Before I start, thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe kissed Shara Wheeler and then Shara left. It is the beginning of a mystery which ties together a group of people who are loosely connected due to being part of the Senior Class of Willowgrove Christian Academy. Oh and kissing Shara Wheeler.

It is a whodunnit?!? or a howdidshe?!?! or didtheyreally?!?! type of story peppered with Casey McQuiston's traditional wit and strong characters (fundamentally, the key thing I will always love about CMQ's writing is that I get the distinct vibe that she GETS her characters. She understands, before she starts a story, what makes them tick and therefore, you can follow the story to the end and want to know more, want to know where this is going to go... you are so suckered in). It also has a fascinating premise with a beautiful REASON for being written - to show those kids that live and attend a school like WCA that they are not alone and you will find your tribe. I'm a big believer in that message.

So why not 4 stars? It's two reasons that is a 1/2 star deduction each:
1) Despite loving a McQuiston character usually, I genuinely loathed Shara Wheeler. I think you are meant to because her motives are murky AF, but honestly, I just despised her.
2) The story felt like a story I've read before - Paper Towns by John Green. You probably know it - and whilst they are not carbon copies of each other, or anything like that, I did NOT like Paper Towns and sadly, the similarity harmed IKSW, rather than helped it.

Those two points aside, this is no means a bad story or poorly written. If you like a CMQ moment, you will enjoy this, I promise!

I think I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the kind of book I would have loved to have when I was 18 and figuring myself out, building up to finished high school and what the world had in store in the years ahead.

I also think that at 23 years old as someone who felt the effect of religion on my sexuality and my ability to come out when I was 17, it's quite freeing. Reading about these characters learning to live fearlessly and love themselves and each other gives me hope that kids won't be growing up with the oppression for much longer.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is well written, not just from the standpoint of a teenage narrator who thinks she already understands the world, but the formatting of this book pulls you in with the little hints of what is going on around the narrative in the burn pile interludes.

The characters of Chloe and Shara are well developed and relatable in many senses, Chloe talks about her artificial confidence and it reminds me a lot of people I have known and of myself.

The narrative of Shara's disappearance hooked me in and had me coming up with my own theories, reminiscent of Paper Towns by John Green, and when it changes into Shara and Chloe exploring their own feelings and eventually a relationship, I found myself flying through the chapters desperate for a hint of a happy ending

Thank you kindly to NetGalley for allowing me this Earc in exchange for an honest review.
This book was my everything. The writing is so well done and the whitty remarks from Chloe are so on point and relatable! She’s a brilliant female lead character who you watch go through her own struggles and realisations throughout this book and Shara is her perfect opponent. I loved everything about this book, the plot, the characters and the everything!!
The development of the characters and the realisations of not only their own sexuality but also the realisation that they don’t have to be labelled and just explore who they are at that moment. Beautifully written book with a great storyline, relatable characters and all you need.

Casey does it again!! Every book they write is just amazing!! Think this might be my favourite though. Thank you to Netgallet and the publishers!!

3.5 stars.

Chloe and her mum moved from California to Alabama four years ago. She has been attending Willowgrove Christian Academy where she hopes to be the valedictorian. The only person standing in her way is Shara Wheeler, who happens to be the principal's daughter.
One night close to graduations, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.
Whilst looking for answers, Chloe learns she was not the only one that Shara kissed that day. She also kissed her boyfriend and her next-door neighbor, This leads them on a hunt to find out what happened to Shara.
Chloe, Smith, and Rory form an alliance that finds that Shara has left cryptic notes behind. It's like a strange scavenger hunt trying to learn why Shara disappeared and where she might be.

This book had huge looking for Alaska vibes which i'll be honest wasn't my favourite read and maybe that influenced my view of this book. I loved the growing friendships between the three left behind and wish that more of the book had been focused on this. The wit really had me laughing out-loud and I didn't want to dive back into the Shara Wheeler drama (even though I know this is the point of the book).

I enjoyed this book but it definitely wasn't a huge favourite of mine, I did enjoy the way that they unapologetically talk about queerness which was refreshing to read in a YA novel,

A month before graduating from Willowgrove Christian Academy, the principal’s perfect daughter, prom queen Shara Wheeler, kisses Chloe Green and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s long-time sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad-boy neighbour with a crush. Thrown into an unlikely alliance, Chloe, Smith and Rory follow Shara’s trail of annoyingly cryptic clues, and Chloe starts to suspect that there might be more to this small town – and to Shara – than she thought.
Another one I could not put down and devoured in one sitting. I absolutely recommend this book. Be ready for an afternoon or evening of completely neglecting any chores as this one will have you hooked within the first chapter.

