A month before graduation, high school principal's daughter Shara Wheeler kisses her biggest rival, Chloe Green. Then promptly disappears. As Chloe hunts for answers, it seems that Shara has left behind clues to help her along the way. Chloe recruits Shara's boyfriend Smith to help, as well as Shara's neighbour, Rory, both of whom she also kissed shortly before disappearing. Together, the three must follow Shara's treasure trail to find her before graduation.

This premise sounded great to me, a little bit Nancy Drew? Yes please!
It wasn't that though. What it is is a typical American high school story with a sapphic romance. And there's nothing wrong with that, it's important to have stories like this out there for kids to read and learn from. I picked this book as I loved Red, White & Royal Blue, and that was my mistake, because ultimately this felt a bit young for me (entirely my fault as I'm not the target audience for this book). I know that I would have adored this if I'd read it when I was 11-12. And I know fans of Casey McQuiston will love it. The queer representation is great, the characters are layered and dimensional (even the supporting characters), even the religious aspects were interesting to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars. Because I don’t think it’s possible for me to not give a book this queer and validating 5 stars.

Queerness seeps out of every page and it’s delightful. I wish I could have wrapped myself up in this book growing up in all honesty.

Also it’s funny, and I’m weak as fuck for witty narration.

Full disclosure, it took me a while to get into it, because it’s a very weird set up to be thrown straight into. I appreciate some people might be immediately grasped by the way this is written… but for me… hm. It’s hard to put my finger on why…. You’re immediately expected to accept that this wild goose chase is the only course of action, maybe? So at first it was a lot of me just telling myself to vibe with it because I know Casey is a great writer, which might not be something I granted to a writer I didn’t already know.

All that’s to say, the first half is probably 4 stars max for me, but the last half is truly great.

It’s quite fast paced and from the beginning I really liked all of the characters (main and side)—they feel very real and I was rooting for them all in various ways. Their dynamics are so well written; the highlight of this book for me was the friendships actually, and seeing the support and acceptance.

Some things were predictable, but I really didn’t mind because I enjoyed all the exploration of queerness for certain characters so much! I won’t give specifics and ruin surprises, but the personal responses to realisations were very diverse and believable (both for real life and for the characterisations). Things to make you look in the mirror at yourself, and also things that made me feel all warm and light 🥰🥰.

I was curious to see how the academic-rivals-to-lovers would play out and it’s hard to review this bit without spoilers, so I won’t say anything other than the fact that I’m so glad we got to see so much. It’s not often we get to see what happens after The Resolution so to speak, and I’m glad Casey gave us another quarter of a book and story. I enjoyed watching things build and come together, and getting a chance to see dynamics.

Another thing I want to mention is that whilst the characters deal with /a lot/ of homophobia, I truly think Casey has handled the writing of this with a lot of care. So, whilst I’d suggest going carefully, I found the book to be very lighthearted and uplifting.

Definitely recommend!

TL;DR: I would have liked a stronger beginning, but everything else is over-the-top-high-school-romcom-for-queer-kids Top Tier, just like Casey wanted, and I’m very thankful this exists!

'I Kissed Shara Wheeler' was a rollercoaster from start to finish, and I loved every second of it. Casey McQuiston's YA debut ticked every single box on my 'what makes a five star read' list. As can be expected from McQuiston, the characters were the highlight of this book for me. I have fully fallen in love with at least half of them, and I'm platonically obsessed with the rest. I don't think words can describe how perfectly I needed this book in my life at the minute.

All of the characters were three-dimensional and realistic. In YA in particular, it's so common to have characters that just aren't possibly anything like real people. In 'I Kissed Shara Wheeler', I felt like I could have been reading about actual people's lives, and I suppose in a way I was. We all know a Chloe (or we are a Chloe - guilty!), a Smith, a Rory, a Shara, a Georgia, a Benjy, a Summer, an Ace. We all know these beautifully flawed people with hearts the sizes of lakes. Their relationships were natural and realistic, and this book truly captures the teenage experience better than any other YA novel I've read. Smith and Chloe were the standout characters to me, although they were all so amazing, I related to the two of them on a deeper level.

I'm a sucker for the academic rivals trope, and pairing that with impending graduation is always a good thing in my mind. McQuiston perfectly captured the feeling of an end of an era.

This book explores identity, self-discovery, fighting for what is right, friendships, and relationships. Above all else, 'IKSW' is about being true to yourself and finding a place (or a person) where you can truly be the person you are.

