What do you think?
Rate this book
You Know Who Girls #2
Driving Lessons
Abbey Brooks has recovered from her end-of-freshman-year heartbreak and has vowed that this year, her sophomore year at Gila High, will be different in every way. Her to-do list: get her driver’s license, come out to her mom, get (and keep) a girlfriend, and survive another year of basketball. As always, though, nothing goes according to plan. Who will be there for her as her plans start to unravel? Who will bring her back to life after another round of heartache and betrayal? These remain a mystery—even to Abbey.
But one thing is for sure, she’s not confused about who she is. And that is going to make all the difference.
But one thing is for sure, she’s not confused about who she is. And that is going to make all the difference.
264 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2014
9 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
About the author
Annameekee Hesik
3 books97 followersAnnameekee Hesik came out when she was fifteen and has since been
obsessed with rainbows. After successfully surviving high school in
Tucson, AZ, she went to college for six years and changed her major
five times. She earned her BA in English lit from UC Davis and her
MA in education from UC Santa Cruz. She is thrilled she finally
decided to become a high school English teacher (with a background
in anthropology, American Sign Language, world history, and
environmental biology). When she isn’t helping students learn to enjoy
literature or dressing up as the Super Recycler or Grammar Police, she
spends her time in San Jose, CA, slurping down mocha shakes,
and writing books that she hopes will help lesbian and questioning
teens feel like they’re not the only you-know-who girls in the world.
obsessed with rainbows. After successfully surviving high school in
Tucson, AZ, she went to college for six years and changed her major
five times. She earned her BA in English lit from UC Davis and her
MA in education from UC Santa Cruz. She is thrilled she finally
decided to become a high school English teacher (with a background
in anthropology, American Sign Language, world history, and
environmental biology). When she isn’t helping students learn to enjoy
literature or dressing up as the Super Recycler or Grammar Police, she
spends her time in San Jose, CA, slurping down mocha shakes,
and writing books that she hopes will help lesbian and questioning
teens feel like they’re not the only you-know-who girls in the world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 8, 2024
A nice follow up to the 'You Know Who Girls' by Ms Hesik. Abby continues her coming of age journey in high school, playing basketball and dealing with her diverse group of friends. I have been enjoying her journey and the rich cast of characters, but mostly between Abby and her mum. Looking forward to the next book in this semi autobiographical series.
June 29, 2016
About a week before I read Driving Lessons, I said to my spouse that I really wish I could read a lesbian novel that had so many les/bi girls that the author's happy-ending endgame for the MC wasn't obvious from the beginning. Not necessarily a love triangle, because I've read those and that's what sparked the conversation, but a book full of possibilities and plot twists. So I'm pleasantly surprised that this cute contemporary lesbian YA that I found randomly on an internet search turned out to be exactly that.
It's a lot of things. It's a basketball book, it's about gearing up the courage to come out to your mom as a teenager (she's wonderfully supportive, which I loved, while still being A Mom in all the realistic ways--read the book for the wish fulfillment and her validating comments alone!), it's a friendship story about a clique of sometimes-not-speaking-to-each-other queer girls at a high school, and it's a story about girls loving each other romantically. "Actually learning to drive" ranks pretty low in the plot, to be honest.
Anyway, the unpredictable nature of the book means that not all the relationships work out, and that includes trouble with friends, but I promise you a "messy happy ending" and a main character who ends up alive and with a girlfriend by the end of the book. However, and this is one of the only books I've seen where this is actually meaningful, I'm not going to tell you who and there are at least half a dozen potential choices among the cast!
There's a lot of "teen" stuff going on in this book, too -- friends getting wasted and needing help, dealing with the in-the-past death of a parent -- I know that gets a bad reputation in YA for happening so often but dammit, my dad (and the maternal grandparents who helped raise me) are gone now and this is one of the books that gets it right, so I'm not really down for blanket bans of half-orphaned MC's.
Sometimes I found the plot "this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened" because it's not so much a single story as the story of one girl's sophomore year and lesbian adolescence in general. And as a bi woman, some of the narrative around bi girls in the story grated a little. But: the girl who truly isn't interested any more gets called straight, not bi, and the bi girl who spends some of the book with a guy is definitely still interested in girls by the end of the book. I think there's some realistic-for-the-MC's-age unreliable narrator stuff going on, that's all. Also, bear in mind that bi women online have emphatically stated that they do need rep for the m/f relationships in their lives, not just the f/f ones, so it wouldn't be right to shut that experience out of YA. It doesn't eat the book, anyway--most of it is drama and affection between girls anyway, whether it's girls loving each other as friends or as girlfriends or being mad at each other over other girls.
Definitely worth a read and entertaining; kept me up far later than I was intending on staying up because of all the twists and turns of the plot and all the interactions between the girls. By the way, two notes: for these girls, "cow" and "herd" are used within their teen lesbian community to refer to themselves, which I've never encountered before, and also, this is the second book in a series but i didn't read the first one at all because it looked like a breakup book. Never was I confused about what was going on; the author establishes anything you need to know. As someone who puts a lot of effort into doing that myself I appreciated that. So if this sounds like an interesting, fun book to you, don't fret if you don't feel like reading the first one.
Extra kudos for a hilarious, drawn-out extended metaphor about "have you been to her Belize yet", which is explained via a map of the Western Hemisphere. (In this analogy, boobs were Utah.)
It's a lot of things. It's a basketball book, it's about gearing up the courage to come out to your mom as a teenager (she's wonderfully supportive, which I loved, while still being A Mom in all the realistic ways--read the book for the wish fulfillment and her validating comments alone!), it's a friendship story about a clique of sometimes-not-speaking-to-each-other queer girls at a high school, and it's a story about girls loving each other romantically. "Actually learning to drive" ranks pretty low in the plot, to be honest.
