This author has a unique storytelling style and it worked really well with her YA debut. Fun, diverse cast of characters and I honestly had no idea where this story was going to go. Kept me interested and entertained the entire book.

Quesadillas & silk scrunchies
Author Casey McQuiston has a signature style, that’s for sure. For one, they love to write in third-person POV, present tense, which is not something you see a lot. That always takes me a little bit of time to get used to, but ultimately, I like it!

Like McQuistion’s other books, I Kissed Shara Wheeler pays an inordinate amount of detail to seemingly mundane details, as well as pop culture references. I really got a kick out of how much Taco Bell these kids eat. Takes me back to high school.


Southern hospitality
I didn’t grow up in the American South, but I was born there. In a way, Chloe and I lived the opposite trajectory. I was in Louisiana until the age of five, at which point I moved to California. Chloe lived in California until age fourteen, at which point she moved to the South.

Of course, I still have a strong familial connection to the region. So, I’m curious how I Kissed Shara Wheeler will resonate with people who aren’t as familiar with the South.

McQuiston does a great job balancing poking fun at and criticizing the very true harm misusing religion can cause. However, they also show the other side of things. I’m particularly glad they pointed out that it’s OK not to want to leave your tiny, conservative town. If you do, how will it ever change?

Trading in stereotypes
Chloe isn’t exactly the most likable character, and that’s fine, that’s the point; it’s actually great. She has to learn not to judge a book by its cover (a lot of this novel is set in a book shop).

Readers’ expectations are also subverted. No one is as they first seem. No one is just one thing. It’s a good lesson and something we all have to realize at some point. However, I did spend a great deal of time worrying about how the book was dealing with mental health. Let’s just say my post-book headcanon is free therapy for everyone!

Book review: I kissed Shara wheeler. Photo of author Casey McQuiston
Casey McQuiston. Photo Credit: Sylvie Rosokoff
Building a mystery
I loved McQuiston’s Red White & Royal Blue so much that I preordered One Last Stop, which isn’t something I often do. And when I heard about I Kissed Shara Wheeler, I knew I wanted to review it. I wasn’t disappointed, exactly, but this book feels a little more paint-by-the-numbers than their first two. It’s McQuiston’s first foray into young adult fiction and I suspect that’s why.

The novel felt about 15 percent too long, due to a lot of over-explaining. McQuiston made a pretty cool choice in revealing the actual mystery at just past the halfway point of the book, making it anti-climactic, which was absolutely the point. It worked for me.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler isn’t about the mystery. It’s about growing up. There’s an especially poignant moment at a graduation bonfire when Chloe realizes she’ll probably never see some of the people there again. It’s such a bittersweet recognition along the way to adulthood. Perfect.

Should you read it?
If you love Mean Girls, Southern queers and/or teenage angst, absolutely! It’s a fun summer read that’d probably be good for the beach or by the pool. Just don’t expect I Kissed Shara Wheeler to become your next comfort read, à la McQuiston’s first two books.

Content warnings: abusive parents (emotional), bullying, religious trauma, outing, sexual harassment, queerphobia.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is out May 3. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚

Every single Casey McQuiston novel is like a warm hug to me, and I Kissed Shara Wheeler was an absolute joy to read. I didn’t want to put it down and I wanted to savour it at the same time because it was just so good. I loved Rory, Smith and Chloe’s dynamic together and how they all got to know each other (or relearn things about each other) and support one another throughout the progression of the novel, and the tensions that needed to be resolved between Chloe and Georgia were extremely realistically written. The depiction of small-town religious rural areas resonated with me and I found myself seeing my own high school experience in what the characters were going through many times. The mystery at the centre of the book was compelling because of the characters that played a part in figuring it out, and nuances of these characters and their relationships (alongside how their secrets and deeply-buried truths were revealed) made them so real and loveable. I will always be a fan of Casey McQuiston and her writing, and I Kissed Shara Wheeler proves that she can write in any genre and it will be phenomenal.

