Did I see this beautiful cover art (by Steffi Walthall, @just___steffi) and immediately request this book without knowing anything else about it? Yes. Was it just as cute and queer as the cover promised? Also yes! Sometimes it pays to judge a book by its cover, just saying.

This sapphic sports rom-com by Kelly Quindlen was everything I needed and always wanted in a YA book when I was in high school. I don’t often read books with female athletes (which is weird because I was the biggest jock in high school), but I’m definitely going to seek them out from now on! “She Drives Me Crazy” follows Scottie, a basketball player who has recently gone through a brutal breakup. On a not-so-great night when Scottie has just lost a basketball game to her ex, the night only gets worse when she gets into a fender-bender with her nemesis, mean-girl, and cheerleader, Irene. The two girls are forced to carpool by their well-meaning mothers, and their mutual animosity only grows. However, one carpool leads to another, and when an opportunity arises to make her ex jealous, Scottie ropes Irene into a fake-dating scheme to benefit them both.

This was such a fun premise! Enemies-to-lovers AND fake dating? AND make it queer with a South Asian love interest?? I was sold. Quindlen really delivered on the sweet sweet banter between Scottie and Irene, and their playful animosity was one my favorite things about the book. While I loved their relationship, the thing I loved the most about the story was the focus on self-discovery and self-love. The most satisfying relationship was the one that Scottie fostered with herself in healing from her toxic relationship. This was one of my favorite quotes: “Because before you can worry about who‘s in your passenger seat, you have to learn to drive yourself”.

“She Drives Me Crazy” gave me such cozy feelings, and I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for something fluffy, queer, and funny. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for access to this ARC!

I can always count on Kelly Quindlen to write characters I root for and who have wonderful chemistry together. This was a delight to read.

This book was such a fun read! Enemies fake-dating, ex-girlfriend drama, basketball championships... All with a backdrop of 80s teen movies as inspiration for the main character's actions. I appreciated that this wasn't a typical coming out story, but instead that the main characters were out, some more than others, and all of that angst wasn't a major part of the story. And even though the reader totally knows where the story is headed, there was still enough tension and "I can't believe she's making that mistake" to keep us interested. Definitely worth reading, and then reading again.

I loved this! I won’t lie, the cover snatched me first... then the synopsis.. then the book itself.

Irene (Indian American queer whip smart matter of fact cheerleader!) is one of my favorite characters in YA in a while. She’s my favorite part hands down of this whole book. I actually don’t think I have to say anything else - read it for Irene! Also there’s basketball. AND sweet modeling of healthy/supportive friendships and families. And did I mention Irene??

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

More like this in YA please publishers !!

I will admit, I wasn't entirely sold on this book when I started. The female lead character, Scottie, wasn't very engaging, and the other two parts of the semi-complete love triangle seemed to just be two sides of the "b****" coin. However, as the story developed, so too did Irene's characterization, as we the readers learn about her alongside Scottie. There were moments in the book where I felt really frustrated with the lead, as she leapt to the wrong conclusions and made mistakes. But, this is a YA book, and she is a teenaged high school student, even if she is only one year from college when the book starts. Of course, everything feels overly dramatic and emotions seem to rule in ways we don't expect them to for adults.

The main LGBT characters in this book are all athletes, and I very much appreciate that the author wrote the characters to be themselves. I did not feel that any stereotypes were really being pushed, either about the female characters as athletes or as gay athletes. When there was stereotyping, we see it mainly from Scottie's perspective on Irene at the beginning, and Irene very rightfully pushes back against those biased views, whether they involve her academic skills or that she is a cheerleader. This book portrays Scottie's growth as a character very well, but it also does not treat Irene as simply a means for that growth to happen.

I was surprised by the writing style. It isn't very often that I find authors who can actually write narration well in first person, present tense. It felt very natural in this book, even though I personally prefer the third person limited. As this is an ARC, there were some copyedit errors, including what looks like at least one full conversation turn missing towards the end of the book. There was also a weird usage of "thermos" instead of "travel mug" or "reusable coffee cup" or just "coffee." Perhaps it is a Southern American English usage, but everytime I read "thermos," I pictured my own dad's 5 cup, insulated thermos that he'd take to work every day, not something that would readily spill when Scottie jerked the car into reverse.

Overall, as a YA book, this was a refreshing romance. It is very nice to read a teen LGBT romance where the "drama" does not revolve around a traumatic coming out or extensive homophobia. Not that some of the characters aren't jerks, they are, but one of the things that I, an adult lesbian who remembers well the LGBT books I read as a teen, very much appreciate is that this book portrays what is becoming the new reality for many LGBT teens, and also what should be, when it comes to sexuality and gender identity. Just because there are homophobic and transphobic people, doesn't mean that we should just accept it and not portray in our fiction the world we would like to see.

Once this book is published, I wouldn't mind picking up a copy of it. I hope to have a collection of recommended books for LGBT teens; I think this book would fit in.

I really enjoyed this book! Scottie Zajac is a basketball player still trying to get over an ex. Unfortunately she loses to her ex's basketball team in the first game of the season. Things get worse when Scottie gets into a car accident with the head cheerleader Irene Abraham, which forces the two of them to carpool to school every morning. They bicker and argue, but circumstances have them coming to an agreement to fake dating to help each other out. What they don't expect is that the other person makes them feel seen and understood.