Chloe, Rory and Smith all kissed IT girl Shara Wheeler before she went missing at Prom. And now they are teaming up to follow a series of clues to find where she has gone.

I didn't like the protagonist Chloe, and I didn't like Shara Wheeler. I found them both frustratingly self centered and skimmed a fair chunk of their page time. However, every other character in this book was a gift and I absolutely adored them. This story isn't really about Shara Wheeler - or even Chloe - but it is a story about being yourself and finding acceptance even in unexpected places. A beautiful coming of age story!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Casey McQuiston has done it again!

I was a bit apprehensive about this one. I loved their previous adult novels but I feel in the recent year I’ve strayed away from contemporary YA but I knew I needed to read this since it’s Casey McQuiston!

Long story short, it didn’t disappoint! It’s what you’d expect from a contemporary YA, drama, high school, friends and love, but with that classic McQuiston twist. The humour, the relationships, the representation! I loved it.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of some of the characters at certain points, they definitely do some questionable stuff but I think that part of the charm is seeing them grow and change!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me a glimpse of this before its release. While it didn’t have quite the emotional pull of the other McQuiston books I’d read, it drew together nicely.
Our focus is Chloe Green who’s in competition with Shara Wheeler, the Principal’s daughter, for valedictorian. Both girls are fiercely competitive and they have, for the past four years, danced a strange dance of one-upmanship. When the book opens, rumours abound as Shara has disappeared.
Determined that she will not be given the top spot by default, Chloe vows to find Shara and get her back to school in time for graduation.
The main thrust of the book focused on this rather odd scavenger hunt orchestrated by Shara who has left cryptic notes for three people, all of whom kissed Shara before she left. As we only learn about Shara through the veil of someone else’s view, I found it hard to work out quite what kind of character we were looking at. I also found the setting of the book - a strong Christian homophobic setting - really off-putting. People were pigeon-holed and made to feel wholly uncomfortable, nobody seemed to do anything about it, and it appeared to have been this way since Chloe’s mum endured coming out years earlier.
While the days before Shana appeared were instrumental in helping to develop the characters, it was once everyone was back in their rightful place that I felt things started to fall into place for me as a reader. Chloe opened her eyes a little and started to look beyond herself. It had a relatively happy ending, even though there was clearly a long way to go!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think that Casey McQuiston is an incredibly talented author and Red, White and Royal Blue is by far one of my favourite new adult romance books. Although, I Kissed Shara Wheeler is by far my favourite of the three novels published by them so far.

There was a plot for this book but also absolutely nothing happened throughout. This felt like a rewrite of paper towns with more lgbt representation and it just didn't do it for me. I considered dnf'ing this book on multiple occasions as I just found myself so incredibly bored of this book, but persevered to leave an honest review of this book.

This book was honestly so disappointing to me, and quite frankly I don't think that Casey McQuiston is an author on my instant read list anymore as I've been disliking their books more and more as the new releases come out unfortunately.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Books and Macmillan, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review!

I kissed Shara Wheeler is one of my most anticipated reads in 2022 and I love everything Casey Mcquiston writes, so this book was so anticipated and I was over the moon when I got this chance!

TW; homomisia

Chloe Green is so close to win valedictorian, after moving from California with her moms in very conservative school in Alabama, at Willowgrove Christian Academy. Her only rival in winning valedictorian is the principal's daughter and prom queen: Shara Wheeler and when a month before graduation Shara kisses Chloe and disappear, Chloe is ready to do anything to get her back and win fair and square. While trying to getting answers, Chloe discovers Shara kissed two other people: her boyfriend Smith, the school quaterback and Rory, the bad boy neighbor with a crush for her. They have nothing in common but Shara's cryptic notes leading them from one place to another, revealing secrets, confessing things and dragging them in a chase around the city and Shara's and their places. Between clues, puzzles, break-ins and secrets revealed, Chloe starts to understand something more about the city she's living in and the people in her school, getting to know them better and to admit to herself maybe there's something more to all of them.

