I would highly recommend this book for any of my high school students struggling to fit in. (Isn't that allow of them?) The author was able to suck me in and I could feel like I was back in high school. Occasionally, I felt a character may have been too dramatic, then I would remember that it IS high school, and so it tracks. I'm ready for a sequel with all of these characters for what happens after high school.

Well it took three books, but I’m finally aboard the Casey McQuiston bandwagon. And oddly enough, it’s coming in the form of her YA contemporary debut - the one genre I connect with the least at this point in my life.

Even in the past when I haven’t absolutely loved McQuiston’s books, I could recognize how exceptional she was at writing fully realized characters - people I felt like I could run into at the grocery store, or sit next to on an airplane. They aren’t the generic outlines of a person with a motive and a few hobbies. They have histories, and quirks, and specific habits that only an author who has spent time piecing together little bits of the real people around her can capture in a character. I Kissed Shara Wheeler has done that to the n-th degree from the main character Chloe’s group of queer drama-kid friends to her diamond-encrusted crucifix-wearing prep school classmates.

Chloe is a sharp, acerbic narrator that is quick to make immediate and broad-sweeping judgements on the people of False Beach. She wants to categorize people as generic stereotypes of the ultra-conservative environment they were raised in, even admitting she finds her “group” and deems them the only people worth knowing in this small Southern community. It’s a character that could come across as incredibly unlikeable if it wasn’t so apparent from page one that she has the capacity to want to understand these people. She sees herself as open-minded, but her entire character arc is her learning how to actually reserve judgment before jumping to conclusions.

But as much as this book is a coming-of-age story, it’s also a romance. A romance, with a mystery at the center - or maybe it’s the other way around. We learn as Chloe does how Shara was not the perfect, bible-thumping Harvard-bound girl the entire town thinks she is. But she’s also not the monster Chloe has tried to paint her to be as her one rival for valedictorian. This had me re-living visceral flashbacks from my own much less romantic saga of battling out for valedictorian in high school. Casey Mcquistion just gets it. And she did it in a series of pink envelope clues Chloe spends the book digging up across town with her quarterback and E-boy sidekicks.

If I were to nitpick anything in this book, it’s the big grand finale speech Chloe delivers - which was in fact a literal speech - that came across a bit campy to me. But even this aligned with the general tone and outrageousness of the rest of the plot and didn’t feel out of place in the story. It just gave off very strong Tumblr “and then everyone clapped” vibes.

But anything negative I have to say about this book is completely overshadowed by the way I completely connected with the way McQuistion captured the strange nuances of a small town. She’s got it down to a science - from the way aimlessly wandering the local Walmart becomes the thing to do after school, to the unreasonable fixation around the only Olive Garden in town. But she also understands how to write about this environment, and point out its many flaws, without disparaging the people who are a product of these communities. There is no black and white here, and I Kissed Shara Wheeler captures that in a way that acknowledges this balance.

I don’t know if this book is going to be as much of a universal crowd-pleaser as Casey McQuiston’s adult romances were. But for all the overachieving Gen-Z readers who aren’t far from that time when high school felt like the entirety of their world - or young adult readers who are living that now - I think this is a guaranteed win. McQuiston’s delivered my perfect YA contemporary romance, a series of four words I never thought I could string together.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this. 4.5/5 stars.

"Chloe, we're gay, we can't do math" to "Oooh nooooo, look at my poor exposed and vulnerable arteries"...this book was everything I expected and more from Casey McQuiston. The zingers, the one liners, the pop culture references, the banter, THE STORY! It was beautiful. While composed within a story of a highly, highly religious school (like...footloose...), it tells a beautiful story of finding out who you are, identity, LGBTQ discoveries, and more.

