Casey does it again. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a perfect, unashamedly queer, uplifting scavenger hunt of a book. The plot and the romance itself is engaging; Chloe and Shara are by no means perfect – they're acerbic and self-centred, competitive and sometimes just downright mean. They're not nice girls, and I love that about them. They feel like real teenage girls coping with too many feelings in a world that wants to clamp down on them, in a stifling, conservative town. For me, the real stars of the show, the real heart of this book though were the side characters – Smith, Rory, Georgia and all their respective friend groups. I could easily read a full novel about each of them.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a love letter to queerness and especially to queer teens – it's alive and beautiful, bubbling and overflowing with love and hope. I raced through it. In reality, I'm probably a few years too old to be the target audience, but made me feel joy and love and sheer sheer pride. I adored it.

I love a good mystery and this one really delivered. We start off not long after Shara Wheeler has gone missing and were left to discover along with our cast of characters where she is, what she's doing, and why has she disappeared? The mystery really kept me hooked in this book, it was like a scavenger hunt and I loved following it along with the characters and also felt that the ending was really satisfying

Okay, first things first. I never expected I would be approved for an ARC of this book, so when it did it was the most exciting moment in ever!! I tore through this book in three days flat, and I loved every second of it. I have loved both of Casey McQuiston’s adult books, so I had high hopes for their YA debut which certainly were met and exceeded.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler follows Chloe Green as she attempts to find missing prom queen Shara, and uncover the reason why she left after kissing Chloe.
I did not realise that this book would deal so much with the homophobia of the US south that often comes wrapped up in religion. This is something I have not personally experienced but I thought it was written well and would likely resonate with readers who did have such an upbringing. This was such a story of hope and resilience, as well as finding community in less accepting places. I loved how it did not write these states and towns off, instead celebrating the queerness that still exists regardless of homophobic attitudes.
The characters were fantastic and had such great personality to them. I would agree with other reviewers that perhaps the titular Shara Wheeler was a little underdeveloped, but this did not impede my enjoyment of the book in any way.
Casey McQuiston’s writing continues to be witty and fun. I was worried that this writing voice might change with their move to YA, but I was not disappointed! Their writing continues to be engaging and light, perfect for the style of the novel, with more weight to it in important and emotional moments.
The book was paced well and the plot moved along at a good rate, I do think that it was a little too long and there were some scenes in the middle that perhaps dragged on a little. However this was extremely minimal and the book clearly grabbed my attention given the time in which I read it.
Overall this was a lovely hopeful book, with a fun mystery and a great cast of characters. I would recommend it to all teens, but particularly those growing up in environments where they don’t feel accepted, I think this would be the perfect book for them to feel a little less alone.

Kissed Shara Wheeler, by Casey McQuiston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I first heard about this book, I was obviously super excited to read something new by Casey. I was, however, a bit skeptical. Having read my fair share of John Green in the day, I was concerned that this would feel like a bad rip-off, but I was so so wrong. Once again, Casey McQuiston has written something fun, and funny, and beautiful, and charming. There was something about this book that filled me with such joy and hope, despite its heavy subject matter. I know everyone is going to love it when it’s finally out!!

This was an adorable, gloriously queer, rivals-to-lovers teen romcom. I love Casey McQuiston's writing style, and having adored their previous books, I was very excited for this one. I was a little disappointed that it was YA, which is usually not my cup of tea, but McQuiston's writing sparkles as ever. Their characters are always charmingly quirky (although I found the ones in this book are the closest to the line of annoyingly so, perhaps due to them being teenagers--the main reason why YA isn't usually my thing!) and the experience of being queer in a stifling environment is one I'm sure will resonate with many.


(Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Books for the eARC.)

