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I Kissed Shara Wheeler: A Novel
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2022)From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need... Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and the puritanical administration of Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her winning valedictorian. Her only prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny. Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe―probably not, but maybe―more to Shara, too.
389 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 3, 2022
3897 people are currently reading
156866 people want to read
About the author
Casey McQuiston
9 books41.6k followersCasey McQuiston is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bon Appetit. Originally from southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 19,771 reviews
January 15, 2023
It’s no secret that Casey McQuiston is one of my favourite authors. At this point I would happily read their grocery list. Thankfully, I Kissed Shara Wheeler is much better than that. It takes all the wonderful feelings of being a teenager, McQuiston’s signature humour and characters who leap off the page and combines them with some of the less wonderful parts of being a teenager – especially when living in a small town in the Bible Belt – to create an uplifting and endlessly entertaining coming of age story.
As always with McQuiston’s books, the characters were this book’s strength. From our fierce, determined main character, Chloe Green, to the endearing side characters to the elusive Shara Wheeler, all the characters were so real. They were complex and interesting, flawed and imperfect but loveable all the same. These characters were so believable, it felt like I was getting a peek into real lives. I loved the way they played off each other with natural dialogue and humour.
The strength of the characters individually fortified their relationships. I really enjoyed the academic rivals to lovers dynamic between Chloe and Shara. To begin with, I was worried their relationship might end up being a bit one sided as Shara wasn’t there. But these fears were quickly put to rest. I loved how their relationship played out and developed. I felt that it was paced perfectly for their characters and situations and adored the build up just as much as seeing them together. They worked so well with each other and just got each other, and that made for an incredibly entertaining romance that had me on the edge of my seat. There is also a side pairing which I adored – I lived for their interactions.
However, my favourite relationships in the book weren’t the romances but rather the friendships. In particular, the unlikely friendship that formed between Chloe, Smith and Rory as they followed Shara’s clues together. As three totally different people who would never have interacted otherwise were thrown together, something beautiful emerged. They had so many sweet moments and grew together so much and it was just a joy to read. There’s a scene where they take a car ride together and there’s a frog and I want to live in that moment. I also really liked Chloe’s best friend Georgia, a fellow cottage core bookish lesbian with a emotional support water bottle she carries everywhere with her.
The writing was engaging and readable, and the narration full of McQuiston’s usual wit. I read this book over the space of a few hours as I just couldn’t put it down. I loved Chloe’s voice, it was so distinct. There’s something about the humour in Casey McQuiston’s books that just works for me and I Kissed Shara Wheeler was no exception. From Chloe’s snark to jokes between friends, there was never a dull moment. The humour helped the book remain lighthearted, even as it discussed some heavy themes.
In particular, much of this book focuses on living in a small town in the bible belt. The main characters all go to a Christian school and we see the influence of religion in their education and the way they see themselves. There’s a lot of discussion of this, particularly in reference to homophobia so please be aware of that before picking the book up. McQuiston handles these themes with the care they deserve. Something I appreciated was that there was no one singular perspective; Chloe is an outsider and not religious so it would have been easy to make her perspective the only one, and completely condemn Christianity and small town living in Alabama. However, we also hear what this town and religion means to some of the other characters, which brings the nuance these topics deserve. I loved Chloe’s journey with these themes, and the appreciation for what small towns have to offer.
Something I’ve come to expect from Casey McQuiston’s books is endless queer positivity, and this one was no exception. The positivity and hopefulness among the characters really balanced out the discussions of homophobia and resulted in this book having an overall lighthearted tone. There were queer characters galore, and many of them were in different stages of their journey and had different perspectives of what it meant to be queer, particularly within their community and town. The finale of this book was full of queer positivity and a joy to read. I loved how everything came together and felt like it was a fitting ending for the characters and story, one that was hopeful but ultimately realistic. I felt like it really captured the experience of growing up queer in a small town.
Compulsively readable, laugh out loud funny and full of heart, McQuiston’s YA debut is a stunning success. This coming of age novel captures the feeling of being a messy, uncertain teenager in a small town, and all the conflicting feelings that come with that. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is an uplifting story of being unapologetically yourself and going for what you want – and finding what you need along the way.
If you’re interested in hearing more of my thoughts or seeing my reactions, check out my book talk here.
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
As always with McQuiston’s books, the characters were this book’s strength. From our fierce, determined main character, Chloe Green, to the endearing side characters to the elusive Shara Wheeler, all the characters were so real. They were complex and interesting, flawed and imperfect but loveable all the same. These characters were so believable, it felt like I was getting a peek into real lives. I loved the way they played off each other with natural dialogue and humour.
The strength of the characters individually fortified their relationships. I really enjoyed the academic rivals to lovers dynamic between Chloe and Shara. To begin with, I was worried their relationship might end up being a bit one sided as Shara wasn’t there. But these fears were quickly put to rest. I loved how their relationship played out and developed. I felt that it was paced perfectly for their characters and situations and adored the build up just as much as seeing them together. They worked so well with each other and just got each other, and that made for an incredibly entertaining romance that had me on the edge of my seat. There is also a side pairing which I adored – I lived for their interactions.
However, my favourite relationships in the book weren’t the romances but rather the friendships. In particular, the unlikely friendship that formed between Chloe, Smith and Rory as they followed Shara’s clues together. As three totally different people who would never have interacted otherwise were thrown together, something beautiful emerged. They had so many sweet moments and grew together so much and it was just a joy to read. There’s a scene where they take a car ride together and there’s a frog and I want to live in that moment. I also really liked Chloe’s best friend Georgia, a fellow cottage core bookish lesbian with a emotional support water bottle she carries everywhere with her.
The writing was engaging and readable, and the narration full of McQuiston’s usual wit. I read this book over the space of a few hours as I just couldn’t put it down. I loved Chloe’s voice, it was so distinct. There’s something about the humour in Casey McQuiston’s books that just works for me and I Kissed Shara Wheeler was no exception. From Chloe’s snark to jokes between friends, there was never a dull moment. The humour helped the book remain lighthearted, even as it discussed some heavy themes.
In particular, much of this book focuses on living in a small town in the bible belt. The main characters all go to a Christian school and we see the influence of religion in their education and the way they see themselves. There’s a lot of discussion of this, particularly in reference to homophobia so please be aware of that before picking the book up. McQuiston handles these themes with the care they deserve. Something I appreciated was that there was no one singular perspective; Chloe is an outsider and not religious so it would have been easy to make her perspective the only one, and completely condemn Christianity and small town living in Alabama. However, we also hear what this town and religion means to some of the other characters, which brings the nuance these topics deserve. I loved Chloe’s journey with these themes, and the appreciation for what small towns have to offer.
Something I’ve come to expect from Casey McQuiston’s books is endless queer positivity, and this one was no exception. The positivity and hopefulness among the characters really balanced out the discussions of homophobia and resulted in this book having an overall lighthearted tone. There were queer characters galore, and many of them were in different stages of their journey and had different perspectives of what it meant to be queer, particularly within their community and town. The finale of this book was full of queer positivity and a joy to read. I loved how everything came together and felt like it was a fitting ending for the characters and story, one that was hopeful but ultimately realistic. I felt like it really captured the experience of growing up queer in a small town.
Compulsively readable, laugh out loud funny and full of heart, McQuiston’s YA debut is a stunning success. This coming of age novel captures the feeling of being a messy, uncertain teenager in a small town, and all the conflicting feelings that come with that. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is an uplifting story of being unapologetically yourself and going for what you want – and finding what you need along the way.
If you’re interested in hearing more of my thoughts or seeing my reactions, check out my book talk here.
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
May 12, 2022
↠ 5 stars
Four years after her moms uprooted her from their life in Southern California to attend school in Alabama, high school senior Chloe Green is closer to victory than ever before. Attending a conservative high school hasn't been easy, but competition with Willowgrove Academys it-girl, and her fiercest rival Shara Wheeler, has propelled her to success and all but tied them out for high school valedictorian. Chloe is so close to beating Shara, but on the weekend of the senior prom, Shara kisses Chloe and then vanishes. All that's left behind are a series of letters left for Chloe and the two other people she kissed, Rory, the boy next door, and Smith, her quarterback boyfriend. Drawn together by their ties to Shara, an unlikely alliance forms that will have them crashing parties, breaking and entering, and uncovering clues to Shara’s whereabouts in the most unexpected places. Holding out for the next pink envelope and Shara’s elusive clues, Chloe begins to realize that there's more to Shara than she initially thought and that maybe, just maybe, she can carve out a place for herself in this town after all.
In a self-fulfilling prophecy kind of way, I Kissed Shara Wheeler sat in my inbox for four months before I even dared to pick it up, simply because I knew it would consume my every waking thought for weeks after reading. If only I knew just how right I would be. A contemporary equally saccharine and explorative, Casey McQuiston’s debut into young adult has again proved their ability to craft compelling and heartwarming queer narratives, regardless of the genre. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a renewing coming-of-age story surrounding the growth of queer communities in adversity and the friendships that develop during the critical points of our lives. Characteristic to its author, this novel had a cast of characters that made my heart swoon, and the witty repartee that has embodied all of Casey McQuiston’s past writing that I so adore. What stood out to me this time around, were the friendships that evolved between the three main characters Rory, Chloe, and Smith as they become entangled in the search for Shara Wheeler. Every character felt distinct, with their own determinations, flaws, and biases that were completely out in the open by the time the story concluded. There were so many sweet moments with our main trio, and it was such a joy to see each of them creating a space for themselves, in and outside of their queer identities. Chloe's journey, in particular, was fierce and messy in all the right ways. I loved seeing where everyone ended up by graduation, with happy endings, bittersweet ones, and everything in between. Casey McQuitson’s strength certainly lies in their ability to commit to the unexpected, while continuing to create the uplifting queer stories I have been longing for. The high school story I didn't know I needed, I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the unapologetic queer coming of age story we've been waiting for – elevating the complexity of youth and what it means to find yourself in unexpected places.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Trigger warnings: racism, homophobia, bullying, outing of a past character (mentioned)
Four years after her moms uprooted her from their life in Southern California to attend school in Alabama, high school senior Chloe Green is closer to victory than ever before. Attending a conservative high school hasn't been easy, but competition with Willowgrove Academys it-girl, and her fiercest rival Shara Wheeler, has propelled her to success and all but tied them out for high school valedictorian. Chloe is so close to beating Shara, but on the weekend of the senior prom, Shara kisses Chloe and then vanishes. All that's left behind are a series of letters left for Chloe and the two other people she kissed, Rory, the boy next door, and Smith, her quarterback boyfriend. Drawn together by their ties to Shara, an unlikely alliance forms that will have them crashing parties, breaking and entering, and uncovering clues to Shara’s whereabouts in the most unexpected places. Holding out for the next pink envelope and Shara’s elusive clues, Chloe begins to realize that there's more to Shara than she initially thought and that maybe, just maybe, she can carve out a place for herself in this town after all.