4.25 Stars. I think I might have found one of my new favorite authors. Casey McQuiston has another excellent book in her bibliography. This one is a YA rivals to lovers with one of them wooing the other from afar. Its also very much more than that, as it deals with complex themes of identity and generational expectations and how it can really mess with kids. It also does such a great job with how friendships evolve and are formed as you move through high school.

Chloe is an outspoken, out queer kid in a town that is effectively run by the wealthiest, most Christian individuals. It revolves around the power they have in the town's private, prestigious high school, Willowgrove Christian Academy. Chloe has a bit of a rivalry going with the town's queen bee, Shara Wheeler until she suddenly disappears after senior prom, and kissing Chloe. Shara leaves without a trace, with the exception of clues left in pink envelopes for Chloe, Shane, and Smith. Shane is the bad boy next door, and Smith is the shiny quarterback to Shara's prom queen. While Chloe dives more and more into the clues left behind by Shara, she learns how truly messy and complex Shara's relationship to the town that warships her is.

This mixes a whole bunch of things together, creates complex leads and side characters, with messy relationships. Its about how two seemingly different people can be almost exactly alike and not know it. Its about parents and adult expectations and how their children navigate it. And of course, its about relationships. So much comes together in a fun mystery with a hint of romance that culminates in a satisfying ending.

If I had one complaint, it is that it takes a little too long to get to the end of the mystery, because for me, the mystery was a bit of a courtship dance that Chloe and Shara were performing, and when they finally ended it, I wish that I could read about them interacting together with their new found awareness. But it is only a small issue, and I do not think that it impacted the story that much.

Read this book, people. It is sweet, dramatic, and surprisingly funny with some of the best dialog for a YA high school book I have seen in a while. The kids are alright.

*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think this is the most likeable of McQuiston's books (mostly because I found One Last Stop to be overhyped)

This book was a lot, which was oddly perfect for the characters involved. I didn't know anything about the plot going in, which is my favourite way to approach a book by an author whose works I have previously enjoyed, so I didn't know the following: it's set in a southern US Christian school with queer characters trying to survive and thrive, it has people finally waking up to elements of who they are, it has microaggressions aplenty, it has messy emotions, mysteries, intrigue, and a whole lot of love.

I have been a fan of Casey McQuiston's books for a while now and this newest one does not disappoint. While it's far less steamy that her previous novels, I KISSED SHARA WHEELER, is still very worth reading for the sake of the developing relationships, fighting back against religious oppression, and building community in unexpected ways. There were about four different times I thought the book was ending, but there was always something more coming. I definitely recommend this book and the audio narration is also top notch.

I feel conflicted about this book. I struggled in the beginning to like any of the characters and the "mystery" of where Shara Wheeler went wasn't all that gripping for me. This book just felt like it tried to combine too many things. That being said the overall message of how hard high school is, and how being in a town and environment that actively works to make sure everyone follows the status quo and doesn't break with heteronormative ideals makes it even harder for anyone to feel like they can be or even know who their true self is is a great message that a lot of people can relate to. I enjoyed the relationship building between these characters and by the end of the book I felt like it was a worthwhile read but it just didn't grab me and spur me to want to finish it and find out what happens. I loved red white and royal blue by Casey McQuiston and I've read her subsequent books and enjoyed them but so far none of them have hooked me like Red White and Royal blue.

If you like quasi mysteries, high school rivalries, defying people's preconceptions, small town super religious schools that deter individuals from being themselves, growing up and trying to figure out what comes next with a bit of a scandal and a dash of romance then give this book a read. Thanks NetGalley and St Martin's Publishing for letting me read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

“Even if all we can do today is prove that we exist.”

This is how Casey McQuiston’s books feel to me - like proof that I exist, that WE exist, both for me and for people outside of my experience. They are proof of vibrant, dynamic queerness, is soft, load-bearing community, of sarcastic, messy, beautiful lives.

They feel like liberation. This book feels like liberation. Musical theatre, Taco Bell, Jane Austen-filled liberation. It feels like real life and fantasy all at once, with queer moms and secret kisses and angry lusty scavenger hunts. With transformative, life-giving friendship and honest, immobilizing shame.

