Good but not great. I don’t love starting this review that way but it was the most honest thing I could think to say. I actually finished this book a few days ago but I was struggling to write this review. I just was not sure exactly what I felt or wanted to say, and considering I have written over 1600 reviews, this doesn’t happen to me very often anymore. I loved One Last Stop, and while I haven’t read Red, White & Royal Blue yet, I’ve heard it was just as good so it’s on my TBR. This book was one of my most anticipated of 2022, and I was beyond excited to get an ARC copy of it. Maybe my expectations were a little too high, I’m not quite sure, but while I liked this book it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

I read a lot of YA. It has become one of my favorite genres because the YA stories have been so well done -the last couple years especially-. Casey McQuiston, dipping her toe into YA was not only welcomed but really exciting in my opinion. Unfortunately, I think my love for YA could be part of the issue because I read a lot of really good YA. There are so many great YA stories that have made me feel, made me cry, gave me hope and a smile, so it’s impossible for me not to compare this book to other YA. And when I do, it’s good, and very well written in parts, but it just never grabbed me like other YA stories have. I never felt completely invested into the main characters and that’s a tough thing for me as a reader.

It’s hard to love a book when you enjoy the secondary character more than the main characters. Smith, Rory, Ace, Georgia, and Ash, were all really lovely and well done secondary characters. They were so well done that they ended up being more likeable than Chloe and even Shara. Chloe was not a poorly written character, but I didn’t think she was the right fit to star in this particular book. I kept waiting for her moment, for growth, or something that would cement Chloe into my heart and mind, but it never happened. There was one point, I think it was passed the half way mark, that I didn’t like where the story with Chloe was going and it actually put a bad feeling into my stomach that made me want to stop reading. I did get passed that point, but it wasn’t a smooth road. The problem with Shara was that it was made out that she was this morally grey character, this bad girl that you still could not help but like. All of that I’m so here for, all of that sounds great too me. Instead, McQuiston started making excuses and reasons why Shara really isn’t bad and that was completely disappointing. We can have a story about two people, who are not always nice and perfect, falling in love. I was here for that story so it was disappointing to see McQuiston try to make Shara into a mostly good but really just misunderstood character instead.

Let me jump back to some of the good because this is still a McQuiston book so there was a lot of good besides the well done secondary characters. I thought parts of the mystery where well done. It kept my attention and I wanted to know what was going on! I did think the mystery end was a little anti-climactic, but I loved what Chloe did when she solved it. I have to be vague here but Chloe was pretty upset and frustrated so she had a little badass moment that I thought was good book fun. I also thought McQuiston wove in the aspects of religion in a small southern town and how it could help, but also negatively affect people. I think we all know that religion is not an easy subject to touch on in a book and I thought McQuiston did very well.

There were quite a few scenes you have to suspend disbelief to get through, and I also wondered why the parents were not stepping in. The parents were a little too absent to be believable, although Chloe’s Moms were well written in the small parts they had. There were also a few times I had trouble even picturing what was going on like the whole margarita thing. I could not understand what that was supposed to look like at all and how it was supposed to be fun. But for every part that confused me, there were parts like Chloe and Shara rolling around the ground over the letter that was really emotionally charged and just felt so McQuiston to me.

TLDR: This book was as up and down as a rollercoaster ride. There were parts that were just so well done, that I really could appreciate, other times I was scratching my head. I’m not going to say that McQuiston isn’t a perfect YA match, it’s just that there is a lot of amazing competition in this space so I don’t think this book shined like I expected it too. I would still recommend this to McQuiston and YA fans as this was a solid and good read. In my opinion this is not on the same level of One Last Stop, but it still was enjoyable.

I was not really into the first 50% of the book, however, the ending really did get me in tears. I thought it was great McQuiston jokingly acknowledged the similarities to Paper Towns, but the mystery portion was kind of a flop. I really did enjoy the friendships, how they grew and were challenged, and ultimately how they were safe places for the kids to explore their identities.

I loved how McQuiston explored the repressive nature of small town life while also challenging that nothing can or should be done about it. I like how they called out the idea of "shame is a way of life," but pushed back on the idea that people who are different should just run away. Georgia's hope for changing it was refreshing.

"I think sometimes when I'm scared it comes out like angry" because I and many other try-hards feel ya Chloe. She really did annoy me sometimes, but I love how Shara matched her energy.