In a self-fulfilling prophecy kind of way, I Kissed Shara Wheeler sat in my inbox for four months before I even dared to pick it up, simply because I knew it would consume my every waking thought for weeks after reading. If only I knew just how right I would be. A contemporary equally saccharine and explorative, Casey McQuiston’s debut into young adult has again proved their ability to craft compelling and heartwarming queer narratives, regardless of the genre. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a renewing coming-of-age story surrounding the growth of queer communities in adversity and the friendships that develop during the critical points of our lives. Characteristic to its author, this novel had a cast of characters that made my heart swoon, and the witty repartee that has embodied all of Casey McQuiston’s past writing that I so adore. What stood out to me this time around, were the friendships that evolved between the three main characters Rory, Chloe, and Smith as they become entangled in the search for Shara Wheeler. Every character felt distinct, with their own determinations, flaws, and biases that were completely out in the open by the time the story concluded. There were so many sweet moments with our main trio, and it was such a joy to see each of them creating a space for themselves, in and outside of their queer identities. Chloe's journey, in particular, was fierce and messy in all the right ways. I loved seeing where everyone ended up by graduation, with happy endings, bittersweet ones, and everything in between. Casey McQuitson’s strength certainly lies in their ability to commit to the unexpected, while continuing to create the uplifting queer stories I have been longing for. The high school story I didn't know I needed, I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the unapologetic queer coming of age story we've been waiting for – elevating the complexity of youth and what it means to find yourself in unexpected places.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Trigger warnings: racism, homophobia, bullying, outing of a past character (mentioned)
June 5, 2024
i have a crush on every single character in this book. the struggles of bisexuality.
January 2, 2023
3.5, bardzo fajne!
August 25, 2022
I’m so disappointed to say I really didn’t like this book. I love the intent of a romance between two intelligent and morally effed up women. But the execution was so poor in my opinion. It wasn’t love. It was obsession. Very toxic and didn’t make much sense. I couldn’t understand why this main character kept looking for Shara and trying so hard to figure this overly drawn out puzzle out. I didn’t get it and unfortunately I didn’t like the ride
January 19, 2023
A book couldn’t have been written so impeccable by addressing so sensitive issues: identity crisis, youth problems with multi layered characterization and perfect LGBTQ representation with my favorite John Green books vibes!
The idea of chasing a lost student by following the crumbles she’s left which turned into a treasure hunt of our heroine Chloe’s teaming up with definitely likable boyfriend Smith, bad boy next door Rory (we love to hate and hate to love )to gather the pieces of puzzle for finding gone girl Shara! The plot idea has resemblances with Paper Town: but I can honestly say the execution of the idea and wrapping up of the story were so much better than Mr. Green’s work!
The mystery about Shara’s disappearance and smart clues she left behind definitely hooked me up! The character development and realistic approach to high school life, multi layered characters who seek for their true identities were well blended. The author’s challenging decision to throw the religious aspect into equation was brave and well executed as well.
Only two things gave me hesitations to give five stars. Firstly there were too many chapters with mostly similar names gave me hard time to catch up with their back stories and till the last third I wanted to scream at Chloe’s face for being extra obnoxious! I wished her open her eyes to see things from different perspective sooner.
Overall: it was another well written book of Casey McQuiston. Not my favorite but it’s still gonna be one of my great reads of 2022!
Red-White-Loyal Blue is still my most favorite work of the author.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this highly expected digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
The idea of chasing a lost student by following the crumbles she’s left which turned into a treasure hunt of our heroine Chloe’s teaming up with definitely likable boyfriend Smith, bad boy next door Rory (we love to hate and hate to love )to gather the pieces of puzzle for finding gone girl Shara! The plot idea has resemblances with Paper Town: but I can honestly say the execution of the idea and wrapping up of the story were so much better than Mr. Green’s work!
The mystery about Shara’s disappearance and smart clues she left behind definitely hooked me up! The character development and realistic approach to high school life, multi layered characters who seek for their true identities were well blended. The author’s challenging decision to throw the religious aspect into equation was brave and well executed as well.
Only two things gave me hesitations to give five stars. Firstly there were too many chapters with mostly similar names gave me hard time to catch up with their back stories and till the last third I wanted to scream at Chloe’s face for being extra obnoxious! I wished her open her eyes to see things from different perspective sooner.
Overall: it was another well written book of Casey McQuiston. Not my favorite but it’s still gonna be one of my great reads of 2022!
Red-White-Loyal Blue is still my most favorite work of the author.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this highly expected digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
August 10, 2023
my defining characteristic, you ask? easy. perseverance.
day in and day out, i suffer my fate of constant unpopular opinions, doomed to desperately seek a seat at the proverbial cool kids' table, disliking one young adult crossover bestseller after another.
you might call that stubbornness, or even masochism.
but i'm going for optimism.
this is the third casey mcquiston book i have picked up, and the third time i have held out hope that this will be the One, and the third time i have come away feeling absolutely meh.
once again, i love this author's side characters and can't get behind the protagonists. once again, i find this book pretty charming at first only to be worn out by the end. once again, i find myself truly intrigued by a story line or two, and once again i have found those aspects to be afterthoughts at best.
once again, i crave more Friendship (love mcquiston's friendships) and more Banter (love mcquiston's banter) and once again, i am left thinking i could have lived without the entire second half of this.
in truth, this is like a john green book if i didn't completely hate john green books.
but clearly i didn't love this so i'm not sure how much that means.
bottom line: if at first you don't succeed, just keep trying like you've been cursed by a weird overly specific witch.
day in and day out, i suffer my fate of constant unpopular opinions, doomed to desperately seek a seat at the proverbial cool kids' table, disliking one young adult crossover bestseller after another.
you might call that stubbornness, or even masochism.
but i'm going for optimism.
this is the third casey mcquiston book i have picked up, and the third time i have held out hope that this will be the One, and the third time i have come away feeling absolutely meh.
once again, i love this author's side characters and can't get behind the protagonists. once again, i find this book pretty charming at first only to be worn out by the end. once again, i find myself truly intrigued by a story line or two, and once again i have found those aspects to be afterthoughts at best.
once again, i crave more Friendship (love mcquiston's friendships) and more Banter (love mcquiston's banter) and once again, i am left thinking i could have lived without the entire second half of this.
in truth, this is like a john green book if i didn't completely hate john green books.
but clearly i didn't love this so i'm not sure how much that means.
bottom line: if at first you don't succeed, just keep trying like you've been cursed by a weird overly specific witch.
Want to read
June 22, 2022the fact that this book includes academic rivals to lovers just shows it was written personally for me
February 27, 2022
No sé si son 2.5 estrellas o 3 estrellas.
La cosa es que, durante toda la primera mitad del libro, estaba segura de que iba a terminar odiándolo. No me estaba atrapando, ni mucho menos gustando. Casi hace que me de un bloqueo lector de lo poco que podía avanzar antes de que me aburriera :(. Y me pone triste porque ustedes saben que la autora escribió uno de mis libros favoritos de la vida (Rojo, Blanco y Sangre Azul), pero con I Kissed Shara Wheeler simplemente yo no pude. Tal vez no fue el libro para mí.
Lo que hizo que odiara la primera mitad fue que ¿me pareció una calca de Ciudades de Papel de John Green? O sea, ¡es lo mismo! Y ni siquiera me gusta Ciudades de Papel. Aquí tenemos a Shara, que decide desaparecer un día y deja pistas para que sus enamorados la encuentren. Sus enamorados son Smith (su novio), Rory (su vecino) y Chloe (la prota del libro que está en total negación). Legit toda la primera mitad del libro es eso... buscar a Shara. Y es ABURRIDO. Hasta llegué a pensar que Shara era una manic pixie dream girl.
Por suerte, no lo era.
Pero primero quiero hablar de Chloe, la narradora. Digamos que... ¿no la amé? Estaba ultra obsesionada con Shara a un nivel preocupante. Legit se olvidó de todas sus responsabilidades, ocupaciones y AMISTADES por andar buscando a Shara, a quien supuestamente ODIA con todo su ser. En serio durante TOOOODO el libro repite una y otra vez lo mucho que odia a Shara Wheeler y yo me cansé. Este no es el "enemies to lovers" que me gusta. Nope.
Por otro lado tenemos a Shara. Para no spoilear, solo quiero decir que el libro se pone mejor por ella, esto a partir de la segunda mitad. Por eso pienso que tal vez podría darle 3 estrellas... bueno, y también porque una vez que la parte del romance (no solo el de la prota, sino también el de los demás personajes) empieza a florecer, la historia AL FIN mejora y agarra ritmo.
De todos modos para mí fue una tortura terminarlo, varias veces pensé en abandonarlo pero ya saben que me cuesta, ¡y de por sí casi me mete en un bloqueo lector! Temía que si abandonaba este, ya no iba a poder comenzar con ningún otro.
EN FIN, en el wrap up les cuento un poquito más :).
La cosa es que, durante toda la primera mitad del libro, estaba segura de que iba a terminar odiándolo. No me estaba atrapando, ni mucho menos gustando. Casi hace que me de un bloqueo lector de lo poco que podía avanzar antes de que me aburriera :(. Y me pone triste porque ustedes saben que la autora escribió uno de mis libros favoritos de la vida (Rojo, Blanco y Sangre Azul), pero con I Kissed Shara Wheeler simplemente yo no pude. Tal vez no fue el libro para mí.
Lo que hizo que odiara la primera mitad fue que ¿me pareció una calca de Ciudades de Papel de John Green? O sea, ¡es lo mismo! Y ni siquiera me gusta Ciudades de Papel. Aquí tenemos a Shara, que decide desaparecer un día y deja pistas para que sus enamorados la encuentren. Sus enamorados son Smith (su novio), Rory (su vecino) y Chloe (la prota del libro que está en total negación). Legit toda la primera mitad del libro es eso... buscar a Shara. Y es ABURRIDO. Hasta llegué a pensar que Shara era una manic pixie dream girl.
Por suerte, no lo era.
Pero primero quiero hablar de Chloe, la narradora. Digamos que... ¿no la amé? Estaba ultra obsesionada con Shara a un nivel preocupante. Legit se olvidó de todas sus responsabilidades, ocupaciones y AMISTADES por andar buscando a Shara, a quien supuestamente ODIA con todo su ser. En serio durante TOOOODO el libro repite una y otra vez lo mucho que odia a Shara Wheeler y yo me cansé. Este no es el "enemies to lovers" que me gusta. Nope.
