Chloe Green has been competing with Shara Wheeler for valedictorian all through high school. So when Shara disappears a month before graduation, having kissed Chloe just before, Chloe is determined to find out where she has gone, not wanting to win by default. She is joined by Rory, Shara’s neighbor, who Shara also kissed before disappearing, and Smith, Shara’s boyfriend.



This was a compelling story that really shined when it came to the main characters. Everyone felt so fleshed out, even Shara, who was not present for the majority of the book.


Chloe was strong willed and determined to get what she wanted, but sometimes she had a tendency to let that overshadow everything else. She spent a good portion of the book ignoring her friends, especially Georgia, simply because she was so caught up in Shara and the mystery that she left. Chloe was someone who got dropped into a situation that she didn’t want, moving from California to Alabama, and instead of trying to find good in it, she looked at the ways that it was bad. Even when she found really good friends, she still thought of Alabama as something that she didn’t like. Even so, I really found Chloe likeable and relatable. It never came off as mean spirited, just short sighted and somewhat self centered, but in a very realistic way for a teenager. For instance, when she decides the whole reason for this is that Shara is in love with her, so all of this was laid out to make Chloe realize that, it was a really teenager thing to believe. Even though it ended up being somewhat true.

Rory was the boy next door, but the one who didn’t get the girl and he let that overshadow a lot of his life, but it really felt like he did that, not because he really had feelings for Shara, but because he felt like he was supposed to and he let that happen so he could ignore other things about himself. The scene between him and Chloe when he first admits that he isn’t straight was really emotional and felt really real.

Smith was the football star, the perfect boyfriend, but it also felt like he was doing what he felt like was expected of him and dating who he thought he was supposed to date, without ever really digging into if he really wanted that.

It was really interesting seeing Shara’s character develop over the course of the book, especially since this was happening through Chloe’s eyes. Chloe really thought of her as the perfect Southern girl, who everyone loved, except Chloe, who thought that she saw things that no one else saw about Shara. It was really interesting seeing Shara develop over time, as someone who would both help a friend prepare to audition for a musical, but also blackmail them into not telling, to the point where she broke up a relationship over it. She was self centered in her own way, just like Chloe, but she was also very attuned to other people and was willing to push them towards things that would be good for them, even if it was in a round about way.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the discussion between Ash and Smith about Ash’s identity and about being non binary. As someone who realized that they were non binary in their late 20s, reading nuanced discussions about it in a YA novel felt really important to me. I really loved the way that Smith opened up in this discussion and even talked about his own relationship to his body and his gender.


I did feel like some of Chloe’s friends were underdeveloped however. Benjy and Ash were important to certain parts of the plot, but they never really felt like fully realized characters to me. Benjy was only really talked about it terms of his relation to the school play and Ash was primarily discussed in relation to art and to their non binary identity. I would have liked to get to know them a little better.

I really liked Georgia and Chloe’s friendship. It felt very real to me at the end when Chloe takes the fall for Georgia, that they begin to fall back into their friendship. Friends like that are hard to get rid of and even when you mess up, there’s almost always a way back.

The students of Willowgrove coming together to protest the way that the school and the principal ran things was a great plot point. Chloe needed to realize that her preconceived notions about False Beach and the people who lived there were not completely correct and that the other students were more than she believed. I understand why she believed that. It was a coping mechanism and a way of protecting herself, especially when you hear about her Mom’s history at the school, but I am glad that she opened herself up to reevaluating her feelings and thoughts.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a beautiful story about discovering who you are and truly accepting yourself and realizing that who people expect you to be doesn’t have to be who you are. It will make you laugh, feel a lot of emotions and really make you think about your place in this world.

This book was so much fun. From the very beginning, I was absolutely gripped by the plot. I think where Casey McQuiston shines is in her ability to write realistic, loveable, characters who leap off of the page. I'm so excited for finished copies of this to come out and to recommend it to everyone I meet.

First off, I absolutely loved One Last Stop by this same author. McQuiston is a great LGBTQ writer, full stop. If you’re here for her, read no further; this book will suit your needs perfectly.

As far as the book itself - being YA, this has a bit of a different feel than McQuiston’s previous works. The first few chapters definitely require some suspension of disbelief, which is fine for this genre. It’s a little odd, after all, that a teenage girl about to graduate high school can go missing and there’s no immediate uproar - but again, it’s YA.

