Casey McQuiston’s writing just works for me. Simple scenes like a group of friends picking up snacks from a gas station or driving around aimlessly come to life and almost feel like they have a magical quality to them. Initially I was a bit concerned that their first YA book wouldn’t appeal to me the same way that their adult books did, but luckily that wasn't the case.

I found the plot to be really compelling. Chloe Green is reeling after Shara Wheeler, the most popular girl in school, kissed her then disappeared on prom night. Chloe and two other people are left clues from Shara that they have to work out in order to find her and bring her home before graduation. The dynamics between Chloe, Smith, and Rory were interesting to read about as they tried to solve the mystery.

There were a lot of great discussions in the book about identity and how difficult it can be for people to come out in small, conservative southern towns. The characters go to a christian academy which makes it difficult for a lot of the queer characters to feel comfortable being open about their sexuality or gender identity. But even though that is the setting for the book the characters are still able to find their own communities and experience joy and euphoria with one another.

For me, this book didn’t quite reach the same level as Casey McQuiston’s first two books. I thought that the beginning of the book was paced really well, but in the last quarter it felt like things were just dragging on. Also, I never fully got on board with the central romance. I thought that both characters were fascinating and I enjoyed reading about their interactions with one another. But the book never convinced me that I actually wanted them to be in a relationship.

Even though this wasn’t perfect for me, I still had a great time reading it. I definitely think that fans of Casey’s adult books should try out I Kissed Shara Wheeler. Or anyone who enjoys contemporary queer YA stories that have a dash of mystery.

I will read anything Casey McQuiston writes. This novel was a fun look at high school, but it doesn't shy away from the difficulties of living in a small conservative area as a lgbtqia+ teenager, or even adult, and how pressures in high school can be devastating.

“I Kissed Shara Wheeler” 4/5!

Shara Wheeler is a stuck up, Christian, “it girl”. But is that all she is? Or is there more under the surface? Shara ditches town and high school, but not before kissing 3 people, Chloe included. Shara decides to leave cute little pink envelopes with clues about where she is around town.

I loved this book! Casey McQuinsten has done it again. The writing was fantastic, so witty and funny. The message was great. For her first YA novel, it was wonderful and adventurous!

This was not the book I expected of Casey for her YA debut. I adored her adult novels, they were both easy 5 star reads. I can't say I wasn't let down by this book, though. While I love seeing some of the queer identities, the two mothers, the discussion on gender, and the queer characters in general, the mystery, format, and execution really fell flat for me. It took me until well after the fifty percent mark to care about any of the characters and it was hard to come back to liking Shara when she was so absolutely awful and manipulative in the majority of the book. Sadly, I think I have to stick to Casey's adult novels.

It’s no secret that I love Casey McQuiston novels. Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop are two of my favorite books of all time. And yet, going into I Kissed Shara Wheeler, I wasn’t actually sure whether I was going to feel the same connection. As I have gotten older (I’m 21 now, which I still can’t believe), I have been reading less and less young adult books and shifting my reading toward adult books. However, it turns out I had no reason to worry, because I absolutely adored I Kissed Shara Wheeler.
Like McQuiston’s other books, I Kissed Shara Wheeler features a glittery, larger-than-life plot that is grounded in intensely realistic characters. When prom queen Shara Wheeler skips town a month before graduation, Chloe Green decides she must find her. It certainly doesn’t help that Shara is her academic rival - the only thing standing in the way of Chloe and the Valedictorian title - and that Shara kissed her mere days before disappearing. Chloe soon discovers that Shara also kissed Smith, her boyfriend, and Rory, the boy next door, before leaving town, and the three team up to find her.

As is true with most books I rate five stars, my love for it comes both from how good of a story it is, and with the extreme emotional attachment I feel for it. I don’t know if I can accurately convey just how much I was Chloe Green in high school. Obsessed with getting Valedictorian, obsessed with getting out of my small town. I was not reading monster romance, but I was reading a lot. And although I wasn’t out in high school, in fact I didn’t even know I was queer in high school, this book made me realize some of the reasons why I repressed that part of myself. I saw parts of both my former and current self in these pages, and I learned more about myself from reading this book. (Also like Chloe, I am a math bisexual, which is a character type that I will continue to believe Casey McQuiston writes for me, personally, until proven otherwise).

