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A review by daydream
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Outing