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A review by crackedspines_
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
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