I can see how some would feel the abundance of queer kids in this book is unrealistic, but 15 years ago the only queer books we had were Will Grayson Will Grayson and Maureen Johnson, so we deserve to be shown in abundance. "Blessed are the FRUITS" <3

“it’s not much- chloe knows this. it’s just car windows rolled down, the blue-and-white glow of a walmart in the distance, the smell of wet pavement under the tires, the hum of neon from a passing dairy queen, the same radio station as always blasting a rotation of the same fifteen songs. but she thinks she’s starting to understand what it means to be from here, because she could swear the bright red burn of artificial cherry is the best thing she’s ever tasted.”

there’s something about this book that weighs at my heart. maybe it’s chloe, with her ambition and her care and her obsession and her will. maybe it’s shara, maybe it’s how she’s infuriating, her slyness and little pink notes and lilac scent and sleek façade. or maybe it’s the union of three victims of shara’s lips, of chloe’s angst and rory’s subtle longing and smith’s hesitancy and love for frogs. it’s all of this, it’s the comfort of others and the commitment to closeness and anger at unjustness. and it’s the permission to exist. it’s feeling suffocated in a small town, it’s being who you were meant to be quietly, softly, speaking up to those you who dear. and damn. it really, truly is everything. is anybody surprised that casey once again captured my heart, maybe this time more than ever?

This book holds a special place in my heart, with secrets that feel too close to me and words that make my heart swoon. This is sure to be an instant hit!

Thank you so much to netgalley and publishers for providing an e-copy for me to read and leave my honet, unprompted review.

I love Casey McQuiston books because they are all so different and hold such a unique storyline. This book was a super enjoyable YA book that I would highly recommend. It would be a great summer read. I especially loved the characters and really felt that each individual contributed to the overall storyline.

This was an absolutely delightful romantic high school comedy.

A month before their high school graduation, Shara kisses her high school rival Chloe and then vanishes - leaving Chloe to follow a trail of clues to find her.

This was a light, lovely read that also tackles sensitive issues related to sexuality and identity. Reading this was pure enjoyment.

What if you spend the rest of your life wondering why, in the name of God, Shara Wheeler kissed you?

I don’t know why for even a second I doubted Casey McQuiston. Recently I’ve been gravitating away from YA and I’ve never particularly found myself delving into YA romance specifically. I find out one of my favorite authors is writing a YA romance and I was surprisingly disappointed. I didn’t love the cover, the synopsis was intriguing but the desire to read the book just never bloomed. (I’ve also recently been involved with a cross country move to Washington State and re-specialized the area of medicine I practice in, so maybe I’ve been a little distracted). But Wednesday gifted me with an e-ARC of this book months and months ago and I just could not pick it up. Finally on my first vacation since the move and starting my job, I’m sitting in the Florida sun and barely one chapter in and I just feel like the biggest doof. Of course it’s good. Of course it is.

Sassy, witty MC, enemies to lovers, found family, turduckens, all of these are my jam. And not only that, the characters feel real. Each of them is flawed and some of them have unlikeable qualities, especially our MC. Honestly my only complaint is that we didn’t get to see enough of all of the characters we meet along the way. I’m want more of Georgia, I want to see a night out with Ash, I want more on her moms’, where is Mr Truman’s origin story?? I know this isnt their stories but I would love to have spent more time with all of them any way [whining].

I thought I was tired with YA and here is McQuiston showing up to prove that maybe I just haven’t been reading the right stuff. I throughly enjoyed this book and devoured it in two sittings. Highly recommend.

The day after popular Shara Wheeler vanishes from the prom, Shara’s academic rival Chloe, Shara’s bad boy neighbor Rory, and Shara’s star-quarterback boyfriend team up to follow the cryptic clues she left to find her, but as the mysteries they uncover reveal their own secrets, Chloe discovers that she may not be the only kid who doesn’t feel like they belong at puritanical Willowgrove Christian Academy.

I don’t think this book isn’t really a romance. I’d say it's more a coming-of-age story about how emotionally harmful it can be for kids to try to fit themselves into the unrealistic expectations of their parents and school administrators, burying their own feelings and identities and suffering in silence. If you are looking for some swoony teenage romance, you are not really going to find that here. The most satisfying romance in this book is between two side characters while the main character Chloe and her love interest act like stubborn and self-absorbed ding dongs pretty much to the very end. There’s a lot of manipulation and acting with ulterior motives, which I have a hard time with. I’m a fan of just being upfront about things and letting the chips fall where they may–social hierarchies, secret maneuverings, and underhanded behavior are hard for me to grasp. Even with the heavy themes and religious homophobia, the book still manages to be pretty lighthearted and entertaining. There are a bunch of really likable queer characters of all kinds and in all different stages of figuring out their identities. Chloe is bisexual and has two moms and her best friends are a lesbian, a gay boy, and a non-binary kid, who are all into theatre. There are other queer character too but I can’t say more without spoilers! Overall I enjoyed reading this and I think it’s definitely worth reading, as long as you know what you are getting into!