Anyway, the unpredictable nature of the book means that not all the relationships work out, and that includes trouble with friends, but I promise you a "messy happy ending" and a main character who ends up alive and with a girlfriend by the end of the book. However, and this is one of the only books I've seen where this is actually meaningful, I'm not going to tell you who and there are at least half a dozen potential choices among the cast!
There's a lot of "teen" stuff going on in this book, too -- friends getting wasted and needing help, dealing with the in-the-past death of a parent -- I know that gets a bad reputation in YA for happening so often but dammit, my dad (and the maternal grandparents who helped raise me) are gone now and this is one of the books that gets it right, so I'm not really down for blanket bans of half-orphaned MC's.
Sometimes I found the plot "this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened" because it's not so much a single story as the story of one girl's sophomore year and lesbian adolescence in general. And as a bi woman, some of the narrative around bi girls in the story grated a little. But: the girl who truly isn't interested any more gets called straight, not bi, and the bi girl who spends some of the book with a guy is definitely still interested in girls by the end of the book. I think there's some realistic-for-the-MC's-age unreliable narrator stuff going on, that's all. Also, bear in mind that bi women online have emphatically stated that they do need rep for the m/f relationships in their lives, not just the f/f ones, so it wouldn't be right to shut that experience out of YA. It doesn't eat the book, anyway--most of it is drama and affection between girls anyway, whether it's girls loving each other as friends or as girlfriends or being mad at each other over other girls.
Definitely worth a read and entertaining; kept me up far later than I was intending on staying up because of all the twists and turns of the plot and all the interactions between the girls. By the way, two notes: for these girls, "cow" and "herd" are used within their teen lesbian community to refer to themselves, which I've never encountered before, and also, this is the second book in a series but i didn't read the first one at all because it looked like a breakup book. Never was I confused about what was going on; the author establishes anything you need to know. As someone who puts a lot of effort into doing that myself I appreciated that. So if this sounds like an interesting, fun book to you, don't fret if you don't feel like reading the first one.
Extra kudos for a hilarious, drawn-out extended metaphor about "have you been to her Belize yet", which is explained via a map of the Western Hemisphere. (In this analogy, boobs were Utah.)
March 13, 2017
3.75 stars
Dramarama *eyes rolling*. These are the girls who will have their daily acts in the real L word some day. There are parts of the book I enjoyed, some laugh-out-loud moments, but the teenagers make such horrible, foolish choices all the time that I wanted to slap them all back into sense. Was I even like that in high school, I can't begin to imagine.
Dramarama *eyes rolling*. These are the girls who will have their daily acts in the real L word some day. There are parts of the book I enjoyed, some laugh-out-loud moments, but the teenagers make such horrible, foolish choices all the time that I wanted to slap them all back into sense. Was I even like that in high school, I can't begin to imagine.
November 28, 2014
Interesting read. Fast-paced with good sense of humor and positive attitudes. More detail review at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com
November 18, 2018
Given recent events in the world, this took me a little longer to read than it usually would.
I'm glad I did though.
Driving Lessons managed to, in my eyes, surpass the first book, which is an impressive feat for any sequel, whether it's a book or a movie.
I think one of the main reasons why I liked this book more than the first is due to the fact that it was hard to truly relate to Abbey in the first book. Her relationship with Keeta in that book was kinda deeply flawed and there were a lot of times where I wondered why she kept going back. It wasn't so much that I didn't understand why - it was just hard to relate. Nearly every relationship in the book seemed to involve cheating of some kind, and keeping secrets about others cheating.
In this book, who Abbey will eventually date is almost treated as a mystery, and there's plenty of candidates involved. That was actually a very nice change of pace to many books that I've read in this genre. Usually there's only two girls involved in any given relationship, and the drama tends to be externally driven. I've read plenty of young adult books where there were multiple potential love interests, but I think this may be the first time where the same could be said for a young adult lesbian book. I never even really thought about it before, so the fact that this one did it and it worked out so well is really a nice change of pace, and something that I hope more books do in the future.
Here, the tone is more lighthearted and there's a lot of potential dating candidates, and each one is handled pretty well. I found myself trying to guess who she might end up with, and I was pleasantly surprised by who it turned out to be, as I never considered it a possibility.
Major spoilers for who it was:
Below I'll list my thoughts on a few characters throughout the book, and each will be marked by spoilers.
Kate:
Mia:
Garrett:
Tai:
Ms. Morvay:
I love that Abbey's mom is so supportive - of practically everything - though of course it wasn't surprising since even Abbey kind of knew it would be fine. It's just a hard hurdle to mount.
Abbey's reluctance to drive is nice and is a running theme throughout the book, since her father died in a car accident. The fact that it also represents independence and freedom is nice as well, since it shows that Abbey is continuing to grow as a person. She makes better decisions for her personal life this time around, and doesn't take as much crap from others as she used to. It makes for a more satisfying read in my opinion. There's a few problems and missed opportunities in the plot, and I would've liked to have seen more from a few characters, Mia in particular.
In the end, it's very nice to see a book like this, with so many types of representation available and dealing with it in a lighthearted way. It's a fun read, and a nice change of pace from the melodrama that a lot of other novels in this genre tend to focus on.
I hope that a sequel comes out, because I'd love to eventually have Abbey's entire high school journey play out. If the second book is any indication, a third and fourth would only continue to improve.
I'm glad I did though.