The story is told by Chloe's POV, with her chapters, Shara's notes and clues and bits and pieces from The burnt pile, piecing together other characters' feelings and thoughts.
Chloe is a fantastic and amazing main character, complex in her thoughts, feelings and actions, truly relatable and hilarious, smart and sarcastic.
After living in a complete different enviroment, with her family, surrounded by acceptance and queer love, living now in False Beach Chloe felt acutely different from everyone else and she reacted by provoking and becoming a problem on purpose with her act of rebellion, feeling angry and unwanted in the city.
She's a bit elitist and judgemental, confident, but hiding her pain and insecurities this way and Chloe feels like an outsider and having found her found family in Georgia, Ash and Benji, she stops trying to understand others and to let other people in.
In a brilliant and hilarious way, thanks to Shara's disappearance and with an unlikely alliance with Smith and Rory, Chloe Green embarks in a journey where she will learn to get over her prejudices, to see how people and places can be much more, getting to know and embrace people she never thought she would love, getting rid of her elitist thinking and discovering a bigger community around her.
Chloe's growth is a moving and intense journey throughout the whole book and I loved every single moment.

Thanks to Shara's disappearance, not only will Chloe understand and discover things about people and places, but also Smith and Rory will be able to recover their lost friendship and they will get over their misunderstandings, hurt feelings and disappointments. I kissed Shara Wheeler has a brilliant characterization and every single character, from the main one to the side ones are nuanced, complex and hugely relatable.
Smith and Rory with their insecurities, problems, passions, dreams and hopes, Georgia with her frustration, responsibilities and loves, Shara with her struggles and doubts...
Not only Chloe's personal journey is beautifully written, moving and intense, but Casey Mcquiston did, like always, an outstanding job in expressing the importance of all kind of love, romantic, familial, friendships and of finding one's place.
Even though Chloe is out and proud being herself, while many of her friends (if not all) are in the closet, she, too, is hurt by the administration, the hurtful gossips, the religion used to hurt queer people. While dealing with a puritanical place, homomisia and the struggles in being oneself in a place where everyone seems not to want you, Chloe and her friends fight to find their own community, expressing themselves through clothes, makeup, secret relationship and deep talking, music and theatre.

I loved so many moments in this book. The bond between Chloe and her friends, old and new, their banter and teasing, Taco Bell, conversations, memories, the slowing realization of being in love with someone, the rivalry between Chloe and Shara and, in the beginning, between Smith and Rory, Ace and his passion, I loved everything in I Kissed Shara Wheeler.
It was moving, hilarious, important and so skillfully and beautifully written!

Chloe Green is determined to make valedictorian: if she has to live in Alabama and attend a private Christian academy, at least she can be the very best at that academy. Her one rival is Shara Wheeler, local golden girl and the daughter of the school principal. But when Shara kisses Chloe and then disappears on prom night, all of Chloe’s carefully laid plans for the last months of school start to fall apart.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler gave me serious Looking For Alaska vibes (which, in fairness, is referenced by the characters) crossed with Georgia Peaches & Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown. This is a good thing btw. The exploration of being queer or gender questioning in small town southern America was done really well, and I was seriously rooting for almost all the characters. I guess if there’s a flaw, it’s that I couldn’t really take to either Chloe or Shara, but as part of the point is that they’re both kind of bitches I guess that’s to be expected. The secondary characters - especially Rory and Smith, and Chloe’s moms - more than make up for this though and there’s a pleasingly cinematic feel to the book.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I heard so many amazing things about Red, White and Royal Blue, as well as One Last Stop, so when I saw I Kissed Shara Wheeler on NetGalley, I thought that it would be definitely up my street. The YA + Paper Towns and Gone Girl mystery vibe + enemies to lovers’ trope = basically everything I love in a book.

The book follows Chloe Green, a girl from California who came to Alabama to study at Willowgrove Christian Academy and for four years had a fierce academic rivalry with Shara Wheeler. Shara Wheeler is not only smart but she is also the most popular girl in the Academy and the daughter of the Academy’s principal. Basically an ‘it girl’. With only a month left before graduation, Shara disappears and leaves multiple riddles and clues for Chloe, Rory and her boyfriend Smith and if they all make sense of those clues, they will find where Shara is. So, the search begins with an unusual friendship between Chloe, Rory and Smith…

Firstly, I think this book has amazing LGBTQIA+ representation and shines a light on very problematic and controversial issues which need to be talked about, such as religious views of the LGBTQIA+ community, discrimination and fear to come out and be true yourself due to schools’ policies and rules.
Secondly, the first half of the book where Shara disappeared and left all the little clues for Chloe, Rory and Smith were gripping, as no one knew what happened and why she did it…so the suspense was really there and building up. However, the second half of the book was a bit of a let-down, especially the anticlimactic reveal of Shara’s mysterious disappearance. As it is a partly mystery book, I expected it to grip me from the very beginning and keep me gripped all the way through, but that was not the case at all for the second half of this book.