I'd read Casey McQuiston's shopping list by now. Casey McQuiston has served the gays once again with another heartwarming, funny and hooking romcom. I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is their debut YA romcom, but by no means is the talent hidden. The writing from page one hooked me immediately with Chloe squaring up to the Wheeler's house door. As a closeted queer and non-binary teenager from a conservative religious background, this book shared so many experiences with how I feel. It was enchanting. I could imagine myself in the background with a cherry-scented lip balm in one hand and a phone in the other trying to navigate my weird teenage self in a very, very Christian school.

I loved Shara, Chloe, Smith and Rory. And Georgia and Chloe's friendship was beyond the scale...I mean who doesn't love a cottagecore lesbian being friends with a dark-academia-aesthetic bisexual disaster?! Like, come on.

I don't want to say more in case I spoil the book, but this is a must-read. In fact, it currently stands as my favourite book...ever! This was unapologetically witty and messy and bubbling with love, so I am very thankful to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC. I'm still obsessing over it.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston took me a while to get into. From the blurb I wasn't quite sure whether this was going to be a contemporary rom-com or one with a supernatural twist - Shara Wheeler disappears after kissing three people on the same night, nemesis Chloe, neighbour Rory and boyfriend Smith, leaving behind only a series of pink envelopes. When I realised that this was in fact a purely human-based story, and one set in the deep South of Alabama, my enthusiasm started to wane a bit - McQuiston's One Last Stop was one of my absolute favourite books of 2021, largely because of its time-slip element and NYC setting. However, once I really got stuck into the story and started to get to know this cast of characters, they evolved from superficial high school stereotypes to multi-faceted, loveable people, and into a host of queer kids just coming into their own - which felt very intentional. I couldn't put the book down, and kept sneaking chapters during work (which meant I ended up working very late that day...). I Kissed Shara Wheeler is basically the movie John Hughes would make in 2022, aimed at the queer and diverse audience of teens today. Highly recommended if you're looking for a fun read now that it's warmer outside and you can take a book to the park.

Love love loved it. This book was funny and witty and so much fun to read. Will definitely be recommending it to everyone!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler was the queer YA romantic comedy of my dreams. It combined a romantic entanglement scavenger hunt with wonderful characters and a heartfelt exploration of religious trauma & homophobia.

McQuiston’s writing style is one that seamlessly flows around you and wraps you tightly into their imaginative storytelling. They pour so much heart and soul into their books and you can really feel that burning through the pages. I Kissed Shara Wheeler was straight out of the teen films we all know and love, as it was funny, light and full of heart. The central plotline had some elements of mystery and intrigue to it, which helped build suspense and keep the pacing moving. I loved how well-crafted this was, as it really allowed for the reader to fully disentangle this complicated love affair. Love is celebrated in all its forms and in its never-ending complexity. At times, the dynamics felt vaguely Shakespearan, with everyone interlinking in one way or another.

This is a book that both celebrates and highlights the issues with small town communities. Chloe spends the book struggling with her own ability to truly love where she is from because of the way they have treated her. McQuiston just so painfully and accurately describes that claustrophobic backwardness, while also celebrating the bright sparks of love and joy invoked by the people and places you hold dear to your heart. For Chloe, Alabama will always be a part of her, but it is only through fully growing to love herself and her family in all its forms that she can reconcile with this.

Of course, it helps that it is populated with really interesting characters. I would read a spin off following most of these vibrant, articulate and deeply humorous characters. They all felt just so authentically like teenagers, from their dialogue to those unspoken, yearning emotions that bubble just below the surface. Our central quartet in the central scavenger hunt have my whole heart. I loved how messy and complicated they were and how they all had to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery and acceptance in order to achieve a truly happy ending.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a vivacious book bursting with light, love and unapologetic queer representation. This is a book that fills your heart with joy.

A fun but emotional book about learning who you are, seeing beyond what you expect, and celebrating queer youth.

The character work in particular is exquisite, as McQuiston takes the usual high school character tropes (our four mains are the outsider girl, the popular class princess, the jock and the rebel) and then peels back the layers of these characters to show the complexities of who they truly are underneath. The same is true for the secondary characters, and overall this group of teenagers and their lives really come alive on the page.

