Author: Louise Rozett
Release date: August 28, 2012
Pages: 304
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
How I got it: For review from Netgalley
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some CONFESSIONS to make... #
1: I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?
#2: I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who "might" be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.
#3: High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry-get it?)
Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.
(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.) (Sorry. That was rude.)With an honest voice and outlook on what it's like to grow up, I found Confessions of an Angry Girl to be an interesting contemporary with a lot going for it.
It is impossible not to connect with Rosie. Sometimes I just wanted to shake her and scream, "STOP. THERE IS A BETTER WAY," but even then I wanted to be her friend. Actually, she sometimes reminded me of a younger Ruby Oliver, not in Ruby's quirky way but in the overall voice and trouble fitting in. I love Ruby, so that was awesome.
Sadly I didn't see any appeal in the small cast of side characters. Jamie seemed kind of like a young Matthew McConaughey to me that they both seemed kind of greasy and underwhelming; Robert seemed like he meant well but was a little too whiny and clingy; Tracy seemed like she could've been a decent person but the bad things she did overshadowed that and left me indifferent towards her.
But once I got into the story--which did take me a little while--it totally made up for that. About halfway through I found myself fully immersed in the plot and nervous about what evil Regina would do to poor Rosie next. I really ended up enjoying Confessions of an Angry Girl and kind of want to shove it in the hands of every girl starting high school this year.
Plot: Not highly original, and it was slow to start, but once I got into it I liked it.
Characters: Loved Rosie, but I was kind of indifferent towards everyone else.
Writing: Pretty good. Loved all the music references.
Ending: Didn't love it, but the fact that there will be a sequel (yay!) made up for that.
Mature content: There was swearing, and mentions of sex (but no actual sex scenes, and lots of talk of how to practice safe sex).
Overall:
Um, I do not wish to talk to you just now.
Like I said, it took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did it had my full attention. I can't wait to read Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, because I think this series will only get better.
