Kelly Quindlen has long been championing queer youth with her works, and She Drives Me Crazy is no exception. Funny, quirky, and deceptively smart, this book is a gem of a tribute to the tropes and cheesy nature of classic high school media.
After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop. Their bumpy start only gets bumpier the more time they spend together. But when an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex (and climb her school’s social ladder at the same time), she bribes Irene into playing along. Hijinks, heartbreak, and gay fake-dating scheme for the ages. From author Kelly Quindlen comes a new laugh-out-loud romp through the ups and downs of teen romance.
I had the absolute honor of meeting Kelly Quindlen last fall when she did a virtual visit with my university’s English Society. You know the saying, dogs resemble their owners? Well, I can say for certain that books must too resemble their authors because She Drives Me Crazy is bright, joyous, and certain, the kind of book that leaves you smiling the way any good 90s rom-com does. From the initial car crash to the various parties to the ending dance montage (yes, you read that right), there’s deliberate attention to joy here.
Behind this book’s cheesy facade, however, is an ode to teenage uncertainty, toxic relationships, and the damaging effects of popularity. Scottie’s up-and-down journey to valuing herself outside her relationship with Tally is touching and reads as something much more than just “moving on” from an ex. Similarly, Irene, Indian-American, queer, and accused of faking her sexuality for popularity points, is nuanced and has a lot more to her than the “cold popular girl who’s secretly feeling.”
Overall, the characters could have been a little more developed, especially Irene, who holds her cards to close to her chest you really can’t see much of her interior. It makes sense for her character but leaves her guarded from the reader. I wanted more time with her and felt a little unsatisfied—though that’s just a marker of how much I liked her. The side characters were also a little sparse in the narrative. They popped up commonly enough, abundant throughout the plot and various humorous/celebratory scenes, but I also felt that same want to see more of them in a deeper sense.
She Drives Me Crazy might be tropey—it is fake dating, after all—but it does its best to still be real. You can see this in the differences between friend groups and towns. For example, the party in Candlewick, with more popular kids from a richer community, is centered on aesthetics and social media appeal, while the various parties Quindlen outlines in the Grandma Earl crowd are more community based and celebratory. The focus on the two towns’ rivalry is endearing and accurate—I see the same thing in a variety of towns near me.
I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a cozy, fun read, especially if you love funky little towns, opposites-attract couples, and endless pop-culture references.
Kelly Quindlen is the bestselling author of YA novels She Drives Me Crazy, which was a 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee, and Late to the Party. She is also the author of the self-published novel Her Name in the Sky, which has sold over 30,000 copies through word-of-mouth in the queer community. She currently lives in Atlanta, where she is on the leadership team of a non-profit for Catholic parents with LGBTQ children.
You can find more about Quindlen at her website, https://www.kellyquindlen.com/.
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