Confessions of an Angry Girl

Where to even begin?
This story is about a bold and bright girl just trying to make it through school in one piece.

When it boils down to it, it's a story of a teenage girl who's life is more or less, great.
When I think of the "perfect family" I see her, her parents, and her brother in a family photo.
Then life kicks in and yanks the rug out from under her and sends her flying to her butt.
The world as she knows it comes to a stop when her father goes to war and is killed in Iraq.
Her brother leaves as soon as he can to go to college and her mother becomes a workaholic.
At 14, how else should anyone feel other than angry?

**Possible Spoiler**
I can't bring myself to have any bad thoughts for this girl nor can I bring myself to say anything negative about her. I'm shocked at all the negative reviews I see here.
she's 14/15 y'all. And she is alone. Her "supposed" best friend is stuck on herself, wanting to be such a "popular cheerleader" and lose her virginity to a douche-sleazeball!

And just out of the blue her brother calls "oh hey I'm not coming home, I'm going to my girlfriends."
Let me tell ya... Having a sibling and being close, having them drop that kind of bomb on you - is mind numbing. She took it better than me because I would have went crazy and cried my eyes out.

Every step this girl takes, it's like everyone is trying to knock her down. What did she even do to deserve all this?! Seriously!

I see a lot of comments saying shes over angst-y and whine-y.
Again, I say: she's 14, her father died, and everyone is pretty much dropping bombs on her left and right. At age 14 EVERYONE is full of angst. You surely ain't gonna be laid back, crapping rainbows and farting sunshine. (excuse my vulgar-ness there, but SHEESH!)

Wonderful taste in music here also. Just had to say that.

Rose Zarelli is a high school freshman, who in addition to dealing with the novelty of being part of high school, is also mourning her father who died three months ago. She has issues - who wouldn't - and that makes me blunt, teary and quite irate at most times. Her circle of friends no longer understand her or know how to deal with her, there is Jamie whom she likes but is not sure of what is going on with, and his cheer-witch girlfriend who is now out for her blood. All this at a time when most of her peers are obsessed about sex, partying and basically doing things that are incomprehensible to Rose.

Though 14 and unsure if she is ready for the pressures of high school, I felt Rose was quite mature beyond her years. Sure, she had never even kissed a boy before, but she already knew that she would want someone who would respect her. She isn't perfect, she speaks up at inappropriate times, says things that would make the other person uncomfortable and has sudden bouts of crying or rage - but that's what we all are, isn't it? Imperfect. I really felt connected to her - I even felt outrage on her behalf for her treatment by that biggest excuse of a friend, Tracy. She was selfish, snobby, and a grade A jerk who I wouldn't have forgiven in a million years - but Rose keeps trying to save her from herself. Rose's family is so dysfunctional they barely even seem around. Jamie is somewhat okay - I am not swooning over his name anytime soon but I would like to see how this thing plays out and why he feels unworthy of her. (I bet it's the brother) What I liked most was the snark with which Louise Rozett describes Rose, which immediately endears you to her. I think I was grinning continuously while reading this book, a half of which was during travelling when I am sure my fellow passengers were giving me weird looks - I just couldn't help myself! And kudos to the writer for even making a kissing scene make me feel hot - that hasn't happened since Twilight. I felt a bit bad for Robert who basically deserves the title of her best friend (condom incident notwithstanding) but then Tracy even after being the biggest bitch in the history of best friends still gets that one. Sorry for all the swearing (really, I don't consider it but some people might get offended) but I really did hate Tracy.

With that ending, which was brilliant by the way, I want the next book like NOW. I really hope Regina gets what's coming to her. I can't believe Gossip Girl was the inspiration for that but well, if that's how you get payback at cheer-witches like her, who am I to complain?

Confessions of an Angry Girl does read fairly young since the main character, Rose, is only 14, but I found that I really enjoyed her narrative. Rose’s life is currently a mess due to some real issues and superficial ones. Her father just died in a horrific way, her brother moved away, her mom is distant, her best friend is obsessed with the idea of losing her virginity, she’s starting high school where she’s somewhat of an outcast, and she has a crush on a Junior with an evil cheerleading girlfriend. I’d definitely say she’s justified in her anger at life!

Rose isn’t as outwardly angry as I’d assume based on the title. She mostly holds it in and makes plenty of remarks about her surroundings to herself, with the occasional outburst. She’s a smart girl (I love how the chapter titles are big words plus their definition), but she’s having trouble navigating being a teenager. I think this is something that everyone can identify with, even if their situation isn’t quite like Rose’s. I started high school at 12, so I definitely know what feeling like a freak is like!

