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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 My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time.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 angryāget 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.)
Jamie slides the half bagel dripping with butter over to Angelo without looking up from drawing on the back of his notebook. Angelo is silent for thirty seconds, and then he's on the make again, looking for someone else's leftovers. The PA system screeches with feedback, and the din gets louder as everyone tries to talk over it.
"Good morning, Union High. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance." The brightly colored riot-proof seats welded to the cafeteria tables left over from the 1970s creak as period-one study hall drags itself to its feet to say words that we haven't thought about and don't understandāor can't make ourselves say. Jamie stays seated, his pencil slowly tracing the lines of his drawing.
"Forta, is that your assigned seat?" Jamie nods at Mr. Cella, the gym teacher who would probably rather be anywhere other than chaperoning first-period study hall. "Then get out of it and join the rest of us in pledging allegiance to this fine country of ours," Mr. Cella says kind of sarcastically as he moves on to the next table.
Jamie looks around and sees that people are in the middle of the pledge. By the time he stands up, everyone is sitting down already.
"Jame, you got any money? I'm still starvin', man. I just need another bagel or a piece of toast or something. I'll pay you back tomorrow. I just need, like, a dollar. You got that? Could I have it?"
Jamie reaches into his pockets for change, coming up with a quarter. He hands it to Angelo, who looks majorly disappointed.
"This all you got, Jame?"
"Here. Here's seventy-five cents." The slightly sweaty freshman girl in the blue cotton sweater at the end of the table, also known as me, reaches out three quarters, glad to have made it through another pledge to the flag without throwing up. I don't exactly feel like swearing my allegiance to America these days, and I probably won't for a long time, if ever.
Angelo looks at the quarters suspiciously. Maybe he's unsure why I'm suddenly talking to him after not speaking for the first three days of school. He probably thinks I'm a snob, but I'm really just afraid to look up from my books. I just survived the worst summer of my life, and I don't remember how to talk to people. Plus, I just started high schoolāthis guy has probably been here for more than his share of four years.
The PA system squawks, "Have a good day," before shutting off. Angelo takes the quarters from me slowly.
"Thanks. Do I gotta pay you back?"
"Um, not if youĀ can't."
Angelo stares hard, keeping his eyes on me as he swaggers backward over to the pile of bagels on the counter. He picks one and then smiles at me. I quickly look back down at my books, thinking I might have made a mistake, being nice to one of the vocational-technical guys. Especially one of the older "vo-tech" guys. He pays and makes his way back to the half-empty table for six, sitting across from Jamie. His jacket is too small for him, and he wears a ratty Nirvana T-shirt that looks like it belonged to an older brother when Kurt Cobain was actually still alive.
"Good bagel," Angelo says to me, while I pretend to be lost in my biology textbook. "What are you reading?"
"I'm studying for a biology test," I say without looking up.
"You already got a test?" he asks. "We only been back a few days. You in those smart classes?"
I decide not to answer this time, but it doesn't do any good.
"Didn't you study at home? You look like a girl who woulda studied at home."
"I did. But I don't think it was enough."
"Want me to quiz you? I could quiz you."
"No, thanks."
Angelo slides over so he's sitting right next to me. He leans in. "I bet it would help," he says. I shift back slightly. He's got a ton of sharp black stubble, and he smells like cigarettes and Axe. He looks like he's at least twenty.
"That's okay."
"You sure?" He reaches for my textbook. "I know a few things about biology."
"Leave her alone," says Jamie without looking up from his notebook. Angelo turns, raising his eyebrows. "She don't wanna talk to you. She's studying."
"Fine, man. I'll leave her alone." Angelo gets up and moves toward another table. "See ya later," he says to me. "What's your name, anyway?"
I start to answer, but Jamie lifts his head from his drawing to stare at Angelo.
"What, man?" says Angelo. "What's the deal? She your girlfriend or something?"