The premise brings together Chloe, Smith, and Rory who somehow find themselves in some sort of love quadrilateral (also, thanks McQuiston for that one too) while trying to find Shara after she leaves them notes (and also kissed Rory and Chloe while dating Smith). Chloe, who is in denial about liking Shara, is determined to find her academic rival and prove that she is the best. Oh, and also, it's the end of their senior year, everything is going wrong, and there are always new curveballs.

While I liked the romance of Shara and Chloe, I did get annoyed at how hyperfixated Chloe was. I also wish there was a mental health rep with both Shara and Chloe's attitudes and behavior -- especially with how they describe their need to be perfect. Hence the 1/2 star deduction. Also, just, Smith...what a cinnamon roll. I love him.

10/10 recommend. I'm also going to be picking up a copy for my classroom.

Hmm. I'm undecided on this - the first half felt very much like a YA John Green book, and not in a good way - and perhaps it was self-aware as his manic pixie dream girls were actually mentioned. It felt shallow and rushed and confusing, but I did enjoy the second half as everything came together.

I think the biggest failing is the characters, they felt flat and undeveloped and tbh, annoying. And I LIKE annoying characters, but they weren't annoying in a relatable way.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler gives Paper Town vibes. I enjoyed Paper Towns premise but the book and movie both fell flat for me. I was hopeful IKSW would take this premise and improve upon it. Sadly I just didn't connect with the story or characters. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC. I love the cover of this book. 3 stars.

I loved this. It's a super entertaining take on enemies to lovers. I like that the characters are messy and mean and definitely don't always do or say the right thing. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Casey McQuiston and John Green.

I thought this was amazing! Another great novel by McQuiston. I was a bit worried about this YA novel, on account of Casey McQuiston's novels do tend to get a bit graphic, but I thought this was a lovely, sapphic book that many queer teens will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this book! (Also thank you to CMQ even though they had absolutely no part in giving this to me, just thank you for writing in general)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. However, I wasn't sure if it would meet my very high expectations. I'm so lucky to say that it met these expectations and exceeded them!!

IKSW is a beautiful look into queerness and faith and what growing up queer in a conservative area is like. Having been raised Catholic, I saw so much of myself in all of the characters, primarily Shara and Chloe. The character development is just incredible. All of these characters are so complex and loveable, even though they have their faults. I would give every single one of them a hug without question.

Looking at the actual plot of the book, I thought it was so much fun! It's a very Gone Girl storyline and Chloe makes references to this (and I love it). But this really is only the plot for the first 60% of the book. After that, we get into a mess of self discovery, friendships, transition from academic rivals to lovers, and combating the oppressive systems that be. IKSW is so much more than I expected it to be, and I'm so excited to read my physical copies when the book comes out!!

LOVED THIS. Casey McQuiston can do no wrong and I will read anything and everything by them. Such an awesome combination of romance and mystery and twists that I really think that teens are going to love. SO SO good.

This book is so different from McQuiston's other two. I love how with each release, we are getting fresh stories with compelling characters (seriously, McQuiston never misses on great characterization). It does the manic pixie dream girl/Paper Towns and academic rivals tropes better than I've ever seen them been done before. Also, I need a Smith x Rory novel/short story ASAP!

I have been and will be recommending this book to EVERYONE!

I really enjoyed this book. What a great little mystery! Funny, sweet, and endearing. I'd recommend this books to students, family, and friends.

i don’t think i’ve ever felt more nostalgic than i did reading this book. a phenomenal, complex cast of characters. the friendships, the romantic relationships. the recurring theme that everyone is just doing what they need to do to survive where they’re planted—not even bloom, necessarily, just stay alive. the careful deconstruction of the image you superimposed onto a person you don’t know and never did, but would like to.

if rachel berry was likable, quinn fabray was better written, and somehow both of them ended up in an alabama version of paper towns with a much more satisfying conclusion, you’d get this book.

(and, as a queer high school teacher myself, mr. truman’s letter about staying in one spot to make sure those kids have an ally, someone [possibly the ONLY one] to show them that they’re okay the way they are regardless of what the majority tells them….. ouch.)