Por otro lado tenemos a Shara. Para no spoilear, solo quiero decir que el libro se pone mejor por ella, esto a partir de la segunda mitad. Por eso pienso que tal vez podría darle 3 estrellas... bueno, y también porque una vez que la parte del romance (no solo el de la prota, sino también el de los demás personajes) empieza a florecer, la historia AL FIN mejora y agarra ritmo.
De todos modos para mí fue una tortura terminarlo, varias veces pensé en abandonarlo pero ya saben que me cuesta, ¡y de por sí casi me mete en un bloqueo lector! Temía que si abandonaba este, ya no iba a poder comenzar con ningún otro.
EN FIN, en el wrap up les cuento un poquito más :).
February 11, 2023
* Is this review incredibly long? Yes. Is it too long? Maybe. I just have VERY mixed feelings! *
Oh, Casey McQuiston, how I long for another novel like Red, White & Royal Blue. I’m sure many of you have read the modern royalty masterpiece and are fully aware of McQuiston’s stunning prose. I was so thankful to receive an ARC of I Kissed Shara Wheeler, as it just sounded so perfect. A sapphic mystery that is also a romcom, written by one of my favourite authors? You couldn’t possibly appeal to me more.
I absolutely adored how obsessed Shara was with Chloe. I saw their relationship compared to Faberry (Quin and Rachel from Glee), and I completely agree. Chapter 12 was a huge turning point for me, where I really started to enjoy the beautiful writing and story. That letter was full of so much emotion, and I really started to understand the dynamic of the characters a lot more. Chloe was complete chaos, and I enjoyed how Shara’s calculated nature gave balance to their relationship. Yet, it was the secondary characters that I really fell in love with.
Smith and his perfect little flowers were the soul of this novel. Every second he was on the page, the story lit up, and his interactions with Rory were so wonderful. Their relationship was really complicated, and I enjoyed the slow progression of them finding their way back together. I loved the conversations that surrounded Smith, and those moments were the most engaging. I could see those flowers so clearly, and everything was so soft. It’s so lovely to read such a queer normative story, where characters can explore their identities with the support of their friends. I loved the discussion of pronouns, especially how certain pronouns can fit your identity at different points of your life. I enjoyed how there was space for the characters to explore who they were. There was an element of found family towards the end that was lovely. I found it really interesting how the novel is set in a hyper heteronormative Christian school, where students are not encouraged to express any individuality, and somehow, the book still felt overtly queer.
I appreciated how the romantic relationships didn’t start to work until the characters started communicating. Something that I found particularly wonderful was how I Kissed Shara Wheeler aided in normalising queer parents. It was so nice to see Chloe with two mothers, and have a queer child be supported by their queer parents. At first, I was concerned why Chloe’s parents would send her to a Christian school, especially after she came out at 13, but appreciated the discussions that developed around unpacking religious trauma. I think this aspect was written extremely well. Chloe slowly begins to process the damage being a student at a Christian school has had on her mental health. I went to a Catholic school. It sucked. I loved how all the characters worked together to turn their pain into power.
This is one of those books where my head and my heart feel very conflicted. It’s obviously well written, but I just didn’t like certain aspects as much as I was anticipating. For the most part, I don’t like reviewing books I rate three stars or below. If I hadn’t received an ARC of this, I probably wouldn’t have reviewed it at all. The reading experience can be subjective, so I’ll try my best to be as realistic as possible when I talk about the parts of this book that didn’t work for me.
I saw quite a few people describe this book as ‘if Gone Girl were a romcom’ and naturally, I was dying to read this. You can’t say Gone Girl and expect me to not come running. Amy Dunne is the love of my life, and I was expecting her energy to burst through the pages of this book. I understand why people compared it to what is an absolute masterpiece, but it made my expectations extremely high. Shara leaving clues for the people she’s kissed to track her down, toying with the protagonist (who is completely in the dark). I see the comparisons. Shara creeps in the peripheral of the story, an utter mystery. I must admit that I wanted to find out what was going on with that girl. I expected to be enamoured with Shara, instead, she was one of the least interesting characters. I don’t think it helps anyone, the reader nor the writer, to compare this novel to Gone Girl. They do not have the same energy and are two completely different experiences. Gone Girl is an atmosphere, Gone Girl is an experience, Gone Girl is a lifestyle. I was missing that invigorating thrill of not knowing what the hell was coming next. I really wanted a mystery that blew my mind. I love an antagonist and female villains. I love women that terrorise people. I was waiting half of the book to meet Shara, and I wanted a master manipulator. Chloe built her up to be the most interesting person in her town, and when she finally arrived, I found her quite mellow. That’s not to say that this was a badly executed mystery, because it wasn’t. The clues were fun, and I enjoyed Shara’s messages. I just think this could have been so much better.
How could it be better? I think with a few changes this could be an amazing novel. Firstly, these desires are mostly personal opinions and not reflective of the quality of the writing or success of the book. The big thing for me was that the book really relies on Chloe and Shara’s rivals to lovers relationship, which I feel could have been reframed. I know I’m too obsessed with enemies to lovers, but I think this book has a good case for it. Let’s go back to the Gone Girl reference. Why was that book so successful? Amy and Nick despised each other, and god was it an absolute joy to watch them fight. Imagine having all that hatred in the beginning of the book and seeing Chloe slowly, through her obsession, start to fall for the missing girl. The clues needed to be more complex, more personal. They needed to be the sort of digs that had the characters refusing to show the card to their friends. Turn them against each other, Shara. Make them all think the other was involved. Hell, convince me Shara is dead.
I would have loved if this book had multiple POVs. I felt it was vital to get inside the heads of the other characters. What was Smith thinking? I wanted to know. What was Shara thinking when they were following her clues? Those chapters could have been hilarious. I think this also would have helped bring Rory and Smith more into the forefront. They were just as involved in Shara’s disappearance as Chloe but read more as an afterthought. Maybe I’m just biased because I loved them both so much. I also think that having a Shara POV could have helped me understand her motives more. There was so much room for deepening the exploration of religious trauma through Shara, and unfortunately, I felt she got a bit lost in the last quarter of the novel.
The tone felt a bit confusing to me. Was this supposed to be a light-hearted romcom or a tumultuous mystery? It’s absolutely okay to blend those two elements, and I whole heartedly welcome it. It just didn’t work for me unfortunately. I felt like this novel was trying to do two different things at once. Some of the characters were beautiful, and I feel like if the Shara mystery was dropped, their personalities would be allowed to breathe. I’d be much more invested. I think this could have been a lovely romcom, or an invigorating mystery. I just don’t think it fully reached its potential as both.
Thank you to MacMillan’s Children’s Books and the author for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
Oh, Casey McQuiston, how I long for another novel like Red, White & Royal Blue. I’m sure many of you have read the modern royalty masterpiece and are fully aware of McQuiston’s stunning prose. I was so thankful to receive an ARC of I Kissed Shara Wheeler, as it just sounded so perfect. A sapphic mystery that is also a romcom, written by one of my favourite authors? You couldn’t possibly appeal to me more.
I absolutely adored how obsessed Shara was with Chloe. I saw their relationship compared to Faberry (Quin and Rachel from Glee), and I completely agree. Chapter 12 was a huge turning point for me, where I really started to enjoy the beautiful writing and story. That letter was full of so much emotion, and I really started to understand the dynamic of the characters a lot more. Chloe was complete chaos, and I enjoyed how Shara’s calculated nature gave balance to their relationship. Yet, it was the secondary characters that I really fell in love with.
Smith and his perfect little flowers were the soul of this novel. Every second he was on the page, the story lit up, and his interactions with Rory were so wonderful. Their relationship was really complicated, and I enjoyed the slow progression of them finding their way back together. I loved the conversations that surrounded Smith, and those moments were the most engaging. I could see those flowers so clearly, and everything was so soft. It’s so lovely to read such a queer normative story, where characters can explore their identities with the support of their friends. I loved the discussion of pronouns, especially how certain pronouns can fit your identity at different points of your life. I enjoyed how there was space for the characters to explore who they were. There was an element of found family towards the end that was lovely. I found it really interesting how the novel is set in a hyper heteronormative Christian school, where students are not encouraged to express any individuality, and somehow, the book still felt overtly queer.
I appreciated how the romantic relationships didn’t start to work until the characters started communicating. Something that I found particularly wonderful was how I Kissed Shara Wheeler aided in normalising queer parents. It was so nice to see Chloe with two mothers, and have a queer child be supported by their queer parents. At first, I was concerned why Chloe’s parents would send her to a Christian school, especially after she came out at 13, but appreciated the discussions that developed around unpacking religious trauma. I think this aspect was written extremely well. Chloe slowly begins to process the damage being a student at a Christian school has had on her mental health. I went to a Catholic school. It sucked. I loved how all the characters worked together to turn their pain into power.
This is one of those books where my head and my heart feel very conflicted. It’s obviously well written, but I just didn’t like certain aspects as much as I was anticipating. For the most part, I don’t like reviewing books I rate three stars or below. If I hadn’t received an ARC of this, I probably wouldn’t have reviewed it at all. The reading experience can be subjective, so I’ll try my best to be as realistic as possible when I talk about the parts of this book that didn’t work for me.
I saw quite a few people describe this book as ‘if Gone Girl were a romcom’ and naturally, I was dying to read this. You can’t say Gone Girl and expect me to not come running. Amy Dunne is the love of my life, and I was expecting her energy to burst through the pages of this book. I understand why people compared it to what is an absolute masterpiece, but it made my expectations extremely high. Shara leaving clues for the people she’s kissed to track her down, toying with the protagonist (who is completely in the dark). I see the comparisons. Shara creeps in the peripheral of the story, an utter mystery. I must admit that I wanted to find out what was going on with that girl. I expected to be enamoured with Shara, instead, she was one of the least interesting characters. I don’t think it helps anyone, the reader nor the writer, to compare this novel to Gone Girl. They do not have the same energy and are two completely different experiences. Gone Girl is an atmosphere, Gone Girl is an experience, Gone Girl is a lifestyle. I was missing that invigorating thrill of not knowing what the hell was coming next. I really wanted a mystery that blew my mind. I love an antagonist and female villains. I love women that terrorise people. I was waiting half of the book to meet Shara, and I wanted a master manipulator. Chloe built her up to be the most interesting person in her town, and when she finally arrived, I found her quite mellow. That’s not to say that this was a badly executed mystery, because it wasn’t. The clues were fun, and I enjoyed Shara’s messages. I just think this could have been so much better.
