Angsty and entertaining, I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is a wild coming-of-age ride!

Casey McQuiston is phenomenal at telling stories of self discovery. Combine that with their ability to captivate through their writing...I'm a fan!

There is such a fun, diverse cast of characters in this book set against the backdrop of a southern, Baptist community. The premise of a scavenger hunt of sorts (with Shara being "endgame") makes for a lot of chaos and unexpected moments and both strained and budding relationships. It took me as long as it took our MC, Chloe, to understand and appreciate Shara Wheeler -- nothing is as it seems, which was a huge part of the appeal for me in the end.

The audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus, who also narrated Casey's ONE LAST STOP. Natalie gives a lot of life to the story, having great range as she personifies each character. I really enjoyed this version of the book!

Overall, I absolutely recommend I KISSED SHARA WHEELER! I hope Casey continues to write across age categories because both the adult and YA communities are lucky to have them!

I kissed Shara Wheeler was a super fun audio to listen from beginning to end - I loved this YA mystery/romcom combo. Mcquiston’s writing is delightful - fun and digestible prose. This book has a wonderfully developed cast of of supporting characters; the dynamic between Chloe, Smith, and Rory - the three high school seniors who have been kissed by Shara Wheeler the principal’s daughter, and start looking for her when she disappears, was so fun to watch develop. Even the slightly more removed characters like Chloe’s best friend and her moms - or the different circle of friends each of the three brings to the table added life to the story. I appreciated the very thoughtful discussions of religion, school rules, sexuality, and conformity - the value of blending in vs. being an outsider. McQuiston tackled religious homophobia with humor in this novel, which is what kept the story light.

I liked McQuiston’s writing in all three of her recent books the character development and dialogue are spot on !

I would have loved an additional POV Shara was such an interesting character and I would have loved to see her POV.

Pub Day May 3rd - and it is seasonally right on time since the book features the run up to high school graduation!

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for providing me with an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review ! Natalie Naudus’ narration was wonderful and fit with the story !

I had so much fun listening to this book. Reading the first YA release from an author I already love is a treat, but doubly so because the narrator is someone I’ve been following on TikTok. This was truly a mesh of some of my favorite things!
The story was engaging, and the characters were incredibly dynamic. I love a story where you find yourself just as invested in the secondary/tertiary characters as you are in the main, and this book delivered!
I laughed out loud so many times, and maybe teared up a time or two (mind your business).
I wish this a book like this had been available for young queer me, but I am so happy that it exists now. I hope that this story helps people feel seen- it certainly did for me.

Do yourself a favor and read, or better yet listen to, this heartwarming story about finding and accepting yourself!

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan audio for audiobook arc!

Brief summary:
Chloe was kissed by shara wheeler, her school rival for academics, then she disappears leaving letters behind. With the help of her boyfriend and her boyfriends old friend Rory, they try to find her.

I listen to it the book as an audiobook and I had some issues as an avid audiobook listener. The sound was so inconsistent throughout the entire book. I had to constantly turn up then down the book the entire time. But other than that, the audiobook was good. I didn’t love the narrator but she wasn’t bad either.

I’ve been dying to read this book for the longest time and I feel like it just missed the mark ever so slightly. I do feel like the book did an amazing job on both shara and Chloe’s characters arcs. I went from being annoyed to hell and back from Chloe to have an appreciation for her character. The author set up chloes character to be an annoying know it all who has alittle bit of a superiority complex and man she did a great job. I did find the ending for the book to somewhat justify the majority of the book hating her.

I also found the books to so relatable for me personally. I grew up as an independent fundamental baptist so I was able to really connect to the everyone’s mindset and the struggle of being LGBTQ with people that look down on it. I thought how the characters acted in those situations were extremely accurate and well done.

Shara Wheeler, angel of False Beach, Alabama, has gone MIA after unexpectedly kissing Chloe, her academic nemesis as well as the boy next door, Rory. Upon finding a note, Chloe and Rory quickly rope in Smith, Shara's longtime boyfriend. Shara has left a trail of notes and a lot of questions- and each of our main characters are looking for answers. Through these notes, the three learn that Shara has been keeping a few secrets... And maybe they have been too.
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I was lucky enough to get to listen to the audiobook of Shara Wheeler narrated by Natalie Naudus and I just want to say up front she knocked that it out of the park.