I love this book. I love each and every one of these queer little babies and I am so in awe of Casey McQuiston’s ability to transport me back to my own high school experience (which was not unlike Chloe’s) and heal these still-broken parts of myself.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday for this ARC!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022...and my feelings are very mixed.i wanted to love it, but couldn't connect/empathize with the main characters. BUT I loved a lot of other things about this book.

To summarize, this book feel's like a John Green novel had a baby with the stick to the status quo dance Montage from High School Musical....and make it super queer. I'm kind of weepy when reading this book. Not because it's really sad at all, but I honestly can't even imagine having a book like this around when I was a teenager. I am so glad this exists. The queer joy despite imperfect (actually, pretty bad) circumstances really matters. Good representation saves lives and this book does it WELL!

For like 80% of the book, I felt like this book was too long and I didn't really care what happened. I struggled connecting to the main characters, because Chloe and Shara are honestly sort of unlikeable in the way that people you used to be friends with are unlikeable....but if the best friend Georgia or Smith Parker got a spin off, i would TOTALLY read that. I really liked the world and setting of this story. Quite frankly, I would DIE for Smith Parker. Seriously. Obsessed. I also really like some of the other cast of queer background characters.

I think the sweet spot with I kissed Shara Wheeler is really investigating the small town/Christian/queer crossover in a way that felt real to me. I really don't like when books let some new/loose/unimportant relationship destroy their most important friendships, which absolutley is a theme here. It's real. It feels like life. And it SUCKS. There is also some good discourse around the intersection of 'southernness' and queernees and Christianity. Chloe is an interesting narrator, because we get to see the strong prejudice people have against southerners firsthand and pretty much always have to question the reality of what she says.

One other major thing this book has going for it is the use of the phrase "Some kind of nightmare poultry matroyshka'. I'll let you figure that one out.

These stories being out there and done well MATTER. This was queer joy without being totally out or in the perfect space or totally sure who you are and I loved that.

As Chloe's mom said, "There are things out there for you that you haven't even thought of yet." *Cue weeping, again*. Overall, I'm glad I read this and I'm glad it exists and there are definitely people in my life I would reccomend this to.

I really struggled with paying attention to the written copy of this book. If focus is a struggle for you, perhaps check out the audiobook.

Well, that was fun. I felt like I was reading a modern version of one of John Hughes’ classic high school flicks from the ‘80s. A great cast of characters who shed their 1950s-style social expectations to take on their school and it’s head, Principal Wheeler. If you love Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller, Pretty In Pink, and The Breakfast Club you should totally give I Kissed Shara Wheeler a shot.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for selecting me for this ARC and most thoughts. I enjoyed it.

#netgalley
#stmartinspress
#caseymcquiston
#mybookishlife
#readmorebooks

I've enjoyed everything Casey McQuiston has ever written and this book is no exception. The characters, the mystery, the romance all of it was so cute and so fun. This book is really geared toward young adults and while I love YA I was a little nervous since McQuiston's previous books have been adult or even new adult. However, the book definitely delivered.

The novel is told primarily from the 3rd person perspective of Chloe Green, a bisexual California transplant with no time for southern Christian homophobia. Chloe is determined to get out of False Beach, Alabama, and has the grades to do it. The only thing missing is status as valedictorian which she's competing against Shara Wheeler to win. Unfortunately, Shara goes missing after prom and Chloe is determined to find her and figure out what's going especially since Shara kissed her before disappearing. Chloe teams up with Shara's jock boyfriend and the musician next door both of whom Shara also kissed. Shara leaves the team clues to not only where she is but also her real thoughts and feelings. I won't spoil anything but I really didn't see most of the twists coming.