Driving Lessons managed to, in my eyes, surpass the first book, which is an impressive feat for any sequel, whether it's a book or a movie.
I think one of the main reasons why I liked this book more than the first is due to the fact that it was hard to truly relate to Abbey in the first book. Her relationship with Keeta in that book was kinda deeply flawed and there were a lot of times where I wondered why she kept going back. It wasn't so much that I didn't understand why - it was just hard to relate. Nearly every relationship in the book seemed to involve cheating of some kind, and keeping secrets about others cheating.
In this book, who Abbey will eventually date is almost treated as a mystery, and there's plenty of candidates involved. That was actually a very nice change of pace to many books that I've read in this genre. Usually there's only two girls involved in any given relationship, and the drama tends to be externally driven. I've read plenty of young adult books where there were multiple potential love interests, but I think this may be the first time where the same could be said for a young adult lesbian book. I never even really thought about it before, so the fact that this one did it and it worked out so well is really a nice change of pace, and something that I hope more books do in the future.
Here, the tone is more lighthearted and there's a lot of potential dating candidates, and each one is handled pretty well. I found myself trying to guess who she might end up with, and I was pleasantly surprised by who it turned out to be, as I never considered it a possibility.
Major spoilers for who it was:
Below I'll list my thoughts on a few characters throughout the book, and each will be marked by spoilers.
Kate:
Mia:
Garrett:
Tai:
Ms. Morvay:
I love that Abbey's mom is so supportive - of practically everything - though of course it wasn't surprising since even Abbey kind of knew it would be fine. It's just a hard hurdle to mount.
Abbey's reluctance to drive is nice and is a running theme throughout the book, since her father died in a car accident. The fact that it also represents independence and freedom is nice as well, since it shows that Abbey is continuing to grow as a person. She makes better decisions for her personal life this time around, and doesn't take as much crap from others as she used to. It makes for a more satisfying read in my opinion. There's a few problems and missed opportunities in the plot, and I would've liked to have seen more from a few characters, Mia in particular.
In the end, it's very nice to see a book like this, with so many types of representation available and dealing with it in a lighthearted way. It's a fun read, and a nice change of pace from the melodrama that a lot of other novels in this genre tend to focus on.
I hope that a sequel comes out, because I'd love to eventually have Abbey's entire high school journey play out. If the second book is any indication, a third and fourth would only continue to improve.
March 30, 2019
A Work of Sincerity & Honesty
“Sometimes, in order to make room in our hearts for new people, we have to let some go.”
“What doesn’t kill us makes us less afraid to die.”
That ending... OMG!!!
I am speechless, crying & grateful for this journey...
A legitimately honest & realistic Happily Ever After, where everything isn't dependent on the outcome & how it works out in the end, but rather, a genuine joy that understands that getting what you want pales in comparison to getting what you need!!!
Seriously, how incredible is a book that has a simplistically poetic yet still with such titillating complexities as a line like that—how could this book be anything but incredible!!!
An emotional & entertaining story with characters that become so authentic they truly become like real people in your mind & a riveting plot lines that draws you in so effortlessly & subtly without you even noticing.
So sad there won't be a junior or senior year of this series, though Abbey seems like she's found her way (& Tia, Violet & sorta Mia too), most of the other major characters—especially Kate & Garrett (+ dire need for Keeta update!!)— all of which still had a lot of growing left after this book.
“Sometimes, in order to make room in our hearts for new people, we have to let some go.”
“What doesn’t kill us makes us less afraid to die.”
That ending... OMG!!!
I am speechless, crying & grateful for this journey...
A legitimately honest & realistic Happily Ever After, where everything isn't dependent on the outcome & how it works out in the end, but rather, a genuine joy that understands that getting what you want pales in comparison to getting what you need!!!
Seriously, how incredible is a book that has a simplistically poetic yet still with such titillating complexities as a line like that—how could this book be anything but incredible!!!
An emotional & entertaining story with characters that become so authentic they truly become like real people in your mind & a riveting plot lines that draws you in so effortlessly & subtly without you even noticing.
So sad there won't be a junior or senior year of this series, though Abbey seems like she's found her way (& Tia, Violet & sorta Mia too), most of the other major characters—especially Kate & Garrett (+ dire need for Keeta update!!)— all of which still had a lot of growing left after this book.
May 8, 2024
A fantastic sequel to a great first novel. I really like Abbey, the main character. Because it's all written in her POV I could really empathize with her. There are lots of great side characters as well. Garret is my favourite. She deserves her own book in my opinion. She's not likeble perse, but very fascinating. I want to know more about her. Can't wait for another part in this series. I read that it was about to release in 2017, but it still hasn't. Does anybody know why? Please tell me. I really want to know how life goes on for Abbey and all the others.
June 15, 2017
This is the second book about Abbey Brooks. She survived freshman year with a few emotional scars but she definately knows who she is. Now she has to figure out how to tell her mom. Oh, and find a girlfriend who won't break her heart. Nothing big.I love that Hesik writes from the heart. It makes the characters real. I flew through this book and went hunting for the next one. It is not out yet. Supposedly in July so I am eagerly awaitingit to find out what happens to Abbey next.
September 13, 2017
I really loved the first book in the series (gave it 5 stars) and with this sequel Annameekee has made an even better book - no second book syndrome here. Abbey really comes to life, the author obviously empathizes with her character and it shows. Sometimes I even laughed out loud at the lighter passages.
The series just keeps getting better, can't wait for the next
The series just keeps getting better, can't wait for the next
Read
May 25, 2020You know who girls
Love the you know who girls, and following Abbeys journey of self discovery. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Coming from the uk it is difficult to understand the school system but the writing draws you in and leaves you wanting to find out what happens next.
