The main character in this book was infuriating but I think she was supposed to be. Overall, another great book from Casey McQuiston though I didn't enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed their past two novels. YA Contemporary just isn't for me anymore and I'd usually never pick it up, which is probably why. However, this one was well written and definitely tackled some tough subject matter that I would've loved to read about as a teen. Even though this wasn't my favorite personally I'm so glad there are books out like this now for queer YA readers.

Chloe is a cool, queer Cali girl who is trying to survive a hyper Christian high school in Alabama. She has somehow found a few other LGBTIA+ friends to help make it easier until graduation and NYU. However, all is not what it seems.
While following a series of clues planted by the school’s beautiful, perfect, idolized by all, possible Valedictorian, newly disappeared, Shara- pretty much everyone turns gay. Okay, not really but there are quite a few HEAs which may not be realistic, but it makes for great reading.
This book is funny and has a million really specific pop culture references. One thing that I didn’t understand was why so many characters were wearing “undershirts”??? If this is a Southern thing, it makes no sense because people are already sweaty.
I do love how the author showed that there can be more to the Bible Belt than just a bunch of cliches.

******Spoilers*****



Obviously, Chloe and Shara together is the ultimate HEA. What elevates it over most Teen romance is that they are stated as endgame, not the usual, “ we’ll go off to college and see what happens “. I found that swoon worthy.

#NetGalley

I loved this book. I thought it was a nice change from Casey's usual romance books. but they're gay and they're into musical theatre, what could go wrong?

I Kissed Shara Wheeler finds three characters thrown together in a scavenger hunt-esque situation when their classmate, Shara Wheeler, disappears. The last anyone saw Shara was at Prom right before she was crowned Prom Queen, but she never arrived to take her crown. In the days following, Chloe, Shara's academic rival, Rory, Shara's next door neighbor, and Smith, Shara's boyfriend, all find letters leading them on a hunt to find the next envelope with their next clue to where Shara went.
The book is very intriguing and keeps the reader interested. I loved the ongoing discussion of being queer in a very small, conservative town and in a small, Christian private school.

McQuiston's writing was propulsive and really engaging here, but I really didn't like her central characters. Both Chloe and Shara didn't work for me fully, though many of the supporting characters were utterly delightful. This made the book way more of a slog than it would've been otherwise.

An absolute delight. I couldn't love this story any more than I already do!

Shara and Chloe's story is a highly original story that is heartwarming, compelling, and also steamy.
The characters are interesting and dynamic and compliment each other so well.
Readers connect to these leading ladies effortlessly and comfortably.
Chole and Shara are real and relatability in every way, and their romance is nothing short of heartwarming and wonderful.
The premise is so unique and intriguing; The entire novel is very vivid.
A glorious book that has sweet tender moments, funny situations, messy and heart-wrenching lovable scenes, mixed with amazing amount of romance.
This book literally has everything I come to look for in a McQustion novel!
This is quite possibly one of the most incredible books I have ever read.

Wednesday Books,
Thank you for this eARC!
I will post my review to B&N, platforms, blog and Waterstone close to pub date!

Casey McQuiston's debut YA novel served everything that we wanted—funny oddball characters who come to know and love themselves better as they also come to know and love each other better—and then some! This story's exploration into what it means to be different in a religious small town will leave readers feeling hopeful and heart-warmed.

Just before Chloe Green is going to have the outright win she most wants, her compeition disappears during prom night. Chloe has been vying with Shara Wheeler for the top academic spot of valedictorian their entire high school careers. Following prom, Chloe is sent on a mission with unlikely companions Smith and Rory to follow clues and find out where Shara went.

Because of the way the book's plot is laid out, I felt like there were two story lines: one trying to find Shara and the other with what happens after finding Shara. I loved both of them, but it was a little bumpy transitioning between the two. Both parts of the story were needed to create the important lession that self-discovery, especially in terms of queerness, looks different on everyone. There are those who quickly embrace and show themselves off to the world. There are those who are in denial and run at any thought of facing their true self. There are so many reactions to have, and so many characters in this book who represent the many different paths. This book was something I needed in high school. Not that my school was cultish, but it was rigidly Catholic. I'm don't think I would have gone to the car dealership then, but today I would. I love the friendships in this book. I love the subtle ways these high schools learned about queerness and developed their own ways of embracing it all the while protecting themselves at Christian private high school in Alabama.