I can feel the blush start at my collarbones and work its hot way up to my cheeks. Jamie looks directly at me for the first time ever, as far as I know, and I have to look back down at my book. The words blur before my eyes as I try to focus on something, anything but what's going on right next to me.
"I'm just tryin' to be nice. She gave me some money." Nobody says anything. Jamie studies the tip of his ground-down pencil. "All right. See ya in shop, Jame. Bye, Sweater," Angelo says.
Jamie goes back to his work. I can barely breathe. Tracy, my best friend since the beginning of time, is suddenly in the seat across from me. I kind of can't believe she's hereāupperclassmen get to go where they want in study hall, but the freshmen are supposed to stay glued to their seats.
"Did you study last night? It's going to be so hard. Are you okay? You're all red." She brings a spoonful of yogurt to her mouth, studying my face in that weird, concerned way that I've seen a lot these past few months. Then she looks sideways at Jamie, at his construction boots and the ragged, dirty cuffs of his too-long jeans. "It's too bad you got stuck at this table. We're all studying together over there." She points to a big twelve-seater full of freshmen who are probably talking about the keg party that they won't get into at the nearby private school's polo fields tonight. Why they even want to go is beyond me. But I've been trained by Tracy not to say that stuff out loud. It doesn't do anything to increase my popularity, according to Miss Teen Vogue. "I study better by myself."
"Yeah, I know, you always say that. Maybe that's why you always get A's."
"I don't always get A's."
"Oh shut up. Have you thought about what we talked about?"
Tracy is referring to whether or not she should have sex with her boyfriend, Matt Hallis. We've been talking about this nonstop for the last few weeks, and it's become my least favorite topic everāfor a lot of reasons. At first I thought she was bringing it up all the time to distract me and give me something to think about. But now I realize that she's totally obsessed. It's like she decided that the second she started high school, she had to lose her virginity or she'd never fit in. Or be cool. Or beĀ whatever.
Mr. Cella materializes out of thin air behind Tracy, who notices me looking past her and freezes.
He consults his seating chart. "Ms. Gerren, would you care to go back to your assigned seat?"
"We're just talking about our biology test, Mr. Cella."
"You had ample time to do that last night via text, or cell, or IM, I'm sure. Back to your seat."
Tracy gets up. "You're okay, right?" she asks. I nod. "Sorry you're stuck over here," she says again, before Mr. Cella escorts her back across the cafeteria without so much as a glance at me.
It took only two days for the teachers to stop looking at me like some sort of pathetic freak. Which is exactly what Peter said would happen, when I was complaining to him about starting high school barely three months after burying our dad.
What was left of him, anyway.
I try to concentrate on biology and ignore the flush in my cheeks that is taking its time receding. I sneak a glance at Jamie. Jamie Forta.
I know who Jamie is. I know because of Peter. Jamie and Peter were on the hockey team together when I was in seventh grade and Peter was a junior. Jamie was a freshman then. Dad and I used to come to the games to watch Peter, but after getting a good look at Jamie in the parking lot after a game once, I mostly watched Jamie. The next year, Jamie got thrown off the team during the first game of the season for high-sticking a West Union player named Anthony Par-rina in the neck.
Although I hadn't seen Jamie in a year, I recognized him the second I was assigned my seat at this table. Even without the hockey gear.
I can hear the scratch of Jamie's pencil as he draws, grinding graphite down to wood. My gaze finds its way across the pages of my book, over the table and onto his notebook. It takes me a second to recognize the upside-down image as a house, a strange-looking house in the woods with a porch and a massive front door at the top of a wide staircase. I lean over the table to get a better view. And I realize he's no longer drawing.
I'm afraid to lift my eyes from the page. When I do, Jamie is looking at me, his pencil in midair. Again, the flush rises from my chest, up over my neck and into my cheeks. Before I look away, I think I catch the slightest, tiniest, most minuscule glimpse of a smile in his eyes.
"That's a really nice picture," I whisper, unable to get any volume.
