Kelly Quindlen

High school nemeses fall in love in this queer YA rom com by the author of Late to the Party.

She Drives Me Crazy

“A little sweet, a little sharp.” —Booklist, starred review High school nemeses fall in love in Kelly Quindlen's She Drives Me Crazy, a queer YA rom com perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Casey McQuisten. After an embarrassing loss to her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game of the season, seventeen-year-old Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, Irene Abraham, head cheerleader for the Fighting Reindeer. Irene is as mean as she is beautiful, so Scottie makes a point to keep her distance. When the accident sends Irene’s car to the shop for weeks’ worth of repairs and the girls are forced to carpool, their rocky start only gets bumpier. But when an opportunity arises for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex—and climb her school’s social ladder—she bribes Irene into an elaborate fake- dating scheme that threatens to reveal some very real feelings. From author Kelly Quindlen comes a new laugh-out-loud romp through the ups and downs of teen romance, perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli.

Mey-Thip Mortensen

High school nemeses fall in love in Kelly Quindlen's She Drives Me Crazy, a queer YA rom com perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Casey McQuisten...

Isabella Gay

I'm not in the mood, Honey-Belle," Irene is saying. I've got enough on my plate right now." "One dance isn't gonna hurt you," Honey-Belle insists. "It'll be good for you. Come on, you just won Homecoming Queen! You deserve some fun." "With the girls you've been picking out? Fat chance." My heart jolts unexpectedly. Did I just hear right? Girls?

She looks at me, and now I know what's about to happen. "Scottie can give Irene a ride!" Mom declares, her eyes bright. "Please, please, we insist. It's the least we could do."

That's the moment I decide: I will do everything in my power to beat Candlehawk-to beat Tally-when we play them again. I will do whatever it takes to show her that leaving Grandma Earl-leaving me-was the biggest mistake of her life.

Linara K.S

This was a true page-turner, since despite the fact that i wasn't entirely hooked on the story or even the characters i couldn't stop turning the page to read more. And i think that was notably due to the rapid pacing. 

✾ I'm used to slow paced stories where descriptions and metaphors are profusely and seamlessly intertwined with the action in a story, however in this one it we jumped through time on so many occasions it made me uninterested and prevented me from getting attached to anything really. 
The characters were fine in my opinion none stood out to me. The main character is either hypersensitive or has a victim mentality since all i can recall from her character is that she cries a lot. 

✾ The sapphic sub-plot wasn't as heart-wrenching as i thought it would. It's cute don't get me wrong but it doesn't have the passion or the emotional turmoil i so love in romance books. But i do like the fact that there isn't an OUNCE of toxicity in the relationship.

✾ I hated how the main character, Scottie, kept mentioning her ex Tally every damned page. I'm certain there's as much of her name than the main love interest's (which says a lot). It was redundant. We get it, you're not over her, but bro could you stop torturing yourself by evoking her at every turn? Like... Please, for my sanity at the very least? 

✾ Oh and let's talk about the fact that certain subjects are easily brushed over. Perhaps this only bothered me but i feel like Irene's mother's arc was too swift and very much unpolished. What i mean by that is that we don't get to see the progression of her thoughts or even her actions. The same goes to Irene. Because (maybe this is just me being stupid) but i didn't undertand her whole change in character. Honestly she isn't a very amicable character either, and yet she's the most popular girl in school. I don't understand how she got to that position. What made her so famous in the first place? And why doesn't anyone question her credibility despite all the things thrown at her face throughout the book? I'm just 
  confused
....

OVERALL: 
 This was a very easy book to get into, it's warm and fuzzy and makes you want to chug a cat out the window at how everything is cute and perfect. It's very fast-paced and you can easily see through the story's cracks, there isn't much at stake and the characters are nothing more than conventional. 
I liked it don't get me wrong. It was good, but not great. And i was waiting for it to be great the whole time i was reading it. (Yet another sapphic story that disappointed me. Lowkey should've given this a one star but props for the desi love interest)

cute enough for what it is, though a little too goofy for me. it's also very christmas themed so if you're planning on reading this definitely save it until the holiday season.

something i REALLY disliked was the blatant internalized sexism coming from the MC in multiple parts of the book. the scene that stuck out to me most was this one about her sisters:

"Thora and Daphne move effortlessly through Girl World. They speak a common language I've never understood, with shimmering words like contouring and bandeaus and bralettes. It's their birthright, this ability to be like any other girl." page 76

equating being a girl/woman with makeup and clothes is the kind of vapid, shallow take i'd expect from an old sitcom, not an lgbt book written in 2021. really disappointing. as a lesbian and a gnc woman i understand that not adhering to traditional gender roles can be alienating, but this was simply just not the way to convey that. at all.

hannie

cute enough for what it is, though a little too goofy for me. it's also very christmas themed so if you're planning on reading this definitely save it until the holiday season.

something i REALLY disliked was the blatant internalized sexism coming from the MC in multiple parts of the book. the scene that stuck out to me most was this one about her sisters:

"Thora and Daphne move effortlessly through Girl World. They speak a common language I've never understood, with shimmering words like contouring and bandeaus and bralettes. It's their birthright, this ability to be like any other girl." page 76

equating being a girl/woman with makeup and clothes is the kind of vapid, shallow take i'd expect from an old sitcom, not an lgbt book written in 2021. really disappointing. as a lesbian and a gnc woman i understand that not adhering to traditional gender roles can be alienating, but this was simply just not the way to convey that. at all.

i don't see myself reading this again.

the funniest part of this was when they were in the room after using the hot tub, and scottie says she would rather look at guys than irene and then instantly follows up with «i wonder what it would be like to kiss her body»

Stas

Bria

I'm not typically a fan of really cheesy books, but ironically, I love the whole fake dating trope. This is my first time reading this trope since falling in love with reading again, and it is so nice that the love interest is Indian American. Irene is just a normal Indian American girl, and Kelly Quindlen highlights that in the most genuine way. There aren't any random mentions of Irene's culture every time she is mentioned, and Irene doesn't check any boxes on the list of stereotypes. Quindlen does a great job with writing a POC character and just letting her be a character instead of a box to check off.

(view spoiler)[
I didn't really like the reveal at the end that the book is based of the song "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals. I gave me early 2010s Wattpad vibes. They aren't necessarily bad vibes, just weird vibes.
 (hide spoiler)]

clau☁️

This was a very quick and fun read! Very lighthearted but a book that makes you think. A High School wlw romance that is very enjoyable and entertaining. It is enemies to lovers and talks about past and present relationships and how sometimes they can get mixed up. At first I didn’t like the MC so much, I thought she was a bit predictable and one of those people who just want to be different and criticize the rest of the world. But as I got further she did have a bit of a development. Tho I can’t take off my mind the way she forced the love interest to be outed by giving her something she needed in return, it was a big turn off when I was reading it and needed to be said. I would still recommend this book to everyone who wants a cute end of the summer queer story. I do think it is easier that you like this better if you are younger and starting to enter the world of first loves and heartbreaks.

laia

ingrid 

I very much enjoyed it 
but that doesn’t mean it was the height of literature lmao 
also I listened on audiobook 
-and then the last chapter in person and it was so clunky? 
(and they never use the word lesbian once it’s kinda weird) 

But overall enjoyable cheesy high school romance (gets all its points for being sapphic lol)

Fenix Voliton 

i love when gay folks get to just have fun!!

Pero es que son preciosas diosmio.
Ame muchísimo, la comunicación, como se desarrollo, sus personalidades. no no, simplemente precioso.

que precioso el romance entre mujeres❤️‍🩹



pd: ame a Honey-Belle me dio una vibra tan preciosa que simplemente le agarre mucho cariño🫶🏻

enemies to fake dating to real lovers bro 💳💥💳💥💳💥

rara

Kendall McClain

Tatiana

She Drives Me Crazy: 3.5/5
 

  "Before you can worry about who's in your passenger seat, you have to learn to drive yourself."

Premise:
She Drives Me Crazy is the young-adult, sapphic enemies-to-lovers sports rom-com with fake dating you didn't know you needed. Arch-enemies Scottie and Irene strike a deal after an unfortunate car accident. Scottie, a player on the women's basketball team, wants to make her ex jealous, while Irene, captain of the cheerleading team, needs to somehow come up with the money to repair her car. The two make an unlikely agreement to "date" in the public eye for four months, so they both get what they want. Until, maybe, one wants to shoot their shot.