Speaking of knocking things out of the park- THIS BOOK! Generally I don't love YA, but as usual Casey McQuiston has written characters I couldn't keep from loving if I tried. Her dialogue is always funny while also endearing and her dedication to providing readers with diverse characters is unmatched.

This book had a couple of twists and turns, and overall it was a super sweet romcom. I can't wait to see what Casey churns out next! Big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review. The pleasure was all mine.

I have many mixed feelings. Let’s start with the positives. I really did enjoy this book and all the unlikely friendships that were formed. I loved how so many different groups came together. Our three main characters showed so much promise throughout most of the story.

I also grew up in the south so I very much vibed with that aspect of the story. It can be hard out here. I truly did not find my queer community until adult hood.

On to the bad. These two girls who we were supposed to be rooting for were toxic. I understand the internalized homophobia of it all but I just can’t get past some of the catty toxic shit that was happening. It made me not want them to be together. Both our girls are selfish and need to grow up some more.

The audio was great! It added so much depth for me. I honestly think it kept me engaged more than reading would have.

Overall, I did enjoy the read and I am beyond happy with all the Sapphic books coming out. 3.75 stars.

At the start of high school, California girl Chloe moved to False Beach, a religious small Alabama town, with her two moms. As she finishes her senior year, Chloe wants to become valedictorian of Willowgrove Christian Academy and get out of the stifling, conservative town. With her NYU acceptance in hand, she is now single-mindedly focused on beating perfect prom queen Shara Wheeler for valedictorian. Then Shara disappears after prom. Determine not to win by default, Chloe enlists the help of Shara’s star quarterback boyfriend Smith and bad boy neighbor Rory to find Shara using cryptic scavenger hunt clues to her whereabouts.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler excels at capturing all aspects of being a teenager — the good parts and the bad, the messiness, the confusion, the funny and painful and everything in between. The mix of mystery, coming of age, and discovering love unexpectedly worked well with the book’s overall message that your pursuit of what you want can lead you to what you actually need.

The narration by Natalie Naudus is superb! Naudus conveys Chloe’s self absorption and unwavering focus on her rivalry with Shara perfectly. As Chloe's rival, Naudus brings Shara’s battle with expectations and her manipulative nature to life. Plus, when the extended scavenger hunt felt a little tedious to me, Naudus’ entertaining delivery kept me engaged in the story. Naudus is a new-to-me narrator, but I will definitely look for more of her work in the future.

I enjoyed this angsty, messy, and honest story of self-discovery that is thoroughly relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early listening copy.

This was such a fun LGBTQ+ romance read with a side of mystery! It’s a YA coming of age story that dives deep into what it’s like growing up queer in high school and a Christian community.

I really enjoyed how strong, fierce and diverse all the characters were. I adored the supporting cast as much as the main protagonists and felt they really drove this book and stole the show!

I loved how charming and witty it was, yet equally heartfelt with some all around very important messages and themes. Well done McQuiston, I’m looking forward to seeing what you do next!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

After reading and loving RW&RB and OLS, I will absolutely be reading anything Casey writes.

If you love coming of age YA books with LGBTQIA+ rep, found family, and books that just make you smile the whole time you’re reading, this is the one for you!
I not only enjoyed reading about both MC’s, Chloe and Shara, but I loved all the other characters too! Their stories are just as important!
There’s a mysterious feel to this book but we don’t have to wait until the end to find out what happens, which I appreciate!

My only complaint with this one is it reminded me of Paper Towns by John Green. I read that book yearrrsss ago and it just wasn’t my fav. Casey literally references this book within the first few chapters and I couldn’t get it out of my head.
I will say although the plot reminded me of Paper Towns the characters in this one are infinitely better!

Thank you to netgalley and stmartinspress for this e-arc in exchange for a review!

4.25 stars in terms of the story itself, but bumping up to 5 stars because of Natalie Naudus.

Chloe and Shara are both so terrible, and I love them dearly.

When Shara Wheeler disappeared after prom, her nemesis (kind of, they are fighting for valedictorian) Chloe Green (lesbian), boyfriend Smith Parker, and neighbor Rory Heron embark on a journey of tracking her down. What do they have in common? They all kissed Shara. In the small-town Christian high school run by Shara’s father, Chloe has to figure out this puzzle Shara left behind without being caught, and maybe she will find out more about Willowgrove, too.