He looks at the pencil and shakes his head at its wrecked point, dropping it next to his notebook. He reaches into his pocket and draws out a dollar as he gets up from the table and starts toward the food. Apparently he's learned to keep some of his money for himself, rather than give it all to Angelo.
"You should be studying," he says with that hint of a smile in his eyes, and walks away. I feel the heat intensify at the sound of his voice, making the skin on my face tight with imaginary sunburn. He disappears in the rush of upperclass-men who have just come in from the cafeteria courtyard to get food before the bell rings.
I close my book and put it in my backpack, hoping to spy a piece of gum at the bottom somewhere to erase the dryness that goes along with humiliation. I rifle through my new makeup bag, which Tracy put together for me ("You can't go to high school without a makeup bag") and find an old piece of partly wrapped gum stuck to a busted eyeliner (apparently I got her hand-me-downs). I take the eyeliner out with the gum and separate the two, deciding the gum looks clean enough to chew. Weirdly, it tastes like lipstick. I rifle a little more, searching for something to help me find solid ground again. My fingers brush the eyeliner sharpener.
I take the sharpener out and look quickly over my shoulder for Jamie, who's in line waiting to pay for a coffee. I grab his pencil and jam it into the sharpener, twisting and twisting and twisting, watching the yellow wood shreds peel off and fall to the table. I take his pencil out and look at its now-sharp point. The bits of eyeliner stuck in the sharpener have left a few electric-blue stains, but the point is truly perfect.
I quickly put it back where I found it, looking again just in time to see Jamie turning away from the cashier to start back to the table. The bell rings. I grab my bag and run.
MadSteampunkery
Posted September 14, 2012
Confessions of an Angry Girl is a book that I highly recommend to those of you who will be entering HS soon as Freshman, & tho those of you who are even past their Senior year (like me). There is a whole slew of issues hit in this book along with virginity, teen vendettas, birth control, first kisses, and death. Oh, and there is just so much more to this book then I can layout in a small review!
Louise Rozett's writing is able to capture the reader from early on in the book. She had me at the pencil sharping incident! She has the ability to make you feel about a character in many different ways. It is a quick YA book, nonetheless, I felt like I was on an emotional ride. In a good way!
The Mad Scientist should also mention the use of vocabulary words throughout the book. Who doesn't like a bit of vocab fun from time to time? Rosie and her father loved words and the author uses them as chapter headings. I think this is a brilliant move!
This is a contemporary, yet, I do believe that some of you may want to know if there is someone to swoon over. Cue this books bad boy, Jamie. He barely says anything but he has you swooning over him, albeit his lack of words and small actions. He is not a guy that is all talk. You will be pleasantly pleased! The Mad Scientist was! *swoon*
A cliffhanger! Now after I say all those good things about Louise Rozett she slaps a cliffhanger at the end. The Mad Scientist is still unsure if it is a good thing or not. But let me just say this. I will be picking up the second book! In a heartbeat! Watch for Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend.
** Thanks to NetGalley for the ability to read & review this book which so ever did not influence or bend my thoughts in any manner. All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book surprised me. I ended up enjoying it way more than I had originally thought I would. I was instantly intrigued by the title, so when I saw it on NetGalley, I requested it. I am so glad that I got it, because it was a very enjoyable read for me.
The main character of this story is Rose. She is a freshman and 14 years old at the beginning of the book. This is the initial reason I thought I wouldn't enjoy this book. The MC was a little young for my liking. I usually read older YA titles (oxymoron much Kari) where the MC is 16+. I didn't think I would be able to relate to Rose and the other characters because of this. But I was wrong. Despite her age, Rose is mature and her feelings don't come across as young or juvenile for the most part. There were times when I wanted to scream at her and ask WHY??! But that was only sometimes.
Rose has lost her father in Iraq, and the story starts from there. It chronicles her journey in accepting the fact that her father has died and how she needs to go about moving on. I really enjoyed this part of the book. It gave me an insight into how it would feel to lose a parent in the war. And my heart went out to Rose and her family. In addition to Rose's journey, the book peaks at her mother and brother's feelings as well. It wasn't alot, and it might have been good to see a bit more of these two characters and how they were dealing, but what we got were great touches to the story. It added a little dimension and give's the reader a little more perspective on Alfonso's death.