I am obsessed with everything Casey McQuiston does. She has an ability to write characters like NO OTHER writing right now. “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” is her first foray into YA, and her teenage characters are just as developed. I love the mystery; the “Looking for Alaska” manic pixie dream girl trope (that is even addressed!); and how teenagers feel so deeply while realizing everything is fleeting.

If you loved “Red, White, and Royal Blue” or “One Last Stop,” you will love this one too! Promise.

Thanks to McQuiston, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

What a fun read. I’m already a big fan of Casey McQuiston’s books. So glad I got to read it in advance.

Chloe was a fierce and strong character. From the beginning she thought she knew what she wanted. She was confident in herself, didn’t care what others thought and pushed the limits. But even she grew and changed as a character. The relationship between Rory and Smith was my favorite because it really made me think about the stereotypes in the world. It makes you think about the battles everyone is fighting. It was a bit of a slower read but definitely a must for everyone.

This book was not in any way what I imagined and I think it was better for it. I assumed it might be an angsty yet bubblegum-like teen look at romance, but I was so much more.

McQuiston's take on this high school experience is so spot on it is scary. Living and teaching in the south right now, I could picture students feeling and acting the way Chloe, Smith, Rory, Shara, etc. were because they are fearful of the community consequences of being themselves. I enjoyed how the author explored many different types of relationships--love, friendship, authority, etc--and allowed each character to experience something a little bit different. Perhaps the intention was to get sucked in to the mystery of the pink cards, and for some that might be the best part, but along the way I cared less about finding Shara and more about watching these characters some together as they realized there differences were in fact not that large.

I hope that high school libraries purchase this and teachers buy it from their classroom shelves as the story really takes the time to explore how hard it can be growing up in the world right now--and it's all wrapped up in the mystery of finding Shara Wheeler! The only thing that threw me was the mini-arc at the end, but thankfully there was not too much of a focus on it.

This is a must read for teenagers and their parents.

Three thoughts about this book:

1. I would die for Smith Parker
2. Enemies to lovers is such a good trope it will never get old
3. CASEY HAS DONE IT AGAIN

I absolutely devoured this book. It was such a fast paced read even though it’s of substantial length, and it was extremely enjoyable. As someone who is queer and grew up in the south, this book represented exactly what it’s like to try and figure things out when it seems like the odds are stacked against you. I loved the mystery aspect, the beautiful established and new friendships, and the great small town life rep. 10/10 recommend!!

This was such a fun ride. It's kind of a John Green meets Gilmore Girls in the South kind of vibe, but everyone is gay! I loved how much heart was in this book--reconciling where you come from and who you are and how those two things work together is rendered so lovingly and carefully here. At times this hit too close to home and I cried, shocker. McQuiston's characters are always so full of life and these are no exception. The enemies to lovers trope isn't traditionally one of my favorites and for a while I felt less invested in the romance than I did everything else (which just speaks about how much there is to love about this book, really!), but god, by the end I was basically sold! I can't wait to recommend this book to teens who are looking for high school stories with a strong ensemble cast, romances that unfold in ways that are anything but straightforward, and explorations of queerness, identity, and acceptance without drifting into the cliche. I always feel almost taken care of by McQuiston's writing, and I know I would have needed a book like this in high school.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my <i> God. </i> I knew I would love I Kissed Shara Wheeler because I adore everything that Casey McQuiston writes but I'm always so shocked by just how perfect it is and this was no exception. This book was everything I could've wanted, it had pining and drama and denial and RIVALS TO LOVERS. As someone who has dealt with a lot of less than accepting people in the South (though not as badly as this) it was so nice to have Chloe and everyone else realize that they weren't quite as alone as they seemed to be too. Casey McQuiston books just make me Feel Things™ everytime, regardless of which one I read. 

I loved every character in this book so so so much. Chloe was fun and determined and flawed, while still being someone I rooted for the whole time. I wasn't sure how I was going to like Smith and Rory at first but that changed FAST. I love absolute clowns and those two and Ace just about killed me. And then of course, there's Shara Wheeler herself, who might have ended up being my favorite character out of all of them.

I'm not really going to say much more than this because I feel like the less you know going into this the more fun it is, but please, do yourself a favor and pick this book up.