The plot itself is a fun ride, starting with a treasure hunt/ mystery after popular girl, Shara Wheeler, disappears at prom, leaving behind a trail of clues to be unravelled by her boyfriend, Smith, her neighbour, Rory, and her academic rival, Chloe - all of whom she also kissed in the days leading up to her disappearance. Though this is interesting, it's really just the opening point to shake up these character's lives and explore what happens and who they are.

The book is set in Alabama, and the school the characters attend is a Christian Academy with quite archaic rules. McQuiston dedicated the book to all the queer kids living in America's Bible Belt, and though I can't comment personally on that experience, I think they did a good job - to me, as an outsider - of exploring what growing up is like for those kids, and how there are a range of different experiences and different beliefs.

The writing style flows easily and is full of humour, meaning the pages fly by when reading. I also loved the From the Burn Pile sections, where we get little snippets of notes or essays written by the characters, which really helped present a little further insight, particularly into some of the secondary characters.

All in all, a great YA debut that I fully recommend for both teens & adults.

I received a free copy on Netgalley in exchange for a free review.

4.5 stars

I Kissed Shara Wheeler follows Chloe Green, an out and proud bisexual teen who has recently moved from California to a small conservative Alabama town. When the darling of the school, Shara Wheeler, goes missing, she leaves behind a trail of mysterious letters for the three people she recently kissed - Chloe, Shara's boyfriend Smith and Shara's next door neighboor Rory. Despite not really knowing each other Chloe, Rory and Smith team up and try to work out what happened to Shara and where she has gone - along the way discovering things about themselves, each other and Shara that will change the course of their lives forever.

I really really enjoyed this book, much more than I was expecting too initially. I'm a big fan of Casey McQuiston's previous books but YA contemporary isn't really my favourite genre however this book did not disappoint. It gave me the feeling of watching a teen drama or a CW show whilst also touching on some very emotional themes. I think it also captured what it's like to be a teenager perfectly - being so uncertain yet so convinced you are right about things.

This book explores the intersection between religion and being queer - the influence of going to a conservative Christian school and the "values" these type of schools have and how if you don't fit the mold you will be ostracised. We also explore the various types of trauma religion can perpetuate - through a variety of different manifestations with each different character. Also I liked seeing how characters don't let societal and school expectations force them into being someone they are not, it takes a lot of strength (especially as a teenager) to realise something is making you into someone you are not and to stand up to that and I really loved that messaging here. I could go into a lot more depth on this topic (and I don't even really have any personal experience with religious oppression of queerness fortunately) but I will just say I think this book explores it really well and is a very emotional ride.

Additionally one thing I really loved about this was the wide array of queer experiences it portrays. Chloe and her friends are very much the stereotypical queer friendship group almost every secondary school has however through some of the other characters and their relationships to their queerness and being out - like Shara, Smith, Rory and some other side characters we see different experiences that meant a lot to me because it reflected my own experience a lot more. I think what I'm trying to say is quite hard to put into words but I liked how this book shows a) you don't have to be out (especially in school) to be queer, and you might not even realise you are whilst still in school b) not everyone is outwardly queer but that doesn't make their experience any less valid and comes with different challenges to being visibly queer (which also comes with a lot of it's own problems) c) you don't have to fit stereotypes.

My favourite character was probably Shara (despite thinking I hated her at first haha). I really like the character archetype of girl who tries so hard to be perfect but under the surface have a lot of complexity and depth (other similar characters: amity from the owl house, april from teenage bounty hunters, shelby from the wilds). I have a soft spot for these kind of characters because relatable lol T_T. I also kind of like how Shara is unapologetically a bit of a bitch (she definitely gave me regina george/alison from pll vibes at times) - it made her more human when a lot of the time she is presented as a perfect paragon of Christian virtue.