This wasn't the only focus of the book. Rose likes a boy, Jamie. Who happens to have a girlfriend, Regina. Regina turns all Mean Girls and basically makes Rose's life hell. I absolutely hated Regian throughout the book. Another character I wasn't too fond of was Rose's "best friend." I put that in quotes because she doesn't come off as a very good friend to Rose, until the very end at least. And even then, it ends on a cliffhanger, so we don't even know if Tracy redeems herself as Rose's friend.
Overall, this book was a great read. I enjoyed the drama and romantic build up of the book. I am eagerly awaiting Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend which is due out 6/1/2013. As a side note, I enjoyed how the author set up each chapter. She started them off with a word and its definition. The word pertained to what was going to happen in the chapter. I thought it was a neat touch, and hope its in the next one as well.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Confessions of an Angry Girl is another great contemporary debut of 2012. I am loving all the new contemporary novels and how original and entertaining they are. Confessions of an Angry Girl deals with a girl's struggle in high school. You might think this is a typical contemporary but the uniqueness of the character and her voice just set this novel apart from other contemporaries.
Rose Zarelli has her issues. She's angry, and doesn't know what to do with that anger. Her dad passed away recently, her mom's an official zombie, and her brother fled the state for university, yea right. She doesn't know where she belongs, is she a geek? or maybe she could be more than that? Now that her best friend became a cheerleader would things change? how about when Forta, the bad boy of her high school shows interest in her and that gets the attention of his evil girlfriend. Rozett's writing is smooth, it sucks you in and you just can't put the book down because its too much fun to do anything else!
Rose's voice drips with sarcasm and honesty. She's hilarious, stays true to her beliefs and doesn't take any crap from anyone. Sometimes people mistake that for her being angry, and sometimes people just get angry at her for being such an opinionated person. Lots of funny situations along with heartfelt and heart pumping scenes are part of this fantastic novel. This is not a standalone and I am glad I found out it isn't because it had an open ending. The second book is titled Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend. With a title like that, who wouldn't want it? I would definitely recommend it to all contemporary fans, this book is one you will devour in a day, if not one sitting!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I was pleasantly surprised by Confessions of an Angry Girl. I have to admit, even after I'd heard good things about it, I was afraid it'd be some teenage angst fest and that I'd want to murder the narrator. However, I found Rose to be charming and funny. All of the characters were unique, flawed, and realistic. The plot was endearing. I couldn't put this book down, and I can't wait for the next installment.
Rose is the most honest narrator I've read in awhile. She says what she feels whether anyone wants to hear it or not. I respect her for that. She has every right in the world to be angry, but she's not terribly mean to people. She tries to do what she thinks is best. I felt bad for her because of all the problems she had in the past and continued having, but some of her awkwardness was just hilarious.
Rose's best friend, Tracy, is a surprise. Just when you think she's being the stereotypical crappy friend, she turns it around and is decent. I also have no idea what is going on with her brother, Peter. I'd like to see more about him. Jamie is a bit of a mystery, too, but I think he's a good guy. I feel bad for him because he really tries to do what's right, even if it's not necessarily what's best. Poor guy. I hope he and Rose figure things out.
The plot for this book is engaging, and I couldn't put the book down until it was finished. I kept hitting the "next" button on my Kindle in hopes of extra pages being hidden. Unfortunately, there were no extra pages. There are a few things that are left open-ended, and I feel wish I had some explanations right now. But nooooo I have to wait for book #2. *Grumbles*
The pacing is perfect. This is a quick read. I was able to read it all in one sitting. Nothing felt rushed, though, and I felt like I got to know the main characters well. I am glad that this is going to be a series. I am looking forward to watching Rose grow over the course of the novels.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun, contemporary read. Confessions of an Angry Girl deals with very real and serious issues, but in a lighthearted way. Give this book a try. You won't be sorry.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Read_A_Book
Posted September 3, 2012
I love the way this story is told. Rose is so candid and straight forward that it’s impossible not to fall in love with her character right away. Her situation, as she tells it, is gut wrenching and humorous at the same time, and the reader is able to instantly make connections with her, because even if we haven’t had the same experiences, we know exactly what she means due to her honest nature.