Love the you know who girls, and following Abbeys journey of self discovery. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Coming from the uk it is difficult to understand the school system but the writing draws you in and leaves you wanting to find out what happens next.
July 31, 2023
picked this up out of boredom and a secret love for really bad lesbian YA novels, found a shockingly captivating story. would’ve loved to read this book when i was like 14. still found it very refreshing compared to a lot of contemporary lesbian YA lit. it was cliched, dramatic and insipid at points, a salve for thinking too hard
September 3, 2017
Finally got around to reading this one. Great series.
January 29, 2019
This is such a cute book. I am bummed there isn't going to be a junior year and senior year.
March 17, 2017
Uplifting, funny, unpredictable and instantly lovable
I chuckled - a lot - even out loud on the train. The author has such a lovable, happy style. Reading this made a 2 hour train journey feel like 15 minutes. If you liked the first book, this one is even better. The first is about the awkwardness of realisation and accepting who you are, this is about the liberating time that comes after when you don’t have to worry about those things. Not that it’s easy, because it never is - especially when you’re Abbey Brooks
She’s such a dork, in the coolest possible way - I love her (: Maybe it’s because I’m like her, maybe because she has such an awesome, diverse bunch of friends (what would this book be like without Mia, Vi, Tai, Garret, Kate and Devlin?) Or maybe it’s because she pulls on the emotions that made me feel like I’m not alone, which I don't think ever gets old
I chuckled - a lot - even out loud on the train. The author has such a lovable, happy style. Reading this made a 2 hour train journey feel like 15 minutes. If you liked the first book, this one is even better. The first is about the awkwardness of realisation and accepting who you are, this is about the liberating time that comes after when you don’t have to worry about those things. Not that it’s easy, because it never is - especially when you’re Abbey Brooks
She’s such a dork, in the coolest possible way - I love her (: Maybe it’s because I’m like her, maybe because she has such an awesome, diverse bunch of friends (what would this book be like without Mia, Vi, Tai, Garret, Kate and Devlin?) Or maybe it’s because she pulls on the emotions that made me feel like I’m not alone, which I don't think ever gets old
July 27, 2018
I loved this book and hope that the author will continue the series someday. Even if there are no sequels ahead, I'm still happy to have found and read this book.
There were some characters I did not like, but that's okay, I don't have to like everybody that someone else likes and I'm able to turn pages quickly when I need to. The characters that I did like and the villains -- villains are important -- were very well developed and described. They acted rationally most of the time and rashly on occasion. That kept the story realistic and kept me engaged. If only there were more pages.
There were some characters I did not like, but that's okay, I don't have to like everybody that someone else likes and I'm able to turn pages quickly when I need to. The characters that I did like and the villains -- villains are important -- were very well developed and described. They acted rationally most of the time and rashly on occasion. That kept the story realistic and kept me engaged. If only there were more pages.
April 25, 2018
I loved reading this book and getting to spend more time with these fun queer charicters. I'm going to miss the world of this book. it definitely made me with I stuck with sports and not because i enjoyed them lol.
October 18, 2015
I want to say I enjoyed this book, because I didn’t struggle to read it as much as I’ve done it in the past, I didn’t have to repeat to myself “you have to power through this! you can do it!” because is not that bad, and I only power through when I know or at least have a very strong feeling I’ll be rewarded at the end, so this wasn’t the best book I’ve read this year BUT is not the worse either, that said, I give this book 3.5 maybe 4 stars if I have to give a round number and here is why:
I’m aware of this book being a sequel but for the most part you can read it as a stand alone. Abs (main character) is surrounding herself with a really crappy support system for a 15 year old who just came out to herself… and some of her school -I’m not sure about the context of that, everything about her coming out is the first book’s topic- but anyway, she relies on her bisexual friend -who she keeps forgetting is BISEXUAL and not a lesbian-, to answer all her girl problem questions, since she’s in a rather stable relationship, and even with some of the cringe worthy comments it’s a rather fun relationship.
“Dyke sounds a lot better coming from a friend”
There’s your “mandatory” best friend crush, a lot of teen rebellion and it’s fun, I don’t remember my teens being that way -and now I sound like an old lady, and maybe I am- Abs is figuring herself out, getting over her first love and anxious about the coming out process, she doesn’t want to add pressure on her mom since it’s only the two of them, Abs dad died in a car accident a little while ago and they are both hurting -that’s why it's hard for Abs to drive-.
The dynamics in this story feel a bit stretched and I don’t think a lot of the stuff there is how teens are dealing with their sexuality and sexual awakening, I hope they have more reliable sources than a friend that’s “experienced” and makes fun of them, than internet when the first resources are porn, and that crappy sex ed at school -which really at this point is a bit WHY BOTHER, all that heteronormative crap and shaming girls for enjoying sex, WE ARE NOT IN THE DARK AGES PEOPLE!-, it’s important to create a safe space for teens to ask questions and learn safe sex practices, because not because it’s lesbian sex it means there are no risks (FYI KIDS!)
What I did like: it’s very adorable how in tune with herself Abs gets, how she recognizes her surroundings may not be the best and how even if she can’t just let go of the people hurting her she puts a safe distances, because she’s a caregiver, I love how amazing is her mom and that strained relationship is all in her head, because that is the more TEEN thing to happen, always.
And my favorite quote:
“I don’t have to pretend to like boys or pretend to care how my hair looks or even pretend to not be as smart as I am. I guess all that pretending gets exhausting.”