Writing & Plot:
She Drives Me Crazy is such a feel-good book. This goofy, cheesy, and fast-paced romance will warm your heart with romance tropes galore. It is reminiscent of classic 80s romance movies with a modern LGBTQIA+ twist to it. 

Kelly Quindlen's writing is exceptionally approachable and paints a beautiful story that I won't soon forget. It was such a fun, and fast read and definitely would get you out of a slump.

I had a few issues with the book, which were mainly the terms of the fake relationship. Scottie is essentially paying Irene to date her felt clunky and a bit wrong. I only wish there was a different reason Irene needed the relationship. 

Characters:
Scottie and Irene are both three-dimensional; they give such great insight into the horrors, drama, and highlights of high school life. Scottie deals with the loss of her ex-girlfriend in a sympathetic way. Her emotional journey filled with self-doubt, turmoil, and healing is one I know people will resonate with and is relatable. Quindlen takes her time to explore the healing Scottie needs and deserves and allows her characters time and space to develop. Scottie's messy journey of self-love and forgiveness is juxtaposed with lighthearted banter, unique friendships, and a witty setting.

Next, we have Irene, who is Desi, and the head cheerleader. It's a significant theme in the book regarding the lack of recognition cheerleaders receive for their sport. I think Quindlen addressed the assumptions people have of cheerleaders uniquely and playfully while giving Irene plenty of depth and complexities. 

Conclusion:
What a JOY! This is such an angsty and campy read that's ridiculous in the best ways possible. If you like romance tropes, this is for you! While still dealing with more severe issues, Quindlen wraps it all up with a playful setting and fun characters that make the book an overall delight.

trixie

the ten things i hate about you vibes.......impeccable

isabella

I think I was not in the mood to read this but it was really cute

ariadna

i want what they have

pd: they're better than me pq yo si le metía un putazo a la charlotte

debre

Hannah

Every queer book I read is of the 5 star nature this one is so good and so cute. as I always say I love the ending and they’re the cutest

denise

this book is so cute.. like enemies to lovers & fake dating trope ☹️🫶🏾

Chloe Garcia

I really, really enjoyed this book. This is exactly what I mean when I say that we need more of queer teens just having fun and falling in love. As the author described at the end of the novel, it was a sappy, campy, fun story and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I am also always a sucker for enemies-to-lovers so this was just a super fun read. Admittedly, I would've enjoyed this book a tad bit better from Irene's perspective just because I liked her character a whole lot more than Scottie who felt like a very white character who didn't always recognize her privilege as much as she should've.

Literally staring at the window like this: 🥺

Andrea

parece que vc ta lendo uma fanfic ai DO NADA faz um desenvolvimento fudido de como é navegar relacionamentos e términos num relacionamento lésbico. muito bem escrito, fofo, cringe e profundo. o desenvolvimento da protagonista com a familia também me impressionou, não tava esperando isso de uma leitura de livro sobre romance adolescente, tá de parabéns 

luli

Lamia Hajani

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did, I read most of it in one sitting. It's adorable, diverse and full of emotional maturity that is often lacking in YA romance books!

Scottie is a basketball player at her high school in Grandma Earl. Her ex-girlfriend, Tally, left her to join their rival high school's team, Candlehawk. In the beginning pages of the novel, they're playing against one another and Scottie becomes distracted by her grief over the loss of their relationship. Cue a car accident with her nemesis, Irene Abraham, that puts them in a carpool together for a few days.

Thus begins a long story of their fake-dating scheme - a cheerleader and a basketball player entering into a symbiotic agreement. There is so much nuance in this book, from the feminized sport of cheerleading always being denigrated to the widespread homophobia that still exists in the world. The side characters are a joy, the friendships are so important and Irene is who I want to be when I grow up.

Although this book is based on a long used trope, there is so much more to it than that. It has so much maturity and grace when it comes to the important conversations, and it highlights some vital things. I wish I had this book in high school.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kelly Quindlen and Macmillan Children's for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

She Drives Me Crazy

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