2.5 STARS

Firstly, I am not the target audience for this book, so if the rating seems low that is why. With that being said I am an adoring fan of McQuiston, in particular Red, White, and Royal Blue- I have yet to read One Last Stop (it's in my tbr stack).

From the first ten pages, I throughly thought I was a teen again soaking in Paper Towns by John Green- it really gave me that vibe. If you've read either book you will know what I'm talking about.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler didn't personally capture my attention, I wasn't pulled into the whole high school drama, mystery quest, and was left quite unfilled and bored. Though that isn't to say that many other readers are going to devour this book up! Personally, it just seemed a bit silly to me how the characters were spending all this time and energy on Shara, who clearly didn't care for them.

With that in mind I've always admire how inclusive McQuiston is with their writing, I loved the representation throughout the characters, and the care they took towards friendships and found family. The story was fun to an extent, just wasn't my cup of tea- think if I was back in my teen days I would have absolutely loved this YA debut. Though, with that being said, I know that this book will strike a chord with many, especially the YA and McQuiston fan base. Definitely think McQuiston has another gem on their hands! Congrats on the YA debut, will be recommending it to many! Have a few individuals in mind that I know will absolutely adore this book, the plot, and characters.

My absolute favorite McQuiston so far. Take a classic YA book but make it queer and badass and you have this book. Practically perfect in every way.

Casey has done it again! This book is perfectly comped to Paper Towns, but with a queer twist! I loved the cast, loved the mystery, and the friendship was just completely wonderful.

4.25🌟 moxie meets paper towns meets the perks of being a wallflower! this was an incredibly fun, touching story that truly felt nostalgic to read. we follow Chloe green, as she tries to navigate high school in a conservative, religious small town. she joins smith parker and Rory heron as they follow clues to locate the town’s missing golden girl, Shara wheeler.

we get a cozy mystery and a sweet coming of age story, enhanced by a wide range of representation and writing that feels personal and realistic. it felt a little slow at some points and I wish we got more details about Shara, but all the other characters in the story felt important and I enjoyed that part of it a lot!

*thank you st. Martin’s press, wednesday books, & netgalley for the eARC!

Casey’s books are always fun and exceptional, this was no different. I was curious to see how they would write a YA novel and was not disappointed! This is a must read in my opinion for everyone! The story had me hooked from the beginning and I was left wanting even more.

I won’t be reviewing this book. I don’t normally like scavenger hunt kind of books, like where a person goes missing and the characters have to find them (think “Paper Towns” or “Looking for Alaska”), but I tried this one since I adored Casey McQuiston’s past books. Their writing skill was evident in this one, but I was never drawn in. DNF at 20%

Ever since Chloe Green moved to False Beach, she has been competing with Shara Wheeler for everything. Shara is the perfect smart girl that everyone wants to be or be with and Chloe can't stand her. On prom night, Shara randomly kisses Chloe and disappears. Leaving a series of letters behind with clues, Chloe follows the trail with some unexpected new friends to solve the mystery that is Shara Wheeler, where she went, and why she disappeared.

This book is the queer Paper Towns I didn't know I needed. Seriously, there are more queer characters than not which is amazing! It is so cute and wholesome, especially near the end when things start to wrap up.

This book explores coming to terms with your sexuality and gender in a small conservative town and how important found family is in those times. It was done well and realistically in my opinion. I especially related to when the characters eat their feelings away at Taco Bell.

I recommend this book if you're looking for a light-hearted enemies to lovers LGBTQ+ YA romance that occurs senior year of high school.

YES!!!! YES!!!! After one last stop I was so worried that this book would be similar, AND I WAS WRONG!!!
This is a ya book that doesn’t feel like it’s about teenagers figuring things out, but more about how weird life is, and that figuring it out, and yourself, is tough.

4.75 stars

This was such a good read. It was fun, dramatic, and heartwarming; it was a comfort read that still managed to surprise me; it was exactly what I needed right now. I loved the writer’s first two books and was thrilled to see them come out with a YA novel; this one just solidifies that their work is always going to have a special place in my heart. I loved the protagonist, her family, and her friends, and the plot, while not what I expected, was delightful. So much good diverse queer representation, as always, and well-written besides that. I’ve already started talking about this book to different people, and I can’t wait to have a copy for my classroom library- I preordered as soon as I finished. I’m thrilled I was able to read an advance copy of this book and am very excited to own a physical copy. I can’t wait for what the writer comes out with next!

I've previously enjoyed McQuiston's other two books and was excited to see a YA offering. This YA offering did not disappoint. I think it will appeal to a lot of teens in our library.

This book featured many elements that I personally enjoy in YA novels: namely--the forging of new and unlikely friendships. And, for me, it was the characters that shone most in this novel. While I appreciated (and really loved) the scavenger hunt element set in place by the titular Shara Wheeler, it worked well because of the trio of characters involved: Chloe, Smith, and Rory. The cast of supporting characters are wonderful as well.

What sets this particular book apart is the role of religion in the private school and in the lives of the various characters. I felt it was handled well and with nuance.

I will be purchasing a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title.

“Of course Shara cast herself as the main character of her own personal John Green novel...

The problem is, Shara counted on Chloe being like everyone else at Willowgrove, waiting for her to notice them and magically make them interesting or smart or cool. Chloe knows better. She’s kissed Shara Wheeler, and it changed absolutely nothing.”

