Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend (Confessions, #2)

by Louise Rozett

ROSE ZARELLI 2.0 here - 2.0, as in innovative...superior...improved.

Improved how? Glad you asked. This year, I will not:

1. Do things just because other people want me to.
2. Randomly shoot off my mouth.
3. Worry about whether I'm someone's girlfriend - or not.

So, what will I do this year?

1. Find my thing and be who I want to be.
2. Learn when to speak up - and when to shut up.
3. Tell off Jamie Forta and move on.

I'm older and smarter now - I can totally pull this off. How hard can it be?

• ISBN10: 0373210655
• ISBN13: 9780373210657
• Publish Date: 25 June 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Harlequin Teen
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[Rowena]

It’s been a while since I read the first book but picking this book up brought that book right back to me. In this book, Rosie Zarelli is back and the story starts right before Rose’s sophomore year begins. In the beginning, Rose is at a party and it’s summer and the swim thugs are at it again. They’re hazing the new kid and they’re taunting him and almost drowning him and just being overall dicks. The second time that the kid gets thrown into the pool, he doesn’t come up. He doesn’t come up for so long that Rose gets worried and tries to help him out but gets thrown into the pool for her trouble.

Over the course of this book, we find out that the kid being hazed is Regina Dallado’s younger brother, Conrad. If you read the first book then you’ll remember that Regina is Jamie Forta’s ex-girlfriend, who still has a thing for him and who hates Rose’s guts because well, she’s the new girl in Jamie’s life. Although, that’s putting extras on a relationship that is stalled. Ever since Jamie got out of jail, he’s been a ghost…as far as Rose is concerned. No phone calls, no talking, no contact. He just up and disappeared from Rose’s life and Rose can’t shake her feelings for him but she’s also a little heartbroken throughout most of this book and I couldn’t help but feel a bit heartbroken myself.

I mean, who hasn’t been there? Who hasn’t been dragged through the mud by that one boy that you can’t help but love? The one boy that fills your every thought, every single day.

This book isn’t easy for Rosie because she’s got things going on at home with her Mom and her brothers (both things that are two totally different fights) and she’s going through things with Tracy (her BFF) and through it all, she feels alone and out of sorts and like a girl her age should and does feel and act.

And that’s what I liked most about this book. Rose was 16 and she acted 16. She wasn’t older than her years and she didn’t come off as fake, she just was. She did things that drove me crazy but she was honest with herself when she was being unreasonable and she was honest when it counted the most and with all of the pressure and all of the things she had going for her, I really admired Rosie for being true to who she was and who she thought her father would have wanted her to be. Her family was important to her and while she didn’t understand a lot of things, she tried to and she really made this book pop for me.

The thing that made me like Rose so much was how authentic her relationship with Jamie was. He’s that older boy who is more experienced than she was and seeing her feel things for the first time and experience things for the first time took me right back to a lot of my firsts at her age. Those things scared her and when she didn’t understand things with Jamie, she didn’t back away from asking him even though she was scared to death of bringing it out into the open.

All throughout the book, my heart continued to break time after time. Rosie just couldn’t win and it made me mad at the people around her and at Jamie, the most. He’s got a lot to make up for and he’s got a lot of explaining to do because I really want to know where his head is. He creeps up on you with these sweet gestures and the sweet way that he is with Rosie and then he just disappears, leaving Rose confused and…longing. She didn’t deserve the things that happened to her and I was sad at the end. There’s still so much left in the air and still so much story left that I wish we could have gotten more.

I’m interested in where Peter and Tracy go from here. I’m interested to see how Rosie’s relationship with both of her family members grows and what happens now that Rosie is in Angelo’s band. There’s still so much to learn that I’m kind of annoyed that I have to wait for the next book.

Overall, this book was great. It’s got some ups and its got a lot of downs but there’s still a lot of hope that things will turn up for Rosie. I thought that Rozetti did a fabulous job of stringing me along with this story. Not once did I want to put this book down. Not once was I bored with what was going on. I was much too anxious for everything to happen and turn around. I’m definitely going to read the next book…I can’t wait.

I definitely recommend this book.

[Joséphine]

True to Confessions of an Angry Girl, Louise Rozett continued to deal with tough issues in Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend. Rose is confronted with her views on homosexuality and deciding how to treat Conrad who clearly is very different from others. With the school’s strict no-bullying code, bullying has merely gone underground and much uglier than in the first book. That made things more difficult for Rose who wanted to stay out of things to avoid trouble.

What struck me was just how long Rose was struggling with her grief over the loss of her father. After more than a year, she still couldn’t let go. She was afraid even, of letting go. I thought her inner turmoil, and trying to come to terms created more depth to her character.

Those who have read the first book in the series definitely should pick up this second one as well. Everything that I enjoyed in the first book could be found in this book, and a whole lot more. If this is any indication, I can’t wait to read more in the next book when it (hopefully) comes out next year. I do prefer older main characters, so I’m sure I will enjoy an older Rose so much more than I already have.

