Sometimes? Often? Rarely?

As Simple as it Seems.  The title of this book made me ask the question, "How often are things as simple as they seem?"  I only gave this book 3 of 5 stars after I finished it, and I wonder if I should change it to 4.  I really did like this book.  The thing is, even though I love short books, I felt like this one was maybe a little too short?
Verbena learns a lot about herself during the summer before middle school.  She learns that she has been adopted, that she was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and that her birth father (her adoptive father's brother) is in prison for killing someone in a fight.
At the same time she is dealing with the regular growing pains, growing a part from friends, not being as "cool" or ready for boys as her best friend, and being embarrassed by her mother's appearance.  In Verbena's case her mom is very overweight.  It made me think that David Levithan would hate this girl's mother!
This really isn't a criticism of the book, it probably is a compliment, I would have liked to know more about Verbena.  She is an angry girl, but no more than any middle schooler, probably.  God knows what life is like being a middle schooler without all of the different complications that Verbena has.