Rose has it tough. Her father recently died and she’s looking for someone to blame aside from herself. Her brother just left for college and is distant, her mom is dealing with her own issues and doesn’t acknowledge Rose’s pain, she just began high school and it’s nothing like middle school, and her best friend wants to be popular to the point she’s willing to sacrifice their friendship. I don’t know about you, but if all those things were going on at once in my life, I’m pretty sure I’d be in the same boat as Rose. Angry. Confused. Lashing out. Clamming up. But as Rose works through her issues and her character develops, we begin to see the upside of things, and I just loved how it all came together. Sure, I was angry at tons of the characters myself based on their actions and treatment of Rose, and this reminds me a lot of what my students are going through in high school right now, but on the upside, the constant reminder that everything can and will get better as time heals is amazing, and I really, really enjoyed this novel. If you enjoy YA novels and great character development, then this novel is definitely for you.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sarah-UK
Posted August 29, 2012
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a
read-to-review basis. Thanks to Harlequin and Netgally.) Rose is your
average 14/15-year-old girl, except that as well as having to deal with
all the normal crap that happens in high school, she’s trying to come to
terms with her father’s death. Rose’s father was killed in an explosion
in Iraq. He wasn’t even supposed to be there, he was a contractor, not a
soldier, but when he lost his job her mom was really worried about
money, and so they made the decision for him to go to Iraq. The problem
was that he didn’t come back. Rose’s brother Peter has gone off to uni,
leaving Rose alone with her mother at home who pretty much ignores her,
and Rose’s best friend Tracy seems to be spending all of her time trying
to impress the cheerleading squad, and wondering whether she should have
sex with her boyfriend (who’s cheating on her!). Rose is just trying to
get on with her life, which is made extremely difficult when one of the
cheerleader’s boyfriends starts showing an interest in her. Rose
recognises Jamie because he used to play hockey with her brother. She’s
always had a crush on him, but knows that it will never be anything real
because he’s older than her. When he does start to make advances, Rose
can’t quite believe it, but unfortunately his cheerleader girlfriend
does and starts threatening Rose. Rose is just sick of everything;
everything other than Jamie that is. She’s sick of the way her mother
looks straight though her. She’s sick of the way that her brother went
away to college and didn’t even come home for thanksgiving. She’s sick
of her friend Robert who wants to be more than friends, and sick of the
way Tracy won’t stop talking about having sex with her cheating
boyfriend. And she’s really sick of the ‘cheerleader-witches’. The
problem is that now when Rose gets really annoyed she opens her mouth
and allows all her bottled up thoughts out, which isn’t always the best
thing to do. Because now Rose is finding out, that letting people know
exactly how you are feeling, isn’t always the best thing to do. I
enjoyed this book. Rose is really wise for her 15 years, and I have to
say that in my opinion she had a right to feel angry. Her anger
outbursts in my opinion aren’t that bad, no worse than me with PMT
really, but maybe that’s just me! This book really shows what it’s like
to be back in high-school, and I am so glad I am out of there and not
going back! Poor Rose may be grieving and may have anger issues, but
most of the girls at her school are just total and utter b*tches. Sorry,
to use that word but it does fit. Rose had to make a choice at times in
this book, choices that made her very unpopular, but at the same time
were important and even critical at times. These choices however landed
her truly at the wrath of the ‘cheerleader-witches’, and the harassment
that she faced left me feeling rage for her. The romance in this book
was at a minimum really. We did get a couple of kisses, but it seemed
that most of the girl’s boyfriends were messing around with other people
behind their girlfriend’s backs. There were several discussions in the
book concerning safe sex and use of condoms, as well as the
‘appropriate’ age at which to lose ones virginity, but no actual sex
scenes of any kind (so suitable for younger teens). I finished this
book feeling really sorry for Rose, and really glad that I’m no longer
in high school! Looking forward to the next book 8 out of 10.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.First off I am addicted to Debut Authors! I love em! First off if you
are going to be going to high school soon. Then this is a must read