As always, CMQ’s characters are vibrant and queer. Apart from the main four characters Chloe, Shara, Smith, and Rory, there are also several side and minor characters that helped shape this story and Willowgrove Christian Academy: Georgia (lesbian), Ash (nonbinary), Benjy, Ace, Summer, Brooklyn, April, etc. The best part is that Chloe has two mothers, and they are the most delightful parents.

A big chunk of the story is built upon manipulation, and at first, I wasn’t too invested in Chloe’s obsession for solving the Shara mystery. For the most part, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the ride, reading for the drama and waiting to see them crash and burn. Sometimes, Chloe and Shara are so horrible I couldn’t help laughing (in a good way because I was entertained). But as the story continues to unravel, I found myself caring more about Chloe and her friends, and the way CMQ threads all the backstories and motivations together, I ended up loving all these high school kids. They really know how to create a story that gradually pieces together for the readers.

While it is partly being marketed as YA romcom, I personally don’t think it’s a romcom. Yes, there is love in the air at Willowgrove, but it is not necessarily a romance story. A contemporary YA for sure.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the amazing Natalie Naudus. Pairing her with CMQ’s writing instantly brings me back to the time I first listened to ONE LAST STOP. And of course, Naudus’ performance is immaculate and definitely leveled up my reading experience of I KISSED SHARA WHEELER. Her interpretation of the book at a sentence level really brought the story to life.

If you love contemporary YA with messy queer characters, this book is for you.

Also, do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook to hear Natalie Naudus read key smash to you. Thank me later.

content warnings: manipulation, queerphobia, blackmailing

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read it while I was still in high school. It was fun to try to figure out what happened to Shara along with our main characters. I don’t personally love the enemies to lovers trope, but by the end I found myself rooting for Chloe and Shara to get together. I would definitely recommend this to the teenagers that come into the store I work at. Especially to the person who came in last week asking for a young adult mystery with lesbians.

Author Casey McQuiston has knocked another one out of the park. I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narration. The story was a real page turner and full of depth. The primary and secondary characters were all well developed and interesting. I was certainly rooting for a happily ever after for all of them.

** I received this book for free from Netgalley for an honest review

I went into this book almost completely blind, but I loved the narrator and I liked another book by the author, so I gave it a shot. I don’t know what I was expecting when I started this book. I wasn’t expecting the mystery aspect.

Shara Wheeler goes missing on purpose and the only people she hopes to find her are the last 3 people she kissed.

It’s a coming of age novel for a few queer high school students coming to terms with their sexuality in a very religious town that doesn’t support that way of life. It’s even against school policy to be queer.

I really enjoyed this story. The first 2/3 was all about finding Shara and the main characters finding themselves. The last third became more of a political statement to the religious standpoint on sexuality and the characters getting used to this new status quo.

Casey McQuiston's first broach into YA contemporary is largely a success! Casey's dialogue is some of my favourite I have ever encountered, the characters are engaging and relatable and absolutely hilarious with their wit. Chloe may be one of my favourite character's Casey has ever written, she was sharp and stubborn and it was fun to watch Chloe and the gang follow Shara's breadcrumbs. This novel definitely gave me "Looking for Alaska" vibes, both to its benefit and detriment. This novel tackles important issues such as homophobia in schools and I feel Casey did a good job confronting this issue. Where I feel this novel lacked was in the delivery of the ending. It didn't have the "OMG" moment I was expecting. At some points the narrative relied too heavily on tropes and didn't have the follow through I was hoping for. I can see where Casey was trying to take the novel with its conclusion but I feel it was missing that special moment to bring it all together.

Overall, I Kissed Shara Wheeler was entertaining and full of heart, and most importantly, a shining example of how brilliant lgbtqia+ literature is!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the debut YA novel by Casey McQuiston. McQuiston is also author of One Last Stop and Red, White, and Royal Blue. I’ve heard wonderful things about both of those books and was excited to dive into their YA debut!

I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the first half of the book. I enjoyed seteing the relationships between Chloe, bad boy neighbor Rory, and quarterback boyfriend Smith develop. How they truly started to come into their own. I was more intrigued with each clue they found. Clues hidden in cute pink envelopes.

I however started to loose interest during the second half of the book. There seemed to be too many storylines and too many side characters. It seemed irrelevant to the adventure and mystery in the first part of the book. I can understand what they were trying to do, but it felt like less could have been more. I felt like I needed to know more about Shara and her family.

I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation and the coming of age aspect of the book. I really felt like I was back in high school, experiencing it all over again! Bringing new light to things I hadn’t thought about in years!