Author Casey McQuiston perfectly described their own new soon-to-be bestselling book perfectly in one of the later chapters: “Couldn’t be gayer if she tried.”

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is truly the queer mystery teen coming-of-age romcom of my dreams. McQuiston manages to combine intrigue, mystery, romance, comedy, and the truth of what it’s like growing up queer in one irresistible, impossible-to-put-down book.

Plot:
- When Chloe’s academic arch-nemesis kisses her and goes missing shortly after, right before the graduation they’ve been fighting each other so hard for, she knows she needs to find Shara to truly come out on top. In her desperate search for the girl she can’t stop thinking about, secrets are revealed and lies are told; but new friends and memories are also made as well as assumptions challenged.
- This book perfectly encapsulates the feeling of graduating high school while simultaneously telling a whirlwind story full of twists, surprises and, yes, a lot of queer romance/discovery.
- Following Chloe’s journey as she chases Shara was a joy. The plot was multifaceted, never dull, quick to throw in comedic relief but also willing to address serious topics concerning identity, religion and small town life.

Characters:
- All of the characters in this book are at least somewhat gay and I LOVE it.
- If there’s one thing each and every character in this book does, it’s challenging stereotypes and assumptions. Jocks can like theatre. Religious people can be queer. The prom queen can care about people other than herself.
- My favorite characters without a doubt are Rory and Smith (the epitome of gay angst), Chloe (a bitchy, oblivious queer much like myself) and Ace (a true golden retriever).
- Honorable mention to Chloe’s moms who I am obsessed with and wish I got to see more of.

Setting:
- As a queer kid who grew up in a small conservative town and went to a Catholic school, this book spoke to me and my religious trauma in ways I cannot put into words.
- McQuiston is dead on in their explanation of what it is like to be a closeted kid growing up in a school where you clearly don’t belong.
- I hope kids like me when I was in high school will read this book and realize that they are not alone, they are not ‘wrong’ and that it does get better for us. We just need to fight for it.

To summarize, Casey McQuiston has knocked it out of the park once again and I cannot wait to see what they do next.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I finished this book early this morning and since then have been pondering over the ratings and what to say in this review. I’m a huge fan of Casey McQuinston and their work! I loved both Red White & Royal and One Last Stop and even though I’m not a huge YA Contemporary reader anymore, was excited to read this one! And overall, I feel like I had positive and negative thoughts on the story overall.


Things I liked:

• THE FRIENDSHIPS! I had so much fun reading the interactions between Chloe and her friends, new and old. I feel like that is one thing McQuinston shines on; writing strong friendship, with fun banter and overall funny dialogue. This was my favorite part of the book, to be honest.
• I feel like this ties in nicely with the first point, but another thing I loved were the side characters. They were all so lovely and really added so much life to the story. I think my favorite one was Smith. I loved the twist on his character. Normally jocks dating the most popular girl in school are trash: sexists, homophobic, racist… honestly all of it… and Smith was just such a cinnamon roll of a character and it was refreshing to see! I also loved his little “plot” in the story so much.
• the representation! I love that most (if not all, actually, now that im thinking about it) of these characters are not straight. It’s always the opposite in books so I always love that in Casey McQuinston books! We need more books with diverse LGBTQIA characters not just one or two side characters.
• I listed the o the audiobook and I loved the narrator! She made the characters come to live and gave them even more personality! She narrated each character speaking so specifically that I knew which character was talking before it was actually said in the text. It was so good!

In Between:

• I created this section because I don’t really know where to put the main romance. I really thought they were cute, I loved the academic rivals thing so much, it was so well done in this story, but I feel like due to the nature of the plot (aka the fact that for most of the story Shara wasn’t even on page, just mentioned or in small flashbacks) there wasn’t much development. I am glad that she didn’t just show up in the last 10 pages and then suddenly they are together after all the rivalry between them (even though it was obvious it was because they liked each other) but at the same time I feel like I wanted more? So I don’t think they fit in the “things I didn’t like section” but I also feel like they don’t fit in the “things I liked” if that makes sense because I felt like they lacked some development in some areas! They were so adorable and I just really wanted moooore!