My e-arc is heavily highlighted, and once I get my hands on a physical copy it will be too. 'IKSW' is for everyone. This book had such a deep impact on me and I know I will be returning to it many times in the future. It has truly touched my heart and I can't thank Casey McQuiston enough for writing it.

When I requested the ARC of this I thought it was a long-shot that I would ever get approved. When I saw the email saying I had been approved, I audibly squealed, screenshotted it and proceded to send said screenshot to every person I knew that might vaguely care. I even sent it to a few people that I knew couldn't care less. But I Kissed Shara Wheeler is easily my most anticipated book of 2022, as will be anything Casey McQuiston ever writes. So I do want to prefice this review with the fact that I adore Casey's writing so much and I don't think they could ever write anything that disappoints me.

For someone that grew up in a city in the UK, False Beach felt very nostalgic to be. The atmosphere of small town southern America has always resonated with me for reasons I can never quite pin-point. Perhaps its knowing that my parents grew up in what could be the UK's equivalent and it wouldn't take much for me to end up there too, thrust into the world Chloe Green belives she lives in. Of all of Casey's books, this is the one that I have related to the most, and despite being 21 I still feel like I am experiencing what Chloe and the rest of Willowgrove did.

It wasn't only the setting that felt nostalgic to me though, the characters truly did feel like a reflection of my friends. The idea that queer people find each other is such a heart-warming idea to me, and I love seeing it reflecting in books. It reminds me of my friends and that we found each other before any of us had the slightest of clues that we might be queer. I find that Casey has a way of making anyone, anywhere somehow feel relatable. No matter how different I may be to most of her characters, there is something about most of them that I can see in myself or someone I love.

The atmosphere of I Kissed Shara Wheeler was so comforting to me, seeing everyone come together and how everything fell in to place felt extremely right. I can't explain it any more than that, but when I finished reading it, the ending felt right. Things may not have been perfect, not everyone was going to have the perfect future ahead of them with it all figured out, but it felt like every character was given the right ending. The ending that they needed. I can confidently say that I have never been disappointed by the ending of a Casey McQuiston book and that isn't changing with I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

I also loved that despite this being a YA novel. it didn't feel young. I know that YA is aimed at teenagers, but I often feel like authors and publishers under-estimate teenagers. They can deal with the same things, they see the same news adults see, they aren't stupid, so it as nice to see that reflected in the book. It tackled very much adult problems with teenage characters in a way that felt authentic to them and my experience as a teenager. I also really enjoyed that the characters weren't written to come across as naive teenagers that would soon realise how stupid they were. I see that as a very 'adult' opinion that people rarely feel about themselves and just look at people younger than them in that way. In reality we all go through our teenage years making mistakes, looking back on them and learning from them.

Overall I really can't find a fault. Maybe I'm a little bias because I adore Casey's writing so much, but I stand by that this story really did feel like a warm hug for me. I love YA, even as an adult, and I think this could be a YA book that crosses over really well into adult. Reading this I felt seen and accepted and I hope it brings that feeling to all the other queer kids in small towns around the world.

3.5/5 stars!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is Casey McQuiston's third novel, and her first piece of Young Adult fiction. It follows Chloe Green, a bisexual teen living in a small town in the Bible Belt, and cleverly combines a queer coming of age story with an engaging John Green-esque mystery.

To be honest, the first word I would describe this book with is, unfortunately, underwhelming, and I think there are a few reasons that I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped I would. One of these is doubtlessly that my expectations for a Casey McQuiston novel are sky-high, and so when I was unable to truly connect with this one I was naturally disappointed. Along with this, I didn't connect with the main characters as much as I would've hoped, and also wasn't that invested in the main romance (aside from some of the side romances, which I loved, it has to be said). Also, the romance was branded as academic rivals to lovers, but I feel this didn't come through as much as it could've, largely since it was set so close to the end of the school year, and as a reader I felt there wasn't much connection between the two characters prior to the events of the book (by the start of which Shara is already missing, so it felt somewhat one-sided). Since the characters and their relationships are one of the main things I love about Casey's earlier novels, I was definitely disappointed on this front, which was really a shame. With the character of Shara, especially, I felt like I simply could not care about her as much as I thought I should've, despite her being (indirectly) one of the main characters in the novel.

There were, of course, still things I enjoyed about this book. As always, I loved the side characters, and the novel was definitely extremely fun and readable, while still dealing with important subjects such as the experiences of queer youth in the Bible Belt. I also enjoyed Shara's letters and the bits from the Burn Book – I love how McQuiston incorporates other media into her novels. With all this in mind, though, it has to be said that it didn't excite me as much as either of Casey's other books. However, if you come to the novel as a fan of Young Adult fiction with no knowledge of McQuiston's earlier works, I don't see why you wouldn't enjoy it, and I have seen many positive reviews!