The characters, though, is where this book shines. You have your standard YA group of misfit and non-misfit friends, but each of them is great in their own way. Chloe is fun and very relatable on many levels, especially to any LGBTQ teen reading (as I myself was, a few decades removed now). I really appreciated her voice, as well as her humor to the entire situation.

I can genuinely say I enjoyed this book, and I truly wish it had existed when I was a teenager. I loved the easy gay-ness of so many characters, the cheesy nerdiness, the genuine friendships - everything fit together so well. This is a book I will definitely recommend for LGBTQ youth and will likely reread myself once it comes through my library.

Casey McQuiston took me right back to high school, where the feelings are big and complicated and you start to see the world from a perspective that is a little bigger than your own viewpoint. I loved how real every character felt (main and side) and how so many may have seemed stereotypical but all had hidden depths. I loved how they solved Shara's clues and how that turned out to be a springboard for bigger things. This was a book that was tough for me to put down! I would recommend it to teens and adults and I'm thankful to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

“And if who you are is a snarling little Pomeranian with eyes like fire, then that’s who you are, darling.”
— 𝙄 𝙆𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙧, Casey McQuiston

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Okay let me preface this by saying I really had high hopes, and while I did enjoy this book as a whole, it also wasn’t a five star read. I’m of the opinion that 𝙍𝙚𝙙, 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 & 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 is GOD TIER, and while McQuiston is undoubtedly extremely talented, her subsequent two novels have a lot to live up and, unfortunately, have fallen just short of the mark for me. This was one of those.

This book was genuinely hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud soooo many times, and that made it enjoyable. I also loved the Paper Town/Gone Girl-esque mystery aspect of this one. Wondering where the next clue was going to come from. Waiting to find out where Shara was. In the end, we did get answers to all of our questions and I thought it wrapped up nicely.

Now for the less-than-enjoyable parts: Chloe. And Shara. Both of these girls were maddening, and not in a good way. The side characters really made this book for me. Smith, Rory, Georgie, Benjy, Ash, Ace. I loved all of them. Unfortunately, the story was told from Chloe’s POV and revolved around Shara lol. ALSO it really dragged in the back half for me 😬

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?

i can’t write about this book, not properly. it feels wrong to just mention it’s an academic rivals to lovers, though i loved shara and chloe’s tension. more, it’s so much about love and finding yourself, it hurts. it’s a culmination of growing up. of a shared understanding of queerness, no matter how quietly your pride extends. there are so many scenes that just feel so close to me, and it was just so, unbelievably messy, in only the way a perfect ya book can be. one of my favorite things about casey mcquiston is in all of their books, things almost are beyond belief, and there’s a sense of suspension. (obviously one last stop has magical elements lol but you know what i mean!) there are so many antics and so much risk and so much chaos in the lives of our main characters that i loved. and also it’s just… the side characters?? how can i feel so closely to the way casey writes them is beyond me. i laughed so hard, y’all.

reading this book in high school myself is such an experience unlike any other ya book, because it’s casey mcquiston, my favorite romance author, and yet she tones it down, and in a way, this is a book that just feels.. for me?? and i hope others reading it feel that way too. i felt listened to, it honestly made me lonely, made me ache, and laugh, and why the hell am i like this? why does smith’s endless heart make me want to be somebody. smith, shara’s boyfriend and football player but also flowers in his hair creative gorgeous person. out of all the side characters, smith meant the most to me, because even though smith isn’t even the main character, that kind of endless love he describes is what i took away from this book, i think. you see it in rory (softy bad boy yearning), in georgia (chloe’s best friend and also cottagecore/forestcore lesbian), in smith, obviously, in shara even, and in chloe, in chloe’s ambition and need to be something. chloe, never really feeling at home in a small alabama town after moving from california, and finding that maybe she isn’t alone. the love in this book extends so far.

and in light of this, i also really think this book does a very strong job of incorporating religious trauma. the majority of characters in this book are, in fact, queer. and, simultaneously, this book is set in a small town at a religious high school where they can get expelled for being queer, where, even though chloe puts up a strong face and has the support of her two moms, is not exempt. of how these are characters who grew up being told queerness is wrong, characters who, no matter how much they’ve grown, still have internalized a lot of the hate they’ve faced. it’s not a problem to be fixed, it’s just something that does affect how they interact, how their queerness isn’t necessarily pride flags and coming out statements, but glittery makeup, and hugs, and the closeness of a community. this book is about finding your people, about the unexpected moments and the endless love and the freedom to be anyone. it’s ambition and so much girlbossing and so much pain, but not lonely. it’s far from lonely.

