Casey McQuiston does it again! This time McQuiston's literary ambitions are expanded to the world of YA with a cat-and-mouse game between Shara Wheeler and the people she kissed before she disappeared, leaving the whole school wondering, "Where did she go?"

It harkens back to some '80s brat pack films mixed with edgy Gen Z teen dramas. The book brings together savage California-transplant Chloe, QB1 Smith, and outsider/boy next door Rory. They are all in Shara's orbit, and she kisses them all before disappearing the semester before graduation.

It's a book about exploring sexuality and friendships and finding out where you belong. The biting commentary on how the church and religious institutions can oppress takes this one to the next level.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Casey McQuiston did it again. They gave us a mindblowing story. I had no idea where it was going until the last part of the book. They gave us complex characters that I couldn't help but love. I love how it celebrated queer people, queer love, queer stories.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston is quite possibly the best YA Fiction book I've ever read. I needed several days just to think about how I could possibly put into words how much I loved this book, and honestly nothing I say will do it justice.

If you're a fan of Casey McQuiston, you should know that this is her best book yet (which was surprising to me because I generally prefer adult over YA). Picture the TV show Glee meets the novel Paper Towns, except I actually like all of these characters.

When Shara, the principal's daughter/golden girl of Willowgrove Christian Academy, kisses Chloe in an elevator, Chloe is more than a little confused. But when Shara up and disappears soon thereafter, Chloe is livid. The two have been in a silent battle over the coveted valedictorian spot for years, and Chloe isn't cool with winning by default. As Chloe searches for answers, she realizes that Shara has left notes for the three people she kissed before disappearing: her boyfriend (Smith), her neighbor (Rory), and her nemesis (Chloe). The unlikely trio find themselves working together to track down Shara before graduation, because what even is high school without Shara Wheeler?

I highly recommend this book to basically any person ever. There's mystery, there's romance, and there's more than a little discourse on what it is to not be a cisgender heterosexual in high school.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

Content warnings: homophobia/homomisia; religious trauma; light drinking and marijuana use

I had to sit with this book for a while longer than usual before I could write the review because I sure had some Complicated Feelings about our main girl Chloe.

This book had everything I have come to love about Casey McQuiston books: a snarky, too-smart-for-their-own-good protagonist; well-developed, fun side characters; and amazingly queer found family. The writing style was distinctly McQuiston. It was fun, sharp, witty and fast-paced. I was sucked into the story immediately; by the end of the first chapter, I was hooked. And the pace kept up throughout the whole book.

All the supporting cast were so much fun! They were the messiest bunch of disaster queer teenagers ever and I want to adopt them all. I loved Rory and Smith’s story arc. Georgia deserves the world. Ash is cooler than I could ever hope to be. And Benjy is pure chaos in human form.

I just…did not like Chloe very much. Or Shara for that matter. I enjoyed the mystery of Shara’s disappearance at the beginning, and the silly scavenger hunt she sent Rory, Smith and Chloe on, but once Chloe became consumed by it, it was less fun. Chloe became single-mindedly obsessed with the mystery of Shara while at the same time hating her. She neglected her actual friends for the mythology of this girl she’d hated since they met, all the while taking no responsibility for her own actions and blaming Shara for everything that went wrong. I get that this was part of Chloe’s character arc and that she had to realize she was being an idiot (and honestly a HORRIBLE friend to Georgia) before she and Shara could end up together, but I was not really a fan of Chloe’s.

I mean, clearly this was intentional. Rory even straight up told Chloe that she’s mean sometimes. And Shara was fully aware of what she was doing and how it was perceived, by Chloe and by other people. But I swear to god it felt like these girls were going to manipulate each other to death before they ever figured out they liked each other! Which was really frustrating! I honestly yelled at my iPad more than a few times while reading this. Maybe it’s just because I am not at all a competitive person, but good grief were these two exhausting. I imagine a relationship between the two of them is just going to be constant one-upping each other and arguing and the thought of that just makes me want to lay down on the floor.

Overall, it was a really fun read. I think this time I was more invested in the world McQuiston created than the main character (and her happy ending), but because the side characters were so fleshed out and had such vibrant personalities, I still really enjoyed it.

Low-stakes 13 Reasons Why that limps to a bland ending. 3 stars for the first half, 2 for the second.

~Disordered rambling~

A lot of hissing. Reminds me of the alien from Alien.

Chapter titles are light spoilers

For some reason the name "Shara" had a hard time sticking with me. I kept reading it as "Sara". Kind of wish someone had a double name.

"...but if she’s high strung, Brooklyn Bennett is a $20,000 viola." - violas are tuned a fifth lower than violins. I think they chose "viola" because it isn't as popular as a violin comparison. And $20,000 for a viola is a bit much, even for a professional. It would be in the $2,000-$10,000 range. This is such a dumb point, but it's one of those wrong-sounding things that took me out of the narrative.

Continuity error - We are told Shara and Smith got together during their junior year. Later, we are told they started dating when they were sophomores. I am paying way too much attention to this book.

I don't get a sense of Alabama. We are told this is in Alabama, but we aren't shown what that actually means. What's the weather like? What kind of plants are there? Does anyone have an Alabama accent, or do they all talk like the people on TV? Surely the older people must have a trace of an accent. A "y'all" once in a while isn't good enough for me. Where's the wildlife? We don't see so much as a mosquito. Does Chloe's mama turn her accent on and off? Did it make a triumphant return once they left California? This could have taken place anywhere, a small town in any state. Not even the fast food restaurants distinguish it.

Shara has 25k Instagram followers. How? Why is she on Instagram instead of TikTok? IG is more of a millennial thing now, it's been hemorrhaging teen users for a while. Does their town even have 25k people?

"...somebody switches the playlist from SoundCloud rap to The Killers," - sounds like another millennial thing, and about three years out of date. Would these kids even know who the Killers are? In which small town are jocks losing their shit to Mr. Brightside? At least name specific artists kids would actually know: Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Juice WRLD. Google "popular music teens 2021", look at search trends. What about Alabama rappers? Put on some Gucci Mane ffs. How about country or metal? I'm sure some of these Southern kids who go to a private Christian school would say they "don't like rap" and demand Pantera.

Then we get: “It’s Matchbox Twenty,” Chloe confirms. - How in the world does this child know what Matchbox Twenty is? A barely remembered 90s band with like two hits? A millennial reading that would be like, "Huh, yeah, Bent or whatever." But a 17 teen year old? A 13 year old? How would they know?

The school has a surprising number of extra curriculars given it's located in a small town in central Alabama. If I Was Your Girl is such a better example of queer teen characters in a small Southern town. Like, there aren't that many queer kids, and they have legitimate existential issues that aren't handwaved.

Economic and racial disparity are almost entirely absent. A few comments are made by characters which are never explored, at all. Racism is still alive and well, even if people have the manners to cover it up. Same with homophobia. Tolerance is not the same as acceptance. There is some mention of low level bullying. One of her friends (Ash) is nb, using they/them pronouns. Does the school refer to them as such? Do they get mispronouned by teachers and other students regularly? How does this feel for Ash?

The characters all sound like the author, honestly, with the same phrasing and sense of humor. Everyone is too clever by half.

It feels so sanitized. Harmless high school parties, no serious threats of harassment or bullying, everyone's cool with your gay moms, at least to the MC's face. It's a fantasy world where you can be whoever you want to be in the deep South while solving a lame mystery. No one seems particularly bothered that a teenage girl has vanished, or bothered that people aren't bothered. (We do learn why this is the case, which I think undermines the premise by turning it into a dull farce)

Strong similarities with Pumpkin, which likewise rang hollow in multiple ways. Especially the jock with a heart of gold/jock with a secret contrasted with the vibrant queers.

I have no idea what ethnicities any of the characters are. Rory's dad is apparently black, so is he black? Mixed? A Korean adoptee? Smith says someone has been racist to him. Ok, was a racist joke made amongst white kids, or was Smith's mysterious race the subject of the joke? Summer has braids, but are they box braids? A French braid? What's her hair texture? I want to know what these people look like. (Halfway in we finally get confirmation that Rory and Summer are black. Hooray)


Religion doesn't have much of a presence in this book. It's largely incidental. When it is discussed, it's in a way that makes it seem your parents believing you are going to hell is trivial.

“Why did I raise you to be so responsible? I was supposed to raise you to be an anarchist.” - Anarchism isn't abdication of responsibility, it's the dissolution of hierarchy. In which case ignoring her mothers' wishes is praxis.

“Chloe, we’re gay. We can’t do math.” - I have a masters degree in math. Fuck this stereotype, sick of seeing it. Queerness doesn't exclusively manifest in theater club.

"...so I got really into music instead, but I couldn’t read guitar tabs either" - how can you not read a guitar tab? It's not sheet music, it's the lines and numbers for which frets to put your fingers on, a simplified pictorial diagram. It is really, incredibly simple to read tablature. Even with his dyslexia, this wouldn't pose a problem.

"a copse of thorny bushes" - A copse consists of trees, often of trees which have been coppiced. It doesn't mean a grouping of any kind of plant. Use "thicket" or something.

There aren't any fat, disabled, or poor people. At least Pumpkin had that going for it.

California has Sonic. A lot of locations, in fact. I don't know why Sonic is presented as unique to the South, or Alabama. Have them go to a Chester's, or a Chick-fil-a, or some place that is actually regional. Bojangle's, Jack's, Milo's, etc. (Bojangle's does get one mention later on, but it's all Sonic and Taco Bell for the most part)

I wish I knew more about Chloe's mama's job. Like, what exactly does she do? She sings "opera," so I'm assuming she's a classical vocalist. Does she do solo performances? Vocal coaching? Masterclasses? Does she do any teaching to supplement her income? Why is she hauling "opera gowns" across the world? It feels like the author lacks insider knowledge to speak casually about this sort of thing. That applies to a lot of things, actually, but there happen to be a number of music-related examples.



~Conclusion~

It was fine. Like, I didn't hate it like I was expecting. The first 60% wasn't boring, it went along at a good clip. I found Shara's game a little tedious, the conclusion to that arc anticlimactic. The last 40% was a slog. There was nothing for any of the characters to do, so the story very slowly spluttered out. I think the issue lies in the conceit of the story, it just wasn't enough for the author to work with. The source of the tension lies in whatever happened with Shara, and once that is reveal at the midpoint, we're left with this sort of shapeless setting prodded into the likeness of a story.

The actual audience for YA (which, surprisingly, isn't a bunch of 30-somethings writing passive aggressive reviews on Goodreads) might enjoy the juvenile quirkiness of it.

Aspects of the characters and setting are lacking or outright inauthentic. There are many ways this story could have been more genuine, more believable. I get the impression that the author is an outsider looking in, observing worlds they can't quite understand. But, for a younger audience, a lot of things that didn't make sense to me might not even register with them.

I didn't like that it was written in present tense. I just didn't, no reason.

I wouldn't characterize this as their first YA book. The other books were YA, regardless of whatever marketing plans each had.


I think the theater teacher on the down low has a much more interesting story to tell. Wish we had seen more of him.

It feels so much like wish fulfillment. High school, filled with people who accept you, or at least keep their opinions to themselves. A ton of queer friends, gays coming out of the woodworks. In reality, most people in the US are white. Most are straight, most are cis. And a lot of people aren't going to accept you if you are different. More importantly, a lot of kids go through these sort of isolating differences alone, in secret, because they are afraid what will happen if that secret gets out. I appreciate that we can have light hearted stories like this, but we also need stories about the queer kids who end up homeless when their hyper religious parents kick them out. Stories about kids who don't have the luxury to be themselves.

If you're looking for a light-hearted romp, this is sufficient. But, it could have been so much more.

Casey McQuiston does it again! This YA novel is the perfect read - funny, moving, insightful and full of three dimensional characters. I felt like I was the heart-eye emoji the entire time I was reading it. I laughed out loud, I cried, it was perfect. I can't wait to see a film adaptation someday.

Of all of Casey McQuiston's books, this one is my favorite so far because it was not as predictable. A great, easy read with an interesting enough storyline. But some of the characters were so problematic that it grated on me while reading. Chloe's hyper fixation to problem solve the issue that was Shara Wheeler to the point that she abandons her friends who has been there since she moved to Alabama was hard to read. And then Shara Wheeler's manipulation of everyone around her. The ending with "graduation" seemed rushed in my opinion and I would have loved to have dug into other side characters, like the "not gay" theater teacher. But overall this was another easy read about queer youth. Though the idea that there is an evangelical high school in Alabama full of gay secrets doesn't seem too far off TBH. In the end I was picturing evangelical Breakfast Club - cliche? maybe, but not a terrible thing.

casey mcquiston’s stories have this ability to destroy you in all the best ways. this is gonna be a little sentimental and soppy but it needs to be said: i think there’s a little chamber in all our hearts (especially queer readers) that only casey has the key to open. you can open any of their books and it’s this nostalgic and welcoming feeling that says, it’s okay and you can stay.

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is like that. you can read the first sentence and then the first page and by the time you reach the end of the first chapter, you’re completely and utterly in love with the pov character.

coming from someone who is seventeen and is soon gonna be out of high school, this book means so much to me. and that fact that so many other teenagers will get to read this is amazing.

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is premised upon the romance between a girl chasing a fair fight to valedictorian and a girl who left clues after disappearing: two academic rivals dead set on destroying each other. and along the way, secrets are unlocked, unexpected relationships form, and rules are broken. this book felt like finding a place to exist even when it felt like you couldn’t. it’s long nights with the windows rolled down and bleachers playing in the background all the while being surrounded by people you love and would fight for.

chloe green-she’s the definition of an Annoying girl. she’s stubborn at times and she makes mistakes, but buried beneath it all is a honest heart. i seriously love her so much.

smith parker. SMITH PARKER. quarterback with the softest heart. i seriously love him so much and he the fact that he listens to frank ocean… wow. he’s just a guy who loves his friends. if henry exists in his universe, i think he definitely would look up to him.

rory-of course. he’s the bad boy next door with a heart of gold. i loved every scene with him. he’s just this guy who secretly likes writing poetry about a certain someone without spoiling. (he also doesn’t like people looking at his search history. that should be noted.)

last but not least is shara wheeler. there’s so much to her and with every page; you fall in love with her more and more because you just can’t help it.

this book perfectly captures the experience and feeling of being queer and young and hesitant of the world, but it also captures the feeling of falling in love for the first time.

thank you @wednesdaybooks for a copy!

I LOVE this book.

A twisty, turny romcom mystery with a flawed main character, a flawed love interest, and an unlikely friend group that have each other's backs in the end.

It's a journey of self-discovery: the characters are still learning who they are and where they fit in, and you'll cheer for them every step of the way, through every mistake and realization.

I'm not sure I can even put into words how much I loved reading this. It's honest, it's funny, and it's ultimately uplifting. I think it's going to mean a lot to so many readers, especially to LGBTQ+ teens who are trying to find their way in communities where they don't feel accepted. This book is full of hope and reassurance.

Put it on your to-read list for 2022!

*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy*

I'll be honest in that I picked this book up solely because of the author and not because of the description. YA can be very hit or miss for me - and this one was absolutely perfect. The story hits the ground running with an intriguing premise, and you get launched into a small town in Alabama with a whole lot of queerness that is absolutely incredible to see. It's one of those fill-your-heart kind of books, with a lot of thoughtful introspection and reflection on how religiosity can impact queer kids. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a story with a lot of big-hearted kids who thought they were so different from each other, but are brought together by their queerness and general love in the most endearing ways. The characters are flawed, but they all do their best. I'm so glad this is the YA content that exists today - and I'm so jealous I didn't have this growing up.

The dialogue was a lot of fun - lots of witty banter from clever teenagers that I feel is very accurate to how snarky folks that age can be. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments mixed with the conflict, and it was incredible to watch all these kids start to find themselves. I loved the little snippets at the end of each chapter that allow the reader to see in the minds of each character. Something I love to see in books are strong, fully formed, three dimensional characters, and McQuiston certainly delivers on that front.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. In fact, I think we need more books like this. I loved it so much. I'm so excited to see what Casey McQuiston has in store for us next.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler follows three characters: Chloe, Rory, and Smith. They are forced to work together when Shara Wheeler, the golden girl of their private Christian school, pulls a Gone Girl on all three of them. Well, maybe with less blood and murder, but she does disappear leaving only cryptic clues in her wake. Before she left, she kissed both Chloe and Rory, leaving them both to wonder what exactly Shara has planned. She also left behind her boyfriend, Smith, who is a little reluctant to work with the two people his girlfriend kissed. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was so fun! It made me laugh, it hooked me from the first few pages. You reference Labyrinth and Phantom of the Opera once in a book and I’ve already teleported to the bookstore to purchase it. There are so many quotes in this book I wish I could bottle up and keep on a shelf forever because they make me feel truly seen. Chloe and I feel the same way about the Phantom. (Or Erik, if you know you know.)

I finished this book in a day and I would absolutely read it again and again until I’ve memorized every page. Absolutely pick up this book. Especially if you’re a former Glee fan. Especially if you were a Glee fan in high school and it shaped much of your high school experience. Even if you weren’t, definitely read this book. YOU’LL LOVE IT.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

This was very cute and well done, as usual for McQuiston. Chloe, Shara, Rory, Smith, Georgia, Summer: all excellently written, unique, interesting, fun characters with well-plotted storylines and arcs. Highly a fan as usual of McQuiston’s work.

Casey McQuiston has done it again — I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a triumphant YA debut from the author of Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is full of the things we have all come to expect from McQuiston, including clever banter, characters who subvert expectation, and a fierce community of queer folks who will make you wish you were their friend.

McQuiston’s style translates beautifully to a younger audience — I Kissed Shara Wheeler is missing the explicit sex scenes of RWRB and One Last Stop, but it never feels childish or immature. The characters feel like real high school students, full of feelings and drama that make them do things that make you wince, while also being people on the cusp of adulthood, making big decisions with real consequences. Mostly, these characters will make you want to reach into the pages and give them each a big hug and tell them it is all going to be okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

THE CATHARSIS!

I went to Southern Baptist high school with the founding members of my found family (and I went to Baptist college), and wow I'm so glad teens have books like these now when I didn't.

OK wow, I know that every single one of my Casey McQuiston book reviews is extremely dramatic, but if I could go back in time and make my others less dramatic just to emphasize the drama of this review I would.

This book was amazing. Really.

I got an arc of this through NetGalley and let me tell you my heart stopped when I got the email about it.

The book did not disappoint one bit. I read it in one sitting and could not stop, I started it planning on only reading the first chapter today.

This book is just absolutely insane. I didn't predict anything about the main mystery, I was just hooked and my eyes were glued to the pages. I just loved all of these characters so much, even though god do they some fucked up shit, I love them so much.

This book to me has the perfect combinations of both RWRB and OLS's best parts.

Clever, fresh, engrossing—every character was interesting and entertaining and surprising. Lots to love, thrilled but unsurprised to read another wonderful, dimensional book from this author!

When Casey McQuiston's debut YA novel, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, was announced I was obviously excited. Like queer academic rivals to lovers PLUS a mystery!? Sign me up! But I think I underestimated my own excitement for this book because as soon as I started reading it, I just couldn't put it down. This book was (and still is) all I could think about.

This queer YA contemporary set at a Christian school in Alabama packs a huge punch. Despite writing for a new age group McQuiston keeps their classic writing style that is funny, witty & full of feeling, all while creating a cast of characters who are just perfectly human. It was the characters that really made this book special for me. While the mystery of where Shara went was compelling, it was watching Chloe, Smith & Rory try to solve it, and seeing how they all grow along the way that really hooked me.

The characters in this book are flawed — I mean, they're high school seniors so what do you expect? Nobody's perfect and especially not at that age. McQuiston captured the kindness, jealousy, love, ruthlessness & fear of the unknown that we all felt as teens just perfectly in my opinion. While I felt frustration when characters made certain decisions, I continued to root for them because I just felt such a connection with them.

While this was a really character driven story, it also examined the impact the community we grow up in has on us. Like being from a place like Alabama and attending a Christian school, and how that environment can encourage certain people and stifle others. I thought it was written with such care and was a really important depiction of the young queer experience.

All in all I just really loved this book and I'm already itching to read it again.

Thank you Wednesday Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rep: bi MC, queer & nonbinary SCs, Black & Black mixed race SCs
TWs: homophobia (including internal & institutional), religious trauma, manipulative/controlling parents, some drinking & marijuana use

I got this arc off of NetGalley and these opinions are my own. This book was so good! Chloe Green was kissed by Shara Wheeler, the girl everyone loves, everyone except Chloe Green. So when Shara disappears not long after Chloe decides she’ll find her, if for no other reason then to win Valedictorian fair and square. But along the way, with the clues Shara left, Chloe learns that she wasn’t the only one Shara kissed. Now with the help of Rory, Shara’s next door neighbor, and Smith, Shara’s boyfriend, Chloe will set out to prove she’s better once and for all. She’ll prove Shara’s not the girl everyone thinks she is. Along the way they learn things about Shara no one knew. Will Chloe find Shara and how does this new information impact how she sees her? I loved that both Chloe and Shara were so driven that in and of itself was enough to make them very interesting! I also really enjoyed reading from the perspective of an openly bisexual student at a very conservative/religious school and how that shaped a lot of Chloe’s views. The character growth and exploration in this book was fantastic. I’m a big fan of Casey McQuiston’s work and have been so excited for this one! As always Casey doesn’t disappoint! This book also touched on a personal note for me when Ash is relating why being non-binary fits for them and they talk about how they don’t like it when people automatically shove them in the girl category, this is something that I’ve been dealing with myself. When I realized I was non-binary I wanted to use all pronouns because that is what felt right for me but it’s been a struggle because I think people are so quick to put me in the boy category because that’s what is easiest for them… and I don’t want to be identified by what is easiest for other people. I love when your reading a book and the experience of the characters is so relatable to what’s happening to you or how you feel. It’s also why representation is so important in literature! This book was amazing and I can’t what to read it again when it comes out, 10 out of 10 recommendation!

Listen: expectations were HIGH for this one, as Casey McQuiston's first two novels (both considered New Adult romances) are stellar. I'll admit, I was nervous to see if writing in a YA register affected their tone or softened their bite, but I shouldn't have worried -- McQuiston has done it again, folks. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is not to be missed -- a funny, surprising, thoughtful examination of rural queer life with unforgettable characters and a voice that'll have you at turns in stitches and in tears. The opening gambit of the novel (Christian teen princess Shara Wheeler kissed three people--her boyfriend Smith, her next-door neighbor Rory, and her academic rival Chloe--before disappearing on prom night, leaving behind some confused teenagers and a mysterious trail of pink envelopes) is exciting, if a bit familiar (McQuiston almost definitely read John Green & Maureen Johnson as a teen), but the novel makes several swerves into more-uncharted territory, developing into a truly tender love letter to queer teens, to the South, and to anyone who has ever felt excluded from their own home. There are multiple plot points where a lesser novel would've ended, but McQuiston uses these as opportunities for the narrative to unfold in new and exciting ways. I can already tell that we'll have a hard time keeping this one on the shelf!

This book was so much fun! It felt like an 80s movie like the Breakfast Club but better because it’s queer. The characters were great and I loved learning more about them throughout the story. The wholesome and accepting nature of the book is still very much needed and I’m excited that i am seeing more queer books being published.