Although they begin as rivals, Chloe and Shara ultimately find they have a lot in common. But I think the biggest thing that they have in common, and that my high school self had in common with them, was that feeling that no matter what you did, other people were still going to put you into the predetermined box they had chosen for you.

Even if you don’t relate to Chloe’s high school experience as much as I do, there are still so many things to love about this book. McQuiston’s prose is electric, the characters vibrant, and the queerness bright. Each of the minor characters are their own gems who have something different to add to the story. I am a bit partial to Chloe’s friend Georgia, but this is again perhaps due to my biased perspective in which I have a friend named Georgia who also happens to very strongly resemble fictional Georgia.

Like McQuiston’s other books, I Kissed Shara Wheeler is filled with queer joy. However, this is certainly a very special brand of queer joy, given that the majority of the book takes place at a Christian high school. These are young teens who are daring to stand up and be themselves in a place that works hard to repress them. And many of them are exploring and newly discovering their sexual and gender identities.

I realize I did not touch on the romance a lot during this review, although I certainly did enjoy it. I think the main reason for this being that I don’t really view I Kissed Shara Wheeler as being a romance book. It is a romance, but it is more so a coming of age story. It’s a story about what happens when you spend your entire high school career working towards getting out, and where the abyss of your future leaves you. It’s a story about self-love, and community, and being queer in a small town in the South. It’s a story of friendship - the forever friends and the ones in unlikely places. It is a story that will live in my head and my heart for a long time to come, and that I think will touch the lives of many others.

"But this Shara, the one spelled out on pink stationary, is a million times more interesting than the fake one. Like, no contest."

Casey McQuiston’s writing and characters stole my heart back in 2019, when I first read Red, White, and Royal Blue. Soon after, I very easily fell head-over-heels for One Last Stop in 2021. Suffice it to say, when they announced a sapphic romance/high-school mystery, it climbed onto my list of most-anticipated 2022 releases and I could not wait to get my hands on a copy. So imagine how geeked I was when I received an unexpected email from Wednesday Books with an ARC of I Kissed Shara Wheeler. I just about lost all of my marbles.

A big thank you to Wednesday Books and Casey McQuiston for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.

But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.

Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.

Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.

One of my favorite elements of Casey’s writing is their ability to sprinkle diversity in just about every one of their stories. You don’t need me to tell you how important diversity is in storytelling (I know), but it’s something really special for readers to either see themselves or to better understand the world around them. And the fact that Casey continues to bring such a high level of diversity into a new-for-her genre (young adult), that’s definitely something to get excited about; young readers and readers of young literature need to see that diversity.

In I Kissed Shara Wheeler, you not only are following Chloe (who identifies as bisexual) but you see Chloe’s moms, her best friend (who identifies as lesbian), and her other good friend (who identifies as non-binary). And on top of all of that, there are characters that discover themselves throughout the progression of the narrative, and you get to see that self-discovery happen in real-time on the page. Because these characters are discovering themselves as the story moves forward, Casey lays down these really honest and open conversations about gender and sexuality—the kind of conversations that are crucial in any book, as far as I’m concerned—especially in books geared towards younger audiences. It’s really, really beautiful.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler also takes place in a Southern small-town that is religiously centered and conservative, and Chloe happens to attend a Christian high school. As I’m sure you can imagine, there are countless prejudices against Chloe because she isn’t the ‘norm’ that this population is used to. Chloe moved to this town from LA and very quickly becomes the resident “weird girl” for a number of reasons. Again, I don’t want to harp on this, but Casey’s stories—while fictional—create a warm and welcoming place for conversations that need to be had and impact very real people in our world.

Casey actually did this incredible interview with Business Insider about her impact in the book world and her inspiration behind the stories she writes, and I couldn’t recommend reading it enough.

"High school’s almost over. Now or never, right?"

If you’ve read any of Casey’s previous books, you know that their writing is so strong that it’s kind of borderline unbelievable.

