Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Goodreads 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 My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time.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.)

Publication Date: August 28, 2012
 
Confessions of an Angry Girl had a misleading title and description. When I read the blurb, I was unsure of how much I would like the main character Rose. I pictured an aggressive and rude character who blamed the world for her problems. I’m super glad that I gave this book a shot because I loved the narrator! This story turned out to be a touching coming of age story that addressed some important issues teens face as they enter high school.

Rose enters her freshman year of high school feeling like an outcast. Her father had died only months earlier and her best friend had become obsessed with being popular. I loved how Rose wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she believed in and didn’t cave to peer pressure even when some of the choices she made weren’t the most popular ones. It bothers her that she doesn’t fit in, but she’s not willing to change who she is to do so.

The novel dealt with a lot of issues that are relevant to the high school set. Rose is the target of a cruel bully and tries to ignore it in hopes that she won’t make things worse. She’s also worried about her friend rushing into sex with her loser boyfriend. Then, Rose begins to fall for an older guy, but doesn’t know what his expectations are since she’s not ready for sex.

The romance was touching, but it was very slow moving. Although Rose’s emotions were clearly felt, I never felt like readers got to know much about Jamie. It was also hard to cheer for their romance when he was involved with such a witch like Regina.

The pacing was a little slow at times, but then the ending was way too abrupt. The novel felt like a standalone, so I was certainly surprised to see there would be a sequel. However, I would definitely read the next in series to see what happens with Rose, Jamie and her group of friends.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel for review!