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.

“This is the real tragedy: Everything extraordinary about her is trapped behind a myth.”

It is no secret at this point that I would read absolutely anything Casey McQuiston attached their name to. And, honestly, my only real critique of McQuiston’s work thus far is that it is a bit too mature to recommend to the teens I know would benefit from the queer joy woven throughout each book. Enter stage left: I KISSED SHARA WHEELER — McQuiston’s YA debut and my new go-to teen rec of the summer! Part romance, part coming-of-age, part mystery, and all heart, I KISSED SHARA WHEELER takes classic YA tropes and flips them on their head, making for a fun and fulfilling romp through high school in the Bible Belt.

As the only out student at Willowgrove Christian Academy, Chloe Green’s high school experience hasn’t been the easiest. With graduation on the horizon, she has one singular focus — beating the universally (and infuriatingly) beloved Shara Wheeler in the race for valedictorian. But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes, totally upending Chloe’s academic plans. And when Chloe discovers that Shara also kissed and ditched Smith, Shara’s longtime sweetheart and Willowgrove’s Golden Boy QB, and Rory, Shara’s “bad boy” neighbor with a lifelong crush, she is determined to find answers. Enter stage right: a series of notes left behind by Shara that lead Chloe, Smith, and Rory on a wild scavenger hunt to discover where she disappeared to — and why.

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is an ode to what great, timely YA can do. It allows teenagers to be messy and uncertain and get things wrong. It is about finding yourself and allowing those around you to find themselves in their own ways. And it is about peeling back our assumptions of people (and places) and discovering who they truly are. McQuiston’s skill at crafting complex and beloved character ensembles truly shines in yet another heartwarming and earnest queer narrative, and I cannot wait to get it into as many hands as possible.

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is hitting shelves TOMORROW, 5/3/22! Thank you to @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the eARC.

CW: homophobia, religious trauma

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!

My fave Casey to date. From the banter, to the plot, to the relationships, and everything in between, Chloe is HILARIOUS. I couldn’t put this one down. This book is for anyone feeling alone, pressured, and like they don’t/didn’t fit in in high school. With both romance and friendship, this also has an air of mystery, with the unlikely trio following Shara’s clues, that will keep you reading and wanting to know the answers. Thanks to Wednesday Books for my gifted ARC!

Casey McQuiston has done it again! I'm speechless and sleepless because I've spent all my free time tagging along with Chloe, Smith and Rory while they were feverishly searching for clues in order to find Shara. I never thought that I would love this book way more than I loved One Last Stop but I was proven wrong when I got past the first page and I realized that I didn't want to put my kindle down and be a responsible adult and go to bed or go to work, as a matter of fact. This story is everything that my queer, nerdy heart has ever desired and I felt so connected to these unforgettable, flawed and easy-to-love characters. After devouring this literary delight, I can't wait to see what this wonderful author does next!

After being moved across the country from California to a small Alabaman town where one of her moms grew up, Chlow Green spent four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. On her mission to obtain the top class spot, her only rival is the principal's perfect progeny, Shara Wheeler. Then, one month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe, and then vanishes after prom night. When Chloe starts to investigate where Shara could have gone, she realizes she's not the only one who's been kissed - there's also Smith and Rory, Shara's quarterback sweetheart boyfriend and her bad boy neighbor respectively. Together, through all of their differences, the trio must begin to decipher the cryptic notes Shara left behind during the weeks before her disappearance. All the while, Chloe begins to realize just how much about this small town, and maybe even Shara, she doesn't know.

I wasn't sure what to expect when picking up this newest book from Casey McQuiston. Her previous novels have featured romance pretty heavily, and while there are certainly important discussions to be had, a lot of time is dedicated to the couple on-page. While Shara Wheeler's name is in the book's title, we get more time exploring her through the eyes of our other main characters and the letters she leaves them to discover. The characters and the dynamics they have with each other is, in my mind, where this book truly shines. Before the novel begins, the main trio - Chloe, Smith, and Rory - know of each other, but spend their high school days in very different spheres. But when Shara disappears, it brings them together and forces them to see things through the eyes of each other, at least when they're trying to decipher her clues. Chloe starts to see just how focused she's been on beating Shara for valedictorian, and how much Shara's work ethic has forced her to be the best in everything she's done. Smith realizes that just because society sees him in one particular way, it doesn't mean he can't stay true to his heart and deviate from their expectations. And Rory, sweet Rory (he's probably one of my favorites of the book), comes to terms with his feelings and sees that at least some of them seem to be displaced. There are so many secondary characters that just add to the reality of a high school environment, especially a religious one, and seeing how the last month of their senior year played out made me wish I went to school with some of them.