There were times when I felt like Rose acted a little too young for her age. Not necessarily being immature, although she does have those moments, but sometimes her reactions made her seem closer to 10 years old than 14. Especially when it came to sex. I’m not saying she should be all for going all the way if she’s not ready, but her thought on the subject was basically “icky.” I don’t know, she just seemed too sheltered on the subject, I guess. Sex does have a prominent role in this book, so just be aware of that. I liked how it was shown in a positive light though, and not just preaching “don’t have sex, ’cause you will get pregnant, and die!”

Anyway, the story ended up taking a darker, more serious road than I was expecting. Sure, Rose’s freshman year is packed full of awkward moments, but there’s plenty of emotional ups and downs too. The ended was completely unexpected though, and Regina must be one of nastiest teen villains ever! Overall, Confessions of an Angry Girl was a very enjoyable read. I was hooked from the very beginning, and I can’t wait to see what sophomore year brings for Rose.

There are some books that you read in an entire sitting. This was one of them. Now, I'm not usually a fan of contemporary reads, but I did enjoy Confessions of an Angry Girl. That may have had something to do with the type of day I had prior to reading this, but who knows.

First off, I have to say how amazing is it that the main character has a vocabulary that would make any high school English teacher proud? We're talking multisyllabic words, people. Beautiful. Add that to the fiesty nature of Rosie and you have an instant winner. I loved her sarcastic, sometimes explosive personality. It was very believable.

I also liked how real this story felt. It's a delicate subject matter (the loss of the father) and how he was killed. You truly get a glimpse inside the head of a hurting teenager and a family in mourning. Death is ugly. Healing isn't pretty. And sometimes people get hurt along the way. That's life, and that's Rosie.

Along with that underlying subplot of healing and moving on with your life, you have an interesting romance storyline. I'm not certain how I feel about the almost 18 year old boy developing feelings for the fourteen year old girl, but I went with it. Rosie doesn't always seem so young, even if she is very clueless about all things high school. The pseudo love triangle also added a nice flavor to the mix. I can't say much about that, but know that it provided plenty of humor and drama.

Overall, I think many teens are going to be able to relate to this one. The characters are raw and deal with true teenage issues. There is no fluff to the pressures of sex or the loss of a parent. It's in your face and gritty. Confessions of an Angry Girl is a fantastic coming of age story that captures adolescence perfectly.

Rose Zarelli is struggling to cope with her emotions after the loss of her father and the tragic way that he died. The story starts with Rose entering high school after the summer of her father’s passing, and nothing is the same anymore. Her mom, a practicing therapist for troubled youth, doesn’t know how to deal with her own daughter’s emotions and barely talks at all. In Rose’s eyes, her older brother basically abandons her and chooses college life (and a girlfriend) over helping her navigate life without their dad. Her best friend since childhood, Tracy, has entered high school with popularity on the brain and basically draws a line in the sand, putting Rose on the very outside edge of it looking in. Then there’s the issue of a certain boy, Jamie Forta, and how he makes her feel. Not really dealing with her dad’s passing or the circumstances that led to his death in a healthy manner as well as the added stress of high school leaves Rose pretty much pissed at the world, and that’s how this story unfolds.

There were several aspects to this story that really drew me in and kept me reading. The first, and probably the most important, was Rose. I’ll admit that before going in, I hadn’t realized that I was going to be reading about a fourteen year old, and finding that out was enough to give me pause and make me question whether I really wanted to continue with the story. But now coming out on the other side, I’m proud I stuck with my decision to carry on. Rose, though only fourteen, carries the snark and maturity of someone wise beyond her years. She soon learns that this will be one of her biggest struggles in high school. Staying level-headed and maintaining her personal values while also willing to be scrutinized by her peers for making smart decisions- going against the general grain of high school mentality- lands Rose in the hot seat more than a few times. But that was one of the things that I loved about her. She knew that there’d be backlash for her choices, knew with certainty that her vote would be the most ignored, but she stuck to her guns, and that made me respect her more. But Rose wasn’t perfect, she had just the right amount of awkwardness and indecisiveness about her that made her age and character more believable. Most of those fumbling moments centered around another character, Jamie Forta. He was older and attractive, seemed to like her, but his elusive behavior had Rose constantly questioning what was between them. Well, that and the fact that he had a girlfriend who had her havoc-reeking, hell-causing sights on Rose.

