Kelly Quindlen Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Kelly Quindlen is a young adult romance bestselling author who made her name with her debut novel “Her Name in the Sky” that she published in 2014.
The author initially started out as a self published author and was very successful as she sold more than twenty five titles in her first year. She would then pivot to traditional publishing and has been combining both modes for her subsequent novels.

Quindlen graduated with a American Studies and English Literature degree from Vanderbilt University. She would then spend two years in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she was a teacher with Teach for America specializing in Mathematics. Kelly currently makes her home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Quindlen thought writing was a very interesting career since she was six. It was during this time that she penned an Easter Bunny story for the first grade class. She would go on to publish her first work while working for an airports restaurant organization.

Kelly currently serves on the board of a Catholic parents non governmental organization and enjoys speaking on issues of parenting LGBT children. Some of her inspiration is drawn from her work with parents of LGBT children, even though the Southern charm and literary culture in Atlanta have also played a huge role.
As for literary influences she has moved on from JK Rowling and now loves Brit Bennet. She is not an influence per se even though she inspires Quindlen to want to be better in her work. She has also been influenced by Randi Pink and especially her novel “Girls Like Us” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Steophen Chbosky.

It was when she read the novel as a twenty three year old that she thought she could become an author too.

Kelly Quindlen published her debut novel “Her Name in the Sky” in 2014 and was surprised when the novel took off. What was even more surprising was that the success of the novel was driven by word of mouth.

She has described the success of her debut novel as being like the hare and the tortoise as it has over several years consistently even if slowly sold a ton of copies. Quindlen has since published several other titles on LGBT themes that have been just as successful.

Most of her works pay homage to the great teenage films of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s but with an LGBT slant. While she seems to have achieved overnight success, she has said that it has all been about her fans taking their pasion online once they were referred to her works by a friend.

Her success has all been by organic means as queer people recommended her noels to other queer and Gen Z kids.

“She Drives Me Crazy” by Kelly Quindlen is a sapphic fake dating and enemies to lovers romantic comedy that the world deserves. The quintessential young adult novel sees two rivals come to an agreement following a fender bender. The agreement they come to presents what comes to be an unexpected opportunity.
Scottie is looking for revenge after she was dumped by her girlfriend who transferred to the rival school which often plays her basketball team on the weekends. The captain of the cheerleading team is a girl named Irene, who becomes the salvation Scottie is looking for.

All Irene wants is to be taken seriously by the people she loves. However, she needs money to repair her vehicle and Scottie offers to do it but only if she accepts to date gher publicly for four months. It is not ideal but stranger things have been witnessed and this may just come out better than they expect.
The work is an 80s style romantic comedy that speaks to the queer community. Exploring how to move on from heartbreak and finding forgiveness, it is a compelling novel that makes for a great read from the first to the last page.

Kelly Quindlen’s novel “Her Name in the Sky” introduces Hannah, a woman in her final year of high school. She intends to spend her senior year attending Mardi Gras parties and football games with her best friends. Hannah never thought she would ever fall in love with a girl especially when it happens to be Baker, her best friend.

She wanted to like the earnest and kind boy Willy that just asked her to go to the prom with him. She should be cheering on when Clay will be asking Baker her friend to be his girlfriend. Hannah lives in a very conservative community in Louisiana and has had conservative values instilled in her from a very young age.

However, she cannot help but pine for Baker who usually stays up late with her cooking Macaroni and cheese. They both love the magic of books and it is Baker who challenges her to be the best she can be.

It does seem that Baker may be interested in being with Hannah but they both cannot accept the wondrous and world shaking possibility.
The story is perfect illustration of a coming to age novel on themes of discrimination, love, bullying, religions, depression, freindship and family.

“Late to the Party” by Kelly Quindlen tells of seventeen year old Codi Teller. She has never been out late, never crashed a party, not even been kissed. It is not that she is gay but rather because she and Jakory and Maritza her best friends spend most of their time in the basement watching TV rather than socializing.

As such, when KaKory and Maritza suggest they crash a party, Codi is not sold on the idea. She thinks parties are for straight and cool kids who are very unlike them. But then she stumbles onto Ricky, one of the coolest kids in school, kissing another boy in the dark.

They are soon best friends with Ricky as he takes her under his wind and shows her new experiences in a wild summer where she meets Lydia, a very cute girl. But she never told her two best friends Jakory and Maritza about it.

It makes for a deeply relatable and poignant story about self acceptance and friendship.