How could it be better? I think with a few changes this could be an amazing novel. Firstly, these desires are mostly personal opinions and not reflective of the quality of the writing or success of the book. The big thing for me was that the book really relies on Chloe and Shara’s rivals to lovers relationship, which I feel could have been reframed. I know I’m too obsessed with enemies to lovers, but I think this book has a good case for it. Let’s go back to the Gone Girl reference. Why was that book so successful? Amy and Nick despised each other, and god was it an absolute joy to watch them fight. Imagine having all that hatred in the beginning of the book and seeing Chloe slowly, through her obsession, start to fall for the missing girl. The clues needed to be more complex, more personal. They needed to be the sort of digs that had the characters refusing to show the card to their friends. Turn them against each other, Shara. Make them all think the other was involved. Hell, convince me Shara is dead.
I would have loved if this book had multiple POVs. I felt it was vital to get inside the heads of the other characters. What was Smith thinking? I wanted to know. What was Shara thinking when they were following her clues? Those chapters could have been hilarious. I think this also would have helped bring Rory and Smith more into the forefront. They were just as involved in Shara’s disappearance as Chloe but read more as an afterthought. Maybe I’m just biased because I loved them both so much. I also think that having a Shara POV could have helped me understand her motives more. There was so much room for deepening the exploration of religious trauma through Shara, and unfortunately, I felt she got a bit lost in the last quarter of the novel.
The tone felt a bit confusing to me. Was this supposed to be a light-hearted romcom or a tumultuous mystery? It’s absolutely okay to blend those two elements, and I whole heartedly welcome it. It just didn’t work for me unfortunately. I felt like this novel was trying to do two different things at once. Some of the characters were beautiful, and I feel like if the Shara mystery was dropped, their personalities would be allowed to breathe. I’d be much more invested. I think this could have been a lovely romcom, or an invigorating mystery. I just don’t think it fully reached its potential as both.
Thank you to MacMillan’s Children’s Books and the author for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
December 18, 2022
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
➽ Red, White & Royal Blue
➽ One Last Stop
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➽ Red, White & Royal Blue
➽ One Last Stop
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August 3, 2024
**4.5-stars rounded up**
After being unexpectedly kissed by her only rival for valedictorian, Alabama High School Senior, Chloe Green's life begins to rapidly unravel.
Shara Wheeler, the kissing bandit, then disappears, leaving nothing but a series of cryptic clues in her wake.
Chloe isn't the only student being dragged along on this unconventional scavenger hunt. She's also not the only person Shara Wheeler kissed.
Joining Chloe on this misadventure are Shara's long-time boyfriend, hunky football player, Smith, as well as Shara's bad boy neighbor, Rory, who has been crushing on the girl next door for years.
After the trio discovers the game includes them all, they put whatever petty grudges they may hold aside and begin to work together.
It's a wild ride. Shara must have been planning this for months. It's intricate and over-the-top.
Chloe becomes so obsessed with getting to the truth that she ends up neglecting her other relationships; her best friends that have been there for her all throughout high school. Will Chloe be able to mend those fences by graduation?
This novel is Casey McQuiston's first foray into the YA space. Obviously, not a challenge for her; absolutely seamless. She kept her signature, lovable, heart-warming, sweet, sentimental, funny style all whilst keeping it relatable and applicable to a younger audience.
As for me, I'm all for snarky, funny, chaotic self-discovery, so I Kissed Shara Wheeler was a great fit for my tastes!!
I loved getting to know all of these characters. They were each well developed and had their own challenges that they were working through. Throughout it all, watching their interactions unfold was a lot of fun.
Chloe grows and learns so much about herself just through the process of trying to figure out Shara's game. Chloe starts to recognize some blind spots she may have had over the course of her high school tenure.
Overall, this was a delightful read. It's fun, smart and explores some important topics. It's clear McQuiston delivers no matter what age group she is writing for.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I am already highly anticipating whatever McQuiston comes up with next!!
After being unexpectedly kissed by her only rival for valedictorian, Alabama High School Senior, Chloe Green's life begins to rapidly unravel.
Shara Wheeler, the kissing bandit, then disappears, leaving nothing but a series of cryptic clues in her wake.
Chloe isn't the only student being dragged along on this unconventional scavenger hunt. She's also not the only person Shara Wheeler kissed.
Joining Chloe on this misadventure are Shara's long-time boyfriend, hunky football player, Smith, as well as Shara's bad boy neighbor, Rory, who has been crushing on the girl next door for years.
After the trio discovers the game includes them all, they put whatever petty grudges they may hold aside and begin to work together.
It's a wild ride. Shara must have been planning this for months. It's intricate and over-the-top.
Chloe becomes so obsessed with getting to the truth that she ends up neglecting her other relationships; her best friends that have been there for her all throughout high school. Will Chloe be able to mend those fences by graduation?
This novel is Casey McQuiston's first foray into the YA space. Obviously, not a challenge for her; absolutely seamless. She kept her signature, lovable, heart-warming, sweet, sentimental, funny style all whilst keeping it relatable and applicable to a younger audience.
As for me, I'm all for snarky, funny, chaotic self-discovery, so I Kissed Shara Wheeler was a great fit for my tastes!!
I loved getting to know all of these characters. They were each well developed and had their own challenges that they were working through. Throughout it all, watching their interactions unfold was a lot of fun.
Chloe grows and learns so much about herself just through the process of trying to figure out Shara's game. Chloe starts to recognize some blind spots she may have had over the course of her high school tenure.
Overall, this was a delightful read. It's fun, smart and explores some important topics. It's clear McQuiston delivers no matter what age group she is writing for.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I am already highly anticipating whatever McQuiston comes up with next!!
February 6, 2022
Leí este libro antes de tiempo porque la editorial me envió una copia avanzada digital y, aunque estoy muy agradecida, esta historia fue un martirio para mí. En mi opinión, I Kissed Shara Wheeler es una versión queer de Paper Towns de John Green. Y, si me conocen, saben que ese libro tampoco me gustó nada.
Digo que I Kissed Shara Wheeler es una *versión* por no usar una palabra más fuerte, pero… madre mía. Básicamente, aquí nos encontramos la historia de Shara Wheeler, una chica ultra popular de un colegio muy conservador en el estado de Alabama, conocido por ser tremendamente cristiano. Un día, Shara decide desaparecer, pero no sin antes besar a tres personas: Smith, su novio; a su vecino y a Chloe, la única chica abiertamente bisexual del instituto. Su plan, al besarlos, fue que tuvieran algo en común para que, después, pudieran seguir juntos las pistas que ella les iría dejando para que la encontraran… o no. ¿Ya ven a qué me refiero con la similitud casi calcada al libro de John Green?
Honestamente, este fue un libro que se me hizo cuesta arriba, que no pude disfrutar en ningún momento porque todo era repetitivo, ya se había visto y ningún plot twist estuvo bien construido. Creo que, con leer unas cuantas páginas del inicio, cualquier persona podría adivinarlos.
Creo que lo único que puedo rescatar de esta historia es la cantidad de representación tanto de identidad sexual como de género y de razas. Los personajes son muy diversos y creo que, a pesar de que la historia no sea para nada novedosa, seguro que muchas personas se podrán ver reflejados en ellos.
En fin… no sé qué le pasó a Casey McQuiston con esta historia.
Digo que I Kissed Shara Wheeler es una *versión* por no usar una palabra más fuerte, pero… madre mía. Básicamente, aquí nos encontramos la historia de Shara Wheeler, una chica ultra popular de un colegio muy conservador en el estado de Alabama, conocido por ser tremendamente cristiano. Un día, Shara decide desaparecer, pero no sin antes besar a tres personas: Smith, su novio; a su vecino y a Chloe, la única chica abiertamente bisexual del instituto. Su plan, al besarlos, fue que tuvieran algo en común para que, después, pudieran seguir juntos las pistas que ella les iría dejando para que la encontraran… o no. ¿Ya ven a qué me refiero con la similitud casi calcada al libro de John Green?
Honestamente, este fue un libro que se me hizo cuesta arriba, que no pude disfrutar en ningún momento porque todo era repetitivo, ya se había visto y ningún plot twist estuvo bien construido. Creo que, con leer unas cuantas páginas del inicio, cualquier persona podría adivinarlos.
Creo que lo único que puedo rescatar de esta historia es la cantidad de representación tanto de identidad sexual como de género y de razas. Los personajes son muy diversos y creo que, a pesar de que la historia no sea para nada novedosa, seguro que muchas personas se podrán ver reflejados en ellos.
En fin… no sé qué le pasó a Casey McQuiston con esta historia.
June 13, 2022
This book had been popping up all over the place, so despite my dislike of face covers I went ahead and gave it a shot due to all of the high ratings. And now????
BEWARE OF SPOILERS
Okay, so two thirds of this book are searching for a girl who has gone “missing” who is clearly not missing. In fact, it seems the other characters started looking for her within minutes of her “disappearance.” If the entirety of the first 200+ pages had been left on the cutting room floor and a new book written about these characters and the stuff going on at the school (trying to only spoil the non-missing Shara shit here, not the whole thing), it could have been a great YA book. All about finding your people and finding love and finding yourself (all at an über Christian private school) with a little WTF is going on with the School Board/Administration thrown in for a bit of mystery. Instead this came off very contrived to my old ass with a cast of underdeveloped characters who seemed to be thrown in just to make sure all aspects of the LGBTQ populous were represented without giving much attention to making them more than cardboard cutouts. And the main characters Chloe and Shara? Dang they were both twats. How did they have any friends at all??? File this under “I’m getting too old for this shit” because I do not get the love at all . . . .
BEWARE OF SPOILERS
Okay, so two thirds of this book are searching for a girl who has gone “missing” who is clearly not missing. In fact, it seems the other characters started looking for her within minutes of her “disappearance.” If the entirety of the first 200+ pages had been left on the cutting room floor and a new book written about these characters and the stuff going on at the school (trying to only spoil the non-missing Shara shit here, not the whole thing), it could have been a great YA book. All about finding your people and finding love and finding yourself (all at an über Christian private school) with a little WTF is going on with the School Board/Administration thrown in for a bit of mystery. Instead this came off very contrived to my old ass with a cast of underdeveloped characters who seemed to be thrown in just to make sure all aspects of the LGBTQ populous were represented without giving much attention to making them more than cardboard cutouts. And the main characters Chloe and Shara? Dang they were both twats. How did they have any friends at all??? File this under “I’m getting too old for this shit” because I do not get the love at all . . . .
May 3, 2022
Good but not great. I don’t love starting this review that way but it was the most honest thing I could think to say. I actually finished this book a few days ago but I was struggling to write this review. I just was not sure exactly what I felt or wanted to say, and considering I have written over 1600 reviews, this doesn’t happen to me very often anymore. I loved One Last Stop, and while I haven’t read Red, White & Royal Blue yet, I’ve heard it was just as good so it’s on my TBR. This book was one of my most anticipated of 2022, and I was beyond excited to get an ARC copy of it. Maybe my expectations were a little too high, I’m not quite sure, but while I liked this book it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.