Chloe is a reasonably likable main character however she did annoy me occasionally. One thing I did really love was her character arc of thinking that living in a conservative town wasn't affecting her at all and she was 'better' than the others in the town for not having grown up there and slowly realising she is wrong and not dismissing others experiences and love for their town despite complicated relationships with it, as well as acknowledging how going to a conservative Christian school has been affecting her. I also really really loved the dynamic between Chloe and Shara - the academic rivals (GOD TIER) and thinking they hate each other but actually ...? They have such an antagonist dynamic and it is so much fun to read.

I also really liked both Rory and Smith and how their relationship with each other grew throughout the book. They are both very likeable and I also liked their growing friendship with Chloe and how they both come into themselves throughout the novel. I liked the brief exploration we get of gender non-conformity through Smith - again in a very non-stereotypical way which I really appreciated. Additionally the complex dynamic they both have with Shara - I enjoyed seeing them realise what was actually going on when Shara knew what was up all along haha.

The one thing that really annoyed me about this was the amount of times I had to read the words "Shara Wheeler" in full. It is like the author thought they had chosen a really cool name and had to repeat it as much as humanly possible. All the other characters are mostly referred to by first names so I don't know why this couldn't have been the case for Shara as well T__T

Overall I would really recommend this - it is the perfect fun entertaining read with some really touching messages and deeper themes than you might expect from a YA contemporary. It is well written with an engaging plot and compelling characters and very unapologetically queer which I loved!

(Also the authors note at the end about how they want the book to be for queer kids in red states/conservative enviroments and for them to know it gets better made me really emotional :'))

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is more than just a YA story about a queer girl on a quest for love. It’s an adventure story, a mystery, a discovering who you are story. Featuring beautiful friendships, blossoming relationships and some of the funniest and most relatable lines I’ve ever read, this book made me fall in love with falling in love. I loved this book and if you love a high school adventure with pining, tension, friendships and inner discoveries, this is for you.
The plot of the three people in Shara’s life that she decided to kiss before disappearing the night of her prom, soon before her graduation, takes you on a journey. Not just through the town and through the school finding her little pink notes, but a journey inside themselves. Rory discovers that his fascination with the girl next door might have nothing to do with that girl, Smith discovers that he might not be the macho manly man he’s been taught he should be, and Chloe discovers that she shouldn’t be afraid to step out of line, to break free, to love.
My relationship with Shara Wheeler, the character, was a rocky one at first. Seeing her through Chloe’s eyes meant that we saw her as little miss perfect, scheming to ruin everyone’s lives with her pink stationery and lip gloss. I think the fact that my opinions on her changed at the same time as they did for Chloe was something special and showed that you connect with the main character. In the end, my heart went out to Shara as you understand how much she’s been struggling to keep up this little miss perfect Christian girl her whole life, how her manipulative father has been treating her, how she runs from things she cares about in fear of caring about it. Shara is a complex character but written so understandably.
Chloe was an incredible main character. I battled with her at times, for example when she fell out with Georgia because she was fascinated with Shara’s disappearance, I truly understood Georgia’s point, how she should have been there for her friends first. Yet throughout this book, Chloe changes. Though in the end, she’s the same badass, eyeliner wearing, bible hating low-key bitch that makes her interesting, she begins to voice her feelings and what she wants and mostly, who is important to her. The whole idea of Chloe realizing she’s been hiding her shame broke me. That even though her home situation is accepting and loving, she can’t help but feel slight shame when inside. It’s something I related to and so it touched me personally.
I could write a whole novel on Smith and Rory. At first, I hated them both. Smith, the typical jock dating the prettiest girl in school and Rory, the stoner with the crush on his neighbour. I came out of this book, loving them both entirely. Smith slowly coming to terms with himself was beautiful. It was slow and steady, and he still wasn’t completely sure at the end which shows that you don’t have to ever be 100% or 100% certain about what you want, as long as you’re happy where you are now. Also, the relationship between him and Shara was gorgeous. Despite everything, in the end, it showed they still loved each other and always would, despite it not being romantic. Rory was such an incredible character, his friendship with Shara at the end was adorable and the way he was utterly accepting of her once he understood her properly. His backstory was deep and meaningful, and you truly felt for him. I’m a sucker for estranged childhood best friends turned lovers so Smith and Rory were right up my alley, when I realized it was happening that is, I didn’t see it coming for a while. I felt so happy for them both at the end, they seemed so happy and giddy with each other and hello. Where can I find a man who will climb on a roof to get me some flowers?
The entire friendship group was just full of dreams, and I would adore hanging out with them for a night. When they all came together for the graduation at the end, with Chloe’s mums and the teacher showing up, I almost cried. It was such a beautiful moment, and I was so close to shouting from the rooftops about it because wow.
I can’t talk about this book without talking about Chloe and Shara. For a moment in the middle, I didn’t think they would be an endgame couple, I didn’t think Shara would end up being a likeable character. That doesn’t mean, however, that I am not overjoyed that they were. Like I said earlier, my opinions of Shara changed with Chloe’s, and I fell in love with her just like Chloe did. What we saw of the early stages of their relationship was adorable and for me, reading them together like that, you could almost imagine that they were letting out the breath they’d been holding in since the moment they’d met. The tension they’d had up inside of them was finally being let out and it was such an incredible moment.
This book was heaven. The journey, the friendships, the love. I could probably talk someone’s ear off about it for a whole day and still have missed things. It’s April and yet I can tell that in December, this book will be on my top for this year. Also, I’ve never had a Taco Bell but after this, my need to eat a Taco Bell in a bookstore just blossomed.

