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cakt1991's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
She Drives Me Crazy is a delightful queer contemporary that surprised me. It seemed to have a fairly simple premise and I thought it would be fairly typical, and a nice palate cleanser after a couple of more intense books. And in a way, it is that, but it is so much more.
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the romance itself, as enemies-to-lovers is so hit-or-miss for me. But I feel like Quindlen created a balance that is so hard to master with this trope by having Scottie and Irene start off with genuine enmity, but come to an understanding of each other as the story goes on, with the two having a bit more in common with regards to toxic people in their lives they ought to cut out, but are still attached to in some way.
On a related note, I did feel a bit more attached to Irene as the story went on than Scottie, as I feel like one of the problems with first person is I feel like the protagonist doesn’t really feel as well defined as the people around them. And a huge part of that played into the darker tone the book took about halfway in with a dark revelation about Irene’s relationship with her “friend.”
That plays into my reluctance to call this book a rom-com, in spite of its branding. So many books seem to want to have their cake and eat it by branding themselves as lighthearted but also delve into tough topics that could catch people off guard, and while the book overall is lighthearted, that plot twist really altered the tone of the book for me.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy this overall, and think as long as you go in with that knowledge, this book is an enjoyable book that will resonate with readers. And if you love queer romance, I absolutely recommend picking it up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Bullying
crackedspines_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
OVERALL: I was really excited for this book but it was a disappointment. Between the harmful rep, Harry Potter references, toxic relationship, and general bad writing, I didn't much enjoy this book.
PLOT: The plot was very weirdly paced, specifically the romance and Scottie's arc of healing from Tally. Both of these plot threads started out veeeery slow, and in the last 10-20% of the book suddenly were resolved with little to no buildup or exploration.
SETTING: Grandma Earl was a really cool setting! I liked it a lot. It was really unique and interesting, and I also enjoyed the contrast between Grandma Earl and Candlehawk.
THEME: I was really hoping for and expecting a nice, thoughtful exploration of toxic relationships and healing from them, but instead I got whiplash from how quickly Scottie went from loving Tally to being completely over her. I didn't see any growth or learning on Scottie's part; instead, I only knew how she was feeling and stuff because the author told me.
CHARACTERS: I really liked Honey-Belle. She was so sweet and authentic, and I love that she was an "innocent" character who was allowed to stay innocent and happy as opposed to being "introduced to the real world." I also liked Irene a lot - she was also very authentic, and she was determined and strong and honest. However, I really didn't like Scottie. Throughout the first ~80% of the book, she was selfish and very rude to Irene, and she made a lot of really stupid choices. Throughout the book, she didn't really have a proper growth arc; instead, the author basically just told the reader that Scottie had learned and was better now. Additionally, the rep was really bad. The Indian rep was SO harmful. It played into many stereotypes - e.g. very strict doctor/lawyer parents, Indian parents highly valuing grades and not supporting "frivolous" activities like art or cheerleading for a career, etc. - and it was also inaccurate. There are several instances in the book where Irene blushed. Indian people rarely blush, especially someone as darkskinned as Irene is based on the cover. It was also a really weird choice for the author to make Irene and her entire family devout Catholics. Obviously some Indians are Catholic/Christian, but the majority of Indians are Hindu or Muslim, and Irene mentions that her family is from Kerala, where less than 19% of the population is Catholic. It felt like the author just wanted to pick something easy that didn't require research. Also, I do not want to overstep, but the Black rep seemed pretty harmful to me based on what I have heard many Black bookstagrammers talk about. Danielle seemed to exactly fit into the harmful "supportive Black character" stereotype.
PLOT: The plot was very weirdly paced, specifically the romance and Scottie's arc of healing from Tally. Both of these plot threads started out veeeery slow, and in the last 10-20% of the book suddenly were resolved with little to no buildup or exploration.
SETTING: Grandma Earl was a really cool setting! I liked it a lot. It was really unique and interesting, and I also enjoyed the contrast between Grandma Earl and Candlehawk.
THEME: I was really hoping for and expecting a nice, thoughtful exploration of toxic relationships and healing from them, but instead I got whiplash from how quickly Scottie went from loving Tally to being completely over her. I didn't see any growth or learning on Scottie's part; instead, I only knew how she was feeling and stuff because the author told me.
CHARACTERS: I really liked Honey-Belle. She was so sweet and authentic, and I love that she was an "innocent" character who was allowed to stay innocent and happy as opposed to being "introduced to the real world." I also liked Irene a lot - she was also very authentic, and she was determined and strong and honest. However, I really didn't like Scottie. Throughout the first ~80% of the book, she was selfish and very rude to Irene, and she made a lot of really stupid choices. Throughout the book, she didn't really have a proper growth arc; instead, the author basically just told the reader that Scottie had learned and was better now. Additionally, the rep was really bad. The Indian rep was SO harmful. It played into many stereotypes - e.g. very strict doctor/lawyer parents, Indian parents highly valuing grades and not supporting "frivolous" activities like art or cheerleading for a career, etc. - and it was also inaccurate. There are several instances in the book where Irene blushed. Indian people rarely blush, especially someone as darkskinned as Irene is based on the cover. It was also a really weird choice for the author to make Irene and her entire family devout Catholics. Obviously some Indians are Catholic/Christian, but the majority of Indians are Hindu or Muslim, and Irene mentions that her family is from Kerala, where less than 19% of the population is Catholic. It felt like the author just wanted to pick something easy that didn't require research. Also, I do not want to overstep, but the Black rep seemed pretty harmful to me based on what I have heard many Black bookstagrammers talk about. Danielle seemed to exactly fit into the harmful "supportive Black character" stereotype.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Car accident and Drug use
Minor: Biphobia, Vomit, Infidelity, and Grief
Several Harry Potter references, underage alcohol use
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