I was lucky enough to not only get an eARC, but an ALC from Libro.Fm. I ended up listening to this as an audiobook and I have to say I think it left a bigger impact on me because of it.
This was a five star read for me. It hit all the boxes for what I needed. We follow Chloe the day after prom when Shara Wheeler has turned up missing. Three days before, Shara had kissed her in the elevator. Now she has to team up with Smith (Shara’s boyfriend) and Rory (who Shara also kissed) to solve where she is by the pink envelops she left for them, leaving clues behind. What they didn’t expect was the fact the three of them would become so close, let alone that maybe Shara Wheeler herself might not have answers to the why she did it. Together, they set out to change the hostile environment at their school against those who stand out.
This book is a fun mix of a John Green novel meets Gilmore Girls with a hint of Mean Girls and Footloose thrown in. It was a fun mystery that also talks about real world issues such as bullying, homophobia, racism, all in the lens of a small southern town where you’re expected to be Christian and nothing else. This book honestly reminded me of what fun YA can be while also tackling important issues. Maybe it was because Casey has had a lot of experience writing these things in their novels, but I loved this book so much that it’s sort of thrown me into a reading slump. It even made me cry a few times, though they were happy tears. I think it’s one of the few books that capture what it’s like to be nonbinary in a wonderful way. Because it’s not the same for everyone, but for me, Casey described it perfectly. And the fact we see Smith start to reevaluate what and who he truly is. And it honestly made me feel such happiness. I loved this book so much.

See my tiktok review at: www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRLQUoHr/?k=1

I love the way McQuiston writes, and I had a lot of fun reading Shara Wheeler. They actually grew up close to where I live, so it was interesting to view the book through that lens. And though Chloe drove me nuts, I think it was because I was a lot like her in high school. I loved the explorations of different identities, and nobody writes the formation of found families quite like McQuiston.

This book is just what young queer readers need right now. 'I Kissed Shara Wheeler' is the queer YA book that I wish I had when I was still in my John Green phase. Casey McQuiston is a phenomenal author who is and will continue to be one of my favourites. Their writing style is fun and lighthearted in the best way, while still leaving room to talk about the more difficult topics of growing up queer.

I am so beyond grateful for a queer YA book set in a Catholic/Christian school like the one I was in growing up. It is so nice to see some of my own experiences reflected in the books that I read.

“It started out with a kiss…”

Any book that has the Killers’ song “Mr. Brightside” as a central plot point is an automatic win in my book. Also, this book wins especially because I’m in love with every character… the struggles of being a disaster bi lol

Casey McQuiston does it again and defends their title of rom com god. Obviously if you liked their other books (Red, White, and Royal Blue & One Last Stop), you’ll love I Kissed Shara Wheeler, but as McQuiston’s first jaunt into the YA realm, those who might not have gotten the chance to read their other books can and should definitely get their hands on this one. It’s like Paper Towns, but make it queer and academic rivals/enemies to lovers.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler follows four key cast members: Chloe Green, who was transplanted to False Beach, Alabama from Los Angeles four years ago, is openly bi, and only cares about beating the titular Shara Wheeler for valedictorian and causing problems at Willowgrove Christian Academy on purpose; Smith Parker, the star quarterback and high-school sweetheart of Shara, who has a fondness for discontinued Taco Bell items, and is the softest, most sunshine boy ever; Rory Heron, the bad-boy next-door neighbor of Shara and former-best friend of Smith, who is the resident prankster, musician, and grump of the group (don’t worry, he’s got a soft side too); and Shara Wheeler, the pretty, perfect, popular principal’s daughter who kissed all three of our leads (Chloe, Smith, and Rory) before vanishing into the night in her prom gown. Inevitably, hijinks ensue, but what makes this book stand out from others and shine is the incredible heart that McQuiston has sewn into the story. It’s a novel about finding yourself, finding the ones who love you, and becoming yourself in a world that seems like it’s against you.

In McQuiston’s acknowledgments, they write that they wanted queer kids from red states to be able to see themselves in this book (and to have a rom com of their own, just like straight kids get to have). I can safely and solidly say that this book is so important in its representation and what it means to kids growing up on the LGBTQ+ spectrum in the Bible Belt and conservative states. Everyone needs to read this book. I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come.

While it's peppered with many important conversations about identity, on its face I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a John Green novel.. Teenagers today, who are less likely to have read any of Green's cookie cutter works, will probably love it in the way that so many of my friends in high school loved John Green. But anyone my age, who's read Paper Towns or An Abundance of Katherines, is not going to be able to read this without drawing those sharp comparisons. When I was a teenager, I would rather have had this one, though, because queer identities deserve to be talked about.

This book was amazing. I coudn't put it down. It was magical. Higly recommended! The characters, the plots, the writting: wonderful and perfect.

This book was as much a mystery as it was a romance. I liked how the author kept us guessing right till the end! I also liked how things aren't what they seemed and we shouldn't judge (yes, that's right, not "quick to judge" just judge) other people. We are quick to assume things without knowing the reality.
It was also nice to keep this a lighter book. I was afraid many times it would get to deep but it always just made it to the edge and came back.
Enjoy!

I received a copy of this book from
NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Shara wheeler is the It Girl at her school. Everyone is either in love with her or wants to be her. When she goes missing, three of her peers are left with the mystery of determining where she went. Kissing each of these three before disappearing, Shara then leaves a trail of clues to discover her current whereabouts.

I really enjoyed this book. While it was super reminiscent of Paper Towns, the book actually pokes fun at itself for that very reason, and it brings in a host of representation. There are a lot of different identities represented in this book. The main character, Chloe, is a bisexual girl with two moms who moves to a small southern town and begins attending a Christian private school. Yikes. This book was a fun look at the pivotal end of senior year, friendship, and musical theater. While the ending wasn’t what I was hoping for, I can see why it happened the way it did. I would recommend this book to fans of McQuiston, John Green, and Becky Albertalli.

I will read every dang thing Casey McQuiston writes, and I will be charmed, bamboozled, and gasping for more - because Casey’s just that damn good. In Casey’s first YA - we get a bit of mystery, a lot of upsetting the high school social hierarchy applecart, aaaaaand you guessed it - queer love. What more could you need?!

Casey McQuinston is my writing hero. Red, White, and Royal Blue is one of my favorite books. I've read it five times and taught it in three literature courses at Northeastern University. So, needless to say, I was thrilled to see they had a YA coming out.

I like Chloe and her friends...a lot. I also love how McQuinston tackles religion. Her short note at the beginning about her experience and how this book might be interpreted. Really well done. The whole Phantom analogy is great.

This book took me so long to get into. Given my relationship with McQuiston's other books, I thought I would ravage through this book. It felt a little too John Green-y to me, so I couldn't get into the mystery. I assumed they'd find her and that she's end up with Sarah, so there wasn't a ton driving this forward.

All in all, I did enjoy this book despite the slow opening. And, of course, McQuinston is still my hero and I will be pre-ordering everything they ever write.

Casey McQuiston is on their way to becoming one of the great romance writers of their generation.

And that's perhaps why I Kissed Shara Wheeler was such a disappointment. The main character, Chloe, is so hard to root for, while at first she is a "quirky outsider", it's quickly revealed that she is actually a bully and is so mean to any character that tries to connect with her. The only redeeming part of this book is the supporting/side characters. Smith and Rory's dynamic was really fun, and I really wish we got to see more of Chloe's friends! Overall, a miss for me personally, but I still look forward to more from CMQ.

Casey McQuiston’s debut young adult novel I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a book you are going to want on your romance TBR list for this summer!

After Chloe Green’s moms moved her from California to Alabama for high school, she spent four years ignoring classmate gossip and pushing back against her Christian school’s archaic administration. But there is one thing that is keeping her going, and that is winning valedictorian of her class. However, there is only one person that truly threatens this charge: Shara Wheeler, the principal's beloved progeny and their school’s ultimate perfect girl.

So when Shara unexpectedly kisses Chloe and disappears one month before graduation, Chloe’s world is turned upside down.

Fueled by a furious desire for answers, and also to bring back Shara so that Chloe can beat her fair and square in the race to become valedictorian, Chloe is joined by two others that Shara has kissed - Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor, and Smith, Shara’s jock boyfriend - in a quest to find Shara. Along the way, she uncovers truths about her town, and about Shara, that she never realized before.

Having read and absolutely adored Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop, I knew that I was going to love I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

Casey McQuiston had only published new adult queer narratives prior to this book, but regardless of genre and this being their first foray into young adult fiction, I thought they did an incredible job crafting a heartwarming and soft story with I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

One of McQuiston’s greatest strengths is their characters. From our sharp protagonist Chloe Green to our inquisitive jock Smith, McQuiston’s characters are the life within the pages. They did not feel flat or two-dimensional, and I found myself drawn to each of them as if they were real people.

There was also so much amazing representation in I Kissed Shara Wheeler. The primary example was, of course, Chloe and Shara. Their rivalry-turned-relationship was deliciously complex and made for some fantastic and genuine moments in the book. Shara’s journey in embracing the part of her that was shunted deep within herself due to her Christian upbringing was difficult, but extremely well done in terms of being a relatable experience.

The multiple layers surrounding Smith and Rory’s friendship - and eventual relationship - was endearing and made my chest erupt with warmth as their interactions increased in frequency. You come to find out that these two were childhood friends, and that social expectations of the high school they were in created a rift between them.

When Smith and Rory inevitably come together as a result of the obstacle course that Shara forces them through, you cheer for them just as much as you cheer for Shara and Chloe. Additionally, Smith’s character undergoes a journey of self-identity that was both thoughtful and careful, and it was incredibly fleshed out.

I also believe that the friendships within the book deserve a lot of recognition. Chloe and Georgia have such a great friendship, but when Chloe’s mind is enraptured by the mystery surrounding Shara, you practically feel the pain and frustration emanating from Georgia as she struggles to get even one second of Chloe’s time.

Additionally, Chloe’s dynamic with Rory and Smith based on their shared kiss from Shara was wonderful; their traded quips and snark was everything that I needed from their friendship, and I found it interesting that there was no real bitterness surrounding Shara’s influence in getting them together like this.

Rather, these three worked together very well as a team, and their friendship was a genuine highlight of the book.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the perfect romance for this summer, as well as a wonderful coming-of-age book that every high school student struggling to figure themselves out should read.

Even though I've been reading a ton of YA lately, this one seemed... young. Chloe is a senior in high school. She's bi and has two moms, and moved to Alabama from California. Her school in Alabama is anti-homosexuality (but seemingly EVERYONE in the school is closeted).

Chloe wants to be valedictorian but her rival, Shara is also the principal's daughter. Shara disappears after kissing Chloe and another boy and leaves letters as clues to her whereabouts. Why they were so obsessed with her, I still don't know. It had bits of The Breakfast Club vibes but on a meaningless hunt for a girl that seemingly isn't a good person.

Honestly, I got bored. This book dragged on and there was only so much teenage angst about being valedictorian and emotion that I could handle. Also, I didn't see why nearly every single character had to either be bi or unsure or curious. While there are plenty of 17/18 year olds that may be curious, it's not an entire high school's worth.

I think McQuiston tells a good story and she captures a lot of emotions really well, but her books need to be trimmed down. I felt this way after One Last Stop as well. Good concepts, good characters, but too much other stuff weighing the book down. Trim it up a bit and it will be a better read, in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an eARC of this book. I'll admit, it took me a while to actually pick this book up. I have read both of Casey McQuiston's other novels, but many of my friends said this was her best so far. After I started, I was hooked by the intrigue. I loved the mystery aspect with all of the clues about the mysterious and elusive Shara Wheeler. I absolutely will be recommending this book to my students for the perfect wlw drama/romance with wonderful representation for the LGBTQ+ community.

This was an ok book with some cute parts. I loved Casey McQuiston other two books but I wasn’t the biggest fan of their first YA book. I will be acquiring this book for the library.

Since Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston is an author that I read ASAP when they publish something new, so I was thrilled to get this on Netgalley! While it was readable and engaging, I didn't find it as enjoyable or original as their prior two novels. This may have been because it's YA, which isn't for me. I also found Shara's character unlikeable and had a hard time getting behind the idea that this is the person who everyone is chasing.

I love the snark of the characters, the mystery, and the overall feel of this book. I hope that Casey McQuiston regularly visits the young adult world.

Casey McQuiston’s books always surprise me. I think it’s going to be a story about a girl who disappears and her friends have to find her with a romance thrown in for good measure but it was so much more. McQuiston’s story revolves around the complicated relationships that are a result of the conservative and punitive community and parents who will do anything to make sure their “perfect” children remain perfect.

McQuiston, you've done it again. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a wild adventure, a glorious queer romance, and a delightful coming-of-age story. Characters are well developed and evolve honestly. This book was a real treat and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, fun, engaging read.

One of these stars is for the supporting cast alone. They were the real mvps of this story. I can’t begin to explain how disappointed I am. I just really did not like Chloe or Shara and that made it very hard to like this book. It also doesn’t help that this has one of my least favorite tropes, but at least one has a decent explanation for it.

This was fun at many points, but it was fun because of the side characters. I found Chloe stressful and annoying. It was hard for me to sympathize with her.

I still love McQuiston’s writing so I will try their next YA novel if they write one.