Once again, Casey McQuiston is a damn delight. I've loved all of their books, but this one felt like it was very specifically made for me and my terrible, insecure, over-achieving, hopeful, combatant high school self.

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is the author's YA debut, and it is just as charming and spunky as their previous adult titles. The dialogue is snappy, the humor is top-notch, and the protagonists are messy and fun. Chloe and Shara are just the worst in the best possible way--I saw so much of my younger self in them. The book has a cute love quadrangle at the center of its plot, but *spoilers*, it's super queer and fun. It's a joy to read, whether you're an adult or a teen.

On a more serious note, this book reckons with what it means to grow up queer in a stifling and religious Southern community. McQuiston really nailed the conflict and pain that comes with that background, without losing the fun spirit of the novel. To be clear, this book isn't anti-Southern or anti-religious. It actually takes a very nuanced look at what it means to love and hate the place you grew up, to be shaped by and simultaneously rebelling against your hometown. I often wonder how different my life might've been if I had books like this when I was growing up, how much sooner I could have come to accept myself if I knew I wasn't alone. I'm so happy that teens have this gem of a novel.

Thank you to St. Martin's/Wednesday Books for advanced access to this title!

A delightful and emotional mystery-driven rom-com about a runaway prom queen, the three people she kissed before her disappearance, and the ways in which Southern, Christian, small-town culture and expectations effect those of us who feel we don't belong. It's no surprise that I adored this, but what I didn't expect was for it to easily become my favorite Casey McQuiston novel. This novel and its diverse ensemble cast shines with McQuiston's signature rom=com characteristics and it's going to be incredibly important to so many queer readers from the South. I can't wait for it to hit shelves and get into the hands of those who need it in their lives.

Although this is not the type of book I generally gravitate toward, I enjoyed it very much. It's a fun read with interesting characters and an engaging story. I look forward to reading more from Casey McQuiston! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a queer contemporary mystery/ sort-0f-romance set at a super Conservative (with a capital C) Christian high school in Alabama. The mystery was not the most compelling and the main character's romance wasn't the most satisfying. However, the writing was engaging and moved you along quickly - I finished this book in a couple of days. Also, the supporting characters are what really made the book for me. Smith in particular was a complex and extremely interesting character and I wish we could have understood his character and story more deeply. In fact, that was kind of the problem I had overall with the book. I wanted to understand more about the characters, but was often left unsatisfied, as it was a pretty plot-driven book. It was still a quick and enjoyable read that McQuiston fans will enjoy. It may also appeal to fans of Albertalli's Creekwood books.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this to review! Casey McQuiston is absolutely one of my all-time favorite authors, and she’s written a YA! What isn’t to love? This is absolutely one of my most anticipated books of 2022. I am so happy to say that it lived up to the hype.

Best known for Red, White, & Royal Blue, McQuiston’s writing definitely lends itself well to a YA audience. McQuiston has a knack for writing great casts of characters that you fall in love with almost from the beginning. This is the cast for Shara Wheeler as well. What’s great about this book in particular is that none of the characters are who they were at the beginning of the book, in the best way possible. Growing up in this highly conservative, christian setting, this book is very much about finding yourself and finding a way to be yourself, even if everyone around you doesn't want you to be.

I said this when I originally posted my review on Goodreads, but this book is like a mashup of Footloose, Mean Girls, and Paper Towns. In like the best way possible. Maybe throw a little Breakfast Club in there. You get wrapped up in Chloe’s obsession to find Shara, but you also see how her journey to find Shara changes her. And how it changes Smith and Rory (arguably the best plotline, but that’s all I’ll say here). Once events really start to pick up, it’s difficult to put this book down.

I’ve seen some critiques for this book saying that Chloe is a bit selfish, which she is. She’s very much wrapped up in her own world for most of the book. But also, that’s the point? This is such a teenager thing, and it fit so well for Chloe’s character and her character arc. I am here to say we should no longer rate YA books down for portraying teenagers as accurate teenagers.

Anyway, it’s hard for me to rank McQuiston’s books, but I know that this one will absolutely make it on my re-read list. Which reminds me, I should re-read Red, White, & Royal Blue. It’s been too long.

Shara Wheeler is perfect, in the running for valedictorian, prom queen and the principal's daughter. Until she disappears. Chloe wants to beat her fair and square to the valedictorian spot so she goes on a mission to find out why Shara disappeared and why she kissed Chloe the day before she vanished. Chloe finds out Shara kissed two other people that same day, her jock boyfriend Smith and the brooding boy next door, Rory. They were all left clues by Chloe so they team up to figure out what happened.