Another thing that I appreciated about this story and Rozett’s writing was the realistic portrayal of Rose’s high school experience. Often times in novels, I feel like high school is either over-dramatized or sugar-coated, but the author seemed to find the perfect balance in this story for me. The clichés were present, but often times students are a touch clichéd, modeled to fit into certain roles among the folds of high school and you simply belong where you belong. It’s stupid and wrong, but it’s true and that type of stereotyping is real. But it was those shining characters that stood among the fray, but broke through, that caught my eye. Like Rose’s friend Robert, who was a bit of a drama nerd, but had his popular moments and had a bit of a record for stealing… or “infractions.” There was the head cheerleader who was gorgeous and dated the former All-American quarterback, but she was nice to everyone and treated people with respect. Those type of people exist, too. What I’m getting at is that there was a variation in the supply of characters that made me like the story, as a whole, more.

The last note worth mentioning is how all the characters and their realness were portrayed in the story. There was diversity, but I feel like I saw each of the characters change, morph, fall, and some grew. It was interesting to me to watch all these characters make these transitions, to watch them make the same mistakes over and over again. Some learning from them, others not caring to learn at all. Even the smart characters were willing to make stupid decisions, deny the truths that were in front of them, all for the sake of popularity or for friendship/relationships. It just took me back to my high school years; I guess some things never change.

The Verdict: I enjoyed this book. I truly fell in love with Rose’s character, especially her lack of a verbal filter. Jamie has me rather curious about his past, so I’m definitely looking forward to finding out more about him. I’ll be picking up with the rest of the series because I think it’s going to be a blast to watch Rose grow up as her story continues. The second book, Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, is set to make an appearance in 2013.

**Note** An e-ARC of this title was provided by the publishers, HarlequinTEEN, via Net Galley. However, that did not influence this review in any way.

This will be a hard review for me because I'm kind of on the fence about this book. I was intrigued by the book because of its humor, but at the same time I wasn't blown away by the plot. Rose is a great character that was snarky, sarcastic, and funny, but other times I found myself groaning inwardly over the dumb stuff that she did. Without the funny moments, I'm not sure I would have liked it as much.
There were some serious moments in it, but it wasn't enough to effect me in a way to where I was sad or crying. It just felt like just another story line. It just lacked that ummph for me. But don't get me wrong, it was still a great read. The est thing about it was the fact that it reminded me of myself in high school. Because I was just as awkward lol.
Overall, it was a light fun read. It was full of emotions, but I just couldn't connect to the character. There were some things about her I enjoyed, but it wasn't enough to keep me waiting for the next book in the series.

So based on the blurb, I expected this to be a bit funnier, and well, different from what I actually read. I liked Confessions, but it was heavier than I expected. Don't get me wrong, I still had plenty to laugh at, but something about it makes it a story that I enjoy while reading, but I don't see it sticking with me long after I read it.
I liked Rose, and her emotions were well written. She was snarky, got herself into crazy situations and I could totally relate to her anger, sorrow (even though I didn't lose my dad, I have been through some tough stuff) and frustrations. I felt so bad for her when she was being targeted, and its so sad that stuff like this really happens in the high schools. I hate bullying, but I think that its important to see that it really happens.
I didn't really like Tracy, the best friend. I wanted to slap some sense into her. I hated how shallow and self absorbed she was at times, but maybe I am a little biased. But even worse than Tracy is Regina. But Regina is more of a well written villian. She always showed up when least wanted and she did some truly mean things.
Jaime is sort of an enigma to me. I didn't quite get why he was with Regina, and there was some insta-love going on between him and Rose, that I never quite understood the appeal. They had some hot moments and I enjoyed that aspect of the story, but I feel like he's too old for her. He also had this bad ass reputation supposedly but that never really felt that, I just felt like I was told and should believe.
One of the awesome things though is the side character of Angelo. I loved his interactions with Rose aka Sweater. I feel like he stole the show, and I hope that he comes back in the next one and honestly I wish he took Jamie's place as the romantic interest.
I also truly felt for Rose about losing her Dad, and I appreciate those moments where she was missing him and connecting with her memories and the memorial site, stemming from the Sgt.
Though on a totally unrelated note, I also felt totally sorry for Robert. I can understand that Rose wasn't into him, but I feel like she used him and really had no excuse for that. But I think that this also makes the story realistic, because he is *that* guy, who is there, who is sweet, but there is no chemistry on your end.
I felt like the story just ended kind of abruptly and even though I know there is a sequel out next year, I still just feel kinda incomplete.
Overall though, I enjoyed Confessions, and the plot and Rose kept me into the story, and I will def be picking up the next one.
Bottom line: I liked the story if not quite what I expected, even with a few things that annoyed me.