What I didn’t like:
• honestly… the plot. I reminded me so much of Paper Towns by John Green (without the road trip) and I hated that book with a passion. I do feel like the plot of the “girl disappearing but leaving clues of where she is for the main character to find” plot was way better executed in this story than the John Green one so I didn’t fully hate it but it just isn’t a favorite of mine overall.. I find it kind of silly? I’m not sure. But I’m glad this caused Smith, Chloe and Rory become friends and well… the other things that Shara masterly orchestrated. Iconic behavior tbh.
• Sometimes Chloe was a little bit annoying lol! She wasn’t a terrible main character but some of her inner monologue sometimes made me roll my eyes. It was like… I understand you but I also don’t know if I fully like you? It was weird haha.


Overall, this had its ups and downs. Honestly, I would still recommend it to any YA reader that is looking for a diverse story with super fun friendships. It was good, just not amazing for me!

Hilarious, heartfelt, and beautifully written. I absolutely couldn't put it down! A must-have for our library and my own personal bookshelf. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The newest book by the author of Red, White, and Royal Blue! I Kissed Shara Wheeler is set in small-town Alabama where Chloe has been attending high school for the past four years after moving from California after middle school. She goes to a super Christian school, which isn't great for her being bi, her two moms, or her general desire to push against the rules. She also has a school rival - Shara Wheeler. Chloe is wondering if she can edge out Shara to be valedictorian when Shara kisses her, and the mysteriously disappears a few days later. Shara ended up leaving notes not just for Chloe, but also for her boyfriend, Smith, and her neighbor, Rory. As they work together to find out where Shara went, they start to learn more about themselves as well.

I really enjoyed this one (although I'm not sure anything will compare to Red, White, and Royal Blue). The focus here is def more YA aka more PG but it was still really good. As with McQuiston's other books, the characters are super diverse, especially on the LGBTQ spectrum. I was surprised the whole book isn't leading up to finding Shara - about 60% of the way through she is found (and then the rest of the book is about the aftermath of that). But overall, a good read and would recommend!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows three high school students who were all kissed by Shara Wheeler, who is beautiful and intelligent, and smart. The three complete a scavenger hunt of sorts that Shara put together before disappearing from town.

I enjoyed this book, and I think others will too. Some of the writing was a bit 'on the nose' for my liking, but I think that comes with the territory of being YA. Overall, I'm excited to see what McQuiston has next!

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER incorporates all of the goodness of a Casey McQuiston book - wit, snark, relatable and lovable characters, a spectrum of rep - and flawlessly translates it into a YA romance.

Two high school seniors couldn’t be more different or more competitive with each other. Chloe is a Californian transplant to False Beach, AL. She’s out as bi, child of two moms, not Christian, and unwilling to be anyone other than her prickly, driven self, determined to be class valedictorian.

Her only competitor is Shara Wheeler, daughter of their christian school’s principal and pastor. Girl next door beautiful, dating the school’s star quarterback, do-gooder, and seemingly perfect embodiment of her town’s ideals.

Shara disappears during Prom. And Chloe is determined to find out why. What she does instead is discover that Shara’s left clues for herself, Smith - the quarterback boyfriend, and Rory, Smith’s former BF and Shara’s neighbor who’s crushed on her for years.

Through untangling the clues and their feelings about Shara and each other, lots of revelations and realizations happen.

Warmth, kindness, all the types of love with a generous helping of sparkling wit and snark twine throughout the book like Casey McQuiston’s other books, Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop.

