Drive Me Crazy (Dickey, Eric Jerome) (Dickey, Eric Jerome) (ISBN 1593558368)

Not What I'm Used to:
This book was not what I expected from EJD, in fact I expected a whole lot better. It wasn't as good as his first books (Cheaters, Milk In My Coffee) Hope the next one is better.

Just Okay:
I never really liked the main character. I couldn't relate to what was going on in the story. I couldn't understand the decision-making processes of the characters at all. I felt like the author was reaching for big words to impress the reader. I felt like the placement of crossword puzzles in the book to incorporate big words to make the character seem smart, even though he's an ex con, was kitschy. I enjoyed the accurate references to Atlanta and Los Angeles. I give it 3 stars and will move on to another book.

Good Entertainment:
I have to admit that I'm surprised by this author. For nearly eight years I had refused to read his work because I had grouped him into a class he didn't belong in. I came to the table with preconceptions that I now struggle to remember what they were based on. Just one chapter told me EJD had skillz. I loved his turn of phrases and his unique way of describing women-from their walk to how they think. I'm certainly not from the school that every book I pick up I must be able to identify with the main characters. Train wreck driven characters can be quite fascinating. Sister Soulja's Winter. Victoria Christopher Murray's Jasmine. And even real life-the nonsense that is Britney Spears. It was the same for me and Driver-a train wreck you can't turn away from. A man who I thought deserved everything he was getting. How you gonna just befriend the man who's wife you messing with and even take him up for a job-Oh, a man you were supposed to be killing? This is great drama. Fiction is supposed to be about drama. However, as well written this book may be-the second have does sort of fall apart. Suddenly-there's a whole lot of talking instead of the action that had drawn me in. The author seemed to be stalling toward the conclusion-and quite frankly I liked Lisa. That whole nonsense with Freeman-was just that. It was extremely anti-climatic-and that story line never did answer the question of why Driver was selected for that job. But overall, EJD has piqued my attention and I will be reading more from him in the near future.

Definitely a Page Turner!!:
Okay, first of all let me be completely honest. This book was very difficult for me to get into, in the beginning. In the first chapter it is not evident that Driver, the main character, can be an endearing or interesting character. That being said, once you get past the first chapter, you start to warm up to both Driver and the story. As I kept turning the pages the story got more and more interesting and next thing I knew I was picking up the book every chance I got, sitting up till 2 am just reading to find out what happens next. All the supporting characters were also interesting in their own rights. The story had a lot of twists and turns, and you do start to wonder how is Driver gonna get out of this? Some parts became a little predictable as I kept reading, and other parts in the ending were twists. I miss the steamy sex scenes that EJD usually writes (kinda mad he glossed over most of the sex in this story) but overall this was a very good book, and I hope to hear about some of these characters in his other books.

Loved it!:
I have read all of Mr. Dickey's books with the exception of Thieves Paradise. I have to say that his writing style has changed from when he first started. There were some books that I had to raise an eyebrow on, but this one was not! I absolutely loved this book! More than that, I loved the way it was written. Some people can't get used to his change, but I love it and can't wait for the new one to come out!