Wednesday 12 September 2012

Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett


  Confessions of an Angry Girl 
  Author: Louise Rozett
  Publisher: Harlequin
  Publication date: August 28th 2012
  Source: NetGalley
  My rating: 4 stars

 


Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has someconfessions to make1. 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 nowenraged 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 My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time.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.)
Once in a while you stumble across a book which takes you completely by surprise. Confessions of an Angry Girl is one of those books. To tell you the truth, I didn't think it would be my sort of read, I was intrigued by the sound of the premise, but once I'd picked it up I honestly couldn't put it down, it was such an enjoyable read that I found myself flying through the pages.

Rose had the worst possible start to school; her dad died while working in Iraq, he wasn't even a soldier but was hired as a contractor, he only took up the job to pay for Rose and her brother Peter's college. Now Peter's away at college, Rose's mother's more closed off than ever, Rose's friend wants to join the cheer squad and is getting so caught up in the matter that she's forgetting all about her, she's changing into Regina the Cheer squad lieutenant's minion. On top of that Robert her friend keeps trying to hint that they should be more than just friends, but Rose feels like there is something between her and Jamie, Regina's boyfriend. It's not her imagination but he seems to be paying more attention to her than usual. It's all a confusing position to be in for 14 year old Rose.

When I first read the synopsis I didn't realise that we would be getting a pov from a 14 year old girl! I usually like my povs from characters to be a little older, but I had so much fun getting Rose's thoughts, she could be so blunt at times saying things before thinking, causing herself more problems, but I liked this side about her. She was a freshman with hardly any friends to cover her back, but this didn't prevent her from giving up. With the junior Regina and her friends forever putting her down, she still tried to hold her own. She also had a fun sense of humour, I enjoyed some of the imagery and ideas she would come up with and how sometimes her imagination would wander off to the craziest ideas. At times I forgot how old she really was in comparison to several other characters as she acted quite mature for her age.

The secondary characters were also a funny bunch, Robert with his constant pining over Rose, poor guy was never able to come to the realisation that Rose didn't like him; he was always trying too hard. I had mixed feelings about Jamie Forta, I thought he was just what Rose needed, despite the age gap he seemed to understand her, but then he always blew hot and cold. When I finally thought something would happen between them he would push Rose away. So it was good getting some scenes where we got to know his character that little bit more, my heart really went out to him at times. Also I always seem to have a soft spot for male characters who are referred to by their surnames; St Clair, Barrons and now Forta *sigh*.  Angelo Jamie' best friend was a character I truly adored, his and Rose's scenes in the study hall were some of my favourites, some may see Angelo as an irritating person with him constantly bugging Rose when she obviously wasn't in the mood to talk, but he truly did  have person's best interests at heart. He was always trying to cheer Rose up, I loved how when she didn't tell him her name he started referring to her as sweater. I would have loved Angelo to have a more prominent role in the book as he always brought a smile to my face. Let's hope this happens in the next book Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend.

Rozette managed to create such a realistic portrayal of how difficult and confusing school life can be for a teenager. Along with the heartache, she was able to mix in some hilarious scenes producing an entertaining read full of charming characters many readers will enjoy. (just be warned you may want to pummel Regina in this book several times.)




14 comments:

Jenny said...

Oh man Jasprit. You mentioned Barrons and St. Clair in a single sentence. *dies* I'm excited to give this one a try, based on the premise I wasn't sure it was for me either, and knowing the protagonist is a bit younger than I typically like to read about kind of solidified that feeling, but your review has me thinking I'll really enjoy it. If for no other reason than I can add Forta to the list of delicious fictional boyfriends who go by their last names:) Complete win.

Aa'Ishah said...

Wait, she's fourteen years old? Wow. I thought she was older! I agree, I prefer older POVs but I'll still give this a try. It didn't look like my kind of read when I first saw this, but something has been telling me to read it. ;) Haha, I know what you mean with the surnames! I don't get what it is about that, it's just appealing. :D It sounds like this has a great set of characters (apart from Regina lol) and a nice mix of harsh realism with humour. Fab review, Jasprit! :)

Stepping Out of the Page said...

Great review, Jasprit! I really do want to read this but I think I might get a little *too* annoyed with the characters, which would put me off. I'm glad you liked it though, and you've definitely encouraged me to pick it up! Thanks for sharing :)

Steph @ SOOTP

Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings said...

I keep reading great reviews on this one and everyone says the same thing, this book took them by suprise and that they loved Rose. I am sorry I passed this one up when I had the chance to review it, but I am trying to tame that pile.

Sam (Realm of Fiction) said...

Brilliant review, Jasprit! I keep telling myself that this isn't my sort of book, but seeing all these positive reviews is convincing me otherwise! I usually like my main characters a little older than 14 too, but I'm glad you enjoyed Rose and this book. :)

Keertana said...

Aww, this book sounds like such a heart-warming teenage journey! :) Like you, Jasprit, I like my protagonists to be a little older, but I'm glad you enjoyed this. I was on the fence about reading this one because of some negative reviews, but you've convinced me to give it a try. Wonderful review, Jasprit, and thanks for sharing! :D

Livvy said...

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this! I saw it around, but I still don't think my mind has been changed, especially with another hot/cold guy and the fact that it's going to be a series.

However, it's nice to hear that she was a rather grown up protagonist because when you said 14, I thought, oh dear, whiny teenager!

Still, lovely review and whilst I haven't been convinced to read it, I'm glad you enjoyed! :)

Unknown said...

CoaAG is exactly the sort of book I'm drawn to. You've convinced me even more (if possible) that I must read it. Lovely review, Jasprit. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Realisic, gritty stories with compelling narrators with complicated, sad stories to tell are my cup of tea, so maybe I should check this one out then? The reviews for this have been mixed so far, but I'm delighted that you fall in the more positive range, Jasprit. :) Stunning review!

Eunice said...

Oh, I didn't know there will be a sequel for this book. I think it would be lovely if this would be a series. Rose seems like a very interesting girl and I would love to see her grew up and developed. So glad you enjoyed this Jasprit. Brilliant review. ;)

Celine said...

I really enjoyed this book too! It's so realistic and the author portrays high school life really well. Sometimes I find Rose a bit annoying but I completely understand her actions and behaviour in the story. I am really intrigued by Jamie too so I can't wait for the sequel!

Awesome review, Jasprit! ♥ So glad you enjoyed it!

Atmika@I Talk Books! said...

I am glad you liked it. I thought it was great too.
Great review. :D
I am new to your blog and it's awesome. :)

Vegan YA Nerds said...

So glad to hear you enjoyed this, it surprised me as well! I felt a bit sorry for poor old Robert, he just couldn't take a hint!

I can't wait for book two - great review, J!

-Ria xo said...

I agree, I couldn't stop reading this once I picked it up! I imagined Rose as a little older, too, especially in some events. St Clair! Swoon. And Forta, too.<3 Angelo was such a lovely character, so sweet! I can't wait for the next in the series, and I hope I won't want to 'pummel' Regina as much as I did in this book. (: lovely review, Jasprit!<3

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...