🌸All the witty banter you could want
🌸Theatre kid shoutouts
🌸LGBTQIA+ rep
🌸Nonbinary rep
🌸Opposites attract
🌸Enemies to lovers
🌸First kiss
🌸Small town politics
🌸Cranky elder statescat
🌸Trail of clues
🌸Climbing into bedroom windows
🌸Finding your tribe
🌸Humor
🌸Lots of feels
🌸Activism
🌸 Self-discovery
🌸Comeuppances

This was my first McQuiston novel, and I am excited to dig into my back titles! “I Kissed Shara Wheeler: a novel” by Casey McQuiston is an LGBTIQA + coming of age novel. This fantastic narrative covers a lot of LGBTIQA+ themes, including gender identity, questioning, coming out, discrimination, etc. The author utilized numerous literary tropes/devices in this novel, including enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, flashbacks, foreshadowing, and more.
To be honest, coming of age books aren’t usually my thing (The People We Keep was a dnf for me). But this one was different- utilizing mystery and conflict as a conduit for the story. I loved it. That being said, there are a few considerations:
1. There is an author’s note at the beginning of the story regarding a depiction of Southern Baptist and other Evangelical Christian homophobia and religious trauma. While this is handled with care, it could be offensive to some. That being said, it is super light treatment of communities and actions that cause great harm to LGBTIQA+ individuals.
2. This novel is hugely character-driven, and I found myself looking back through the story for different character details.
I really loved this book, for a lot of reasons. Grab yours at its May 3rd release date!

If you’re a queer kid who survived life as a student at a religious school,  I Kissed Shara Wheeler will definitely have a strong impact on you.  You’ll either remember the agonies of self-discovery under the crucible of religion, academia and social pressure, or you’ll nod your head as Casey McQuiston effortlessly wraps her arms around you and treats you to a romcom worthy of a nineties film festival, giving you the kind of romance, friendship and laughs that you deserved back then.  As I’ve said before, I’m a Catholic school survivor.  This novel struck a deep, big chord for me.  Modern teenagers who love McQuiston’s fresh voice will also dig this.

High school senior Chloe Green breaks into her classmate, Shara Wheeler’s home, frantic to learn if the rumors are true and Shara disappeared after the previous night’s prom, just a month before graduation.  Chloe and Shara have been rivals for valedictorian of their Catholic high school since Chloe moved from California to Alabama some years before, and Chloe has always had an envy-admiration thing going on for her closest competition. Shara, the principal’s daughter, is popular, bright and well-loved.  But everything between Shara and Chloe is different now, since they just shared a kiss and need to hash this situation out.  Even more importantly, Chloe’s worked way too hard to just become valedictorian by default.  Chloe finds a letter addressed to her in Shara’s room – she rapidly learns that her best friend and neighbor, Rory Heron, also made out with Shara at a graduation party.  Shara has also left behind clues for Rory and for Smith – her sweetheart of a quarterback boyfriend, whom she kissed at the prom before disappearing.

Smith, Chloe and Rory team up to try to find Shara by following the trail of clues she’s left behind, but will the quest change anything about how they look at themselves or feel about each other?

I Kissed Shara Wheeler combines the pointed commentary, wicked humor and trenchant character portraits of the independent dramady Saved!, with warmly observed and poignant portraits of teenage life from a John Hughes movie.  All the kids who go to Willowgrove Christian Academy are average teenagers; they have emotions and libidos and act out and smoke or parrot their parents and their values.  They’re imperfect, they’re lovable, they’re terrible, they’re funny, they’re poignant.  They feel like real teens, which is what makes the book great.  And no one does romance quite like McQuiston – the attraction between Chloe and Shara leans hard into foeyay before finally becoming a romance.

It won’t matter if you didn’t attend a religious high school when it comes to  understanding this book, but boy, does it help.  It captures the hypocrisy and repression that some of these schools offer students who don’t fit into the molds they’ve prepared them to fill.

Because of all of these factors, I Kissed Shara Wheeler is my favorite YA novel of the year so far – and well worth handing over to the teenager in your life.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer
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