The book focuses on friendships especially Chloe's group of musical theater queer kids and her burgeoning friendship with Smith and Rory. The novel also explores faith and homophobia since the school they all attend is a Christian high school with firm feelings toward LGBT students. McQuiston also includes a note at the beginning of the book which serves as a trigger warning for homophobic and southern Christian content. Overall this book was so good and a delightful read. I highly recommend it. This is probably one of my favorite books this year.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

This novel follows Chloe Green and several friends on their quest to find Shara Wheeler -- high school prom queen and straight A student who disappeared after prom. Prior to prom, Shara kissed three people who all had a vested interest in her -- Chloe, who has a crush on Shara, Smith, who is Shara's current boyfriend, and Rory, Shara's next door neighbor. The three use clues that Shara left behind for each of them to determine what happened to her and why she chose to run away. What follows is an adorable YA novel about having the confidence to own who you are.

This is the second Casey McQuiston novel I read. I first read one of her other novels, One Last Stop, last December and loved it. She develops her characters into people you actually invest in and care about. The plot of I Kissed Shara Wheeler was fast paced and fun and I loved watching the friendships develop between Shara, Smith, and Rory -- three unlikely friends who, socially speaking, probably wouldn't cross paths in high school.

While this book was YA, I still found the romance aspect of it believable and adorable. As an adult, I still heartily enjoyed it and will be recommending it to my students when I buy a copy for my classroom library shelf. This is the perfect book for anyone who likes to root for the underdog!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books (St. Martin's Press) for providing me with this ARC in exchange for a review.

Casey McQuiston is, as always, a brilliant novelist.
Their characters, the interactions and quick wit is just one of the many pleasures of their novels. Each character is real and flawed, with so many pop-culture references and funny quirks, it's easy to get lost in these wonderful characters.

The voice was so strong, and I was so happy and relieved to see a nuanced portrayal of the Bible Belt and more specifically the people who live there. All around, a fun time with this book.

I loved both of Casey McQuiston's previous books, and unsurprisingly, I loved this one too! It definitely is YA but I would call her others new adult if anything--and they've always been picked up by older YA readers anyway--so the overall tone and style didn't read that differently here. This is another one that I really, really hope gets made into a movie or TV series, as I think it would be perfect for Netflix or HBO Max.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is Casey McQuiston’s first foray into the YA world and it’s more than successful. Chloe Green is about to graduate from her intensely Catholic high school in False Beach, Alabama. Chloe’s moms brought her to Alabama from Southern California, and she can’t wait to get out - her plan is to win valedictorian and move to New York City as soon as possible. There’s only one problem - her arch rival, the perfect and flawless Shara Wheeler, kisses Chloe out of nowhere and suddenly disappears. Chloe becomes obsessed with finding out what happened, and with the help of her new friends and the letters Shara left hidden for them, she sets out to solve the mystery of Shara’s disappearance.

This book was a personal test for me - while I wasn’t a huge fan of McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue, I loved their One Last Stop, so the next book felt like my own make it or break it moment. I’m happy to report that McQuiston gets better and better with each book and One Last Stop definitely wasn’t a fluke. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a fun, quirky and a little bit wacky novel about friendship, queerness, identity, and solidarity. I come from an extremely Catholic country so the setting of the novel was very relatable to me and I did get a bit teary-eyed thinking about the queer kids in such environments who get to read books like this one. It’s so unapologetically queer and funny, romantic and comforting, that I really can’t wait to see the waves it makes when it’s out in the world. I loved every single character and would be more than happy to read a whole series about their shenanigans. The plot was exciting and although it was sometimes a tiny bit too over the top for me, I had a blast from the first page to the last.

TLDR: I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a brilliant, happy novel that feels like a warm hug for all the queer and questioning kids who are trying to figure out their path and their place in the world. Highly, highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4+ stars. Casey McQuiston has a way of writing that just sucks you into the story and makes you not want to put the book down. There was so much character growth and reflection in it which I loved. I also really enjoyed the bit of mystery and trail of clues to figure out what happened.

I was a big fan of Casey McQuiston’s first two novels, Red White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop, so I was excited to hear she has a new one coming out and that it’s her YA debut.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler follows Chloe Green, a high school senior who moved from California to Alabama her freshman year. Enrolled in a conservative Christian school, Chloe has felt like the black sheep of the school the entire time she has been there. When the story opens, she is just months away from graduation and has her eyes on the prize, class Valedictorian. She has been competing neck and neck for the coveted title and all its glory with the school darling, Shara Wheeler. Shara is the Principal’s daughter, a good Christian girl, and everyone just adores her. Well, everyone except Chloe. Chloe can’t stand her and would love nothing more than to beat her out for the top spot.