book! If you are already in high school then read it anyway. This book
covers so much of what it is like to be a teen. The end of this book
was one of those OMG ones. I cant wait for the next one! *Thanks to
Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy, This free copy in no way
influenced my thoughts on this book**
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged."...I read parts of this out loud, and I'm kind of glad I did. Rozett writes in such a way that both spoken dialogue and inner monologue are completely genuine. Everything about the way her characters talk is believable to me, and this I think did a lot to making the entire story come to life in a way that is believable enough to make you care about Rose and about what is going on in her life. Hell, I got so wrapped up in it sometimes that at some of the more nerve-wracking moments, I almost needed to take a Xanax. Not to mean that "Ms Rozett, you have driven me to drugs!" but the point I'm trying to make with this, is that that is how real the world she created in Union felt to me. I really felt like I could have been Rose. I could easily see myself saying something she's said, or feeling the way she's feeling, and sometimes doing the things she's doing.
I don't like to make comparisons exactly, but if I had to think of something this was "like," I might say that in tone it felt a bit like an American Georgia Nicolson, even in only the most basic elements. Although maybe they're more like two sides of a coin - Rose Zarelli is maybe the bitter, angry, cynic to Georgia Nicolson's quirky, upbeat, goof.
...Apart from being an enjoyable and quick read, I appreciate that Rozett touches on some issues that I think could be particularly poignant in today's society. For one thing, I like that Rose's dad died in Iraq not as a soldier, but as a civilian working under military contract...The other issue that I think is important is the one of bullying, or harassment...And as I mentioned briefly earlier, Rose's friend, and it seems like everyone but Rose, really, is totally obsessed with sex...
If I was the parent of a pre-teen or a teenager, I would definitely give them this book to read, if only to subtly provide them with these messages from an impartial third party. I mean, it's not like some preachy moral book, but it makes some very good points about things, and the story overall was a great read, I thought. The only thing I didn't particularly care for is that it ended sort of abruptly, and now I have to wait until this summer to find out what happens next with Rose...
I read this as an eBook that I received through NetGalley, but it's one of those that I will probably buy in paperback if I see it in the store sometime, especially if I end up getting the sequel in paperback."
For full review, please visit me at Here Be Bookwyrms on Blogger
Confessions is an amazing book that combines all the angst that goes on in high school, seen from the perspective of Rose, a freshman. What is amazing is the death of Rose's dad wasnt because of a illness, it was from a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Rose is angry, but shes angry at so many things its hard to really see who makes her mad. Her mother is a therapist, but shes so caught up in her own grief that shes not there to help Rose when she really needs it. The pacing is fast and keeps you there till the end. There are so many loose ends, but with a sequel those should get cleared. I want to know more about Peter and why he acted certain ways, and I also want to know if Tracy and Rose renew their friendship that was really lost all throught the book.
This is perfect for any girl going into high school, or even an older girl like me, just to see that yeah, high school can be bad, but there are ways to get through it all.
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.
lmm831
Posted September 3, 2012
I felt a bit mislead by the blurb for Confessions of an Angry Girl which portrays Rose as a very angry girl. I found Rose to be much more of a quiet girl stewing in her grief and lose. Sure she does things that are not smart but I did not view them much different than any teenage girl trying to find herself. Rose has a set of circumstances that are much different than most teens, her father dies in a war that he never should have been a part of and her family shut down for these. Along the way, her best friend decides that she wants to be a cheerleader and Rose feels as though she is left behind which really she is. Like most teenage girls, her best guy friend is interested in her when she is just not interested in him. This causes a lot of drama when she kisses Jamie who is the lead cheerleader's supposed boyfriend. So I guess what I really found in this book was a lot of drama and not a lot of plot. The story felt like a teenage sitcom and I could never really figure out the point of the story.
