Confessions of an Angry Girl

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Age: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary
Rating: 3 stars

“Bad things happen whether you're scared or not, so you might as well not bother being scared. It's a waste of time.”

Marta Thinks: The angry girl in question is Rose Zarelli. As the summary states, she’s angry for three reasons: (1) Her family is a mess after her father’s death: her mother is barely-there and her brother deserts them for university; (2) Regina, popular and gorgeous cheerleader, is out to get her blood. Why? Easy - Rose kissed her boyfriend (or semi-boyfriend. High school is confusing), Jamie; (3) She feels as though her best friend, Tracy, is a stranger. She has nothing to say to her. Oh yes, Rose Zarelli is feeling enraged.

Despite some features I didn’t exactly appreciate (Jamie’s whole ‘Not good enough for you’ speech and Rose’s falling in-and-out friendship with Tracy), this was actually an extremely fun read. I think it touched on important issues that are most commonly present during high school - dating, popularity, bullying, sex, drinking - and Rose’s personal growth in facing these topics was interesting to see. There was also a touch of humor here and there (courtesy of Angelo) which managed to stop the book from sinking into non-stop drama. Initially, there is some confusion as to whether Rose can be properly deemed an angry girl, and to be honest, at the beginning, she is not. She’s quiet, brutally honest and frustrated and there’s an increasing build-up, but anger is not her defining quality. Only at the end of the book we see a true demonstration of rage, but that’s something you’ll have to find out on your own.

Banner Credit: Marta

In terms of secondary characters, it is questionable whether we are faced with stereotypes and caricatures, but it does appear like that at times. Despite this, I do think there is more to these characters than what is initially seen, though I do think part of that happens in the second book rather than the first. This may seem like a criticism more than anything - which may lead you to wonder why I’m even recommending this book - but I think the true strength of this novel lies in its ability to emotionally invested and engage its reader, clichés and all.