Quindlen takes the tropes we associate with high school and turns them into something fresh. I like how she delved into Scottie's insecurities. We see her navigate her hurt feelings after her former girlfriend broke her heart. Irene was so well-written! She puts on a tough exterior, but we see how she is funny, loyal, and relatable she actually. The two girls make mistakes and inspire each other to face them. My favorite part was when Scottie bares her feelings to Irene in a heartfelt conversation. If you read this book through, you'll know which one I'm talking about!

The book also pays homage to some classic teen films which I think worked really well. The secondary characters area also multi-dimensional and were well developed. Quindlen has written a fantastic story and I really hope as many people read this as possible!

I found this book to be POSITIVELY ADORABLE and EXACTLY what I needed for the start of the school year.

Scottie, our narrator and protagonist, is a completely believable high schooler-- equally driven by a desire to prove herself as worthy and overwhelming yet indescribable and undefinable insecurities. She copes with them through a series of realistically horrible plans for revenge and attention, primarily through fake-dating her former nemesis Irene. Irene, a single-minded and take-no-shit cheerleader, is a fantastic character herself-- fully fleshed out through conflicts with her peers, parents, and herself.

And these two girls-- oh, they sizzled on the page. The sexual tension was REAL and kept me flipping the pages even when I would get tired.

Enemies-to-lovers and fake dating are two of my favorite tropes, but I think what made them work so well here were the realistic fallouts and the reasons why things didn't always work the way Scottie planned. This story is just as much about heartbreak as it is falling in love, and the way both of these girls deal with their heartbreak in different ways felt authentic.

You top that off with a queer romance that receives side-eye for not (outwardly) hateful reasons and quick shut downs of homophobia and misogyny, and I'm pretty happy with this one.

For a teen romance that could have felt recycled from others, this felt fresh and fun.

A really fun read with strong female leads. I like that both young women work hard and know who they are. They have great banter, and real problems. There's a very realistic portrayal of toxic relationships and resulting low self-esteem. I would definitely recommend to teenage women.

This book was so cute. I could nitpick small things I didn't like so much about it if I wanted to, but honestly, I had so much fun reading it that I find myself not caring about those little things. This is a silly, fun, feel-good romcom with just the right amount of tension to keep the plot moving without making it anxiety-inducing.

There are a lot of "fake dating" plots out there, and this was one of my favorites. The setup was campy and mildly ridiculous in the best way. I also really loved the relationship between Scottie and her friends, especially Danielle, and Irene's friendship with Honey-Belle, who was just a joy of a character (can we have an entire book about Honey-Belle?).

Overall, a sweet, quick read that I would recommend to anyone who likes YA romance.

She Drives Me Crazy is a gay ode to classic teen rom coms. There are social cliques, scenarios that pit outcasts vs the popular kids, and high stakes sport competitions. It was great time.

If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be “natural.” Issues brought up within the story are natural. The way events progress are natural. Nothing is shoehorned in to make a point; it’s just natural. Thankfully, though, I can use more than one word.

The characters were well written and evoked emotion. When someone received good news I was excited for them. When relationships developed I rooted for them. When someone was hurt I ached for them. Additionally, the representation and inclusivity seemed genuine. The author appeared to have put a lot of thought and care into how she represented cultures other than her own; however, as someone that does not belong to some of the cultures presented, I cannot honestly or accurately share how successful the portrayals were to their communities. I will say that in my personal opinion derived from my own life experience, the Sapphic representation was well done.

There were also so many subtle lessons that are important for young adult readers to be exposed to laced throughout She Drives Me Crazy. You are enough. Acknowledge your feelings without shame or hesitation. Communication is crucial in all relationships. There were more but their disclosure may dip into spoiler territory. However, I will happily say that this type of information wasn’t generally explicitly stated. The themes were sewn throughout the story so the reader got to make the realization on their own rather than just be told something that could be applied to their life.

Without hesitation I will be recommending this book. A physical copy will find it’s way into my library so that I can share this story long after it’s released. After all, my heart feels happy.

Quick shout-outs!
The cover is beautiful
Just the cutest story
Referenced classic movies and music without trying to be Cool or Quirky or Trendy

A very sincere thank you to Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press for an advanced copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Irene is a gorgeous, popular cheerleader. When Scottie finds out that Irene dates girls (and so does Scottie), she offers to pay Irene to fake date her in order to make her ex Tally jealous. But, what happens when there ends up being real feelings in their fake relationship?

Enemies to dating. Fake relationship. Fans of both of those, rejoice! Here’s a fun interracial wlw take for you. Also, we get a sporty couple representing two different sports: basketball and cheerleading. Also, I love the cover!

I do wish more characters in the book had been supportive of cheerleading being a sport, but I do appreciate how defensive Scottie was of that. Also, Irene can defend cheerleading and herself just fine.
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Spoiler alert: There’s a happy ending! And no one dies.

This is the queer sports YA of my dreams. I have been waiting my entire life for this book and it is absolute perfection.

It made me laugh and tear up and want to read it all over again the second I finished it.

Perfection

I can't remember the last time I loved a book this much. It's the book teen, sport, queer me would have died to have as a kid. It's so good and sweet and hilarious. It's quite frankly perfect.