Review : 52 Reasons To Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : 52 Reasons To Hate My Father
Author : Jessica Brody
Publisher : Farrar, Strous & Giroux
Publication Date : July 3rd 2012
Goodreads - The Book Depository

Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him.


Personal Thoughts

I wasn't really planning on reading this book, but I ended up picking it up once I watched the book trailer. The trailer screamed fun, so I knew I had to give it a shot. It was a great read, albeit, very light and fluffy, perfect for a day at the beach.

Lexington Larrabee has always been given everything on a silver platter. Pretty much a spoiled brat, life's all about partying, shopping and dating for. When Lexi crashes her new $500 000 car into a convenience store, Lexi's dad decides that enough is enough. Until she completes 52 different jobs under the supervision of Luke, the new intern at Lexi's father's company, she's cut off from her $25 million trust fund.

As soon as I met Lexi, I knew that she wasn't a character that I would instantly love. She was, in a few words, a spoiled brat. For most of the first part of the story, she acted ungrateful. If she didn't get what she wanted, she threw a temper tantrum. Plus, she expected everyone to fulfill all her wishes. I was actually pretty glad that her dad decided to punish her in a pretty epic way. However, as the story progressed, it became much easier to probe into Lexi's mind. Although she acted like everyone should fall to her feet, she was only a girl who wanted some attention and love from her father who was always busy. She needed to feel loved. Around then, I started to feel sympathetic towards her. Over the course of the story, Lexi really grew as a person. The jobs that her father had selected for her helped her see what life is like beyond her perfect bubble of wealth. Through these tasks, she also got to become a better person. Luke, the love interest, was a cute character. He was fun to read about, but I thought that he wasn't very well-fleshed out. The same goes for Lexi's dad. The reader doesn't get to know a lot about him until the final chapter, so in a way, I thought he lacked depth. Nevertheless, the characters were an enjoyable bunch.

As far as the plot went, I expected it to be a little more focused on the 52 jobs. Instead, the author just brushed over it and as a reader, I never got to feel the impact that these jobs had on Lexi. I realize that detailing 52 jobs in a book isn't something feasible, but I would have been happy with 2 or 3 thoroughly detailed experiences. Regardless of my complaint, I found myself truly enjoying the book since it could be humorous and very funny at times. In my opinion, 52 Reasons To Hate My Father is a book that is perfect for a light summer read. I appreciated the fact that the romance was a slow developing one. It was totally adorable and I adored the banter between Lexi and Luke. Jessica Brody is a fabulous writer. Her writing flows nicely and she has a way of maintaining the reader's attention.

Overall, if you're looking for a fun summer read, then this book is perfect for you. With it's cute romance, funny characters and entertaining plot line, 52 Reasons To Hate My Father, is a book contemporary lovers shouldn't miss out!

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 4/5