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 of the novel 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!

4.5 ⭐️ that was DELIGHTFUL

wow i had so much fun. i don’t know if i can be articulate rn so here’s a list of everything that i loved:

- THE CHARACTERS. i would absolutely die for everybody in this book. they were all so real and so easy to route for. i felt like i could reach out and hug them. chloe in particular was so funny i loved her.

- the friendship and (chloe’s) family dynamics >

- the concept of this book was so unique?? a very soft/fun/lighthearted mystery and a romance rolled into one?? ugh, so fun.

- the academic rivals to lovers dynamic was executed wonderfully. the perfect amount of hatred, angst, rivalry and tension all packed into a story where one of the love interests isn’t even present for the first 50 ish% ?? magic

- the sensitive topics of homophobia/racism/faith/identity etc were executed in a way that was so meaningful

- i loved the heartwarming stories outside of the main romance. smiths journey in particular made me want to literally die

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Casey McQuiston's first foray into Young Adult certainly did not disappoint. I Kissed Shara Wheeler follows Chloe Green, a bisexual native Californian transplanted to Alabama for high school, on the treasure trail of her Christian high school's The Girl, Shara Wheeler, who goes missing from their prom just weeks before graduation. Chloe needs Shara to return in time for graduation so that she can rightfully beat her to the class valedictorian spot, that's all...

This book was perfectly campy and over-dramatic to just the right shade, it was delightful to read. In the acknowledgements, McQuiston says that queer teens deserve over the top rom-coms too, and they definitely deliver. I loved how this book dramatised not only the truly dramatic plot points – Shara literally Gone Girls the entire school – but also the smaller moments of daily life in a way that made them so endearing. If I was Chloe I would have been way more upset about missing out on her friends' quest to definitively rank the town's various mozzarella sticks and I would have definitely made a spreadsheet.

Much like McQuiston's other novels, Shara Wheeler is a love letter to both queer identity and culture and small-town Southern America. I love how they delve into the ways that a place can shape you and be a part of you, and both simultaneously be where you belong and where you need to escape from. McQuiston shows how you can love a place but it not love you back, but, if you fight for it, maybe it could become somewhere that does.