Right from the first page, Chloe’s voice is crystal clear and strong. Chloe’s brain moves so quickly, jumping from thought to thought to thought, which is exactly how the story moves. We never stay on one thought too long because her brain is constantly buzzing and moving to the next thing. The way that Casey writes Chloe allows you to see her thought flow and process, and seeing the overwhelming and ramble-y way a character thinks helps you understand them on a deeper level that you may not get from an author conventionally telling you a characteristic about them. Frankly, it’s just really well done.

And even though we’re inside Chloe’s brain, we still get to see other characters’ thoughts through these little snippets at the end of each chapter. Basically, there are these short bursts of writing from all of these different characters; the snippets can be from a note passed in class, a homework assignment never turned in, etc. The point is, these little insights into other characters helps the reader better understand that ‘minor’ character’s motives and desires. Even if Chloe doesn’t like a particular character and is a bit biased in her thoughts, we get to see a different side of them in those moments.

There are also some really incredible quotes that showcase a character’s attributes (and feature Casey’s strong writing!), and my favorite has got to be: “Chloe enters the choir room for lunch with a peanut butter sandwich in her lunch bag and murder in her heart.” I mean, come on. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t not include this quote anywhere in my review. It’s iconic.

Sticking with the characters and how they interact with one another though, Casey is beyond talented when it comes to writing believable and realistic relationships between friends. If a certain friendship or relationship is already well-established, the banter between those characters feels incredibly natural and they’re already comfortable with one another. As small as a moment or writing technique this is, it makes readers really feel like these people are real, live, breathing humans. And, let me tell you, I was a big fan of the banter in this book.

On top of all of that, the teenagers actually talk like teenagers.

As Chloe works to find Shara and after teaming up with some unlikely allies, there are these really wholesome and pure moments as the characters that normally wouldn’t converse with each other find out that they have more in common than they previously thought. And these are the moments that stole the show for me. I’m specifically thinking about a scene involving a ceiling and a metal tube. If you know, you know.

And do not even get me started on how warm and fuzzy the ending made me feel. It was so endearing and heart-warming, you can’t not love it. Everything wraps up super well. There’s also something to be said about the beauty of Chloe’s big epiphany towards the end, regarding the people she has spent the past four years hating. While it has been a handful of years since I was a teenager (yikes), it all very reminiscent of that age and how dramatic and apocalyptic everything feels.

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

Here’s the thing. I think we can all agree that the difference between loving a book and just enjoying it is totally a timing thing; depending on if you read a story at the right time or the wrong time, it can affect you in vastly different ways.

There were so many incredible things about this book; things that I will gladly sing praises about, and I think it’ll be a really important book to so many people. But, I didn’t love it. In fact, there were a few moments where it felt like the story was dragging on.

Despite between so strongly written, I didn’t love Chloe. Oftentimes, I was kind of annoyed and frustrated with her as a main character. Some of the choices she made because of her quest to find Shara were so questionable, and she never seemed to learn from her past mistakes. She was your typical high-school cynic, constantly judging her classmates based on what she thought she knew about them, and it didn’t work for me. Every time she made an assumption about a person based on what she heard about them or has perceived from their general appearance genuinely bothered me—especially considering the fact that she has been a victim of that kind of peer judgment before.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m always down for the very fit-in-the-box stereotyped teenagers. It can make for a really fun story and teach the very valuable lesson of not judging a book by its cover. I mean, John Hughes did exactly that in 1985 with The Breakfast Club. But, there was just something about the way it was done in I Kissed Shara Wheeler that it didn’t sit right with me.

"…nice and kind are not the same thing. Plenty of people aren’t nice at all, but they’re kind. And that’s what matters."

Unfortunately, I Kissed Shara Wheeler did not fully live up to its expectations for me. Despite the strong writing and the wholesome-ness of it all, it didn’t fully hit my heart.

I know I’m in the minority of not falling completely in love with this one. The reviews are pretty much raving. I also probably should have prefaced this whole review with the fact that YA contemporaries have not exactly been hitting the way they used to for me. I definitely still pick them up and having a good time, but they don’t steal my heart the way they used to. And I fully accept the fact that that’s totally a Me Thing and not at all a Casey McQuiston Wrote A Bad Book Thing—because she didn’t.