A missing girl, three people she kissed, and a scavenger hunt to find her. Shara Wheeler is the girl. Daughter of the principal, prom queen, beautiful, and everyone loves her... and she is the only thing standing in the way of Chloe Green being Valedictorian. Chloe Green is freshly moved from SoCal to Alabama for high school, with her moms and herself being part of the LGBTQ community she definitely does not fit into the Willogrove Christian Academy. A month before graduation Shara kisses Chloe and then vanishes. Chloe and Shara have been stuck together since the beginning of high school, competing for roles, for academic recognition, and playing games against each other, but this new game that Shara has created for Chloe will definitely test here in ways she never knew. Demanding answers Chloe sneaks into Shara’s room where she runs into Shara’s hot bad boy neighbor Rory who has always had a crush on Shara and they discover a clue, and thus begins the scavenger hunt. Along for the journey is Shara’s football player boyfriend Smith, who surprisingly has history with Rory. Soon Smith, Rory, and Chloe all begin searching for clues as to where Shara is and why she has sent them on this scavenger hunt, and maybe just maybe all becoming friends as well. Soon all three of them find themselves sneaking into school offices, parties, and creating chaos as they try and solve Shara’s mystery as well as uncovering secrets about themselves as well. But when Chloe finally discovers the meaning behind everything she’ll have to decide whether she wants to continue to play games with Shara or if she’s had enough. This was an adorable and hilarious story about friendship, romance, acceptance, and how far you will go to get what you want. The friendships in this book was just absolutely amazing, I loved getting to know the side characters as well as seeing all the romance subplots unfold. AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT SHARA AND CHLOE?!?!?! I LOVE IT, I LOVE THEM, I LOVE THIS ENTIRE STORY. So yes, please pick up this amazing book about two people who are rivals in everything. who want to play games, and who, without knowing it are playing the biggest game of all, the game of love.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Casey McQuiston has done it again! This book was a DELIGHT (& of course it was, this is Casey McQuiston we're talking about!). I tried to read only a little of this book and accidentally stayed up all night to finish it, and I think this is the third time that's happened out of three books, so you'd think I would learn not to start their books at 10pm, but HERE WE ARE.

I loved this sweet, funny, emotionally profound story as much as the first two books. There were warring valedictorians, there was Phantom of the Opera beef, there were crazy hijinks in the third act and there was a lot (like, a LOT) of Taco Bell. To me, the book was much more compelling than its cognate, "Paper Towns," in part because this is a much fuller portrait of what it's like to be a teen girl that other people can't see clearly because of what they've projected onto her.

As always in a McQuiston book, I like that each bit part was given the depth & humanity of a primary character, which strikes me as very respectful and humane storytelling—no one is ever a caricature. I also love the way McQuiston's protagonists are consistently so well-loved and understood by their friends, which I think is especially important in the YA genre where protagonists are often depicted as misunderstood loners.

5 out of 5 enthusiastic stars. Thank you so much to St. Martin's and Netgalley for the ARC!

Wow wow wow, another lovely read from Casey McQuiston! Their previous book, 'One Last Stop' is what started and got me hooked on romcoms and they have once again fashioned an exciting book for any reader who loves a good genre blend and spectacular character writing.
The book reads as a young adult romantic comedy with a mystery plotline- the mystery is obviously very exciting: Where is Shara Wheeler? WHO is Shara Wheeler? WHY is Shara Wheeler? The pretty girl disappears and our heroine has just got to know why she's gone and why in the hell she kissed her before going adios! The excitement really comes from following our young hero, with her young adult mind, determined heart, and fiery soul as she faces the world as herself. Her confidence is beautiful and refreshing, and we see our ensemble cast grow into her as she grows into them.
Casey McQuiston has always created spectacular ensembles, with a diverse variety of beautiful characters with their own unique depths- you are never lost with these characters, but rather find yourself lost in them and their relationships/ bonds with one another. This book has solidified them as a must-read writer, as I am now confident anytime I pick up a Casey McQuiston book I will finish it with the happy feeling this book brought out within me.

I just couldn’t get in to this book as hard as I tried. I sadly did not finish this book. I give this book 2/5 stars simply because I enjoyed the protagonist on the parts I read.

Casey McQuiston’s novels are never about just one thing. They’re about love and relationships, sure. But they’re also about the mysteries of a city you’ve never been to and one you’ve lived in for years. They’re about reconciling who you want to be with who you’re supposed to. They’re about fighting for your right to decide where you fall in that range.
This one was about being a messy bisexual teen. It was about the struggles and excitements of going to high school in the south when you don’t fit into the mold (and at the end of the day, does anyone fit into it?). It was also, in a similar vein as McQuiston’s other novels, about the love between friends and family members.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a novel for anyone who grew up in the south, anyone who identifies as queer no matter your geographical location, anyone who enjoys a bit of mystery and heist, and for teens and adults.
I am forever grateful to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel and I will definitely be re-reading it when my preordered copy comes in May. I loved this story that much.