A month before graduation everything changes though – out of nowhere, Shara kisses Chloe and then by the next morning, has disappeared. Chloe starts desperately hunting for clues as to Shara’s whereabouts, because let’s face it, winning Valedictorian because your main rival stopped coming to school isn’t very satisfying. During her search, she learns that she isn’t the only one Shara kissed. She also kissed Rory Heron, the bad boy who lives next door to her, and she kissed her longtime boyfriend, Smith Parker. What kind of game is Shara playing? Because it clearly is a game, considering that before she vanished, she left each of them a letter, followed by a series of clues that promise to lead to her whereabouts. It becomes clear that if they want to solve the mystery of where Shara is, why she chose to disappear, and why she chose them to play the game, they’re going to have to work together to piece together this odd scavenger hunt.

McQuiston has a gift for writing lovable characters so it’s no surprise that I really liked Chloe, Rory, and Smith. I enjoyed them all individually, and as a group, as they begin to bond while they work to solve each of Shara’s clues. Chloe is scrappy and determined, Rory has a reputation for being a bad boy but is actually pretty sweet, and Smith is also just a cinnamon roll. While I was just as clueless as these three as to why Shara has them jumping through so many hoops for her, I loved what the quest actually does for them. It leads them to interact with each other as well as other students in the school they’ve never really interacted with before because the school is full of cliques. Chloe, in particular, shows a lot of growth in this area because as she interacts with more and more different people, she realizes that she isn’t as different from some of her fellow students as she had led herself to believe and it leads her to examine some of her own prejudices and realize how unfair she was being. As fascinating as the journey was to find Shara and learn her reasons for doing what she did, I found this journey of Chloe’s to be my favorite part of the story. Speaking of the mystery surrounding Shara, I don’t want to spoil anything there so I’ll leave it for you to discover on your own. It’s one heck of a ride though, I’ll say that much, and eye opening for all of the characters involved.

The only real downside for me was that we only get chapters from Chloe’s perspective. I think some chapters from Rory or Smith as they are on Shara’s trail, or even from Shara herself to give us some hints into her motivations, would have made the story even better. Still a fabulous read though so it’s only a minor quibble.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a story about relentlessly pursuing what you think you want in life, only to stumble into what it is you really need. It’s a mystery, a romance, a story about second chances, and so much more. There’s definitely a little something for everyone, so be sure to check it out!

Casey McQuiston just may end up becoming one of my new favorite authors. Over the last year I quickly devoured their adult books so when I learned that they were taking on the world of YA I couldn't wait. There is just something about their characters. They practically jump off of the page and demand attention from anyone around. They are so relatable and real. Even her side characters can't help but take center stage every once and awhile (Benji, I am talking about you! I have fallen in love with almost every character of McQuiston's that I have come across, flaws and all.

McQuiston has a way of filling her books with humor and heart while they tackle some pretty heavy subjects and I Kissed Shara Wheeler was no exception. I Kissed Shara Wheeler does a great job of showing all the parts (the good and the bad) of being a teenager. So much angst, drama, and pressure it is amazing that any of us can make it into adulthood without some serious baggage. Much like us, the characters learn so much about themselves (as well as each other) throughout the course of the story and come out stronger on the other side

This book reminded me a lot of Paper Town by John Greene vibes and I'm not mad about that. At least when I finished this book I wasn't mad at the "missing" girl. I may remember throwing my copy of Paper Towns across the room because I ended up disliking that character so much. At least Shara Wheeler had a method to her madness. She was hiding who she truly was as well as helping others see what they were missing. Sure, her methods may have been a tad questionable at times but it brought everyone together in the end so obviously they worked.

I highly entertaining coming of age story full of representation. I can't wait to see what Casey McQuiston comes out with next!