Despite not fully loving it though, I still had a fun time and I cannot wait to hear more reviews of this one when it officially hits shelves.

Like I said, I know for a fact that Shara Wheeler is going to hugely impact some readers’ lives and I can’t wait to see that happen. I will proudly support Casey McQuiston world domination (it’s deserved), and I will gladly pick up anything she writes in the future.

And, let it be known, that Rory and Smith are single-handedly the best characters in this book. That is a hill I’m prepared to die on.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler officially hits shelves on May 3, 2022! You can visit Casey McQuiston’s website for information on where you can preorder your copy and learn about all of the content warnings.

Another thank you to Wednesday Books and Casey McQuiston for providing me with an ARC for my honest review!

You might like this if:
- you enjoyed Paper Towns by John Green
- you’re a big fan of smashing the patriarchy
- you romanticize your life a little too much
- you’re looking for a book with great LGBQIA+ rep!

Overall: 3 pink envelopes out of 5 – ★★★☆☆.

This wasn't my favorite book, simply because I wasn't the biggest fan of the main character and enjoyed the side characters much more, however, because of the representation in this book, I would absolutely love to have this as a part of my library. This book felt a lot like Paper Towns and completely threw me off when it even mentioned John Green. I go back and forth about loving pop culture references in the books I read. While I have critiques for this book, overall I think it is a great piece of YA Literature.


Thank you #Netgalley for an early read of #IkissedSharaWheeler

Casey McQuinston's YA debut is just as fun, queer, and enthralling as their adult titles. McQuinston is a master of mixing romance, comedy, and more serious topics, and this is no more on display than in I KISSED SHARA WHEELER. This is the kind of book I wish that I had as a teen––a novel filled with queer joy and exploration, alongside all of the highs and lows of the end of senior year. McQuinston perfectly captures this time, weaving the mystery seamlessly throughout.

I so enjoyed reading this book! Just like Casey McQuiston's other novels, it made me (1) laugh a lot, (2) cry a little, and (3) stop reading for a minute just to appreciate some particularly lovely phrases/sentences. The dialogue was all so funny and so genuinely realistic--as usual, Casey McQuiston absolutely nails the teen/young adult slang--and the secondary characters were also all delightful; I particularly enjoyed Smith, and Georgia was also lovely.

As I was reading it, I did feel at times like the plot was a little too convoluted, but I felt less and less that way as I got to the end of the book, so in retrospect, I'm not sure that it was actually a problem at all--and to whatever extent it was, I think it was really more a matter of pacing than anything else. I think the section of the book that focused on Chloe et al chasing down and interpreting Shara's notes could have been a bit shorter, and the rest of the book a bit longer. This actually ties into my only other criticism, which is that I still didn't feel like I completely understood Shara by the end of the book; maybe a bit more time spent on the portion of the book after she reemerges would have given more time/space for that character development..

On the whole, this book was so so fun. I'm not sure I enjoyed it quite as much as Casey McQuinston's first two books, but firstly, that could just be because I'm feeling more into adult novels than YA these days, and secondly, given how much I loved those first two books, that's hardly a complaint! I absolutely enjoyed myself reading it, would recommend it widely, and definitely plan on buying a finished copy when it comes out.

On the weekend of her Senior Prom, Shara Wheeler kissed three people: Smith Parker, her longtime boyfriend; Rory Heron, the boy next door; and Chloe Green, her academic arch rival. And then, Shara simply vanished. But before she left, Shara sent each of them a letter, with clues to more letters, and the possibility of understanding where she is and why she disappeared.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is essentially a novel about a scavenger hunt, in which these three characters go to new places and interact with new people along their quest to find Shara. Chloe’s evolution throughout the story prevents the concept from feeling repetitive when it otherwise could have. When the twists come in the back half of the book (some more surprising than others), they are both earned and believable. It’s a smart story, and Chloe and Shara both prove to be quite perceptive about everyone except themselves.