Overall, I fun YA read with a great message about acceptance and self-discovery!

Thank you Netgalley and macmillan.audio for my advanced audio to review!

This is Casey McQuiston’s best work, hands down. It’s a masterful ode to all the queer kids who grew up in the South/Midwest and had to discover their identity and sexuality under the burden of shame & sin. It’s also an ode to all the kids who didn’t realize they were queer until well after high school, even though it’s set exclusively in the final few months of senior year. The characters all vacillate between likeable and insufferable, which is pretty accurate for high schoolers, but they’re BELIEVABLE. So many YA authors either write their teens like adults or make them so childlike that it’s impossible to find yourself back in that place. Casey McQuiston found the perfect balance.

I love this book and I’m so glad Netgalley gave me an ARC of the audiobook

One of those books that makes you wish you were in high school AND glad that you're out of high school at once!

When Willow Grove Christian School's "It" girl Shara Wheeler goes missing after mysteriously kissing her academic rival Chloe Green, it's up to Chloe to track her down. Chloe, who's famous herself for breaking dress code and being a bisexual California transplant with two moms in a conservative town, enlists the help of Shara's boyfriend, Smith, and the next-door neighbor, Rory. Though the three seem to be an odd trio, they have one thing in common: they all kissed Shara Wheeler.

The plot hooks you in from the jump, and when the search for Shara became less exciting, the unraveling of the complexities of the characters kept me interested. Nobody is as two-dimensional (and straight) as Chloe initially judged.

The book gives a knowing nod to John Green's "Paper Towns", but is also it's own thing entirely. The humor and diverse representation are perfectly crafted for Gen Z, and the high school experience feels adequately represented by Taco Bell runs and theatre parties. I'm not the target audience of this YA mystery coming-of-age rom-com, but I enjoyed it all the same.

The audio book had expressive narration with distinct character voices, though some were a bit grating. I would have preferred to be reading a physical copy at the start, since it took a while to get into it and the pacing was slowed by the audio book. Still a fun listen!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a mystery at heart. But what that mystery is may not be what you were expecting! I inhaled this book over the course of 24 hours. Usually I only devour audiobooks like this but Shara Wheeler was so absorbing that I couldn't tear myself away!! Update: having experienced a preview copy of the audiobook narrated by the always stellar Natalie Naudus, I can truthfully say it was just as good the second time.

me before starting this book: it's fine I won't get stabbed through the heart
Casey McQuiston: 😈
me: oh my god I forgot who wrote this, help

This one is gonna take OFF! Shara Wheeler is a bit gentler than McQuiston's previous novels, or as gentle as a book can be with a genuine knife girl as a love interest. It's about finding your place and learning to take up space. Chloe has two moms and thankfully the story isn't about her bisexual coming out story! Like, coming out stories are great but queer people are so much more than just that one defining life moment. (I would accept a prequel about Chloe's moms getting together, though! They're adorable!) I really appreciate other kinds of stories about us. I would post the 9 million screenshots that I took, but y'all are just gonna have to read it for yourselves instead.

Thank you to NetGalley for a preview copy of the ebook & eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you additionally to libro.fm and their complimentary audiobook program for a copy of the eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Casey McQuiston has written an inventive story that blends several themes brilliantly. You have the importance of friendships blended with discovery of who you truly are and having the ability to love freely. All of this is combined with a mystery and intense academic rivalry. .

Chloe Green and Shara Wheeler have been in competition for valedictorian their entire high school career. Chloe has watched Shara float through her seemingly charmed existence as the daughter of the principal, the girlfriend of the quarterback and the girl everyone basically idolizes. All Chloe wants is to win valedictorian and she focuses on it all four years. But towards the end of their senior year, Shara throws a curveball by kissing Chloe and then disappearing. What ensues after that is Chloe's obsession with finding Shara and uncovering the mystery behind not only her kiss but several of Shara's other last minute actions before she left.

Along the way, Chloe befriends and gets to know several people she otherwise probably wouldn't have and helps them find some answers in this situation too. The character development was wonderful. You definitely had a sense of everyone's personality and could connect to them. I thought the way McQuiston handled this entire storyline was quite clever. She wrapped and twisted things in a way that surprised you on one hand and yet made total sense. I did think a high school senior just vanishing on her own for a time period was a bit far-fetched. Especially given who her father was. But it definitely worked for the story.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: This narrator does a fabulous job. She draws the listener into the story with ease and is engaging. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.