All that being said it was a quick read, but just not of that I connected with. I can see how some people might love this story. I am just not all about the crazy drama that happen I felt that it was over the top. By all mean, if the blurb catches your attention take a chance on this book.
I kind of hesitated on this book. Only because reading the synopsis made
me think it was going to be one of those really heavy books and sad and
well, I didn't want heavy or sad right now. I mean who wants heavy and
sad? BUT, I digress... I'm glad I read it! I love those moments when you
realize you've had a good/great reading experience. Mine came about 6:30
this morning. Rose is a "Freshie" in high school and not only
does she have to deal with a "Freshie" status she is also
grieving for her dad who passed away in Iraq. Sucky part is that she's
left alone to figure out how to grieve because her mother has checked
out and her brother is away at college dealing with his own issues. So,
if you are not familiar with the term "Freshie" and I hope I'm
not dating myself, "Freshie" is short for Freshman. Aaaah, to
be a Freshman in high school... I remember those days... which brings me
to my next thoughts. This book was incredibly realistic and felt all
too familiar. Not all of it, but most of it, which leads me to believe
everyone can relate. For example, who doesn't remember having to start
over in a new school with a few of the kids you went to middle school
with but mostly new kids, and those new kids being your own age but also
older kids who've already "found their place" within the
school realm. Having to tweak your identity without losing the one you
had for 14 years is rough. I remember. High school is definitely a world
of its own. Now, the strong: *Rosie was a very strong character. She
was well defined and her voice was extremely clear. Not once did I think
she was bratty and that she needed to feel guilty for some of the things
she said. I think she was pretty on point with her feelings and she was
really trying her best to maneuver all that was going on in her life.
More importantly, I think she was a great role model. All in all, Rosie
has her priorities and her head on straight. The book tackles the
pressures of sex, initiations to fit in, bullying/harassment among other
things and is layered with messages of respecting oneself. Rosie made
the right decisions or voiced her opinions on them the way I would have.
Essentially, I was really proud of her throughout the book! This was
refreshing in every sense of the word. YA doesn't mean that the
protagonist has to constantly make mistakes, knowing they're making the
wrong decision, just to learn a lesson. All it takes is to think of all
that could go wrong or right, how it makes you feel really and whether
you are willing to take on the repercussions of it. Rose did this the
whole way through. Loved it! *All of the other characters were pretty
great too and well developed, for the most part. Again, they were people
you could totally relate to making this world even more realistic. I'm
on the fence with: *Bullying/harassment was discussed in this book. We
all know that it exists. We all have either been bullied, been the bully
or have witnessed it. It came up in this book and I'm not sure what to
say. Why? Because I think it's one of those topics where you are damned
if you do and damned if you don't. That fact was pretty much clear in
the book. You either go and rat on the bully and wait for retaliation or
you stay quiet and wait for more bullying. It's a crazy place to be no
matter what and no matter which way you go it's never a good place. This
point of view was represented remarkably in the book. What's my reason
for being on the fence? I'm not sure how it will ever get resolved and I
wonder how Rose will handle it. Didn't like so much: *Jamie's
character, the love interest, was EXTREMELY vague. I liked him enough
but he was pretty much absent for most of the book and you really don't
get to know him. He was a very neutral character. Hmm... Overall, I
enjoyed this book and I recommend it to everyone. I know some people are
not happy with the ending but I actually smiled when I realized that
there would be another book. I wanted there to be another book! I can't
wait for the other book. ARC provided by Harlequin Teen via NetGalley
Anonymous
Posted April 10, 2013
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted October 14, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted April 13, 2013
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to makeĀ
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 ...