But what elevates I Kissed Shara Wheeler from good to great is the main character, Chloe. She’s pitch-perfect snarky and sarcastic, and full of teen angst and intensity. The daughter of two moms, her family moved from Los Angeles to False Beach, Alabama just in time for her to start at the local Christian high school. So of course there’s a theme of intolerance running through this story. What’s more interesting is that Chloe is called out for her biases as well, for the times she incorrectly assumes someone is less progressive—sometimes even just less complex—than they later prove to be. In fact, the whole story is about how people are rarely who they seem to be, and the pressure of living up (or down) to other people’s expectations.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a funny, sweet story that will have you rooting for the main characters to get what they want. Just as soon as they figure out what it is that they really want. 😄 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

I kissed Shara Wheeler follows a group of three very different people all trying to find out the same thing, where is Shara Wheeler?
Our main character is Chloe, a headstrong, smart-as-hell, whirlwind of a girl who is left stunned after her rival, Shara randomly kisses her and disappears days before the end of their senior year. Chloe isn’t the only one who Shara has set on this wild goose chase and soon she teams up with Smith, Shara’s boyfriend, and Rory, Shara’s neighbor who is also madly in love with her. The three are set on a sense of a scavenger hunt to find Shara with the help of letters Shara has left behind for them to find.

I cannot rave about this book enough, it was just so so good!! As someone who really doesn’t like people Casey McQuiston sure has a way of making me fall in love with every single one of her characters. They way these characters are written makes them feel so real, like they are part of my own life. I have never found an author who can write characters like McQuiston does and I will always appreciate them for these people they create.

The whole plot was so fun as well, it really felt like you’re going along with them on the hunt for Shara. All you want to do is find out who Shara really is and what she is hiding from everyone. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants immaculate writing, strong characters, and a whole lot of fun!

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

This ended up not being the type of plot I was expecting after reading some of McQuiston's adult romance novels, and I think that made me like it more. There is a romance, but the majority of the plot revolves around a missing person and teenagers following clues in order to find them all wrapped into the battle for valedictorian and the end of high school. Mixed in with all of that is teens figuring out who they are, what they want to be, and who they want to love. I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is set at a strict Christian school in Alabama, our protagonist moves there from California with her two moms and has to reckon with being an out bisexual in a community that doesn't exactly support LGBTQIA+ rights.

Overall this was a fun read and I think hits a reading audience that many LGBTQIA+ books don't focus on. I'm also jealous that my school theatre experience did not involve an end of the year performance like Chloe and her friends get because that sounds like so much fun.

Paper Towns meets academic enemies to lovers meets coming of age narrative meets Bible belt teenager-dom. Casey McQuiston absolutely nailed the vibe of southern small towns at the end of the school year. She hits a sweet spot with this and the setting was not only believable but extremely relatable. I'm not sure how I felt about the "Paper Towns" of it all, since they have a similar premise, but the details and narrative arc are completely different (which I really enjoyed). Seeing the typical high school stereotypes like jock, cheerleader, theater kid, etc. was a little stunted, but I liked how she took them apart by the end of the book. The romance felt a little rushed and the plot towards the end was fast, but overall, a cute read!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 Q: have you ever lived in a small town? I’m currently living in a town that has around 1,000 residents. If you have, did you like it?

Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler is wild—I had no idea what was going to happen—& it was so fun & unexpected (but maybe should have expected since McQuiston is always serving up something new!).

The book basically opens with Chloe Green—who’s long been competing with Shara for valedictorian—realizing that before “Perfect” (said sarcastically) Shara disappeared, she kissed her & Shara’s neighbor Rory—not to mention Shara has a boyfriend, Smith.

Chloe has enough questions about all of this to fill an investigative reporter’s notebook.

Shara only encourages the mystery, leaving a trail of clues on pink stationary that Chloe, Rory, & Smith work together to find.

I feel like I’m still putting together this book, which explores what makes some teen girls come across as perfect & approachable versus scary & mean. That feels really important to me, not to mention how the book addresses Christian hypocrisy, being non-binary (& recognizing & celebrating that), & living—and being happy in a small towns—especially when you’re not what some of those “Christians” want.

(Like maybe if you’re a Pomeranian—like Chloe’s parents suggest—& the people around you only want poodles.)

The book’s incisive & also soo funny, with quips about vampire hunters & Phantom of the Opera & much more, & heartwarming moments as Chloe finds friends in people she wasn’t expecting. Seeing Chloe—a very smart person—realize her own feelings for Shara (& vice versa) is amusing & relatable.