I read a lot of YA. It has become one of my favorite genres because the YA stories have been so well done -the last couple years especially-. Casey McQuiston, dipping her toe into YA was not only welcomed but really exciting in my opinion. Unfortunately, I think my love for YA could be part of the issue because I read a lot of really good YA. There are so many great YA stories that have made me feel, made me cry, gave me hope and a smile, so it’s impossible for me not to compare this book to other YA. And when I do, it’s good, and very well written in parts, but it just never grabbed me like other YA stories have. I never felt completely invested into the main characters and that’s a tough thing for me as a reader.
It’s hard to love a book when you enjoy the secondary character more than the main characters. Smith, Rory, Ace, Georgia, and Ash, were all really lovely and well done secondary characters. They were so well done that they ended up being more likeable than Chloe and even Shara. Chloe was not a poorly written character, but I didn’t think she was the right fit to star in this particular book. I kept waiting for her moment, for growth, or something that would cement Chloe into my heart and mind, but it never happened. There was one point, I think it was passed the half way mark, that I didn’t like where the story with Chloe was going and it actually put a bad feeling into my stomach that made me want to stop reading. I did get passed that point, but it wasn’t a smooth road. The problem with Shara was that it was made out that she was this morally grey character, this bad girl that you still could not help but like. All of that I’m so here for, all of that sounds great too me. Instead, McQuiston started making excuses and reasons why Shara really isn’t bad and that was completely disappointing. We can have a story about two people, who are not always nice and perfect, falling in love. I was here for that story so it was disappointing to see McQuiston try to make Shara into a mostly good but really just misunderstood character instead.
Let me jump back to some of the good because this is still a McQuiston book so there was a lot of good besides the well done secondary characters. I thought parts of the mystery where well done. It kept my attention and I wanted to know what was going on! I did think the mystery end was a little anti-climactic, but I loved what Chloe did when she solved it. I have to be vague here but Chloe was pretty upset and frustrated so she had a little badass moment that I thought was good book fun. I also thought McQuiston wove in the aspects of religion in a small southern town and how it could help, but also negatively affect people. I think we all know that religion is not an easy subject to touch on in a book and I thought McQuiston did very well.
There were quite a few scenes you have to suspend disbelief to get through, and I also wondered why the parents were not stepping in. The parents were a little too absent to be believable, although Chloe’s Moms were well written in the small parts they had. There were also a few times I had trouble even picturing what was going on like the whole margarita thing. I could not understand what that was supposed to look like at all and how it was supposed to be fun. But for every part that confused me, there were parts like Chloe and Shara rolling around the ground over the letter that was really emotionally charged and just felt so McQuiston to me.
TLDR: This book was as up and down as a rollercoaster ride. There were parts that were just so well done, that I really could appreciate, other times I was scratching my head. I’m not going to say that McQuiston isn’t a perfect YA match, it’s just that there is a lot of amazing competition in this space so I don’t think this book shined like I expected it too. I would still recommend this to McQuiston and YA fans as this was a solid and good read. In my opinion this is not on the same level of One Last Stop, but it still was enjoyable.
A copy was given to me for a review.
I read a lot of YA. It has become one of my favorite genres because the YA stories have been so well done -the last couple years especially-. Casey McQuiston, dipping her toe into YA was not only welcomed but really exciting in my opinion. Unfortunately, I think my love for YA could be part of the issue because I read a lot of really good YA. There are so many great YA stories that have made me feel, made me cry, gave me hope and a smile, so it’s impossible for me not to compare this book to other YA. And when I do, it’s good, and very well written in parts, but it just never grabbed me like other YA stories have. I never felt completely invested into the main characters and that’s a tough thing for me as a reader.
It’s hard to love a book when you enjoy the secondary character more than the main characters. Smith, Rory, Ace, Georgia, and Ash, were all really lovely and well done secondary characters. They were so well done that they ended up being more likeable than Chloe and even Shara. Chloe was not a poorly written character, but I didn’t think she was the right fit to star in this particular book. I kept waiting for her moment, for growth, or something that would cement Chloe into my heart and mind, but it never happened. There was one point, I think it was passed the half way mark, that I didn’t like where the story with Chloe was going and it actually put a bad feeling into my stomach that made me want to stop reading. I did get passed that point, but it wasn’t a smooth road. The problem with Shara was that it was made out that she was this morally grey character, this bad girl that you still could not help but like. All of that I’m so here for, all of that sounds great too me. Instead, McQuiston started making excuses and reasons why Shara really isn’t bad and that was completely disappointing. We can have a story about two people, who are not always nice and perfect, falling in love. I was here for that story so it was disappointing to see McQuiston try to make Shara into a mostly good but really just misunderstood character instead.
Let me jump back to some of the good because this is still a McQuiston book so there was a lot of good besides the well done secondary characters. I thought parts of the mystery where well done. It kept my attention and I wanted to know what was going on! I did think the mystery end was a little anti-climactic, but I loved what Chloe did when she solved it. I have to be vague here but Chloe was pretty upset and frustrated so she had a little badass moment that I thought was good book fun. I also thought McQuiston wove in the aspects of religion in a small southern town and how it could help, but also negatively affect people. I think we all know that religion is not an easy subject to touch on in a book and I thought McQuiston did very well.
There were quite a few scenes you have to suspend disbelief to get through, and I also wondered why the parents were not stepping in. The parents were a little too absent to be believable, although Chloe’s Moms were well written in the small parts they had. There were also a few times I had trouble even picturing what was going on like the whole margarita thing. I could not understand what that was supposed to look like at all and how it was supposed to be fun. But for every part that confused me, there were parts like Chloe and Shara rolling around the ground over the letter that was really emotionally charged and just felt so McQuiston to me.
TLDR: This book was as up and down as a rollercoaster ride. There were parts that were just so well done, that I really could appreciate, other times I was scratching my head. I’m not going to say that McQuiston isn’t a perfect YA match, it’s just that there is a lot of amazing competition in this space so I don’t think this book shined like I expected it too. I would still recommend this to McQuiston and YA fans as this was a solid and good read. In my opinion this is not on the same level of One Last Stop, but it still was enjoyable.
A copy was given to me for a review.
May 8, 2022
i like mutual obsession and schemes and when girls are mean to each other in a gay way so this was a win, personally
July 31, 2022
I was a little trepidatious going into this one because while I have really loved both of Casey's adult books, I haven't really been vibing with YA quite as much as I once did. However I am so happy to report that I thought this was a mess in the best, most authentically teenage way and a lot of fun! With that being said, it wasn't perfect for me (I did end up kind of struggling with the John Green™-ness of the plot), but I just *know* that my baby gay teenage self would have made loving this book my entire personality lmao. While this wasn't my absolute favorite of Casey's books, I am eternally grateful to it for pulling me out of a months long reading slump and I am so!!! excited to read anything and everything that they put out next!!
CW: religious trauma, homophobia, cheating
CW: religious trauma, homophobia, cheating
June 24, 2023
Reread tej historii przypomniał mi jak zabawna, inteligentno-sarkastyczna, queerowa i wzruszająca jest Twórczość CM. Jestem dumna z bycia patronką tej książki.
March 20, 2023
4 Fruity Stars!
My Brief Summary:
In a small town in Alabama sits Willowgrove Christian Academy. In attendance are two rivals for valedictorian, Chloe Green and the school’s ‘it’ girl, the prom queen and not to mention the principal's daughter, Shara Wheeler. A couple weeks prior to the revelation of valedictorian and graduation, Shara Wheeler disappears. However, she didn’t go without kissing Chloe, her neighbor Rory, and boyfriend Smith. Chloe and the gang must hunt down all the clues Shara left behind to her location. While on the journey to uncover the mystery, Chloe learns a lot more about her classmates, herself, and Shara along the way.
Thoughts:
I’ll be honest and say I was hesitant about this read after One Last Stop. I had hope though because I really enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue. This story did not let me down! Enough to even rival RW&RB due to the storytelling, plot and pace of the book.
THE REPRESENTATION IS SOOOO WELL DONE! I am amazed and thoroughly surprised. Kudos to Casey!
In the beginning I struggled to like Chloe and definitely Shara, but when the story wrapped up, you get to see the growth of these kids and a beautiful story of young love. Our side characters really carried this book! The friendships kept and made were everything! I adored Georgia, Rory and Smith. Smith being the biggest shock to me as I thought he was a jock or himbo at most, and he slowly moved his way into being one of my favorites on his road to discovery.
There is a lot of relatability in this book, but I do have to say the pop culture references will date this book pretty quickly in the next couple years.
Overall a lovely read and I cannot wait to read whatever else CMQ puts out!
Sidenote: I am so grateful to Halo for making this read even more worth it! Our discussions meant everything to me! 💗
Would I recommend this and to who:
Yes - to those in the mood for a wholesome YA about kids discovering who they are. Also for wild sapphic banter!!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Ebook & Audiobook
How did I discover this:
I’ve read other Casey McQuiston books, and heard this was a favorite of many.
Pace:
Fast/Medium
Cover thoughts:
Cute!!
POV:
Multi
Quotes:
“She feels like spine of a book about to crack and spill out all the love story guts.”
"Call me old fashioned, but a man's place is in the basement preparing vocal exercises for his more talented wife!"
“Chloe, we're gay. We can’t do math.”
“What I want is... I want to fall in love. I want to have a big, dramatic, ridiculous love story, like a period piece, and my love interest is played by Saoirse Ronan and I get to wear a fancy corset. I want to write books about the way that feels. And I don't know if I'll ever have any of that here, but I know what I'll lose if I leave.”
“I’d jump on a gay grenade for you everyday of my life.”
Triggers:
Homophobia, Religious Bigotry, Sexism, Swearing, Classism, Racism, Infidelity, Toxic Relationships, etc.
My Brief Summary:
In a small town in Alabama sits Willowgrove Christian Academy. In attendance are two rivals for valedictorian, Chloe Green and the school’s ‘it’ girl, the prom queen and not to mention the principal's daughter, Shara Wheeler. A couple weeks prior to the revelation of valedictorian and graduation, Shara Wheeler disappears. However, she didn’t go without kissing Chloe, her neighbor Rory, and boyfriend Smith. Chloe and the gang must hunt down all the clues Shara left behind to her location. While on the journey to uncover the mystery, Chloe learns a lot more about her classmates, herself, and Shara along the way.
Thoughts:
I’ll be honest and say I was hesitant about this read after One Last Stop. I had hope though because I really enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue. This story did not let me down! Enough to even rival RW&RB due to the storytelling, plot and pace of the book.
THE REPRESENTATION IS SOOOO WELL DONE! I am amazed and thoroughly surprised. Kudos to Casey!