My recommendation: Get this book and enjoy it’s lightness in a lazy sunday, with a nice cup of tea. It’s fun and just… it may just help you to remember a simpler era where everything felt so big when in hindsight, it wasn’t, and then have a laugh at yourself. I know it happened to me.
I’m aware of this book being a sequel but for the most part you can read it as a stand alone. Abs (main character) is surrounding herself with a really crappy support system for a 15 year old who just came out to herself… and some of her school -I’m not sure about the context of that, everything about her coming out is the first book’s topic- but anyway, she relies on her bisexual friend -who she keeps forgetting is BISEXUAL and not a lesbian-, to answer all her girl problem questions, since she’s in a rather stable relationship, and even with some of the cringe worthy comments it’s a rather fun relationship.
“Dyke sounds a lot better coming from a friend”
There’s your “mandatory” best friend crush, a lot of teen rebellion and it’s fun, I don’t remember my teens being that way -and now I sound like an old lady, and maybe I am- Abs is figuring herself out, getting over her first love and anxious about the coming out process, she doesn’t want to add pressure on her mom since it’s only the two of them, Abs dad died in a car accident a little while ago and they are both hurting -that’s why it's hard for Abs to drive-.
The dynamics in this story feel a bit stretched and I don’t think a lot of the stuff there is how teens are dealing with their sexuality and sexual awakening, I hope they have more reliable sources than a friend that’s “experienced” and makes fun of them, than internet when the first resources are porn, and that crappy sex ed at school -which really at this point is a bit WHY BOTHER, all that heteronormative crap and shaming girls for enjoying sex, WE ARE NOT IN THE DARK AGES PEOPLE!-, it’s important to create a safe space for teens to ask questions and learn safe sex practices, because not because it’s lesbian sex it means there are no risks (FYI KIDS!)
What I did like: it’s very adorable how in tune with herself Abs gets, how she recognizes her surroundings may not be the best and how even if she can’t just let go of the people hurting her she puts a safe distances, because she’s a caregiver, I love how amazing is her mom and that strained relationship is all in her head, because that is the more TEEN thing to happen, always.
And my favorite quote:
“I don’t have to pretend to like boys or pretend to care how my hair looks or even pretend to not be as smart as I am. I guess all that pretending gets exhausting.”
My recommendation: Get this book and enjoy it’s lightness in a lazy sunday, with a nice cup of tea. It’s fun and just… it may just help you to remember a simpler era where everything felt so big when in hindsight, it wasn’t, and then have a laugh at yourself. I know it happened to me.
August 16, 2016
More like 3.5, maybe even 3.8 but not quite 4 stars.
I read ‘Driving Lessons’ while on vacation in Canada and it was a pleasant and decent read. Somehow I’m pretty bad at realising second in a series books because this is one and it’s not the first time this has happened to me this year. Not that it was much of a problem. There were references throughout the book to what had happened in the previous story but I could still follow the story and all. Not a big deal but sometimes I’d like to not stumble into this unknowingly.
This is the story of Abbey Brooks (her mother calls her Abbey Road, hello Beatles reference!!) who is a sophomore at Gila High. Apparently our little protagonist realised she was a baby dyke in her freshman year. She calls them You Know Who Girls (which made me cringe sometimes but I guess I’m no one to judge since I have trouble using the German word for lesbian in reference to myself). Her previous school year must have been quite eventful and so she vows not to have the same thing happen again but she’s a teenager in a school that seems to be teeming with lesbians so not a lot of chance there. Seriously? Is that what American high school life is like? I’m jealous! (I know for the most part it’s not and it’s more wishful thinking and expanding reality.)
There was a lot going on but it feels like the author did a great job at capturing teenagers and also being very diverse. Not only do we get a whole bunch of lesbian/bi girls, there are also teens with disabilities which is something that happens far to scarcely in popular literature.
My only critique may be that Abbey sometimes was a bit too bratty! I know she is 15/16 and kids are like that at the time but I sometimes felt a little bit sorry for her awesome mother. She even went to PFLAG because she knew her daughter was gay and she was totally accepting of it all!
Abbey’s coming out angst felt pretty authentic to me because even though you are almost 100% sure your parents won’t judge you because they are awesome and love you, it’s still terrifying. It will never not be because what if you misjudged them? Abbey is way ahead of me though, I never got the chance to tell my Mom (for various reasons) and my Gran, albeit she would probably support it, is still not in the know because I’m a giant chicken. A now 27-year old chicken.
I enjoyed reading the bits about the high school teachers who were also playing for the L team in this story. Again, I wish we had had an openly LGBTQ teacher at school but nope, small town life and all. From my more grown up (ahem) perspective, this was a nice addition and I would totally read more about Mrs. M and Julia. Can they please get their separate book series about being awesome lesbians while working at a high school with lots of hormonal teenagers and also taking one of them in and raising her? Because that sounds like it’s made of awesome!
To sum it all up, I enjoyed this read and it was one of the better lesbian themed books I read and reviewed so far this year. I would have loved this as a teenager!
I read ‘Driving Lessons’ while on vacation in Canada and it was a pleasant and decent read. Somehow I’m pretty bad at realising second in a series books because this is one and it’s not the first time this has happened to me this year. Not that it was much of a problem. There were references throughout the book to what had happened in the previous story but I could still follow the story and all. Not a big deal but sometimes I’d like to not stumble into this unknowingly.