and, before i cut myself off, this is a romance. it’s a lot more than that, but it was academic rivals to lovers, and the tension was unforgettable. two people fired with hate that they’re all they can think about and it’s just like.. i hate you so much?? you’re driving me mad? yes. that. chloe and shara both are so academically driven, both strive to not be better but be the best, and i also felt that so, so much. chloe’s unapologetic and witty and strong and a bit chaotic at times, but i can’t imagine anybody else at the heart of this story. she honestly was such a force to be reckoned with.

This felt like what would happen if a John Green novel were turned on its head. I loved it! McQuiston always does such a great job of making her novels incredibly atmospheric.

I was excited when Casey announced that their next book would be a YA, but when I found out it was gonna be a saphic rivals to lovers set in a Catholic school, I almost cried.

I am pleased to announce that this book was everything I expected and more. It had amazing friendships, gay theatre nerds, deeply and intricately written characters (I am in love with Shara Wheeler) and most importantly, what might be the best execution of a repressed-homosexuality-rivals-to-lovers I have ever seen. The tension, the angst, the yearning? Absolutely out of this world. Not only that, but it was also beautiful in such a cinematic way, I felt like I was watching a movie or reading a screenplay instead of reading a book. The aesthetic for this one was loud and clear and made the reading experience so much more enjoyable.

Even with the backdrop of a Catholic School and a Conservative town, McQuiston found a way to leave LGBTQ+ teens hopeful up until the last page and built a safe space for teens of all backgrounds. This book, which was definitely written as a love letter to southern queers, left me with nothing but gratitude and a warm heart, even if I am lucky to not have grown up in an environment as foul as the one these characters had to call their home.

All and all, this book was funny, heartfelt, beautifully written and made me more than excited to see everyone else's reactions to it. It comes out on May 3rd, so don't forget to pre-order a copy!

If you liked Paper Towns, you should give this book a read. If you hated Paper Towns, you should still give it a read.

Chloe Green has been competing with Shara Wheeler for years. Shara is the pretty, smart, popular daughter of the principal while Chloe is the strange outsider that moved from LA with her two moms. Did I mention they all attend a private Christian school? As the race for valedictorian heats up, Shara suddenly disappears, but not before kissing 3 different people: her boyfriend Smith, her neighbor Rory, and her competitor Chloe. In Paper Towns fashion, Shara leaves behind clues for all 3 of them to find her. They must work together to solve the mystery of "Where is Shara Wheeler?". Throughout the journey, they all learn more about each other and themselves.

As far as pros of this book, if you are looking for LGBTQ representation then look no further. Every single character is a member of the LGBTQ community. There are non-binary, lesbian, gay, cross-dressing, and everything else you can imagine. Not my cup of tea but I'm sure there are plenty of people who will appreciate it. I did appreciate the love and support that was shown throughout the book for everyone. No matter their age, gender, or sexual orientation, everyone treated each other as equals and didn't display hatred. The characters' journeys of self-discovery are very well done, even if the means to get there were a little far-fectched. Everyone figures out who they are and what they like about themselves.

Now for the cons. I can't say I disliked this book because I didn't. However, it was highly unbelievable and far-fetched. First of all, what are the odds that a private Christian school in the south would have that high of an LGBTQ concentration? Maybe I'm out of touch but that just seemed really unlikely. Secondly, the whole idea of the top contender for valedictorian just dipping out for the last month of school to send her competitor on a scavenger hunt was pretty bogus. I hate to keep comparing it to Paper Towns but the likeness is unavoidable. This had a better ending though. If you are looking for pure entertainment that you don't have to put a lot of thought into, this book is for you. If you prefer a deeper read, you may want to give this one a pass.