This book has great John Green vibes, LGBTQ representation, clues to unfold the mystery and a message that will resonate with teens, there is more to people than meets the eye, there is a world outside the struggles of your small town, of high school and you have a lot more in common with people than you think if you just give them a chance.

Casey McQuinston's first book for a Young Adult audience was fun and nostalgic with a message that will resonate with them. I will definitely be recommending it to my library patrons!

The way Casey McQuiston writes queer character is unparalleled. I enjoyed reading this book and adored the characters. It was very similar to paper towns.

Casey Mcquiston captured my attention early with Red, White, and Royal Blue and her newest, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, does not disappoint! She creates a captivating story with characters you can’t help but love! She brings LGBTQ stories to light in a way no one else has. I will always be a follower of mcquistons work!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for an eARC of this!

I am a huge Casey McQuiston fan. I will be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first. I'm not a mystery fan, and I struggled ot get into the book at first. There were so many things up in the air, and I honestly didn't know where the story was going.

But once we finally meet Shara and Chloe comes face to face with her after everything Shara has put her through, everything just CLICKED. I do think too much of the book was spent trying to solve this childish mystery (it's kind of explained that way in the book). A lot of the mystery itself felt pointless (except for 2 things that come out of it that I won't spoil for you!).

But with Shara in the story, the book picked up for me. I finished the last third of the book in like an hour and it honestly made the book for me. It was really difficult to see what Casey was trying to do, so pleasej ust stick this one out if you're struggling! And don't walk in expecting just romance, because this certainly is not it.

So while I'm gving this 5 stars, I will say there were some things I didn't like about the book. Overall, a great YA debut for Casey McQuiston.

First of all, I'd like to say a gigantic thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for a truthful review.

Casey McQuiston has done it again, honestly. I fell in love with romance novels with her debut (Red, White, and Royal Blue), and with every book they write I fall more and more in love. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a beautiful queer young adult novel. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and sometimes, it made me yell at the characters.

The writing and the language used was absolutely beautiful. I don't normally highlight quotes as I'm reading, but with I Kissed Shara Wheeler? I found myself highlighting multiple times, just because the language was so poignant and stunning. I really appreciated that there would be absolutely ridiculous lines that were then followed by lines that punched me in the gut in the absolute best way possible.

Additionally, the language that McQuiston used felt very true to life. I teach high school students - specifically seniors - and the way that the characters in I Kissed Shara Wheeler spoke reminded me so much of things that my students have said in real life. I thought McQuiston's portrayal of high school seniors was beautiful, particularly in how they portrayed the way that high school students struggle with their emotions and figuring themselves out.

As I was reading, I did occasionally want to yell and shake the characters - begging them in my head to just open their eyes and see what was in front of them - but again, the portrayal of the characters was so accurate to how teens act in real life that it wasn't frustrating to me, like it occasionally can be. I just couldn't stop appreciating how masterfully McQuiston wove everything together - the experience of being a senior in high school, the experience of being a queer teen, and the experience of being a queer teen in an area where it isn't really acceptable to be openly queer, and then finding spaces and people in that area that are supportive. I feel like a broken record, but the book really was just so beautiful.

Overall, I am obsessed with I Kissed Shara Wheeler, just as I have been obsessed with McQuiston's other novels, and I am so excited to be able to purchase a physical copy of this book to put in my classroom library and shove into my student's hands.

I cannot wait to recommend this book to fans of "Under the Rainbow" or "Red, White, and Royal Blue". A great LGBTQIA YA option in an emotional and catchy story.

Let me preface by saying this: I am a high school librarian (in Texas) who reads a LOT of YA (of all types) and personally, a lot of contemporary and historical adult romance, so I've read Casey McQuinston's previous books and enjoyed them. However, I think she really SHINES here with this YA book. It is engaging, funny, just an overall fun read. The pacing is great and the overall spotlight on having a place in high school to grow into yourself is wonderful.
So, with that being said, there will probably be some criticism from ADULTS who have read Casey McQuinston's OLS and RWRB expecting it to be the same writing style. McQuiston keeps the pacing YA perfect here and the broad cast of characters are perfect for this genre.
I loved this book and can't wait to get it in our library.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

I can’t wait to recommend this book to students who loved John Green’s Paper Towns and Karen McManus’s One of Us is Lying. The characters and plot in McQuiston’s latest book are as phenomenal as expected. Chloe Green is a strong character and I loved working through the mystery of Shara Wheeler with her. I finished the book a few days ago and I’m missing my new group of friends from IKSW.

What a whirlwind of a book. It was somehow everything I thought and at the same time nothing. It surprised me at so many turns and at others was what I thought. I love that. I love thinking I know a book and then the author being like “haha sike” . Chile and Shara are such complicated characters I love it. This is what it’s like to be queer and grow up with religion being a prominent thing in your life. This is what it’s like going from CA to middle of nowhere where no one supports you accept for a couple people. I’ve lived these things and it was so amazing seeing it in book form.