Thirdly, some of the characters did catch my heart, such as Rory and Smith and Chloe’s mums. These characters for me felt very well defined and in the case of Rory and Smith they grew so much during the book and in the end figured out who they are as people outside the school setting and the labels that they had been given in the Academy. However, there were some characters that I wished were more developed or had more progression during the book, such as Georgia and Shara. I felt that I didn’t really get to know the real Shara, only how Choe and everyone else in school sees her. Maybe that’s why I wished this book had multiple POVs so I get more connected with characters like Shara.

Although I must admit that I couldn’t connect with Chloe’s character at the beginning of the book she seemed very selfish and angry about everything that might make her lose out on being a valedictorian or the best in school. Also, her unhealthy obsession with Shara did worry me a bit during most of the book…I don’t think it was love, it was definitely a toxic obsession, from the way she acted and the fact that she couldn’t let it go when Shara disappeared. Chloe’s character did grow during the book and in the end, I started finally to understand the real Chloe, who cares not only about her grades or academic abilities but also cares about her town and friends.

Overall: I had really high hopes for this book because its blurb just screamed Paper Towns and Gone Girl mystery to me but it didn’t fully live up to my expectation. Whilst, I definitely enjoyed the first half of the book, the second half did make me a bit bored at times, as it lost that suspense and mystery. I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation in this book and characters such as Rory and Smith had my heart from the very start. Although I couldn’t connect to Chloe’s character for most of the book, I wanted to know more about Shara’s character and see her true self, which I felt I haven’t in this book.

I do think it is a book that is worth reading, as although it is not my favourite book, it is still a great read with some very lovable characters and brilliant LGBTQIA+ representation, shining the light on very topical issues that need to be talked about more openly in our society.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for an eARC to read and review.

Now. Did I, in fact, freak the fuck out when I got the email that this had been approved on NetGalley? Absolutely I did. Never in my life did I imagine to get approved for one of *the most* anticipated books of the year, and YET HERE WE ARE. Anyway. Getting early access to I Kissed Shara Wheeler was both a blessing and a curse - a blessing because, obviously, I wanted to see if Casey McQuiston held up in hte YA world (which will alllll be revealed, have patience), but a curse because very day that passed in which I did not read it was a day I blamed myself for doing other things. How dare McQuiston’s novel not be my first and only priority? (I kid, I kid - but to be honest... Yeah. How dare it?) And then, finally, I had the time - and then, the book was read. I picked it up on a shift at work on a Friday and by Saturday night I had finished it. That is how engaging that book is. Now yes, I am a relatively fast reader, and I could definitely read a YA novel in under a day, but this was a case of I didn’t want to do anything but read that YA novel in under a day. I expected I Kissed Shara Wheeler to be Looking for Alaska but queer (and actually good). I expected it to be Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (which, if you know me, is one of my favourite books of all time, and I still stand by that wholeheartedly). What it was was entirely its own. No amount of comparison can explain what I Kissed Shara Wheeler is, no comparison could possibly do the complexities justice, nor could any other book possibly make me feel the emotions that McQuiston managed to make me feel. Now this may sound like high praise for a book - and it is - but it is not me saying that I Kissed Shara Wheeler is entirely unique or entirely new or groundbreaking - except it kind of is? In the same way that Simon vs clawed its way into my brain and lived there forever, I have no doubts in my mind that I will be returning to I Kissed Shara Wheeler as many times as I have to the other classics. That is to say, McQuiston made her YA debut exactly as engaging, as character-driven, as queer, and as lovely as their adult novels. That is to say, McQuiston has made the current literary world their bitch, and she’s not afraid to kick ass - and most certainly not afraid to rip your heart out and patch it back together with the array of lovable, wonderful characters that we have gotten so used to from Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop. High praise is not rare from this reviewer when it is earned, and McQuiston manages to earn it every single time.

