Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions, #1)

(8 am on August 28, 2012)

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