This is the story of Abbey Brooks (her mother calls her Abbey Road, hello Beatles reference!!) who is a sophomore at Gila High. Apparently our little protagonist realised she was a baby dyke in her freshman year. She calls them You Know Who Girls (which made me cringe sometimes but I guess I’m no one to judge since I have trouble using the German word for lesbian in reference to myself). Her previous school year must have been quite eventful and so she vows not to have the same thing happen again but she’s a teenager in a school that seems to be teeming with lesbians so not a lot of chance there. Seriously? Is that what American high school life is like? I’m jealous! (I know for the most part it’s not and it’s more wishful thinking and expanding reality.)
There was a lot going on but it feels like the author did a great job at capturing teenagers and also being very diverse. Not only do we get a whole bunch of lesbian/bi girls, there are also teens with disabilities which is something that happens far to scarcely in popular literature.
My only critique may be that Abbey sometimes was a bit too bratty! I know she is 15/16 and kids are like that at the time but I sometimes felt a little bit sorry for her awesome mother. She even went to PFLAG because she knew her daughter was gay and she was totally accepting of it all!
Abbey’s coming out angst felt pretty authentic to me because even though you are almost 100% sure your parents won’t judge you because they are awesome and love you, it’s still terrifying. It will never not be because what if you misjudged them? Abbey is way ahead of me though, I never got the chance to tell my Mom (for various reasons) and my Gran, albeit she would probably support it, is still not in the know because I’m a giant chicken. A now 27-year old chicken.
I enjoyed reading the bits about the high school teachers who were also playing for the L team in this story. Again, I wish we had had an openly LGBTQ teacher at school but nope, small town life and all. From my more grown up (ahem) perspective, this was a nice addition and I would totally read more about Mrs. M and Julia. Can they please get their separate book series about being awesome lesbians while working at a high school with lots of hormonal teenagers and also taking one of them in and raising her? Because that sounds like it’s made of awesome!
To sum it all up, I enjoyed this read and it was one of the better lesbian themed books I read and reviewed so far this year. I would have loved this as a teenager!
December 23, 2014
Abbey Brooks is ready for her sophomore year. She's determined to get her driver's license, come out to her mom,, live through basketball season, and get--and keep--a girlfriend.
With Abbey Brooks, though, nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.
I love Abbey as a narrator. She's funny and effervescent, not to mention self-effacing at times. Mostly, she's honest when dealing with her feelings, and her ever-changing world of friends.
"Driving Lessons" is the second book in the "You Know Who Girls" series, which centers on a group of high school lesbians. The first novel in the series is "The You Know Who Girls: Freshman Year," where we meet all these characters for the first time, including Abbey's first girlfriend.
I haven't read the first book (yet), so I missed much of the background on some of these well-drawn characters. However, author Annameekee Hesik has framed "Driving Lessons" so that even a newcomer to the series can follow along. If there is background information necessary to further the plot, she seamlessly weaves it into this narrative. It's a difficult thing to do in series fiction, and Ms. Hesik pulls it off with great aplomb. I never felt lost from not having read book one; I did, however, go and buy book one, just because I'm curious about Abby and her Freshman Year adventures.
Although I think anyone would enjoy this novel, one of the most valuable things "Driving Lessons" does is acknowledge that high school is difficult enough without the added pressure of being lesbian. "Driving Lessons" helps show that such readers are not the only ones in that situation, and that it is possible to find friends--even parents--who will love and support you no matter what.
Also, in the Acknowledgements section at the end, Ms. Hesik provides numerous resources where LGBTQ teens can turn for advice or other help. Not everyone's parents are as cool as some parents in the book, and these websites and phone numbers are there to help.
Abbey Brooks may not be the smoothest kid in school, but she has a huge heart, and that makes her adventures--and this book--well worth reading.
(nb: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley)
With Abbey Brooks, though, nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.
I love Abbey as a narrator. She's funny and effervescent, not to mention self-effacing at times. Mostly, she's honest when dealing with her feelings, and her ever-changing world of friends.
"Driving Lessons" is the second book in the "You Know Who Girls" series, which centers on a group of high school lesbians. The first novel in the series is "The You Know Who Girls: Freshman Year," where we meet all these characters for the first time, including Abbey's first girlfriend.
I haven't read the first book (yet), so I missed much of the background on some of these well-drawn characters. However, author Annameekee Hesik has framed "Driving Lessons" so that even a newcomer to the series can follow along. If there is background information necessary to further the plot, she seamlessly weaves it into this narrative. It's a difficult thing to do in series fiction, and Ms. Hesik pulls it off with great aplomb. I never felt lost from not having read book one; I did, however, go and buy book one, just because I'm curious about Abby and her Freshman Year adventures.
Although I think anyone would enjoy this novel, one of the most valuable things "Driving Lessons" does is acknowledge that high school is difficult enough without the added pressure of being lesbian. "Driving Lessons" helps show that such readers are not the only ones in that situation, and that it is possible to find friends--even parents--who will love and support you no matter what.
Also, in the Acknowledgements section at the end, Ms. Hesik provides numerous resources where LGBTQ teens can turn for advice or other help. Not everyone's parents are as cool as some parents in the book, and these websites and phone numbers are there to help.
Abbey Brooks may not be the smoothest kid in school, but she has a huge heart, and that makes her adventures--and this book--well worth reading.
(nb: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley)
February 13, 2015
I recieved a copy from Netgalley.
This is fun enjoyable novel about a fifteen coming on sixteen year old girl, Abbey dealing with high school, dating, friends, and coming out to her mum as a lesbian. With basketball and driving lessons as well. It wasn't ground breaklingly brilliant, in its themes, but it was fun.
