Caitlyn Baker, a student page with the County Libraries, recently enjoyed 52 Reasons to Hate my Father, a YA novel by Jessica Brody.

"Part coming-of-age novel, part romance, 52 Reasons to Hate my Father is a funny, sweet novel about Lexington Larrabee, the notorious daughter of famous businessman Richard Larrabee," explains Caitlyn. "Though Lexington has always had everything – money, cars, clothes, makeup, and opportunities that the middle-class only dream about – she’s never had her father’s love. Giving up childish dreams of fatherly love, she’s waiting for her eighteenth birthday and the twenty-five million dollar trust fund that comes with it. But when she crashes her brand-new, custom-made sports car into a convenience store after driving drunk, her father delivers an ultimatum: work a different minimum-wage job every week for a year, or forfeit her inheritance."

I think that anyone looking for an easy read with some romance and life-lessons thrown in should definitely pick this one up!

"This was a really good book," Caitlyn concludes. "Author Jessica Brody handles Lexington’s personality well. I might have been inclined to loathe Lexi, but Brody allowed me to see beyond the rebellious, devil-may-care attitude to get to the heart of her actions. I certainly didn’t agree with everything she did, or her reasons for doing them, but in the end she changed and grew so much as a person that it made all the bad parts worth it. Jessica Brody also keeps giggles coming as Lexi’s antics continue throughout the novel. Jessica Brody also tackled some of the real-life issues in America and around the world – the unseen separation of the classes, and the need to project perfection. Lexi gets a unique look at how the “other half” lives while she works in a taco house. Also, her family is a great example of people who may seem perfect on the outside, but are very different on the inside.I think that anyone looking for an easy read with some romance and life-lessons thrown in should definitely pick this one up!"

Reserve 52 Reasons to Hate my Father here from the library.