This book was so much fun. Casey McQuiston has such a way with writing brilliant side characters and quirky main characters. Every single story I’ve read by them has been absolutely fantastic. Shara Wheeler was no exception.

It was okay. I did appreciate the warning at the beginning of the book so that I could be prepared and to make an informed decision on whether or not I wanted to read this book. The characters and the story itself all came across as trying little too hard to be. It also made me think too much of 13 Reasons Why, which was off-putting for me considering.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler, while my least favourite of Casey McQuiston's novels, was a strong YA debut overall. I loved the representation of a bisexual MC coupled with an entertaining mystery that engages you as the reader to try to solve clues alongside Chloe, Rory, and Smith. That being said, I found the romance aspect lacking in this one to an almost confusing degree. It's clear that Chloe and Shara are drawn together by their rivalry, but I feel like we could've gotten a little more depth in their characters both individually and then eventually as a couple. Despite this though, I do think for a YA debut, I do appreciate that these characters very much act like teenagers, making messy decisions and having complicated, big emotions that are hard to deal with. Ultimately I would still recommend this to younger readers looking for an entertaining YA contemporary, but would caution those who are quick to judge this based on the author's adult books.

SHARA. FREAKING. WHEELER.
IKSW is a layered, hilarious, biting, contemplative YA debut from Casey McQuiston. Fans of RWRB and OLS will not be disappointed as they traverse Shara Wheeler’s mysterious disappearance and her trail of kisses and clues.

Chloe is a child of California with a mama and a mom, and due to family obligations, has to move back to her mom’s native False Beach, Alabama and stays there for the entirety of high school. My favorite part of Chloe is her arc. She experiences tremendous growth and learns that her thorny disposition and carefully crafted affect have not really kept her safe in her private Christian school so much as they’ve prevented her from seeing and knowing her classmates intimately and clearly. She has a single story of religion and religious people, and I felt her mindset shift on the most personal level.

Shara Wheeler is Chloe’s academic rival and nothing will stop Chloe from beating Shara. Even Shara’s own disappearance. I found the way these girls circle each other like sharks to be immensely satisfying and the tension they create compulsory. I couldn’t get enough.

However, my absolute favorite bit of every McQuiston novel is the entourage. The supporting characters always shine with such vibrancy and nuance and secrets and layers. They’re so much more than character foils and plot points. McQuiston truly excels at crafting a viable, breathing, three-dimensional family out of her supporting characters. I’m partial to Smith, Rory, Ace, and Georgia in particular. Especially Smith! I hope we get to revisit them someday.

10/10, highly recommend!

Casey never disappoints and I'm in love with this book, as a teen myself, I absolutely adored this book. This book was a perfect combination of hilarious and adorable. I love how dynamic the characters were and absolutely adored the way Casey has written this book!!

This is what High School Musical could have been. I loved Chloe and her family. I would love to hang out with her moms and garden or something. I loved how this was a bit of a nod to John Green but also taking over and breaking manic pixie dream girl cliche.

From the author of Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop comes I Kissed Shara Wheeler, a YA thriller about a group of high schoolers grappling with sexuality, identity, and the future. I Kissed Shara Wheeler succeed where One Last Stop fails, portraying an eclectic group of people without anyone feeling like a token representative. As the story unfolds, things become a little predictable and boring, but overall the book is a quick, fun read worth picking up.

Oh, Casey McQuiston.

I wasn't the biggest fan of One Last Stop, but I adored Red, White, & Royal Blue. Luckily, I Kissed Shara Wheeler was a grand slam.

The story is sweet, yet complex. Fun, yet with real-life consequences.

This is the summer read of 2022 and I hope everyone gets to know Shara Wheeler.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is full of humor. It's one of those books with such a unique narration style. One of the ones that feels like they're actively talking to you. A conversation with a friend. And Chloe's POV is full of active denial, a wry and sarcastic sense of humor, and just enough judgy-ness. All united by those who kissed Shara, I was hooked by the premise. But then when I saw how McQuiston explores their stories? I became obsessed. The ways that we can come out of our shell. Belong to an unlikely alliance and prove it's never too late to change.