In the beginning I struggled to like Chloe and definitely Shara, but when the story wrapped up, you get to see the growth of these kids and a beautiful story of young love. Our side characters really carried this book! The friendships kept and made were everything! I adored Georgia, Rory and Smith. Smith being the biggest shock to me as I thought he was a jock or himbo at most, and he slowly moved his way into being one of my favorites on his road to discovery.
There is a lot of relatability in this book, but I do have to say the pop culture references will date this book pretty quickly in the next couple years.
Overall a lovely read and I cannot wait to read whatever else CMQ puts out!
Sidenote: I am so grateful to Halo for making this read even more worth it! Our discussions meant everything to me! 💗
Would I recommend this and to who:
Yes - to those in the mood for a wholesome YA about kids discovering who they are. Also for wild sapphic banter!!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Ebook & Audiobook
How did I discover this:
I’ve read other Casey McQuiston books, and heard this was a favorite of many.
Pace:
Fast/Medium
Cover thoughts:
Cute!!
POV:
Multi
Quotes:
“She feels like spine of a book about to crack and spill out all the love story guts.”
"Call me old fashioned, but a man's place is in the basement preparing vocal exercises for his more talented wife!"
“Chloe, we're gay. We can’t do math.”
“What I want is... I want to fall in love. I want to have a big, dramatic, ridiculous love story, like a period piece, and my love interest is played by Saoirse Ronan and I get to wear a fancy corset. I want to write books about the way that feels. And I don't know if I'll ever have any of that here, but I know what I'll lose if I leave.”
“I’d jump on a gay grenade for you everyday of my life.”
Triggers:
Homophobia, Religious Bigotry, Sexism, Swearing, Classism, Racism, Infidelity, Toxic Relationships, etc.
July 2, 2023
june 2023 reread
: it feels weird to officially mark an iksw reread because because i'm constantly rereading this book.
most days i have iksw already flipped open for comfort, for when i need to see every part of me reflected back, when i miss home, when i need to taste lime and see light on water.
some days i flip to chloe, an Annoying Girl striving to be the best with boba in hand. we’re both unapologetic monsterfuckers with a bit of a big head. two girls who could use a reminder that just because we carry so much so well, doesn’t mean it’s not heavy.
other days i see shara, quite literally in the mirror ever since i went blonde for her. and then coincidentally later pink. i see the poster child held up to unattainably high standards, who has trauma as a result of that. we’re both very Extra and Dramatic. we learn to put our foot down and to stand up.
i flip to georgia, someone who stays behind to make change. because she can take it. because i can take it. to see bravery in a different way.
and earlier this year i planted a crepe myrtle blossom tree in my backyard. i did it for smith, for the identity that i’m still navigating. i flip to smith to feel endless, like holy spirit endless.
in iksw i see younger me—a queer kid in catholic school. i remember forging best friends turned family, existing quietly and keeping each other safe. people who gave me the space to be whoever i needed to be, even if i didn’t know who that was.
i remember the summer sun and sweet tea and long drives scream singing out the window and ditching class for boba and existing in a place that often felt like it didn’t want me, want us. a reminder that i survived it. i made it to the other side.
how wonderful it is that every single day i get to come home to this story, to be reminded that my existence is real and beautiful and something that should be celebrated. a reminder that i’m not alone and i deserve to exist, always and everywhere.
___
may 2022 reread : its kind of funny how i've written a whole ass review for iksw and yet i don't think it even comes close to encompassing how much i found my heart in this book
___
hey siri how do i tattoo this entire book behind my eyelids so i can read it every time i close my eyes !!
✼ thank you to st martins international for sending me an arc of iksw (screams) in exchange for an honest review
i’ve built a home in casey mcquiston’s words.
i built a home in red white & royal blue. meeting alex claremont-diaz made me feel seen like never before; prince henry’s quiet bravery made me feel comfortable in my own skin. i found a family so dear to my heart here with many who cherish rwrb just like i do.
i built a home in one last stop. a love letter to belonging & celebration of the queer community that we surround ourselves with, and those before and after us.
and now: reading i kissed shara wheeler felt like coming home. a home i’ve never been to before, but immediately felt safe, loved, like there was space for me to exist. home to ya, where despite growing up will always be a home. home to a beautiful voice that i recognise and love - casey’s voice. what a wonderful voice to know.
chloe green has spent four years in willowgrove christian academy competing for valedictorian with the perfect prom queen - shara wheeler. when shara vanishes after prom, together with smith (shara’s boyfriend) & rory (shara’s neighbor), chloe follows the clues shara has left for them, determined to find out what happened to the girl she has always said she hated. and what do they have in common? they have all kissed shara wheeler.
in a span one novel, casey has crafted a perfect cast of characters, all of whom i fell in love with & saw a home in. i saw myself in chloe, in shara, in georgia, in rory. and somewhat surprisingly but most importantly, i saw myself in the jock - in smith. how i fell in love with the quarterback, not in the way that i thought i would, but in the way i so desperately needed. and it filled me with such joy and light.
this is exactly why ya will forever be special - i find my own heart in it.
i kissed shara wheeler is a love story.
a love story to the queerness in yourself, how it is real and will always exist regardless of whether you can show it or not. its about the home you make with your queer friend group, how you /see/ each other daily, even in places that refuse to see you. it’s about being proud together, but safely and quietly, protecting each other, and knowing there is a space in the world for you to exist and belong.
a love story to our youth, the friends we make along the way, the friends who have become family. some will leave, some will remain, but everyone has impacted you in one way or another, moulded you into the person you are today. and the good memories, you carry with you forever.
this story takes place in a christian high school, so there’s homophobia and religious trauma but it’s important to this story, exists and is told for a reason. but hey, this is casey’s voice, so you know that you are in good and safe hands. you know you can trust casey with your heart.
as someone who came from a catholic high school, i somehow still look back at it with fond memories. and honestly? it’s the friends, the teachers who turn out to be allies, and how we all kept each other safe, kept each other true. it’s those memories i take from high school.
it’s the car rides with friends as you scream along to songs on the radio, hiding out under the bleachers to escape gym class, passing notes, the silent conversations across the classroom with your best friend because the teacher split you up for never shutting up.
high school showed me that the world is big and life can be scary, but there will always be a safe bubble for you. and if you stick around, the place in which you belong awaits you.
and all that joy and hope for the future? the infinite possibilities that await you? that is i kissed shara wheeler.
content warnings: homophobia, religious homophobia, religious trauma, discussions of racism and misogyny, mentions of past off-page outing of an adult supporting character, threatened outing of supporting character (avoided), underage drinking
most days i have iksw already flipped open for comfort, for when i need to see every part of me reflected back, when i miss home, when i need to taste lime and see light on water.
some days i flip to chloe, an Annoying Girl striving to be the best with boba in hand. we’re both unapologetic monsterfuckers with a bit of a big head. two girls who could use a reminder that just because we carry so much so well, doesn’t mean it’s not heavy.
other days i see shara, quite literally in the mirror ever since i went blonde for her. and then coincidentally later pink. i see the poster child held up to unattainably high standards, who has trauma as a result of that. we’re both very Extra and Dramatic. we learn to put our foot down and to stand up.
i flip to georgia, someone who stays behind to make change. because she can take it. because i can take it. to see bravery in a different way.
and earlier this year i planted a crepe myrtle blossom tree in my backyard. i did it for smith, for the identity that i’m still navigating. i flip to smith to feel endless, like holy spirit endless.
in iksw i see younger me—a queer kid in catholic school. i remember forging best friends turned family, existing quietly and keeping each other safe. people who gave me the space to be whoever i needed to be, even if i didn’t know who that was.
i remember the summer sun and sweet tea and long drives scream singing out the window and ditching class for boba and existing in a place that often felt like it didn’t want me, want us. a reminder that i survived it. i made it to the other side.
how wonderful it is that every single day i get to come home to this story, to be reminded that my existence is real and beautiful and something that should be celebrated. a reminder that i’m not alone and i deserve to exist, always and everywhere.
___
may 2022 reread : its kind of funny how i've written a whole ass review for iksw and yet i don't think it even comes close to encompassing how much i found my heart in this book
___
hey siri how do i tattoo this entire book behind my eyelids so i can read it every time i close my eyes !!
✼ thank you to st martins international for sending me an arc of iksw (screams) in exchange for an honest review
i’ve built a home in casey mcquiston’s words.
i built a home in red white & royal blue. meeting alex claremont-diaz made me feel seen like never before; prince henry’s quiet bravery made me feel comfortable in my own skin. i found a family so dear to my heart here with many who cherish rwrb just like i do.
i built a home in one last stop. a love letter to belonging & celebration of the queer community that we surround ourselves with, and those before and after us.
and now: reading i kissed shara wheeler felt like coming home. a home i’ve never been to before, but immediately felt safe, loved, like there was space for me to exist. home to ya, where despite growing up will always be a home. home to a beautiful voice that i recognise and love - casey’s voice. what a wonderful voice to know.
chloe green has spent four years in willowgrove christian academy competing for valedictorian with the perfect prom queen - shara wheeler. when shara vanishes after prom, together with smith (shara’s boyfriend) & rory (shara’s neighbor), chloe follows the clues shara has left for them, determined to find out what happened to the girl she has always said she hated. and what do they have in common? they have all kissed shara wheeler.
in a span one novel, casey has crafted a perfect cast of characters, all of whom i fell in love with & saw a home in. i saw myself in chloe, in shara, in georgia, in rory. and somewhat surprisingly but most importantly, i saw myself in the jock - in smith. how i fell in love with the quarterback, not in the way that i thought i would, but in the way i so desperately needed. and it filled me with such joy and light.
this is exactly why ya will forever be special - i find my own heart in it.
i kissed shara wheeler is a love story.
a love story to the queerness in yourself, how it is real and will always exist regardless of whether you can show it or not. its about the home you make with your queer friend group, how you /see/ each other daily, even in places that refuse to see you. it’s about being proud together, but safely and quietly, protecting each other, and knowing there is a space in the world for you to exist and belong.
a love story to our youth, the friends we make along the way, the friends who have become family. some will leave, some will remain, but everyone has impacted you in one way or another, moulded you into the person you are today. and the good memories, you carry with you forever.
this story takes place in a christian high school, so there’s homophobia and religious trauma but it’s important to this story, exists and is told for a reason. but hey, this is casey’s voice, so you know that you are in good and safe hands. you know you can trust casey with your heart.
as someone who came from a catholic high school, i somehow still look back at it with fond memories. and honestly? it’s the friends, the teachers who turn out to be allies, and how we all kept each other safe, kept each other true. it’s those memories i take from high school.
it’s the car rides with friends as you scream along to songs on the radio, hiding out under the bleachers to escape gym class, passing notes, the silent conversations across the classroom with your best friend because the teacher split you up for never shutting up.
high school showed me that the world is big and life can be scary, but there will always be a safe bubble for you. and if you stick around, the place in which you belong awaits you.
and all that joy and hope for the future? the infinite possibilities that await you? that is i kissed shara wheeler.
content warnings: homophobia, religious homophobia, religious trauma, discussions of racism and misogyny, mentions of past off-page outing of an adult supporting character, threatened outing of supporting character (avoided), underage drinking
December 24, 2021
3.5 STARS
Oh, it pains me to have to write this review for an author I love. I just want to preface it by saying that I am not the biggest fan of young adult mysteries or contemporaries, so that could very well be a reason why I wasn't the biggest fan of 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. However, I feel obligated to write a review with my honest opinions.