What I also appreciated was the discussion around being queer in a small town rooted in the bible belt. When religious ideals about who you should be and what you should do with your life are pushed onto you for years, you start to question everything when things don't seem to fit. And through Chloe's point of view, as an outsider who has lived most of her life in a more liberal area and is confident and proud of who she is, we see just how difficult deviating from those ideals can be from those who have known nothing else their entire lives. Trying not to give anything away, I loved how the ending events brought together so many individuals who have just wanted to live their lives as their true authentic selves come together to spite the very institution that has tried to surpress them all along.

In conclusion, I Kissed Shara Wheeler is another fantastic book from Casey McQuiston, full of found family, flawed characters, interesting dynamics, and overall positivity and hopefulness powerful enough to overcome difficult themes that may be discussed. It's easily readable and full of humor and heart. I didn't know what to expect, but I'm glad to have read it all the same. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

3 stars

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sharing this e-arc with me.
I absolutely loved Casey McQuiston’s first two books (especially Red White & Royal Blue). I’m a bit disappointed to say that I didn’t love I Kissed Shara Wheeler. It was good and I adored the message, but the story was overall just meh for me.

How does Casey McQuiston do it so good every time.... It made me laugh, it made my cry: this was everything I didn't know i was looking for!! And such great timing - this is a perfect queer ya follow up for anyone who just finished binging Heartstopper. iId recommend this in particular to fans of John Green's Paper Towns, light ya mysteries, queer coming of age stories, academic rivals to lovers, and books with a rich cast of side characters.

The first thing i noticed about this book is just how fun it was - McQuiston's specific style of humor really works for me and feels realistic to the age group they're writing about. The onset of the book has so many enticing elements - Chloe, Smith, and Rory get up to some hilarious hijinks trying to track down the bright pink letters Shara has left as clues after her disappearance. I was cracking up at Chloe trying to prove to everyone that Shara wasn't the perfect it-girl they all thought she was. This book has McQuiston's classic rich cast of side characters who have comfortable, realistic relationships with one another and who are easy to adore, any of whom I would love to read spin off novels about (please! and while we're making requests - after reading about Rory and Smith, i would love to see McQuiston write a second chance romance, because I think they could do it very well).

For me, the heart of this novel isn't the mystery or even the romance, it's the way it captures how unexpected, cherished friendships can form when people are thrown together under unexpected circumstances & about the depths you can find in other people when you give them a chance. I adore how McQuiston captures all of the messy emotions of trying to find your identity in a place that tells you there's only one right way to be & the excitement and confusion and chaos of the end of high school, facing what feels like the beginning of the rest of your life. I also really appreciate the way this book navigates conversations about being queer in religious/small towns & how this book pushed back against the "you have to get out / escape to the city" narrative - Georgia's character in particular has a lot of depth in this regard. This book reminded me why I still seek out and love reading queer ya so much; I Kissed Shara Wheeler feels like a love letter to queer adolescence and finding small spaces (friend groups, theater, book stores, etc.) of hope and belonging in which to cultivate your identity.

I do have just a few small notes and nitpicks for the ending: I wanted to see more relationship development with Shara, i wanted a couple more scenes with Georgia and Chloe making up, and some of the graduation bits feel extra cheesy.

I am so delirious from staying up late reading to finish this that I can't think about anything but how incredible this was!! These characters are going to be living in my brain for a while - I can't wait to recommend this incessantly to everyone I know <3

Also wanted to share my favorite quote:
"It's not much—Chloe knows this. It's just car windows rolled down, the blue-and-white glow of a Walmart in the distance, the smell of wet pavement under the tires, the hum of neon from a passing Dairy Queen, the same radio station as always blasting a rotation of the same fifteen songs. But she thinks she's starting to understand what it means to be from here, because she could swear the bright red burn of artificial cherry is the best thing she's ever tasted.
She leans out into the wind and tips her head back, opening her eyes to the stars, and thinks maybe everything in the world really can fit inside False Beach city limits.
Shara has that effect."

A little mystery, with some new friends is the through line of this book, the catch - all these new friends have something in common - they all kissed Shara Wheeler. Shara has disappeared, but has brought these unlikely people together to figure out where she is through letters, notes and a scavenger hunt.

This book reminded me in some ways of Paper Towns and I like the mystery aspect as they go through different clues to find Shara. Unfortunately I didn't really like any of the characters. I found that there was no one I was rooting for and as the novel went on disliked Shara more and more.