Fuller review on dudettereads.com. (Disclaimer: Contains spoilers for Book #1. Review of Book #1 available here on dudettereads.com.)

[Ashley]

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend was exactly what I wanted it to be: real, raw, unfiltered high school... in all its awkwardness. Just like the previous book, Confessions of an Angry Girl, this book doesn't romanticize high school. It isn't all butterflies, swoony boys, and first love. There is so much uncertainty, doubts, and awkwardness. Sure there are first kisses, first high school parties, and all that jazz. But ultimately, Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend is about trying to figure out life, and not knowing all the answers.. and that's what I love about this book so much!

School is kind of like a conveyer belt in a slasher movie, I decide. You're strapped to it, and no matter how you struggle, you just keep moving toward the buzz saw that's ready to slice you into pieces.

For many of the reasons I mentioned before, I think Rose is one of my all time favourite characters in YA. I adore every single one of her flaws, and her voice is so unique and yet so relatable! I love struggling through her story with her and reading her inner dialogue. I think she is a perfect example of someone who grows, changes, learns, and really wants to better herself—but she doesn't always succeed. But the book really teaches us that not succeeding can be a really interesting journey!

I feel like maybe—just maybe—I could actually make something of myself this year. Rose 2.0.

But I love how Rose didn't have all the answers. She didn't always know what the right thing to do was. I could tell that Rose wanted to do the right thing and be a good person, but she really struggled to figure out what path to take, and I think that's something we all struggle with, but especially in high school!

Jamie did kind of annoy me in Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend. Although he can be sweet and romantic, Jamie is so hot and cold. One minute he's kissing Rose and sending "I want you" signals.. and the next he's pushing her away. RAGE! But what's awesome is that Rose totally recognized this, acknowledged it, and called him out on it. GO ROSE! I love how Rose and I were totally on the same page. When she swooned over him, I swooned over him. When she got mad at him for playing hot and cold, I was pissed too. We were totally synced up with our feelings towards Jamie!

"Who said I didn't like you?"
"You did. You sent me a note that didn't explain anything, and then you ignored me all summer. And tonight, you didn't even say hi. You pulled me out of the pool, but you looked mad. And on top of that, you still didn't talk to me. That means you don't like me. Actually, what it really means is that you don't respect me. And if you don't respect me, then I don't have any time for you."
[..] Yeah, well, check it, Jamie Forta. Sweet little Rose has been replaced by new Rose, and she isn't going to let you jerk her around.

Louise Rozett nailed everything in this book—the high school drama, the love interest, the family dynamics, and the issues with bullying. Everything about Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend felt very raw and real, but without seeming over dramatic. I think the whole Confessions series is perfect for anyone who wants to read a very true high school story. These books are relatable for SO many people because of the awkward moments and the uncertainty. I can't recommend the series enough! Book 3—I'm ready for you!

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Sophomore year does not go how Rose expected. At the beginning of Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend she’s determined to find her place in High School society while staying out of other people’s business. She’s also trying to get a reign on her anger and channel it into something positive as her therapist suggested. Easier said than done to all of the above. Trouble has a way of finding Rose and sticking her right in the middle of some tough situations. She does try to be more mature in her decision making and reactions, but there are still moments when Rose is still that immature freshman from Angry Girl.

Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend continues with that slightly darker tone which the previous book ended on. However, instead of sex being a prominent topic, this time it’s abuse. But once again, Rose is on the outside looking in. She learns that a couple of her classmates were abused by their father, and now one of them is being hit by her boyfriend. What is Rose suppose to do about this? Does she tell? Is it even her place to tell, just because she knows? Rose doesn’t want to be known as the tattle-tale again, but she knows what’s happening is wrong. It’s a tough situation, and even at the age of 23, I’m not sure how I would handle it. Another major issue that Rose deals with is witnessing a hate crime and being the only one to step in. This is actually the catalyst to her wanting to keep her mouth shut about her classmates wrong doings.

Of course Jamie Forta plays a bigger role this time. His relationship with Rose is so frustrating! Why must Jamie be so cryptic and brooding all the time? Rose isn’t even sure Jamie likes her despite some super steamy make out sessions. He always up and disappears when things start getting too much, and his communication skills suck! He does begin to open up, but then he runs, then comes back, then runs again. I’m sure Rose is getting whiplash from his indecision, but I think by the end of Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, Rose realizes that it’s his problem that he won’t let her in, not hers.

I really enjoyed watching Rose try to find out who she is and what she’s good at, even if it meant she had to lose people along the way. Again, I think these books touch on things that almost anyone can relate to even if their situation isn’t exactly like Rose’s. She doesn’t want to be in the shadow of her more popular friends, and maybe she doesn’t want to fit in at all. She’s also still grieving her father, but not in a way that her mother approves of. There’s also the strained relationship with her brother. It seems like a lot of subjects for one book, but I think it all comes together really well in Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.