If I were to describe this book with one word, it would be surface-level (or is that 2 words?). Everything in this book just felt very superficial and not well developed. The characters seemed to only receive a little bit of development every couple of chapters, and none of it was compelling enough for me to really connect with them. The setting was a very key factor in the book, yet it did not feel like it was given enough attention. Normally, this wouldn't be such a huge issue, but this book largely played off the setting and how it related to characters and their motives. Now, I could have been able to ignore this if I enjoyed the plot, but even then, I only found myself enjoying it 60% of the time. I was hooked for the first 60% of the book, but after it just felt like a chore to pick it up. I found myself not caring about the characters or even how the book ended. I usually fly through McQuiston's books, so this was definitely surprising. By the last couple of chapters, I was just ready to be done with this book. This is a petty thing, but the pop culture references became too much. When McQuiston writes books with millenial main characters, it doesn't bother me as much, but it was just impossible to read when the characters were all teenagers.
However, despite all this, there were a couple of things that I really enjoyed. Smith was by far one of my favorite characters. I also really enjoyed many dynamics between characters in this book (though I won't mention them as it can be a tad spoiler-y). I liked the premise behind the book, even if it felt done before, and the first half of the book absolutely gripped me.
With all this being said, I would still recommend checking this book out when it comes out. It may not have been my favorite, but everyone has different opinions :)
Thank you to Wednesday Books and St. Martin's for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, it pains me to have to write this review for an author I love. I just want to preface it by saying that I am not the biggest fan of young adult mysteries or contemporaries, so that could very well be a reason why I wasn't the biggest fan of 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. However, I feel obligated to write a review with my honest opinions.
If I were to describe this book with one word, it would be surface-level (or is that 2 words?). Everything in this book just felt very superficial and not well developed. The characters seemed to only receive a little bit of development every couple of chapters, and none of it was compelling enough for me to really connect with them. The setting was a very key factor in the book, yet it did not feel like it was given enough attention. Normally, this wouldn't be such a huge issue, but this book largely played off the setting and how it related to characters and their motives. Now, I could have been able to ignore this if I enjoyed the plot, but even then, I only found myself enjoying it 60% of the time. I was hooked for the first 60% of the book, but after it just felt like a chore to pick it up. I found myself not caring about the characters or even how the book ended. I usually fly through McQuiston's books, so this was definitely surprising. By the last couple of chapters, I was just ready to be done with this book. This is a petty thing, but the pop culture references became too much. When McQuiston writes books with millenial main characters, it doesn't bother me as much, but it was just impossible to read when the characters were all teenagers.
However, despite all this, there were a couple of things that I really enjoyed. Smith was by far one of my favorite characters. I also really enjoyed many dynamics between characters in this book (though I won't mention them as it can be a tad spoiler-y). I liked the premise behind the book, even if it felt done before, and the first half of the book absolutely gripped me.
With all this being said, I would still recommend checking this book out when it comes out. It may not have been my favorite, but everyone has different opinions :)
Thank you to Wednesday Books and St. Martin's for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 5, 2022
4,5
Mało kto potrafi mnie zatrzymać przy lekturze tak, że pożeram książkę na jedno posiedzenie.
Mało kto potrafi mnie zatrzymać przy lekturze tak, że pożeram książkę na jedno posiedzenie.
July 2, 2023
read 2: may 4, 2022 // as i read this again, i wondered if i misremembered it. i wasn’t feeling the things i remembered feeling when i read it last year—at least not as heavily. but as i got to the final act of the book? fuck. there it was. and it really was there the whole time. i’m so so glad this book exists.
read 1: december 7, 2021 // from now on there is only my life after reading this book
➳ thank you so much to wednesday books for sending me an earc of my most anticipated book of 2022 in exchange for an honest review !!
chloe green has spent the last four years of high school at willowgrove christian academy, dodging talk about her open queerness and her two moms. it'll all be worth it when she gets named valedictorian. the only one standing in her way is shara wheeler: the perfect, popular, prom queen. but when shara disappears after prom, chloe finds herself following clues left behind with shara's boyfriend, smith, and shara's neighbor, rory. all of whom kissed shara wheeler before she disappeared.
i need to begin this review by talking about casey mcquiston's two previous books.
i see red, white & royal blue as an homage to queer figures in history; in how we look for them, how we hold onto them. how we have always been here, even when we weren't allowed to be, and how as we go into the future that can change. history can change.
i see one last stop as an homage to queer communities. groups of friends living in too-small apartments, making home in queer bars and 24 hour diners. about fighting for those around you, and crafting a family in the truest way you can.
and i kissed shara wheeler? it's finding the queerness in yourself, and forging a home with those around you. but quietly, as safely as you can. it's about being young and queer and afraid. but it's also about young queer joy. about realizing you're not alone, realizing it's that it's okay to question even if you think you know who you are, and finding that space where you can just be whoever that is.
i kissed shara wheeler lives up to its predecessors. it's queer ya in the way only casey mcquiston can write queer ya. casey's voice carries into this new target audience flawlessly, but every bit of love and care for the queer community that their previous books do.
i've spent the back half of this year thinking about my relationship with queer contemporary ya. i claim it's my favorite sub-genre, but i find that a lot of my favorite books now tend to be adult books. maybe this is because ya is just so easy to digest, it becomes a little too palatable. i don't think anything i read is forgettable, but lately some of the ya books i read don't stick the same way.
i kissed shara wheeler is. everything i love about queer ya. it reminded me that this sub-genre is more than just easy reads. that there's ya that can really hit. but it can do this and still be fun, still make you laugh, still be easy to read.
i kissed shara wheeler does take place in a christian high school in alabama, and that setting is integral to the story that is told. the characters are all effected by this, in how they come out and how they don't, both to the world and to themselves. there is religious trauma and homophobia in this book, which casey addresses in the book's author's note.
i've talked about my own experience as a young queer person–figuring it out in high school, but waiting until college to be out. i went to a private catholic school for most of my life, was raised in a religious family. i didn't live in the south, but so much of this book felt familiar. it struck me in a way that i didn't expect.
it also just made me feel so nostalgic. for being backstage of a high school musical, for meeting up with your friends before school starts, even for striving for the perfect grades in each of my classes. i don't often think about high school with fondness, but this book reminded me that there are happy memories there too.
i felt so much love for being young and queer in this book that it moved me to tears multiple times as i read. to read about these teens, i wanted to hold them. from the other side, i wanted to tell them that there is a place for them. they just have to find it. they might have already.
above it all, i know this book is going to be so important for young readers. for the queer teens in the south, to see themselves and know that they can have a happy ending too.
content warnings: religious homophobia, including internalized homophobia, institutional homophobia, and homophobic comments
read 1: december 7, 2021 // from now on there is only my life after reading this book
➳ thank you so much to wednesday books for sending me an earc of my most anticipated book of 2022 in exchange for an honest review !!
chloe green has spent the last four years of high school at willowgrove christian academy, dodging talk about her open queerness and her two moms. it'll all be worth it when she gets named valedictorian. the only one standing in her way is shara wheeler: the perfect, popular, prom queen. but when shara disappears after prom, chloe finds herself following clues left behind with shara's boyfriend, smith, and shara's neighbor, rory. all of whom kissed shara wheeler before she disappeared.
i need to begin this review by talking about casey mcquiston's two previous books.
i see red, white & royal blue as an homage to queer figures in history; in how we look for them, how we hold onto them. how we have always been here, even when we weren't allowed to be, and how as we go into the future that can change. history can change.
i see one last stop as an homage to queer communities. groups of friends living in too-small apartments, making home in queer bars and 24 hour diners. about fighting for those around you, and crafting a family in the truest way you can.
and i kissed shara wheeler? it's finding the queerness in yourself, and forging a home with those around you. but quietly, as safely as you can. it's about being young and queer and afraid. but it's also about young queer joy. about realizing you're not alone, realizing it's that it's okay to question even if you think you know who you are, and finding that space where you can just be whoever that is.
i kissed shara wheeler lives up to its predecessors. it's queer ya in the way only casey mcquiston can write queer ya. casey's voice carries into this new target audience flawlessly, but every bit of love and care for the queer community that their previous books do.
i've spent the back half of this year thinking about my relationship with queer contemporary ya. i claim it's my favorite sub-genre, but i find that a lot of my favorite books now tend to be adult books. maybe this is because ya is just so easy to digest, it becomes a little too palatable. i don't think anything i read is forgettable, but lately some of the ya books i read don't stick the same way.
i kissed shara wheeler is. everything i love about queer ya. it reminded me that this sub-genre is more than just easy reads. that there's ya that can really hit. but it can do this and still be fun, still make you laugh, still be easy to read.
i kissed shara wheeler does take place in a christian high school in alabama, and that setting is integral to the story that is told. the characters are all effected by this, in how they come out and how they don't, both to the world and to themselves. there is religious trauma and homophobia in this book, which casey addresses in the book's author's note.
i've talked about my own experience as a young queer person–figuring it out in high school, but waiting until college to be out. i went to a private catholic school for most of my life, was raised in a religious family. i didn't live in the south, but so much of this book felt familiar. it struck me in a way that i didn't expect.
it also just made me feel so nostalgic. for being backstage of a high school musical, for meeting up with your friends before school starts, even for striving for the perfect grades in each of my classes. i don't often think about high school with fondness, but this book reminded me that there are happy memories there too.
i felt so much love for being young and queer in this book that it moved me to tears multiple times as i read. to read about these teens, i wanted to hold them. from the other side, i wanted to tell them that there is a place for them. they just have to find it. they might have already.
above it all, i know this book is going to be so important for young readers. for the queer teens in the south, to see themselves and know that they can have a happy ending too.
content warnings: religious homophobia, including internalized homophobia, institutional homophobia, and homophobic comments
March 1, 2025
i kissed shara wheeler tries to do too much in too few pages. or rather, it fails to fulfill its primary aim by getting lost in its side characters and secondary plotlines.
this book claims to be a romance, and it is, sort of. if you can get past the fact that they don’t have any face to face interaction for… the first 60% of the novel. a bold choice, and one that, as much as i hate to say it, the narrative ultimately suffers from.