I did find Chloe a little too obtuse at times, but her development over the book was really strong and she came to understand both herself and everyone around her a lot better by the end of the book.

I loved this book and the story it told, McQuiston hit all the right notes with their YA debut – I'd definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

As a massive Casey McQuiston fan, I was really excited to see them move into YA and find out how their style would translate into a new genre. Needless to say, I was not disappointed! I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a gorgeous queer romp, combining McQuiston's trademark loveable, complex characters that drew me to their writing with a YA mystery, classic coming of age story set in a small Bible Belt town.

What I loved most about I Kissed Shara Wheeler is how it celebrates queer youth, and their joy, in a way that only Casey McQuiston can. It's the journey along the way, a trail made up of pink notes and discovery, finding friends and building safe spaces, about silent solidarity and an acknowledgement that even when the outside may not understand, there's always a safe and accepting space that you can come home to. I Kissed Shara Wheeler may be marketed as a love story, but what I found to be most endearing is how the characters slowly learned to love themselves, disentangling the narrative pushed upon them by the religious community they've grown up in, and begin to find out where they truly belong.

Although I'm just out of the YA demographic now, this book still feels like something cosy and comfortable that I'll come back to again and again. I'm excited to see it reach these communities and provide solace for queer teens where they can see themselves find joy.

If I had to sum up I Kissed Shara Wheeler in one sentence ... imagine a John Green novel, but everyone is queer. And honestly, I'm here for it.

As a high school teacher and avid reader, I read a lot of YA so I can discuss books with my student, but a lot of contemporaries fall a bit flat for me (understandable, as I'm not the target audience). It's usually a sign of a good book if I find myself loving it too, and I couldn't put this one down.

Going in, I was expecting a bit more of a mystery than what turned out to be more of a coming of age story, but that didn't bother me as the book was such an enjoyable page turner. I shouldn't be surprised, really, since I thoroughly enjoyed both of Casey McQuiston's adult novels.

4.5 stars

Really really REALLY enjoyed this one!

McQuinston's books have been all quite different to each other and I've loved them all.
I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a really, really fun, high school, Gone Girl-esque/ Looking for Alaska inspired missing person story, that turns into a really heartwarming story.

The supporting cast were all incredible and it opened a really great conversation about diversity and sexuality in that age range.
On top of that a slow burning enemies to lovers? I have nothing bad to say!

Casey McQuiston leapt into my favourite authors with their first book and cemented that place with their second, so I was super keen to read I Kissed Shara Wheeler and it didn't disappoint. I wasn't sure at first that I'd enjoy the conceit of following the letters Shara Wheeler has left behind, but it was so cleverly done that I was invested almost immediately. That's certainly due in part to McQuiston's skill in creating characters that feel entirely real. Despite some heavier themes, this book is lighthearted and uplifting, romantic and often very funny. Can't wait to see what Casey McQuiston writes next.

Headlines:
YA contemporary comedy mystery
Dramatics
Bigatory

There’s lots to recommend this read, it’s beautifully queer, a fun romp but somehow, it just didn’t hit the notes for me. There’s an eclectic band of friends thrown together in this story and that was the element I became most fond of.

Shara was missing and I struggled with Shara as a character for much of the story, and maybe I was supposed to. She seemed manipulative and they way she had all these peers pitched against one another initially, really wound me up. There was space for redemption but overall I didn’t like her. Shara however, wasn’t really the main character even if the whole story was centred on her, Chloe was the MC and I did like her mostly. Chloe had some epic moms which I appreciated.

The themes were welcome in this book and they included exploring identity, sexuality and rebelling against bigatory. These important themes were well handled but it felt alongside a fair bit of dramarama. I think the drama and manipulative characteristics of Shara were what kept me from connecting with the characters sadly. I didn’t feel any chemistry in the romantic moments either.

I am disappointed I didn’t enjoy this more but I can see that so far from a ratings perspective, I am in the minority.

Thank you MacMillan Kids for the early review copy.