42 days before graduation Shara Wheeler kisses Chloe Green and then disappears. Chloe is desperate to find Shara, not to kiss her again, but so that she can beat Shara out for valedictorian fair and square. However, in her quest to track Shara down, Chloe realises that she isn’t the only one Shara kissed before she fled. She also kissed Rory, the boy next door and Smith, a jock and Shara’s long-time boyfriend. This unlikely trio join forces to solve the cryptic clues that Shara has left for them hoping they will lead them to her.

What a great premise, right? Unfortunately, this just didn’t work for me. The mystery fell flat because Chloe, Rory and Smith had no difficulty in unpicking Shara’s clues and the reader doesn’t at any point fear for Shara’s wellbeing. As for the romance side of it, I didn’t like Chloe and Shara enough to root for them and couldn’t really understand why they liked each other. I did root for one of the other romances, (if you’ve read it, you’ll know which one) but we didn’t get to see enough of that. I also felt that there were way too many one-dimensional side characters to keep track of.

I have seen a lot of comparison between ‘I Kissed Shara Wheeler’ and ‘Paper Towns’ by John Green, but I haven’t read ‘Paper Towns’. I do however get the same vibes from this as I did from ‘You’ll Be the Death of Me’ and ‘One of Us Is Lying’ by McManus and ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ by Jay Asher, so if you liked those then this is worth a shot.

Despite not really liking this, I haven’t been put off picking up ‘Red, White and Royal Blue’, McQuiston’s most much-loved adult title, to see how it fares against this YA offering.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

i liked both of casey mcquiston's previous novels, found them charming reflections of millenial life, which is probably why i kissed shara wheeler didn't work for me. it's hard to write teenagers! whoda thunkie

This book was the same and somehow also different to what I was expecting? I don't know how to describe this feeling but I liked the book a lot! Casey McQuiston has definitely become an auto-buy author for me now!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I finished 𝘐 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳 a few days ago and I’m honestly so excited for everyone to read it. It’s such a different vibe from RWARB and One Last Stop, but @casey.mcquiston is still able to write an epic story and does YA in style. ⁣
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It took me a little bit to get into the story but I think that’s more my own fault. When RWARB is your favourite ever book, it’s a little hard to not compare CMQ’s new YA. However, once I reminded myself that there was no reason to even try to compare the two, I began to really enjoy it. ⁣
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I will preface this with; the main characters aren’t always likeable. Chloe can be rude and selfish, and Shara is extremely manipulative. But what makes me super happy is that it doesn’t take anything away from the story - it enhances it. We’ve all known people we don’t like or find “difficult” only to learn that they’re way more complicated than they seem. Casey shows is a whole ensemble of characters like that, with hidden depths and flaws. They make so many mistakes but it doesn’t mean they’re bad people, it just makes them human. ⁣
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I really, truly loved this by the end. The representative of gender identity and sexuality was outstanding and I loved the other extremely important topics that were touched upon (no spoilers, I promise). Casey McQuiston can write whatever genre comes to mind, I’m convinced. And I absolutely adore it. ⁣
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Star Rating: 5⭐️

This might quite possibly be the best queer ya novel, or indeed just the best queer novel, I’ve ever read. I was so excited to read this for a variety of reasons, and it did not disappoint. There were moments I had to stop reading because I was so shocked by a certain turn of events, and other moments that I had to stop and do a little happy dance because my heart felt so full of queer joy. I don’t even really know how to eloquently describe all the things that make this book so good except to say that it gave me everything I wanted from it and more: a queer teenage love story wrapped up in a mystery, some seriously well written enemies to lovers scenes that made me want to die in a good way, a feeling of queer community and sheer unbridled queer joy. If that’s not a 5 star review, I don’t know what is. 5/5, extremely gay, would recommend.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely love Casey McQuiston's work, red, white & royal blue and one last stop are some of my favourite books so I was so incredibly excited to find out I was given access to an arc of I kissed Shara Wheeler, and this book definitely did not disappoint! I absolutely adored all of the characters and the storyline, and I loved every second I spent reading this book. This book has everything you would expect from a Casey McQuiston book and a romcom, and so much more. I was worried about how Casey would handle writing a YA book as both of their previous novels were new adult, but it was perfect, and I had nothing to worry about. I cannot recommend this book enough, it's already a new favourite of mine, so I'm giving it 5/5 stars.