we spend so much time in chloe’s head and we know she’s obsessed with shara, given how much chloe thinks about her. but this is all being relayed to us—everything we know about chloe’s relationship with shara is merely treated as background information. we aren’t privy to the nuances of their dynamic early on, and that makes it difficult to root for them later in the book. why do they like each other? if i’m asking myself this while reading a supposed romance novel, you know something’s wrong. the bonus chapter in shara’s pov gave us some much needed insight into her character (and it was only about 10 pages give or take), and i think we (and shara) would have really benefited from a few more scenes written in her perspective. mcquiston could have used some of the time spent on extraneous details to instead flesh out shara’s character and give more depth to her feelings for chloe.
though the romance was underwhelming, i loved chloe as our protagonist. i get the chloe green hate, i do. as rory says at the very beginning of the novel, she can be exhausting. and she is. being in her pov for 350 pages is no joke. but she is everything to me <3 though she is confident and strong willed and unapologetically herself, she too grapples with the weight of willowgrove’s expectations, suffocates as they paint over her truths with
more digestible lies. her experiences in this town feel so raw, so heartbreaking, that it’s hard to want anything but the best for her.
i absolutely adore the way mcquiston writes about queerness and identity and self discovery. they are awfully attached to saccharine sweet love stories and wonderfully sappy endings and have a tendency to infuse in their books a kind of simplicity that isn’t often found in the real world (and, as a result, requires a certain suspension of disbelief from the reader), but such stories are food for the soul, a spiritual nourishment you don’t find all that often. and that is precisely what makes them a joy to read.
this book claims to be a romance, and it is, sort of. if you can get past the fact that they don’t have any face to face interaction for… the first 60% of the novel. a bold choice, and one that, as much as i hate to say it, the narrative ultimately suffers from.
we spend so much time in chloe’s head and we know she’s obsessed with shara, given how much chloe thinks about her. but this is all being relayed to us—everything we know about chloe’s relationship with shara is merely treated as background information. we aren’t privy to the nuances of their dynamic early on, and that makes it difficult to root for them later in the book. why do they like each other? if i’m asking myself this while reading a supposed romance novel, you know something’s wrong. the bonus chapter in shara’s pov gave us some much needed insight into her character (and it was only about 10 pages give or take), and i think we (and shara) would have really benefited from a few more scenes written in her perspective. mcquiston could have used some of the time spent on extraneous details to instead flesh out shara’s character and give more depth to her feelings for chloe.
though the romance was underwhelming, i loved chloe as our protagonist. i get the chloe green hate, i do. as rory says at the very beginning of the novel, she can be exhausting. and she is. being in her pov for 350 pages is no joke. but she is everything to me <3 though she is confident and strong willed and unapologetically herself, she too grapples with the weight of willowgrove’s expectations, suffocates as they paint over her truths with
more digestible lies. her experiences in this town feel so raw, so heartbreaking, that it’s hard to want anything but the best for her.
i absolutely adore the way mcquiston writes about queerness and identity and self discovery. they are awfully attached to saccharine sweet love stories and wonderfully sappy endings and have a tendency to infuse in their books a kind of simplicity that isn’t often found in the real world (and, as a result, requires a certain suspension of disbelief from the reader), but such stories are food for the soul, a spiritual nourishment you don’t find all that often. and that is precisely what makes them a joy to read.
November 13, 2022
paper towns for gay people
July 12, 2023
shara wheeler was really in her gone girl amy elliot cool girl, margo from paper towns john green era
4.5 stars - definitely my favourite mcquiston novel so far!
i kissed shara wheeler was such a good ya read! the setting - the end of high school in a small town, is a fav of mine for ya especially, and it was so so witty too! i loved all of the characters and how each character's story wrapped up in the end as well. my only issue that kept it from being a 5 star read was the last 100 pages dragged a little for me compared to the first 200. i wasn't like fully satisfied with how the end played out - not sure what i was expecting but just needed a little more something something hahaha
this really feels like the simon vs the homo sapiens agenda for people in middle/high school right now though, i think people who love that book would love this one as well!
4.5 stars - definitely my favourite mcquiston novel so far!
i kissed shara wheeler was such a good ya read! the setting - the end of high school in a small town, is a fav of mine for ya especially, and it was so so witty too! i loved all of the characters and how each character's story wrapped up in the end as well. my only issue that kept it from being a 5 star read was the last 100 pages dragged a little for me compared to the first 200. i wasn't like fully satisfied with how the end played out - not sure what i was expecting but just needed a little more something something hahaha
this really feels like the simon vs the homo sapiens agenda for people in middle/high school right now though, i think people who love that book would love this one as well!
February 11, 2022
4.5*
Gracias a @Bookupmx por esta copia avanzada, fui y sigo siendo la más feliz! Pueden pre-ordenarlo ahí Y FIRMADO! ✨🌿💕
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PUDE LEER UNA COPIA AVANZADA DE CASEY MCQUINSTON!! *se muere*
Hoy les traigo el chisme de este libro. Nos cuenta la historia de Shara, que desaparece un mes antes de la graduación, pero antes de desaparecer besa a Chloe. Pronto descubrimos que no solo la besó a ella, si no también a su novio Smith y a Rory, su vecino. Shara les deja una serie de pistas para que la encuentren y así empieza esta historia. AHHHHH QUE JOYA!!! No saben lo feliz que estoy de haber leído este libro, fue una montaña rusa de emociones. Los personajes tienen mi edad, entonces me identificaba un montón y me estresaba porque yo pienso como ellos, pero me gusto bastante conocerlos. Son personajes muy bien construidos y que crecen un montón en la historia, SHARA WHEELER PUEDE PATEARME Y YO LE DARÍA LAS GRACIAS. La verdad es que Shara es un personaje complicado y difícil de entender/descifrar y eso hizo que la amara mucho. En realidad ame mucho la historia, a los personajes y obvio que no puede faltar, ame la representación. Casey McQuinston hizo una historia diferente, pero muy buena y eso hace que la ame un mucho más jijiji. Si quieren una opinión más completa (como de media hora) hice un Reading Vlog! Link en mi biografía e historias :)
Gracias a @Bookupmx por esta copia avanzada, fui y sigo siendo la más feliz! Pueden pre-ordenarlo ahí Y FIRMADO! ✨🌿💕
...
PUDE LEER UNA COPIA AVANZADA DE CASEY MCQUINSTON!! *se muere*
Hoy les traigo el chisme de este libro. Nos cuenta la historia de Shara, que desaparece un mes antes de la graduación, pero antes de desaparecer besa a Chloe. Pronto descubrimos que no solo la besó a ella, si no también a su novio Smith y a Rory, su vecino. Shara les deja una serie de pistas para que la encuentren y así empieza esta historia. AHHHHH QUE JOYA!!! No saben lo feliz que estoy de haber leído este libro, fue una montaña rusa de emociones. Los personajes tienen mi edad, entonces me identificaba un montón y me estresaba porque yo pienso como ellos, pero me gusto bastante conocerlos. Son personajes muy bien construidos y que crecen un montón en la historia, SHARA WHEELER PUEDE PATEARME Y YO LE DARÍA LAS GRACIAS. La verdad es que Shara es un personaje complicado y difícil de entender/descifrar y eso hizo que la amara mucho. En realidad ame mucho la historia, a los personajes y obvio que no puede faltar, ame la representación. Casey McQuinston hizo una historia diferente, pero muy buena y eso hace que la ame un mucho más jijiji. Si quieren una opinión más completa (como de media hora) hice un Reading Vlog! Link en mi biografía e historias :)
January 9, 2022
I’m officially giving up on this author. I’ve read all their books now and just don’t like any of them. I completely skimmed the last 10% because I just couldn’t do it anymore. The characters all sucked which is how I feel about all their books I don’t understand why people want to read about all these people who suck so immensely. I also didn’t buy any of these relationships. No one felt like they actually liked each other at all. I don’t know I’m sure this book will do well it just didn’t work for me at all. I actually did like the mystery that started in this book then abruptly ended at like 60% in. After that it was downhill for me.
May 7, 2022
REVIEW TO COME BUT I LOVED THIS BOOK A LOT <33
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I will not know peace until THIS book is in my hands
can 2022 come sooner please
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I will not know peace until THIS book is in my hands
can 2022 come sooner please
April 5, 2023
“I have done some of the best work of my life because of you. And I know you have done some of the best work of your life because of me. I don’t know a better way to explain what love means to two people like us.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
❗Contains some spoilers❗
It comes as no surprise whatsoever that I fell head over heels in love with this absolute masterpiece. Casey McQuiston has always had this power over me. She is amazing!! The plot, the characters, the romance, and the mind-boggling twists, were all incredibly well-written. I LOVED EVERYTHING. EEEEEVRYYYYYYTHIIIIING 😍😍😍 My favourite part of the entire book, though, was the irony that a deeply toxic Christian school was filled with adorable queer teens who teamed up and fought against discrimination. I laughed, I cried, I squealed in absolute delight. Every second of reading this book was magical. I just wish I had more time to enjoy it better. Alas, being a grown-up and having little to no time for yourself is part of life, or whatever. 🙄🙄
Chloe Green is such a mood. She is basically me minus the swagger and confidence (I have none of that 😅😅) Naturally, I loved her. She was such an amazing character to read about, so relatable, and real. She's quirky, sarcastic, and kind of a smartass but in a really really fun way. She perfectly encapsulated not only the fears, insecurities, and troubles of teenagers but also the discrimination and suppression of the LGBTQIA community, particularly in a place where young people are already under pressure to be perfect and acceptable in the eyes of others.
Shara Wheeler is a genius badass that I definitely wouldn't mind kissing either. She is beautiful, mysterious, deeply flawed, and has a shitty dad that I hate very very much. I'm glad he got what he deserved. Shara is as equally amazing as Chloe and relatable in her own way. Shara represents the pressure many teenagers experience trying to maintain the image of perfection and what hides behind a girl who seemingly has everything. I know that some of what Chloe and Shara represent (high school themes like the perfect prom queen, the outcast, etc.) aren't original in any way, hell half of them are addressed in The Breakfast Club but they are still important and still apply today.
It's pretty rare for me to love every single character in a book (aside from any intentionally unlikable assholes of course). Unsurprisingly, there isn't a single Casey McQuiston book that doesn't have a whole bunch of well-written, adorable, helplessly lovable characters. While Shara and Chloe's relationship was wholesome, hilarious, and the center of the story, it wasn't the only relationship that grabbed my attention. From Chloe and Georgia's friendship to Rory and Smith's reconciliation, and to literally all secondary ships in this book, they are just as amazing as the main one. I was so heavily invested in everyone and every relationship, there were none I didn't care about. I love when that happens. 😍😍😍
Have you read I Kissed Shara Wheeler? Have you read any other Casey McQuiston books?
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