I’ll read anything Casey McQuiston writes. Full stop.
I loved how real this book felt. It didn’t come off (to me at least) as token-ish, or trying to force anything. It felt natural with its representation - and there was plenty of it. I’ve already told our YA team we need a copy and I plan to get a physical copy for myself.
It is at it’s core a sapphic Paper Towns that takes no prisoners.
Bonus: Chloe gets a Starbucks drink that I actually ordered and am now obsessed with. I need more authors to put Starbucks orders in their novels because that was lots of fun.

The thing about Casey McQuiston's books is that they all feel really different but somehow have a common thread that lets you know they're hers. I don't know how to describe it, but I think that part of it is that she is kind of a master of creating characters who are messy and confused and aren't always inherently likeable and making you care about them. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is her first YA, and it starts right in the thick of things. Chloe Green, overachiever, future valedictorian, and one of the few queer kids at her private Christian school in Alabama, is looking for the titular Shara Wheeler, who just disappeared in the middle of a big dance before Chloe can confront her about why she kissed Chloe out of nowhere. Chloe isn't the only one who is confused and annoyed by Shara's disappearing act. Shara's boyfriend Smith and next door neighbor Rory (both of whom were also recently kissed by Shara Wheeler) have also been brought into what amounts to a very complicated scavenger hunt to figure out where Shara is and why. Chloe is a little hard, a little cold, and very obsessed with this hunt, as she's been competing with Shara for four years to see who will be the valedictorian. She, Rory, and Smith go through the clues Shara has left behind for a while, but eventually it's just Chloe trying to solve the mystery of Shara Wheeler. She ignores her closest friends, lets her grades drop, and becomes completely focused on this one task. She's definitely a flawed main character, but I still liked her, and I really loved her small but devoted queer community within an extremely unwelcoming high school environment. I honestly came out of this book thinking Shara was kind of terrible, but still really compelling as a character, which Casey McQuiston pulled off kind of magically.

5/5 STARS!

CW: Homophobia, Evangelical Christianity, religious homophobia, religious trauma, discussions of racism and misogyny, mentions of past off-page outing of an adult supporting character, threatened outing of supporting character. (avoided), underage drinking.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

To say I was excited to read this book would be a GIGANTIC understatement. This is probably my most anticipated book of 2022 and it was not a disappointment.

WOW THIS BOOK played with all of my emotions. I laughed and cried and squealed with joy.

I purposely tried to go into this book blind. Which was very hard to do when all of my friends were super excited for it. And this plot took me so many places, and made me feel so many things. I have loved Casey McQuiston’s writing in the past, and I can’t really believe I am saying this… but this is my favorite book of theirs. YES, you read my review right… this book topped RWARB for me! McQuiston’s writing shined in this book, her prose and characterization making the story feel alive and filled with love.

The plot in this book was so amazing. Even when I thought I knew what was going to happen, something else played out and took me by surprise. It was so much fun to read.

When I started this book, I wasn’t sure how much of it was going to be Queer. I know… I shouldn’t have doubted McQuiston, and I don’t even know why I thought that certain characters were just side characters… but there is one couple that I shipped right from the beginning and a part of me doubted it would happen and WHEN IT HAPPENED I SQUEALED WITH JOY. So often, Queer readers see these relationships and they are covered by heteronormativity and it is such a breath of fresh air to have a book that is just beautifully Queer in everything that it is. Reading a book where everyone is just their beautiful Queer selves and discovering their own individual Queer identities together and on their own, was so beautiful. I cried a lot at the end of this book. Big, fat ugly HAPPY GAY tears.

I wish I could have had a book like this in high school. This is a love letter to Queer teens everywhere and is a beautiful exploration of self, sexuality, gender, friendship and love.

I cannot recommend this book enough! Please go read it!

Thanks,
Caden

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is Casey McQuinston's first foray into young adult and I was so here for it. I love this author and I love YA so I couldn't wait to get to this book. It pains me not to rate it higher, becuase it it wasn't a bad book. It was just missing... something for me. The connection to the main characters? The romance? I'm not sure. There were a lot of things about it I enjoyed, but other parts it just felt like something was lacking.

The story starts out with three high school seniors on the hunt for Shara Wheeler, this disappearing girl. She kissed all three of them, Chloe, Smith, and Rory, left notes/clues, and took off. Out of all the characters in this book I think I liked Smith best, but we mostly get things from Chloe's perspective. There were a ton of great secondary characters and important topics covered, but I didn't particularly like or connect with Shara or Chloe.

As always, Casey McQuinston's writing is fantastic and I'll continue to check out more of her books. If you're looking for a contemporary YA with a little bit of mystery, humor, and romance- check this one out. You may love it!