Chloe Green is not supposed to live in Alabama; however, when her grandmother becomes ill, her moms decide to move there from California to take care of her. When Chloe's grandmother dies, her moms decide that it is best for her to stay and finish high school at Willowgrove Christian Academy. Chloe knows that she does not fit into the world of evangelical Christianity in small town Alabama given that she is bi and is the child of lesbians, With her close circle of friends, Chloe finds herself in the final months of high school when Willowgrove's golden girl, Shara Wheeler, disappears, Chloe decides she needs to figure out where Shara has gone. Chloe finds herself teamed up with Smith and Rory, both of whom were also kissed by Shara in the days leading up to her disappearance. Through a series of notes on pink stationery left around town, Chloe, Smith, and Rory start to put the pieces together and not only discover the truth about Shara and Willowgrove, but they also discover the truth about themselves. A sweet and sometimes sad story of figuring out who you are, what you need, and where you truly belong.

I really loved this book. Casey can do no wrong in my book. This book is part Scavenger Hunt with an unlikely group of friends and then slow burn romance. Really loved that it touched social issues and it felt fresh.

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Shara Wheeler is the "it" girl of Willowgrove Christian Academy -- she is popular, beautiful, smart (her only competition for valedictorian is Chloe Green), and the image of the good Christian teenager (literally, as her picture graces a billboard advertising the Willowgrove Christian Academy, where her father is principal). The only person who does not like Shara is Chloe, who is convinced that Shara is a fraud and is intent on proving it (as well as beating her for the title of valedictorian). Chloe is an aberration at Willowgrove. She is from California, having moved to False Beach, Alabama, the summer before high school; she has two mothers (and the one from False Beach is the only person to ever come out as queer at Willowgrove Christian Academy); and she is openly queer (most of her classmates think she is a lesbian, but she identifies as bisexual), which makes her an abomination in the eyes of school administration and some fellow students. Chloe has been defensive from the start, and intentionally violates the dress code or engages in other small acts of rebellion, which gets her into trouble, but is tolerated because she has so much "potential" and because she has not done anything truly egregious. Chloe's friend, Ash, is nonbinary, which the school administration is not sure how to handle, but Ash follows the rules, so they are left alone. There are other LGBTQI+ students (and probably at least one faculty member) at Willowgrove, but none of them are open about it, having grown up being taught that such identity is a sin.

On prom night, before Shara can be crowned queen, she disappears. Chloe is convinced it is a stunt to get attention and she is determined to ruin the plan. Also, two days earlier, Shara had kissed Chloe, and Chloe wants to know why. While the Wheelers are at church, Chloe sneaks into their house, expecting to find Shara hiding there, but instead, while searching Shara's room, she witnesses Rory Heron, the school bad boy, climbing through Shara's window. He is the next-door neighbor and had come to check on her. They also find a pink envelope with Rory's name on it, and a message thanking Rory for the kiss, with postscripts mentioning Smith Parker (Shara's boyfriend, the quarterback) and Chloe. The clues lead to another pink envelope, with more clues, and soon Smith, Rory, and Chloe are working together to solve the mystery that is Shara. As they discover more messages and clues, they find out a lot about Shara that is decidedly negative.

The search for Shara and to figure out what she is doing and why becomes the single-minded focus of Chloe, which will have negative consequences for her friendships and for her academically. However, it also results in Chloe spending time with classmates whom she had previously never gotten to know, and about whom she had made some incorrect assumptions, as they had about her. While the messages and clues will reveal a number of negative things, especially about Shara, the plan that Shara set in motion will not turn out as she expected, nor will Chloe's plan to turn the tables on Shara. Yet, the intermingling of students who normally do not associate with each other will result in a number of positives, especially as multiple students develop the courage, and receive the acceptance and support, to explore and portray their more authentic selves. While there are many enjoyable aspects of the book, that is what most resonated with me, and what it is most valuable and noteworthy about the story.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Let me preface this by saying I loved Red, White and Royal Blue and really liked One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. However, I found this book just okay. It's hard to be invested in a romance between two people when one of them is only seen through memories and through the letters they leave behind. I realize part of this is that the title character Shara is meant to almost be unknowable, untouchable as all the queen bee types in high school are, but it makes it very difficult to root for her. I liked Chloe well enough, but felt the character needed more dimension past being queer and smart. By the end, you're meant to understand this is the armor Chloe has put on to protect herself in her Christian private school but it feels a little too late. I enjoyed the last 20% of the book more than the middle half. It added the dimension I craved but even then left me feeling 'meh' about the book. I think McQuiston's strength is in the banter between romantic leads and the choice to make one character not actually appear until 60% into the book is a faulty one. I will still look forward to her future novels and certainly stock this one in a middle grade library. It reads more YA than either of her other books (i.e. no graphic sex).