On the whole the book is both cutting & warm, hard & sweet.

My only quibble with this one is just that at the end of the day, I still didn’t feel like I entirely knew Shara. She still feels somewhat inscrutable to me.

But this is another mega-talented offering from Casey McQuiston—honestly I think the author can write anything.

4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 05/03.


CW: McQuiston includes an Author’s Note about religion & “religious trauma & homophobia” that the book later considers.


[ID: an ebook rests on a stack of hardbacks that match the cover: light pink, white, & neon green. To the right is a neon green & white polka dotted clutch & on top is a pair of long pink fringed earrings.]

5/5 stars

I really, really loved this book. Like, wow, did I love it.

The setting - the Christian school and small-town Bible belt location and just the way that homophobia is packed into the dirt sometimes - but the way the book and its characters fought back and found queer love & joy regardless - I loved that.

This book is so much smarter than I am, so I loved that, too. Like no joke, I would've been stuck seven steps behind from the very beginning, but boy was it fun to just go along for the ride!

I wasn't sure, halfway through, how this would wind up a romance (even though I was loving what was happening), and I must say I'm supremely satisfied with how it all worked out!

Casey McQuiston’s first YA novel doesn’t disappoint. It’s a very good coming of age story, with a little mystery thrown in. I love how inclusive Casey is, and love how realistic the relationships are. There were times where the pacing felt a little slow, but the story was still engaging. It’s definitely a great summer read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Casey McQuiston, and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler was beautifully written, incredibly important, heartfelt and fun. I loved this book so much!!! This is Casey McQuiston's first young adult book, and it was actually my favorite book of theirs so far! It was a unique book as it's a YA & little coming of age, LGBTQIA AND a rom-com! TBH those are some of my most favorite genres all in one book! *chef's kiss*

*Chloe changed the name of the chat to “I Kissed Shara Wheeler”*
Rory: 😬 Smith: hell no
*Smith deleted the name of the chat*

This book had me dying laughing at times. Some parts were so funny, but overall this was just such a heartfelt book full of love, finding yourself and figuring out your sexuality. I though McQuiston did a fabulous job handling many hard topics, such as navigating friendships/relationships and their new dynamics and tough feelings regarding gender, self identity and being yourself in a place (homophobic Christian high school) that's constantly telling you that what you are/how you feel is wrong/a sin. I also loved how some of the students there were saying that not all Christians feel the way the staff at Willowgrove Christian Academy did, and if you are religious that you can still find love and acceptance. A really important message!

I loved all of the characters. Literally all of them! And I'm so glad we had so much info, dialogue and stories between so many of them so we could learn more about them. You just can't help but love and root for the whole gang. Especially Chloe's mom's!

"Smith freezes. Rory freezes. Untipped cows on the edge of town freeze."

Read if you enjoy: YA stories, LGBTQIA, rom-coms, enemies to lovers, John Green novels, academic rivals and sweet, fun storylines. Keep in mind it is YA so it is not steamy like RW&RB/OLS, but it is still just as good (if not better!).

Overall, this book is wonderful and I highly recommend it. Thank you St Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication 5/3/22!! This review will be posted to my blogs & Amazon closer on publication day.

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This is Casey McQuiston's YA debut and they really did a good job. It's a coming of age story with drama, humour, and even a mystery sprinkled in there!

I loved reading about queer characters in various stages of their journey and self-acceptance. It was also interesting to see how they dealt with everything while living in a small town in the Bible Belt. Obviously, as a cis het woman, I can't speak as to how accurate the lgbtqia+ representation was portrayed. But from various reviews I read, it seems to have been handled very well.

I read a lot of YA novels and I must admit this one definitely seems to have been aimed at actual teenagers rather than adults-who-enjoy-reading-YA. It was still really enjoyable. I especially loved the relationships between the friends. The characters are well fleshed out and I loved most of them. I found Chloe incredibly unlikeable, however. But my love for Smith is everything and I would love a whole story centered around him!

I was THRILLED I was approved for this ARC, I screamed out loud! Casey hits it out of the park again, thoroughly enjoyed I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

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!