Reviews with content warning for Outing - She Drives Me Crazy

Reviews tagging 'Outing'

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

57 reviews

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This book you can easily read in one sitting. It was quite interesting to note that while gay and queer are used to describe sexualities, the word lesbian is never used…It definitely reads like a young adult novel but I’m glad it exists because there are a bundle of tropes for those that enjoy reading with those in mind: one bed, enemies to lovers with dash of fake dating thrown in there. I do like that the characters especially Irene aren’t stereotyped. Irene being written as a gay Desi love interest who is a cheerleader and is unapologetic about her passions was wonderful to experience. Understanding and coming to terms with toxicity and trying to mend from a toxic relationship is acknowledged in this novel thanks to Scottie, half of one of leads in this book. I do wish that not everything centered around Scottie and her trying to get back at Tally but maybe that’s what this book was meant to showcase, how difficult it is for teenagers or anyone, to let go of something they thought was special when everyone else knew it was destructive. The supporting characters are also well rounded. My love for Danielle, Gunther, Kevin and Honey-Belle knows no bounds.

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storykath's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I came in expecting another silly lesbian romance, wonderful in its way but not remarkable. What I got was a one-day binge-read that had me laughing and crying and cheering the whole way through.

Each with their own motivations, basketball player Scottie and cheerleading captain Irene hatch a fake-dating scheme, despite their strong dislike for one another. As you might expect, their animosity soon gives way to other feelings, but each girl's past and emotional baggage challenge them to grow and heal.

What really struck a chord with me in She Drives Me Crazy was the real, messy, heart-aching depiction of breakups and healing. Scottie's relationship with her ex, Tally, is complicated and painful and undefined, and there's no attempt to oversimplify it or brush it away. It's something I've rarely seen in the romance genre, at least not in a way that's so centered and relatable. Scottie's pain and emotions are so human, in the sense that I was often frustrated with her but always rooting for her.

Sure, there are many cheesy high-school-romance moments in this book, and tropes like the mean girl bully and the cliquey-ness of high school can be over the top. Somehow, that didn't reduce my enjoyment of the story! I could suspend my disbelief and appreciate the wonderful narrative coming together.

Once again, She Drives Me Crazy has exceeded my expectations. Even with its fairly simple prose and neatly-wrapped storylines, it hit close to home and provided me with much-needed heartache, comfort, and joy.

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noyastan's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.25

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daydream's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

i loved the premise but the execution was a bit weak. the writing wasn't very good, plot felt rushed, and most of the characters didn't feel very well developed, except maybe irene. scottie was unlikeable for a good chunk of the book, and the author really did danielle's character a disservice by treating her as the stereotypical non-white best friend that serves mainly to support the main character, without ever allowing her to have that much of a mind of her own.

i also couldn't stand how the dialogue was written. it felt like i was reading a novel written by someone who hadn't fully learned how to write good dialogue yet, and most conversations ended in the author just telling us what happened instead of spending the time to write good dialogue. most of it also felt a little forced and unrealistic. maybe the author's high school experience was different, but nobody from my high school talked or acted like this.

i do think the representation was okay though. you can definitely tell it was written by a white author, but it seemed like the author did a decent amount of research and invested some effort into it.

all in all, i liked it, but not enough to reread or recommend to my friends.

also side note—i just remembered being bothered by this: what does kelly quindlen have against the word "lesbian"? it's okay to say they're lesbians. it's not a bad word.

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