All of it was so interesting and complex but so simple at the same time if that makes sense. I love Rory and Smith. Seeing Smith come to terms with his possible non-binaryness really hit for me as someone who relatively recently figured that out. Rory and Smith are adorable together. I saw the chemistry and that they liked each other from the beginning and I wish them the best.

Georgia and Summer I didn’t see coming and omg I love it. It makes so much sense. Ace, Ash, Benjy are all so awesome. Shoutout to the parents that were supportive in this book because they’re amazing. Im lucky enough to have one of those and I know it’s not something everyone does .

Casey McQuiston’s writing and characters were a delight to read as always! I enjoyed getting a chance to read their YA debut, and honestly I had a lot of fun while reading.

I will admit, it took me a bit to get into it because the first half of the book felt like a sapphic retelling of Paper Towns, but by the time I hit 50% it really shook things up and stood well as its own thing. That’s when I started to love it.

I loved Chloe’s journey over the course of the book, and how this quest to find Shara led her to meeting/working with people she never would have given the time of day before. Seeing Chloe grow over the course of the novel when she thought she had no need to was really refreshing and lovely.

Overall, this was a great read and a solid YA debut! I can’t wait for others to have a chance to read it.

BOOKSMART meets (a slightly more wholesome) PRETTY LITTLE LIARS in McQuiston's next knock out of a novel. This book is love letter to messy girls and queer kids hailing from the Bible Belt. Ever want to go a little feral? To raise a little hell? To be gay and do crime? This is the book for you!

Cute, though fairly ridiculous romantic story about the seemingly perfect prom queen type and a smart outcast.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley as an educator and I am immeasurably grateful!!

I literally dropped everything I was reading to get to the new Casey McQuiston book this weekend. Red, White, and Royal Blue changed my life immeasurably, and One Last Stop was a light in an otherwise grim year for me personally. So imagine my sheer pleasure at hearing that they were going to be writing a YA book-a book I could actually share with my students. (It was pleasure of the sheer and unadulterated kind, in case you were wondering.)

And just like any other CM book, the characters, the pacing, and the plot did not disappoint. The same cheeky wordplay, repartee, and diverse and lovable characters we've all come to expect from a CM novel were all here. Their observations of the hierarchy of high school life was spot on. What they managed to capture the most, though, was that feeling inside that some of us carried through those years, a flint that turns into a spark that turns into a burning flame--a hot feeling of knowing you're different than everyone else.

The main character, Chloe Green, from whose POV we get the entire story, is a non-religious queer girl with two moms inside the isolated world of a Christian school in a small Southern town. As a closeted queer who went to a Catholic high school myself, I could relate to Chloe's insular feelings and small, sneaky acts of dress code rebellion to feel like you were doing something to show you weren't like everyone around you and assert your you-ness to the world. She's not here to make you like her; she's here to be Valedictorian, proof positive that not only does she think she's better than everyone else, but she actually is. This trait doesn't automatically make her likable, that's okay-adolescents are complicated creatures, and Chloe's growth as she has to realign everything she thought she knew about everyone around her is one of the pleasures of this book.

To tell you the truth, the object of the book, Shara Wheeler herself, does not come off as particularly likable at all for the majority of the book, putting her friends, family, frenemies, and enemies alike through a wild goose chase that leads practically nowhere--except directly to the confrontations of feelings and expectations that the characters were holding inside themselves all along. And that is the evil genius of Shara Wheeler that Chloe and the others that Shara have pulled into her orbit all must confront.

I am so, so excited to share I Kissed Shara Wheeler with my students. It's well-written, fast-paced, and the diversity of characters can absolutely not be beat. I've come to realize that CM loves a little mystery solving crew, Scooby Doo-style, in their books, and this time the mystery gets to take center stage. It has all the good feels we've now come to expect after completing a McQuiston novel.

I love how this author keeps churning out adorable stories with such great queer representation. This one was a joy to read- I loved all the characters! Thank you so much for this ARC!

There are so many things I want to say about this book and at the same time I don't know how to put how much I appreciate it into words, but here is me trying:

I never went to Christian school, but I grew up going to Sunday School and Church and lived in a very small town. This book does a wonderful job describing that experience from the perspective of someone who is more of an outsider that was thrown into this environment. I think because of that degree of separation, it was easier to process some of the things the other characters were going through. It also did an excellent job of showing how those things can still wear at you.

The romance in this book was so satisfying. All the beats felt perfect in both heartfelt and hilarious ways. The side characters also felt vibrant, funny, and real.