Casey McQuiston writes such good characters. I think this is what I enjoy most about McQuiston's books. I didn't love Chloe and Shara as people, but not all characters need to be the most lovable. I really enjoyed following Chloe, along with Smith and Rory as they try and piece together where Shara has gone.

This book essentially happens in two parts. I was expecting the clues leading to Shara to be the plot throughout the whole book, but that is really only the first half. The second half is the reflection on all the choices and implications for these teens living in a small conservative town in Alabama. I wish I had known to expect this pacing while reading it; having what I thought was the entire plot be resolved halfway though felt weird. I also thought it was a little confusing having minor characters named Ash and Ace.

Overall I enjoyed I Kissed Shara Wheeler and would recommend it to my friends and students.

I've never been a gay teenager, I've never been to high school in Alabama and I've never had an enemies-to-lovers romance but I am helpless to give Casey McQuiston's writing anything but 5 stars. This book will likely speak to others more personally than it did me, but to me it seemed to beautifully execute a unique story about being young and queer in an environment that's not easy.

I don't really know how to talk about this book without spoiling it. It's so different from their new adult books, and i'm looking forward to re-reading it and seeing everything I missed.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is all the sticky bits of high school, the sweet and the sour. McQuinston takes readers on a powerful and personal journey to Alabama, where powerful misconceptions are challenged. There, Chloe Green, high school senior and California-transplant, withers at her ultra-religious and stifling high school. The tension between Chloe and her competition-for-valedictorian Shara Wheeler is palpable, even though Shara is at first only present through her letters.

At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about these very clever and devious teens, but as pages flew by, I was quickly enraptured. In particular, I love McQuinston’s care for following various character arcs through the story. Smith and Georgia are total standouts.

What is most remarkable to me about this story is the love and affection for untangling the complicated feelings one might have about their queerness, their southernness, their religious beliefs, and more. It would be easy for another story to be about how the evil-south has hurt these teenagers, McQuintston takes another route. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a love letter to the south, and the characters grow, change, live, all while reconciling their feelings about their small town and their relationship with Christianity.

Also, the romantic twists and turns will have you on the edge of your seat. These teenagers are disasters in the best way.

Think “Mean Girls” meets “Paper Towns.”

“I Kissed Shara Wheeler” is the type of book that teenagers need in the world. As someone who grew up in a small, Christian, conservative town, I strongly relate to the queer characters in this novel that feel like their voices are demonized. However, these characters take a horrible situation into their own hands, and they create change. Even as a adult, I learned from this novel that standing up for what you believe in is never a small feat. It takes bravery and cooperation, and this shows that teenagers have the power to create change, even when it feels like their voices are ignored. Although the beginning of this book relied heavily on high school stereotypes that demonized jocks, cheerleaders, and anyone else the main character felt inferior to, eventually these stereotypes are overturned. The characters learn to work together, and through that, multidimensional and complex characterization comes through to show that people are more than just what we can see on the surface. This is a powerful message for teenagers and adults alike.

McQuiston delicately handles complex topics that high schoolers are dealing with, like identity and religious trauma. As a Southern girl at heart, I appreciated that this book didn’t totally demonize Christianity. Instead, it highlights how a person can be queer and still practice Christianity, but it doesn’t undermine how the institution of Christianity has harmed so many LGBTQ+ people.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this e-ARC. Another 5-star read from Casey McQuiston. May 3rd can’t come soon enough!

I loved both of Casey McQuiston's new adult novels, so I was very excited to read her first Young Adult book! This is a sapphic contemporary novel that is part mystery, part romance. The reader follows Chloe Green, alongside Smith and Rory, as the trio is sent on a hunt for clues to figure out what happened to their classmate Shara Wheeler who disappeared on prom night. As always, Casey's writing is filled with sharp wit, a good dose of romance, but this time with a teenage twist.

After reading One Last Stop and I Kissed Shara Wheeler, I have to say that Casey's good at writing stories about found families. After Shara kisses her and goes missing, Chloe Green makes it her mission to find her. Chloe reminiscing about their time trying to one-up each other was okay, but their chemistry comes to life when they're in person with each other. It took me a while to get into the story and enjoyed it more when we finally meet Shara. I do wish it happened earlier. I think the premise of finding Shara was interesting, but ultimately wanted more time between Shara and Chloe. Overall 3.5/5