldn't have done that without being at least a bit invested. 

Logic: 7, the world building was pretty clear and based on our pop culture understanding of the very wealthy. Each character acted in accordance with their motive, even when we the audience couldn't fully understand said motive except in hindsight. 

Enjoyment: 8, all in all I did enjoy it and enjoyed it pretty consistently. It didn't blow me away, but I'd likely read another fluffy YA by this author.