Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

This book is an easy, good-enough read. However. This is the second time I've read this author, and both times I've had this sense that his stories have a lot of potential but feel underdeveloped, underwhelming.

I mean, the words are well-written. The story is interesting. But somewhere in between...something is missing. Like emotion. The characters feel distant, and frequently I am confused by their words/actions (which don't seem consistent with his earlier "caricaturizations").