Abbey is a reasonably likeable heroine, quite ordinary but with a good sense of morals and the drama I imagine a lot of high school teenagers deal with. I haven't read the first book in the series but it was fairly easy to jump into the story and pick up what had gone on. Only thing I wasn't too impressed with is Abbey is quite hypocritical throughout a lot of the novel, she finds out things her friends are doing and explodes when it goes pear shaped and she usually gets involved, but then she sneaks around and lies an awful lot. It does improve, though it was a little annoying.
There is a cast of lively support characters, problems with a bully, a best friend with questionable behaviour and Abbey trying to tell her mum about her sexuality. She has some great out of the closet friends to talk to and her attempts at dating and finding a girlfriend were enjoyable to read about as well as reading about her going through her day to day high school life.
I also really enjoyed Abbey's relationship with her mum. It wasn't perfect but there was nice mother and teenager interaction which was good to see, believable as well. And also very sex positive which gets a big thumbs up as well.
A most enjoyable book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for approving my request to view the title.
This is fun enjoyable novel about a fifteen coming on sixteen year old girl, Abbey dealing with high school, dating, friends, and coming out to her mum as a lesbian. With basketball and driving lessons as well. It wasn't ground breaklingly brilliant, in its themes, but it was fun.
Abbey is a reasonably likeable heroine, quite ordinary but with a good sense of morals and the drama I imagine a lot of high school teenagers deal with. I haven't read the first book in the series but it was fairly easy to jump into the story and pick up what had gone on. Only thing I wasn't too impressed with is Abbey is quite hypocritical throughout a lot of the novel, she finds out things her friends are doing and explodes when it goes pear shaped and she usually gets involved, but then she sneaks around and lies an awful lot. It does improve, though it was a little annoying.
There is a cast of lively support characters, problems with a bully, a best friend with questionable behaviour and Abbey trying to tell her mum about her sexuality. She has some great out of the closet friends to talk to and her attempts at dating and finding a girlfriend were enjoyable to read about as well as reading about her going through her day to day high school life.
I also really enjoyed Abbey's relationship with her mum. It wasn't perfect but there was nice mother and teenager interaction which was good to see, believable as well. And also very sex positive which gets a big thumbs up as well.
A most enjoyable book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for approving my request to view the title.
November 23, 2015
This book was so cute! While the first one was LGBT Sweet Valley High, this one felt more like the authentic experience of a teenage girl trying to figure out who she is and where she fits in in the world.
Abbey has survived her freshman-year heartbreak and has moved on to another set of adventures. She is trying to navigate her constantly shifting friendships as she and the people around her learn and grow. I loved the way that as she grew in self-confidence, she started to shed some of the relationships that she had previously been quite happy with, realizing she did not need them anymore.
Also, there is sign language! I have to say, though, I was a little disturbed by how unrealistically quickly Abbey was written to just "pick up" sign language. Sign language has grammar. Spatial grammar. You can't just string a bunch of signs together in English language order to create speech. Well, unless she was meant to be doing Signed English instead of ASL? I'm probably looking too deeply into this. But I appreciate the author's inclusion of ASL and a Deaf character, but it was a bit jarring how it was done. But hey, I'm far from an expert, so I'm more than willing to be corrected. And who am I to say that Abbey is not a visual language savant?
Overall, super fun, cute, and often funny. I felt for Abbey in this book. Great supporting characters, too, though I felt like there were a lot of side plots involving said characters that were not fleshed out. 3.5 stars.
Abbey has survived her freshman-year heartbreak and has moved on to another set of adventures. She is trying to navigate her constantly shifting friendships as she and the people around her learn and grow. I loved the way that as she grew in self-confidence, she started to shed some of the relationships that she had previously been quite happy with, realizing she did not need them anymore.
Also, there is sign language! I have to say, though, I was a little disturbed by how unrealistically quickly Abbey was written to just "pick up" sign language. Sign language has grammar. Spatial grammar. You can't just string a bunch of signs together in English language order to create speech. Well, unless she was meant to be doing Signed English instead of ASL? I'm probably looking too deeply into this. But I appreciate the author's inclusion of ASL and a Deaf character, but it was a bit jarring how it was done. But hey, I'm far from an expert, so I'm more than willing to be corrected. And who am I to say that Abbey is not a visual language savant?
Overall, super fun, cute, and often funny. I felt for Abbey in this book. Great supporting characters, too, though I felt like there were a lot of side plots involving said characters that were not fleshed out. 3.5 stars.
November 5, 2014
Got an advance copy from netgalley for an honest review.
Abbey Brooks has recovered from her end-of-freshman-year heartbreak and has vowed that this year, her sophomore year at Gila High, will be different in every way. Her to-do list: get her driver’s license, come out to her mom, get (and keep) a girlfriend, and survive another year of basketball. She is surrounded by people, she calls friends but always bring her into drama someway or another, whether it’s trying to sneak them into her house while their drunk, getting into a school fight that involves a knife, figuring out that one of your basketball coach’s is dating a close friend, knowing your mother is totally awesome, dealing with the fact that your mother is willing to date again, or the simple fact that you, yourself can finally have love.
This book was really good and I could not stop reading it. Abbey is a really interesting character and I felt for her thourout. She dealt with so much crap but when you think about it, that’s the life of a highschooler. Coming out is never easy and Abbey’s way started out as betrayal but turned a little funny when she put her own twist on it. Her mother is such a sweetheart and I’m so happy that she made it easy on Abbey, it could have gone a whole lot worse. I think Vi will be good for her and I’m glad her mother has Mark. I have no problem recommending this book.