Chloe Green is set on solving the mystery that is Shara Wheeler. Not just the mystery of where she went- though that’s her excuse- but the mystery of why everyone loves Shara so much when she only makes Chloe’s blood boil. And god, do I love two characters who “hate” each other...

This book is about more than one mystery, more than one love story, more than one personal truth. Every character in the book has a mystery inside them, Shara just happens to be the only one dramatic enough to disappear and leaves notes on how to find her.

This is like if Paper Towns is was super gay and Margo actually wanted to be found. Because trust me, Shara wants to be found. But she has a gloriously messed up way of showing it.

Plot: A
Characters: A+
Conclusion: A
Did it do what it was trying to do? Yes.
Recommend it? 100%

High school can be a challenge and even more so when you have a secret to hide. This story dives deep into a Christian school and issues of homophobia. I really enjoyed the overall concept of the book and each teen's perspective on growing up in the small, religious hometown. I felt that some of the book seemed a bit unrealistic. I would say this was my favorite book by McQuiston.

I did not like this author’s 2nd book but truly enjoyed this one! I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen, and it is on my 2022 favorites list!!

I enjoyed this book. It was a fresh take on a social scavenger hunt. Shara Wheeler kisses Chloe and then disappears but not without leaving her breadcrumbs along the way.

I will admit Shara was not my favorite character for most of the book and even Chloe was a bit difficult to swallow at times but in the end it all came together and motivations were revealed. I liked getting to see the growth and self-discovery each character had by the end.

This was a fun, fast-paced, YA Contemporary filled with unlikely friendships, strained family dynamics, and surprising romances. I definitely recommend it!

An enjoyable rivals to lovers YA, where Booksmart meets Paper Towns. The secondary cast is a bit unwieldy, but the subplot featuring Shara's boyfriend is a high point of this cinematic novel.

This book was not exactly what I was expecting but I still loved it. I think I was expecting something a bit more soft and cute like McQuiston's first novel. This novel was still great and the romances and relationships in this book were great and really complex. I was genuinely surprised by how deep this book went with its subject.
I think for me at least the best way to sum up this book is that it's everything Paper Town could have been. It had an actual "manic pixie dream girl," a solid mystery element, and great relationships besides the main one. This is definitely a solid read i am so excited to see what else McQuiston has in store for us.
Ps. This is one of the first books I have ever read where the manic pixie dream girl was actually problematic and it was made obvious to not only the reader but the characters.

Chloe Green was not thrilled when her moms moved her from California to Alabama. But despite the ardent bible thumpers and homophobes, Chloe finds a home in her small group of queer friends. She is fiercely protective of her group, viewing anyone outside of it with suspicion. So when prom queen Shara Wheeler kisses her, Chloe thinks it must be some attention seeking stunt. But when Shara disappears, leaving only a trail of pink notes behind. Chloe teams up with Shara’s jock boyfriend Smith, and Shara’s stoner neighbour Rory to find the clues to Shara’s whereabouts. But the more they learn about the true Shara, the less they may want to find her.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish I Kissed Shara Wheeler. Initially, I found the main character Chloe to be overly judgmental about everyone around her and I feared the book would be derivative of John Green’s Paper Towns. But Casey McQuiston is aware of her reader’s expectations and subverts them, and I ended up truly enjoying a book about how if you have the courage to be yourself you will find the community you were looking for.

Oh my goodness it was the BEST book set in high school I’ve ever read. I wish (I wish!) it had been written ten years ago when I was in high school, I loved it so much, I truly read it all in one sitting. I laughed out loud, I whined when the characters didn’t do what I wanted them to do, I actually said “aw” out loud more than once! I have loved all of McQuiston’s novels (and have had the privilege of reading two ahead of publication, thank you NetGalley) but this is my favorite.

I think one of the reasons why I loved it so much was the depth: so often, the high school stereotypes get “turned on their head” with like a little bit of inner monologue. McQuinston said absolutely not, and I recognized how closely many of the characters aligned with people I knew and still know-the characters really felt real. I felt Chloe’s anger, I felt Shara’s fear, I appreciated Georgia’s ability to see the whole picture, I loved all of these characters on the precipice of seeing what the world has to offer and still wanting to feel loved by each other in their past and present. I really, really dug it.

I like this book so much! It's not my normal bag, but the story was so wholly unexpected that I couldn't resist it. If my schedule had allowed, I probably would have finished it in one sitting.
All of the characters are excellent, though not at fleshed-out as they could be. That's understandable, because there were so many side and peripheral characters, all of whom played important parts.
The story itself is truly engaging, with Chloe, Smith, and Rory finding themselves figuratively as they looked for Shara, literally.
Shara is an interesting character. Seen as near perfect by her peers, she turns out to be just as flawed as anyone else, and even gives off some mean girl vibe.
Chloe is an odd one. She searches for Shara because she thrives on their academic competition, and also, Shara kissed her and WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
This story is full of heart and humor. I will definitely read more by Casey McQuiston.

Casey McQuiston just keeps delivering! I've been a fan of them ever since Red, White, and Royal Blue. Their writing continues to be funny, charming, and real. Here, you will find flawed characters who mean well (aka real people). Like the main character, I also grew up fighting to be valedictorian at my tiny private Christian school. Casey brings this environment to life in a way that felt realistic to my experience without being re-traumatizing. Without spoiling anything, my favorite part of any McQuiston tale is that there is hope and happiness. The queer experience comes with turmoil and pain, but in McQuiston's world, there are hard-won happy endings.