I love Casey McQuinston's writing so obviously I had to read this one, but I think I'll be sticking to their adult books in the future. This was a fun cute book, but just not a great fit for the style of book I like to read. I can imagine I would have loved it even more if I read it while I was in high school, and I still think it's a good book.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a queer YA coming-of-age mystery romcom (really!) with a diverse group of smart, interesting, funny, damaged characters trying to make it through their super conservative Christian high school. There's love and comedy and drama and intrigue and some really poignant moments about acceptance and standing up for yourself and your friends. I will read anything Casey McQuiston ever writes, and she killed it with this one.

"I Kissed Shara Wheeler," best-selling author Casey McQuiston's YA debut, is equal parts queer coming of age story, romance and mystery. With it, McQuiston proves she's still the Queen of the found family, building delightful groups of friends that anyone would want to hang out with. In between heartwarming and funny moments, this book also examines the damage homophobic purity-obsessed churches can do to teens.

This funny and insightful book is part mystery, part quest, part queer romance. Chloe and Shara are academic rivals obsessed with beating each other. When Shara kisses Chloe in an elevator before disappearing from senior prom, Chloe joins forces with Shara's lovesick neighbor (also recently kissed) and her boyfriend to solve the puzzle she's left behind. This book features a cast of diverse characters, many of them queer, trying to navigate an unforgiving Christian high school.

Love anything Casey McQuiston writes! This book was unlike anything I had ever read before. I went into it not knowing it was a rom com (I know, I know) and was surprised by the inventiveness behind every part of the book. Plus, McQuiston is so talented in making everything sound so beautiful.

4.5 stars


It's been quite a while since a YA novel has knocked my socks off, but this one managed it!!! It's like a better version of Paper Towns, except it's not weirdly sexist, is queer as heck, and actually has emotional payoff. McQuiston is really talented in how they can write books that feel almost cinematic; I had issue with how they did that in One Last Stop (it was a book that should've been a movie script), but I think they did it SO much more successfully in this book. As a person who grew up in a very religious environment and went to a religious school, I also appreciated that McQuiston dealt with the issues of religious trauma -- this is a book I would've given my right arm for as a teen.

All in all -- I definitely recommend, even if you're not a big reader of YA. It's not a perfect book, but I think it is very well-crafted and emotionally resonant novel.

I'm giving this book 3 stars, but please don't think I hated it!!!

I just couldn't really get the plot? And I kept thinking Shara was so overdramatic and couldn't understand the hype around her. Other than that, I think it's a great book, especially for teens in rural small towns! I loved the characters and it is making me think that CMQ is more of a character-driven writer than plot-driven.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is another knockout book by Casey McQuiston. I was anxious to see what McQuiston would do with a YA book, but I was instantly pulled in by the voice and complex relationships. This is a contemporary YA that isn't afraid to dive into the topics of religion, friendships, and fitting in. I highly recommend it.

Casey McQuiston is just a fun writer to follow - I've yet to be disappointed. If you've enjoyed her other titles, you will likely enjoy this one as well.

What DON'T I love about this book? I mean seriously y'all, this book is the queer rom-com we all deserve. There's great representation of the full spectrum of sexuality as well as complicated and messy characters that reflect the struggles and life-changing moments of teenagers in the real world. Having the absolute pleasure to hear Casey McQuiston in conversation with Becky Albertelli definitely got me wildly stoked to read I Kissed Shara Wheeler and it did not disappoint! READ THIS BOOK!

A very high 3.5 stars, I think! I was a little trepidatious going into this one because while I have really loved both of Casey's adult books, I haven't really been vibing with YA quite as much as I once did. However I am so happy to report that I thought this was a mess in the best, most authentically teenage way and a ton of fun! With that being said I will say, it wasn't perfect for me (I did end up kind of struggling with the John Green™-ness of the plot), but as a whole this was so well written and the characters absolutely leapt of the page and I just *know* that my baby gay teenage self would have made loving this book my entire personality lmao. While this wasn't my absolute favorite of Casey's books, I am eternally grateful to it for pulling me out of a months long reading slump and I am so!!! excited to read anything and everything that they put out next!!

CW: religious trauma, homophobia, cheating