{Review} Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Title: Confessions of an Angry Girl
Author: Louise Rozett
Format: e-book ARC
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: August 28, 2012
Date Read: August 16, 2012 - August 30, 2012
Rating: ✭✭

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 My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time.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

ARC supplied by NetGalley and Harlequin Teen in exchange for an honest review.

If you're a major feminist, I don't suggest you read this book, just because Rose really, really hates cheerleaders who act a little... promiscuous. Or slutty, according to her.

I had high hopes for CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY GIRL when I started, I really did. The premise was interesting, the cover was gorgeous, and at the time I was also angry. I wanted to see how another pissed-off bitch handled it.

CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY GIRL takes you through the life of Rose Zarelli, a fourteen year-old who's had everything taken away: her father's life, her mother's will, her brother's caring, and her friend's old personality. Enter Jaime Forta, the older guy who's dating cheerleader Regina (who's even more wicked than MEAN GIRL'S Regina George), who kissed Rose. Regina's mission: make Rose's life a living hell.


Run, Rose, run!

Because of how I was raised (and how I think), I'm not a huge feminist (neither is Lisbeth - we call ourselves passive feminists). By that, I mean I'm not going to turn into a raging monster because a guy carries a box for me. He can carry a billion boxes for me. I don't care, because I know (and everyone I know) is aware that I'm completely capable of taking care of myself, thanks. I'm also not into slut-shaming, at all. Just because a girl wears shorts and boots doesn't mean she's a cheap whore.

However, I also believe there is a fine line between a revealing outfit, and dancing in a mini-skirt with only your bra on a cold night at fourteen, in front of a bunch of horny teenage boys who'd have sex with a girl and then dump her after.

A large problem I had with this book is the age of these girls. I'm aware that usually in high-school, you start discovering who you are, and it's a coming-of-age state, but . . . these girls, at fourteen, are already trying to get on the birth control pill (so they don't get pregnant), and some are even having sex. I just think it's too young.

Moving on.

Rose is a horrible heroine, if you can even call her that. She complains about everything. Everything.
If she was truly livid, she'd scream at Tracy until the stupid bitch thought about what she was doing, she'd slap Jaime, she'd go after Regina waaaaay before she did, and we should be able to sense her fury. She wasn't angry like I expected.
In fact, she was pretty much normal until the ending, when she snapped. Rose didn't have fun once - she didn't even try to act like she wasn't a bitter sixty-year old.

Rose was put in sticky situations, but the way she handled them didn't help her case. I felt for her, truly. Her life was chaotic and she had to deal with Tracy, her 'best friend'. But I just couldn't deal with her character. She didn't have to be such a boring party-pooper for everything. CONFESSIONS OF AN ANNOYING GIRL was what it should have been called. After a while, it was just... enough already.


Jaime. Jaime, oh Jaime. I don't understand why Rose was so infatuated with him, or him with her. This guy was not interesting. Okay, so he's older and he's hot. Also, he has a troubled past (haven't you noticed that's the new YA requirement?) and he's dating a cheerleader.

Speaking of cheerleaders, Regina, his girlfriend, is not your typical bitchy cheerleader found in YA novels. Actually, she is.... but worse. Regina scared me half to death, but it's true that not all cheerleaders are horrible. I mean, honestly. What is it with all these demoness cheerleaders?! They're cute girls who wave pom-poms. They're not a special species of evil.

Regina, tormenting anyone she didn't like, resembles PRETTY LITTLE LIAR'S Alison  diLaurentis more than anything. She's twisted and cruel, and I wouldn't want to encounter her... ever.


Tracy is one of the worst friends I have ever encountered. I'm sorry, but if I was Rose, I couldn't have survived with her as a friend. She's the girl trying to fit in with the popular crowd, even if it means betraying her 'best friend' and doing so many wrong things I lost count. Tracy dates a total asshole, kisses up to the cheerleading squad, and completely ignores Rose and her advice. All Rose tries to do is help her, and Tracy just brushes her off and regrets it later. Tracy's very ME ME ME ME ME. She could've sacrificed herself at the end of the book to save their friendship and I still wouldn't have forgiven her. The things that she did can't be.

CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY GIRL is full of girls discovering the teenage world of sex, guys, alcohol, kegs, police, fake IDs, and all-around evil people. Also, gynecology and-


TMI. TMI, people! And I don't mean THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, dumbass.

Sorry, I should probably stop there.

A little bit of what saved this book is Rozett's clear writing, which could have been better if Rose was actually intelligent and fun. I also found myself wanting to read more and more of CoaAG, even if I hated it.

In the end, it was a 'meh' book for me. Perhaps I'll read the next one. I don't know yet.

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.