Book Review~ Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Title: Confessions of an Angry Girl
Author: Louise Rozett
Series: Confessions #1
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Teen
Pub Date: August 28, 2012
Format: e-book
Pages: 266
Links: Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Book/Author Site
Summary: 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 My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the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.)

Rating: 9/10

Source: NetGalley. Thank you so much Harlequin!

Cover Talk: I absolutely love the cover! Blue is my favorite color and looks so cool on this cover! Even though the girl is partially visible, she looks like how I imagined Rose to be. I especially love the little details like the pendent in the girl's hand has an R on it (the weird thing is I imagined the pendent to be exactly like the one on the cover and I noticed it after reading the book) and lines on the right-hand top corner of the cover. The lines are also used in the book where seasons are told.

My Thoughts: I absolutely LOVED this book! I've been reading such amazing contemporary books lately, I think this has become my favorite genre!

The story wasn't something different but it was interesting. I liked Rose's voice (i.e Ms Rozett's writing). I liked how it was genuine and true. I remember how hard it was for me in ninth grade so I understood what Rose was going through. I didn't fit anywhere and I wasn't about to change myself to "fit in" either, exactly like Rose.

But what Rose had to go through was more than that. She lost her father and her mother was trying to deal with the grief so she couldn't give Rose much attention. And then her brother, who was like a best friend, left for college. All this, coupled with her best friend changing and the high school drama, it was natural for her to be this angry.

I really liked the genuineness and truthfulness of this book. How all the characters were REAL. I mean, I've seen people like Tracy and it makes me so sad. My best friend was like Tracy and now we don't talk anymore because she totally changed to be "cool". I won't go into my life details and all, but you get the point. Though I think by the end, Tracy came around and realized her mistake. She was a good friend, just a little confused.

I really admire Rose for how strong she was and yeah, sometimes her choices did piss me off, but I realized that if I were in her shoes, I would've made the same choices. At first, I didn't think I had much in common with Rose but over the course of the novel I realized I was more like her than I thought. Especially when I was her age (I know I'm only 16 right now but I've learned a lot over the 2 years and 9th grade seems like ages ago!) and I think a lot of other readers can relate to her too.

I felt sorry for Robert. He was a good friend to Rose and he didn't deserve to be treated that way. I did find him annoying at times, but still, he was nice. And it wouldn't really have bothered me much if Rose would've ended up with him in the end. I really hope he gets a girl in the next book!

A good book always needs a good villain. Well that's not true, but this book did have a pretty... umm.. what's the word? Evil villain? Regina (I really don't like her name!) was definitely a pretty evil villain! But you how there are characters you just love to hate? Yeah, she's that character for me!

I loved Anthony! I love people who don't care what others think and who are not afraid to say the truth. But I never really thought boys talked that much =P And I also really liked Peter (Rose's brother). He was so nice and supportive. I wonder if big brothers are really like that in real life. I've always wanted a big brother, like Peter!

Jamie Forta. Before I go into his personality and all, I have to tell you, I really don't like his name. Actually, it kinda cracks me up =P The thing is, Jamie has always been, in my mind, a girl's name. And Forta's just weird. I know that if Jamie were real and if he were reading what I just wrote, he'd either be angry at me or he'd be laughing one of his warm and rich laughs =P Moving on, he's one of those bad boys who're really good at heart. I was actually expecting him to break Rose's heart, I don't know why I just thought he was kinda mean sometimes and he didn't actually like Rose, but I guess I was wrong. Which was good, because I really wanted to like him (you know how much I love bad boys!) and he turned out to be really nice and sweet.

The writing isn't heavy or serious. Actually it's pretty light. And I loved Rose's humor and sarcasm. I really love it when books have a little something extra and different for the readers, for example in From What I Remember every chapter started with a movie quote. And in this book, every chapter started with a difficult or 'AP English' word and it's meaning along with a see also which was pretty cool and hilarious. I really can't wait for the next book! To find out where does Rose & Jamie's relationship go and how does the rivalry between Regina & Rose continues.

Extras: As an extra I'm going to give you an excerpt from the book, which is also available on the author's website FYI.

I’m in the bathroom by the gym, the bathroom farthest from the school’s main front doors, when the final bell rings. Two girls are smoking in a stall at the end. It’s hard to breathe. I wait until they leave, and then I wait a few more minutes. It’s still hard to breathe. I wonder if I’m having one of those panic attacks my mom is convinced I get now but I distract myself by reading the graffiti on the wall, which says “Suck it,” among other things, in hot-pink nail polish. 

Such originality here at Union High. Such excellent use of vocabulary.

When I can breathe again, I leave.

The halls are basically empty. I go to my locker. I get my books. I leave by the front doors because there’s no other way to leave at the end of the day; they funnel us out through the front to keep an eye on us. I’m waiting at the crosswalk when I see him on the other side of the street. He isn’t holding any books. The crosswalk light goes from the red hand to the silver guy, and I’m afraid to move but I do anyway. I get closer and closer and closer but he doesn’t say a word. In fact, I just walk past him as if I don’t see him, and a few seconds pass. My legs are still moving when he says, “Rose.”

I’ve never, ever heard anyone say my name like that in my entire life. I didn’t even know that was my name until he said it like that. 

“Yeah?”

He holds out his pencil, the one I used my eyeliner sharpener on when he wasn’t looking. “What did you do?”

“I...just...it was...” I falter.

“What’s this stuff on it?”

“Oh, um, sorry--it’s eyeliner.”

He takes a few steps closer and looks carefully at my eyes. “You don’t wear that stuff.”

The flush starts. It’s slow-moving, but it’s going to be a huge burn--it stretches from shoulder to shoulder and it’s going to spread above my collar in about three seconds. I notice that his eyes are hazel with gold specks and then I can’t look anymore.

“Sometimes I do.”

“Like when?”

“If I’m going out with my boyfriend or something.” 

“Oh yeah? Who’s that?” I have nothing to say. “You’re a freshman, right?” he asks.

“I’m fourteen,” comes out of my mouth. And then, like we’re playing in the sandbox, I ask, “How old are you?” 

That glint of a smile shows up briefly again but disappears before I’m sure it was real.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“You don’t know where I live.”

“Yeah I do,” he says. I stare at him dumbly. “How’s your brother?” he asks.

The question surprises me. Even though Peter and Jamie played hockey together, I assumed they never talked off the ice. “Okay, I guess. He’s at Tufts. Are you guys friends?”

“I drove him home when Bobby Passeo skated over his fingers,“ he says, not answering my question. 

“I saw you, you know. Play hockey. When you were still on the team.” I suddenly become very interested in my shoes, realizing that I sound like exactly what I am--a babbling 14-year-old. He looks at me, waiting. When I don’t say anything else, he says, “So do you want a ride?”

“I can’t get in the car with you,” is my response. I’m no longer a babbling 14-year-old. I’m now 10. Or maybe 8. 

He can’t help himself this time. He breaks into a huge smile. My heart skitters for a second. 

“What do you think is gonna happen?” he asks. I feel like an idiot. “Come on, freshman. I’ll drive you home.”