Abbey Brooks has recovered from her end-of-freshman-year heartbreak and has vowed that this year, her sophomore year at Gila High, will be different in every way. Her to-do list: get her driver’s license, come out to her mom, get (and keep) a girlfriend, and survive another year of basketball. She is surrounded by people, she calls friends but always bring her into drama someway or another, whether it’s trying to sneak them into her house while their drunk, getting into a school fight that involves a knife, figuring out that one of your basketball coach’s is dating a close friend, knowing your mother is totally awesome, dealing with the fact that your mother is willing to date again, or the simple fact that you, yourself can finally have love.
This book was really good and I could not stop reading it. Abbey is a really interesting character and I felt for her thourout. She dealt with so much crap but when you think about it, that’s the life of a highschooler. Coming out is never easy and Abbey’s way started out as betrayal but turned a little funny when she put her own twist on it. Her mother is such a sweetheart and I’m so happy that she made it easy on Abbey, it could have gone a whole lot worse. I think Vi will be good for her and I’m glad her mother has Mark. I have no problem recommending this book.
January 10, 2015
Abbey is now a sophomore and when she starts the new school year she's ready for it. She's over her tough breakup and it's time to make some changes in her life. There are a couple of things she has to conquer. After her dad's accident she's scared of driving, but she wants to overcome it and get her license. Abbey also hasn't told her mom she's gay yet. She'd love to have a new girlfriend, but things aren't going exactly as planned. Will happiness come her way eventually or will it be another tough year for Abbey?
In Driving Lessons Abbey is a lot more certain about who she is and what she wants. Unfortunately friend wise sophomore year is sometimes a lonely year for her. She's struggling when it comes to friendships and relationships, but she never gives up. That determination was something she also showed when playing a basketball game and eventually it was what made her life so much better. There are a lot of great scenes between Abbey and her mom in this book. I liked that a lot. What I also loved was the fact that everything seemed so real and realistic. Abbey is learning to stand up for herself and that's a valuable lesson, one she can certainly use. Driving Lessons is another great story by Annameekee Hesik. I'm hoping to read more about Abbey's life in a next book and I'll definitely keep following her.
In Driving Lessons Abbey is a lot more certain about who she is and what she wants. Unfortunately friend wise sophomore year is sometimes a lonely year for her. She's struggling when it comes to friendships and relationships, but she never gives up. That determination was something she also showed when playing a basketball game and eventually it was what made her life so much better. There are a lot of great scenes between Abbey and her mom in this book. I liked that a lot. What I also loved was the fact that everything seemed so real and realistic. Abbey is learning to stand up for herself and that's a valuable lesson, one she can certainly use. Driving Lessons is another great story by Annameekee Hesik. I'm hoping to read more about Abbey's life in a next book and I'll definitely keep following her.
December 4, 2014
*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Love, love, love this book! This is one of the best young adult books that I've read and I love how it tackles the issues of being a young lesbian. Being a teenager is hard enough but when you add being gay into the mix, it can make things even harder. All of the characters in this story were so well written and I absolutely loved Abbey. Her ability to over-analyze situations and freak out over the simplest things took me right back to the feeling of being in high school where everything seemed like such a big deal. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be reading more about the you-know-who girls!
Love, love, love this book! This is one of the best young adult books that I've read and I love how it tackles the issues of being a young lesbian. Being a teenager is hard enough but when you add being gay into the mix, it can make things even harder. All of the characters in this story were so well written and I absolutely loved Abbey. Her ability to over-analyze situations and freak out over the simplest things took me right back to the feeling of being in high school where everything seemed like such a big deal. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be reading more about the you-know-who girls!
September 4, 2015
Annameekee Hesik has a true talent in capturing the voice of a young teenager struggling with high school, pressure of friends and coming to terms with her sexuality. Driving Lessons is an incredible follow-up to The You Know Who Girls: Freshman Year, and provides the reader with another year of Abbey Brooks adventures as she check's off her To-Do List: get her driver's license, come out to her mom, get (and keep) a girlfriend and survive another year of basketball. Hesik's ability to capture this voice with humor, grace, and the full range of emotions makes for a must read story regardless of how old you are.
Read
November 30, 2014OMG. I loved it. There was so much going on. I mean, A LOT happened during Abbey's sophomore year of high school. I hope that there's another book in the series because... Team Mia! It definitely feels like she and Abbey have some unresolved feelings. If you were a fan of the first book, I think you'll be excited to see how Abbey's grown up and made some interesting life choices.
January 29, 2015
A fun lesbian/bi coming of age series. Beach reading in January. I am a little over the PFLAG parents before the kids come out to them. I'm wondering if PFLAG is even that big anymore or if the focus has shifted more to trans issues. The parent issue aside, I like that Abbey makes crazy teenage decisions and is totally awkward socially.
March 3, 2015
This book would have been my favorite book if I was still 16.
It would have gotten me some answers to the questions that I was longing to know.
I had this huge thirst for knowledge and I would have devoured this book over a thousand times by now.
Even though I'm 22, I still enjoyed it and I'd recommend it for anyone.
It would have gotten me some answers to the questions that I was longing to know.
I had this huge thirst for knowledge and I would have devoured this book over a thousand times by now.
Even though I'm 22, I still enjoyed it and I'd recommend it for anyone.
April 3, 2015
Must read!!!
I could not wait to read this book once I found out that it was out. It did not disappoint, I could not put it down. I read it in 2 days. I loved it and can't wait for the next installment!
I could not wait to read this book once I found out that it was out. It did not disappoint, I could not put it down. I read it in 2 days. I loved it and can't wait for the next installment!
September 12, 2015
I think some parts solved itself real quickly and others kept dragging on. Nevertheless I loved it. Well written likeable characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews