Thank you, NetGalley for gifting me this audiobook! As someone who grew up in a strongly evangelical Christian church, I rather liked the realistic portrayal of how that culture can be damaging (and traumatic) to youth trying to be themselves. I was really excited about this read and it didn’t meet my expectations. I really didn’t like the characters of Shara or Chloe, and as the book centers around them, it was kind of hard to get through the first 75% of the book. But then I must say, I really liked the ending. It took a turn that really sat well with me and I appreciated their solidarity in making others feel comfortable. Shout out to my favorite scandal! I wouldn’t put it in my top 10, but it's a fun, quick read. Very LGBT+ friendly. 3 out of 5 stars. Trigger Warning: religious trauma, some homophobic language.

Thank you so much to @librofm and @macmillan.audio for my copy of I Kissed Shara Wheeler! I wanted this one sooo bad so I was so excited when I finally was able to listen to the audio copy. I absolutely adored this story. Growing up in a religious background and going to high school in rural VA this story really rang true on its depiction of being a teen in a small town. I loved how accurately things were portrayed. I loved the story and how it was written and think it’s a really great story for teens to hear. And if you like YA or the authors previous books I think you would love this!

As for the audio copy the narration was excellent and it was a very easy story to follow on audio. You can’t go wrong on either. Enjoy!

This was an enjoyable story. I liked the Breakfast Club vibes in the first half as the jock, the rebel, and the straight A drama club girl work together to find the prom queen. The second half of the book had a few missteps for me. I don’t believe Shara’s parents would have just ignored her for over a month if they knew where she was, especially at the end of senior year. I also don’t think we’d have quite so many people coming out all at once in a small Christian town and school. Those factors bugged me as I completed the book. I loved Chloe’s moms. This might be the first book I’ve read with two moms and that relationship was adorable and well written. I loved the diversity of the characters and the portrays of southern culture, both good & bad. The narrator was excellent and the pacing was steady.

I thought this book sounded really good and interesting how all those aspects of it were to fit together but I am a bit disappointed
I got an ARC audiobook, and a few times it was sooo hard for me to cont to listen to it, I even felt like it was going to put me to sleep (I read and listen to a lot of books and I don't normally go to sleep with them or make me tired).
It felt like the "love" was pushed and more like an obsession
The book and author had a great idea to big into all these conflicts and put in the mystery but it just was not so great once put onto paper - at least for me.
Kissing 3 people and then leaving/going missing seemed so odd |
I did like how the author set it up where you hear both the present and the past, that did add some character to the book and help give the reader more perspective
After trying to sit through it all the ending was lacklustre (to me) maybe it was that I just didn't really care for the two main characters (Shara and Chloe)
Not sure if this is just how the author writes or if it was just this book but was not for me

^UPDATE I looked up this author and she also wrote Red, White and Royal Blue which I loved. So it was just this book that I couldn't get into and enjoy. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another win for me from Casey McQuiston! Teenage drama, angst, a few mysteries, and a scandal?! Definitely enjoyed this one!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a fantastic story that is a cross between Pretty Little Liars and The Upside of Unrequited. Protagonist Chloe spends four years fully immersed in the gossipy world of high school after her moms moved her across the country to help an ailing family member. The only thing pushing her through the daily rebellion against the puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy is her goal to win valedictorian. The one thing standing in her way of accomplishing that is Shara Wheeler. Shara is the prom queen, the principal's perfect daughter, the town's golden girl and Chloe's rival. One month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe then vanishes without a word. Chloe is left furious, confused and determined to find answers which brings her into an alliance with Rory, the boy next door to Shara (who she also just happened to kiss before disappearing) and Smith, Shara's boyfriend. The three of them follow the pink envelopes full of cryptic clues in a quest to untangle Shara's web. The story is full of dynamic characters and surprising twists that leave the reader desperate for answers. This book got my attention from the beginning and kept me engaged until the very end. There is diverse representation throughout the story. The characters cultivate their own support network in a town that wants nothing more than to keep everyone into a cookie cutter "traditional" role. By the end of the story there has been some powerful character development and it is very interesting to see the impact the actions of one person can have on an entire community. I look forward to what Casey McQuiston comes up with next.

Special thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m so disappointed to say I really didn’t like this book. I have only heard amazing things from everyone else who has read this, so it is likely a case of this book just wasn't the right fit for me.

Thank you to New Galley and St. Martin's for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars - I liked this book, and found it very ncie to listen to on audio. The friend groups and evolving friendships and relationships and nuances were my favourite part of the book and I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded scavenger-hunt type style with an ending I didn't quite see coming. Overall, I appreciated the writing and *certainly* appreciated the deeper meaning and messaging behind the plot, but her other two books were much more in the realm of favourites for me (And fair enough, since I was more the target audience for those ones).

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the audiobook narration!

4.5 stars. Casey McQuiston does it again! I wasn’t sure what to expect from their YA debut, but it turned out to be just what I needed: hilarious, heartfelt, over-the-top in all the best ways, and oozing queerness out of every pore. It takes place at a Christian school in the fictional town of False Beach, Alabama, and while bigotry is included in the book, in my opinion it’s a feel-good read all the way through. The plot twists and turns and I never knew what to expect, and it wouldn’t be a CMQ book without a grand, memorable event toward the end!

Bisexual high school senior Chloe Green has one main goal before graduation: beat out Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect daughter, for valedictorian. But when Shara kisses Chloe out of nowhere and then disappears on prom night, things become complicated. Refusing to win valedictorian by default, Chloe makes it her mission to find Shara before graduation. Chloe soon finds out that Shara kissed two other people before disappearing: Smith Parker, the quarterback Shara’s been dating for two years, and Rory Heron, Shara’s neighbor who cares a lot more than he lets on. As the three discover a trail of letters that Shara left for them, they realize they might be able to find her after all.

Chloe, Chloe, Chloe…she’s kind of the worst: she’s quick to judge everyone, seems to care only about academic success, and thinks her Californian upbringing makes her better than her classmates. She’s the McQuiston protagonist I took the longest to warm up to, but through CMQ’s magical storytelling and Chloe’s journey throughout the book, I ended up loving her in the end. Shara is also hard to like at first, and I definitely questioned her motives, but by the end I appreciated her character arc and had a lot of respect for her. Smith is immediately lovable and sooo pure and might be my favorite of the main four? And Rory is definitely an enigma and I enjoyed learning what goes on in that head of his.

While retaining a sparkling rom-com feel, this book is less of a romance than CMQ’s other two books. Smith and Rory are just as much main characters as Shara is, and I think the title is truly referring to all three people Shara kissed. There’s also a huge focus on the community of False Beach as a whole and what people have to do to survive there. False Beach is home to so many lovable side characters, each impressively fleshed out, and their moments only add to this story’s greatness. My favorites are Chloe’s best friend Georgia, a literature lesbian who deserves the world, and Chloe’s sapphic moms, the ultimate OTP.

I listened to the audiobook by Natalie Naudus, which was out-of-this-world amazing as always! It’s obvious that she puts so much care into crafting a perfect voice for every character: main, side, and minor alike. Her voices encapsulate the characters perfectly: Chloe’s insufferable nasal voice, Shara’s haughty Southern drawl, Smith’s kind happy voice, and Rory’s I-don’t-give-a-flying-heck voice. I’m in love with Natalie Naudus’ narration and I hope she’ll have collabs with CMQ for years to come!

Content warnings are provided by the author at the beginning of the book.

I received an ALC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I have complicated feelings about this book. Casey McQuiston does young adulthood so well. Their two other books are favorites because the characters are true to life. That doesn’t work as well in I Kissed Shara Wheeler because while the “smartest person in the room” and “I can’t wait to leave the south” are tropes that are true to many high schoolers lives, it makes for an annoying protagonist. But then, there are other aspects of this book that I love. I very much enjoyed the more minor characters slow self discovery, the mystery/game aspect was a lot of fun, and there was some payoff in Chloe finding out that some great people love their hometowns. So overall it’s good, but not my favorite.

This was a really cute, fun mystery/romance.

Not my usual cup of tea, but throw in some mystery and I knew I wanted to read this one.

I enjoyed the characters, the formed friendships and figuring out what was going on with the disappearance of Shara. It's a queer coming of age that also had its dark elements.

Going to school in a highly Christian upbringing, the MC's have to navigate how to be themselves while being told they aren't allowed to be that way due to their parents and beliefs.

It has some important messages, fun elements and everything you would want from a YA Ramance. 3.5 rounded to 4.

This story surrounds a missing girl who leaves clues to find her in the form of notes to those she’s kissed. They have to really get out of their comfort zone and break a lot of rules to find the clues but in a way that created a strong bond. I think McQuiston showcased the genuine struggles and feelings you face in the pressure cooker of high school. The protagonist, Chloe, is an obsessive overachiever but in a way that made sense for her personality and her age. A girl like her will run the world someday.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler was a fun adventure where we find Chloe and Rory trying to figure out why Shara Wheeler kissed them and disappeared on the same night. We also include Smith in this cast of characters looking for Shara as he is Shara's popular Quarterback boyfriend.

I really liked this book! It gave me some Looking For Alaska (John Green) vibes however I appreciated this book more for tying together the small town and religious culture, the finding your sexuality, and overall finding yourself themes really nicely.

I had a hard time really appreciating our main protagonist Chloe, however, I really enjoyed the cast of characters surrounding her!

Casey McQuiston’s character work is so strong, even some of the side characters felt fully realized. The discussion about the pain of being queer youth raised in a religious environment was excellent and perfectly balanced with the light tone of a rom-com.

This really does have hit written all over it and should be made into a movie or Netflix series. I was greatly reminded of the charm of Legally Blonde mixed with so many of the snarky YA books set in the South. This is one part mystery, one part YA romance, and one part ode to the LGBQT community. The read is quick and the characters interesting. The audiobook narration is excellent and a great way to really get into the feel of down South with all the accents. You really get much more out of the audiobook than if you just read this (and the narrator does a very good job with the book).

Story: Chloe Green is a bit obsessed with her perfect Alabama belle classmate: Shara Wheeler. The two have had a rivalry since Chloe moved to Alabama from Southern California: who will be the best in each of the tests and get the coveted valedictorian slot in their highly conservative, old fashioned, parochial school. But then Shara suddenly kisses Chloe romantically and then disappears. To discover the mystery, Chloe will team up with Shara's football player boyfriend as well as Shara's rebel outcast next door neighbor. For it turns out that that Shara also kissed them before leaving and all three are a part of the "I kissed Shara Wheeler" club. Shara has left some clues in pink envelopes to help the Scooby Gang solve the mystery.

With the character of Chloe, we have the usual outcast: someone who grew up in a more liberal and modern environment of Los Angeles having to navigate the old fashioned and conservative values of a Christian high school (that one of her mothers attended). Chloe chose the school because of its excellent track record of getting students into top level universities - but she has to fight a lot of intolerance to be there. McQuiston is hard on the school's staff but does not condemn Christianity or make a statement to that effect.

There is a LOT of representation here. Gay, lesbian, bi, non binary, trans - all have voices here and something to say. The staff is, of course, anti-LGBQT and Shara will soon learn they have their own issues to deal with - the most important one being that Shara's father is the principle and doesn't seem concerned about Shara's disappearance.

In all, this is a very enjoyable read. As with McQuiston's last book, it does drag in the end and goes on a bit too long after the original arc is completed and the mystery solved. But all the characters are nuanced and flawed and there are several good love stories here. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This book is exactly the queer contemporary romance I wish I could have read in high school. As an LGBT person who grew up in the south, many of these character's experiences felt familiar and accurate.. McQuiston does a good job of portraying LGBT identities while also breaking harmful stereotypes. I also enjoyed that there was representation of a happy, loving, well-functioning LGBT family. I think this book is incredibly important for libraries to purchase because it will inspire hope in LGBT teens who may be facing similar struggles. While it does portray the hardships of LGBT teens, it has an overall triumphant feel.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is out this week. I loved red white and royal blue so I had a high expectations for this one. Chloe Green is vying for valedictorian but the only thing in her way is her nemesis Shara Wheeler. One month before graduation Shara kisses Chloe and then disappears. Shara sends Chloe plus friends Smith and Rory on a wild goose chase to find her. All the while finding love in unexpected places. Here’s what I liked: the authors focus on identity and self acceptance. I think this book will be very helpful to teens. I also really appreciated Chloe and Georgia’s friendship which was the sweetest. The enemies to lovers trope made Shara seem unlikable for the first half of the book. By the end of the book you understand why Shara made some of the decisions she did and I came to like her just a little bit better. I do want to mention that the first half of this book is a much slower pace than the second half.

as much as this story begins as a mystery, it's all about discovery of self and a search for happiness at a young age— when faced with circumstances that would otherwise diminish that exploration.

the story revolves around the sudden disappearance of the titular character, shara wheeler, who is every bit the epitome of perfection happens to leave clues and hints to finding her.

she just so happens to leave it with her nemesis for valedictorian, chloe green— who she also happened to kiss & run. along for the ride of finding answers are shara's boyfriend and neighbor.

the three characters come together to try and find out where shara is, but it's during their time together that they shed layers that they don't realize they're hiding beneath if not for the journey that shara puts them on. chloe learns the importance of the friendships she has, as well as those gained upon removing her own blinders and perceived beliefs on those around her.

rory and smith regain a friendship lost, while learning about what they truly want and shara, even through her selfishness, has some pure intentions in her deception. the strength of this book comes in the relationships and bonds that form over the course of it, and while i believe pacing could have been tightened at the midway point, i can't say it was enough to deter me from giving it 5 stars!

Not a 5 star read but definitely a solid 4.
It took me a while to really get into the book. It wasn’t until about halfway through when I started to be more and more interested in the story. I loved the discussion that sheds light on the LGBTQ+ community. I loved the student body of this high school standing up for what’s morally right. I love Casey McQuiston’s writing :)

Audiobook was good. One thing that was annoying was when the narrator would whisper. Yes, I understand that’s what was happening in the book, but unfortunately it was really hard for me to hear the book during those scenes.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of I Kissed Shara Wheeler in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe Green is so close to getting what she wants most: to become Valedictorian of Willowgrove Christian Academy. Her rival is the prom queen Shara Wheeler. A month before graduation Shara kisses Chloe and then disappears. Chloe has to team up with Shara’s quarterback boyfriend Smith and Shara’s bad boy neighbor to find her. Chloe will stop at nothing to bring Shara back so she can beat her fair and square.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the coming of age queer YA contemporary of my dreams! There’s enemies/rivals to lovers, best friends to enemies to lovers, found family, self discovery, a mystery and so much diversity.

First I have to say that Natalie Naudus is an absolutely phenomenal narrator! Her ability to voice multiple characters and have each one sound so distinct is seriously mind blowing. Casey’s story is sensational and Natalie’s narration was the perfect accompaniment.

If you’ve read any of Casey’s other work, you know they have the ability to create characters that you absolutely fall in love with. IKSW is no different! Yes, this story is about Shara but it’s also about the people in her orbit and how they are connected because of her. The bond that is formed between Chloe, Smith and Rory as they searched for Shara was so organic and pure. It was exhilarating to see their individual growth throughout the novel.

One of the main things that I loved about IKSW was how each one of the characters discovered/came to terms with their gender and sexual identities while living in such a conservative religious town. I really loved Casey McQuiston’s other books so I didn’t expect this one to be any different. IKSW is now my new favorite of their work!