*I was given an eARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review."

Content warnings: religious homophobia.

I had great expectations for this, and it did not let me down! This book actually transports you into the world, and you lose track of time as you become entirely involved in the plot. As I've come to anticipate from this author, you become engrossed in the characters and feel as if you know them. Is this the most accomplished work Casey has ever done? Yes

McQuiston's first dip into YA is a must for anyone who enjoys the genre, or just wants something sweet and fluffy to read. Although I didn't enjoy this as much as their adult titles, I think this was mostly a personal preference for me of romance over high school dramas, as the writing here does not disappoint.
The novel itself is a wonderful coming-of-age story, of acceptance and growth and learning about yourself in the confines of conservatism, and once again it was the friendships McQuiston built that really stood out to me.
The second half of the novel is really what shone, and the development of these characters I thought was beautiful, and a shining example of what Casey McQuiston truly does best.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for this eARC!)

If Gossip Girl, Mean Girls and Paper Towns by John Green had a baby, it would be I Kissed Shara Wheeler. Casey McQuiston gave us academic rivals to lovers and we should all be thanking them for that!!

Chloe Green is a senior at a Christian high school where the only thing she cares about is getting Valedictorian over her rival, Shara Wheeler. And she’s close to getting just that before Shara suddenly disappears and leaves behind cryptic clues about where she is - but not before she kisses Chloe (and two other people).

The mystery had me hooked from the beginning. The letters were intriguing and I found it difficult to put the book down *just* in case we found out where Shara was in the next chapter. And on the subject of Shara: my favourite character. I know we were meant to hate her when we first met her, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to. (Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss etc etc.)

But, as with her other two novels, the side characters are what stole my heart. Casey McQuiston has such a talent for creating loveable cast of characters and Ace, Georgia and Summer are the standouts for me!!

And I really, really couldn’t talk about this book without mentioning my favourite unlikely friendship between Chloe, Rory and Smith. The three of them together make my heart SING and I kinda want a road trip movie with Rory and Smith.

Overall, this was a love letter to queer kids growing up in religious communities, and I hope it finds its way into the hands of the kids who need it most.

(also, lesbian mums)

‘I Kissed Shara Wheeler’ is the perfect queer coming of age story, complete with sapphic rivals-to-lovers, found family and mystery. It was well written, humorous and incredibly uplifting, and I couldn’t put it down.

The story follows Chloe Green, a highschooler at Willowgrove Academy who can’t wait to leave the stifling Christian small town she lives in with her moms and go to NYU with her best friend, Georgia. All she wants before then is to be named valedictorian, but there is one person standing in her way: Shara Wheeler. Shara Wheeler, the perfect queen bee of the school, who makes Chloe’s mission for valedictorian more complicated when she draws her into a mystery by disappearing after prom. Chloe, Shara’s boyfriend Smith, and Rory must all work together to figure out where Shara went - after all, they were the ones Shara kissed before she left.

As with all of Casey McQuinston’s books, the characters seemed to jump off the page. The characters all felt so real and human, all complex and flawed yet loveable. The relationships formed between these characters, from the romances to the friendships, were the high points for me. I loved the way the characters interacted with each other, and the way in which the relationships grew and developed felt extremely realistic. I particularly adored the friendship between Chloe, Smith and Rory as they solved Shara’s clues, and I loved the way their unlikely trio grew closer and helped each other along the way. Casey McQuinston’s writing, with its humour and wit also fit these characters perfectly, making you feel like you were going on the same journeys that the characters were.

Willowgrove is a small, bible belt town, where Chloe feels like an outsider due to not only her queerness but also her lack of faith. Throughout the book we see her go on a journey, learning that even the most unlikely places can become home, and the most unlikely group of people can become like a family. This book is full of queer positivity and joy, and the message of realising that you’re not always alone even when it feels like you are, felt very important for me as a queer kid raised in Christianity. I also really appreciated the way the book explored Christianity and showed that there are different ways for Christianity to be followed, rather than shaming the religion as a whole.

The book also perfectly encapsulates the nostalgia that comes with the end of high school, the longing for the future but also wanting to cling onto the comfort of what you know, and making the most of the opportunities to make memories with those you love. It’s such a bittersweet feeling, and the way the story showed that so perfectly really stood out to me.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It has everything you could want in a queer, ya story. It’s easy to read, fun, and enjoyable, and yet it still deals with important topics sensitively and in a way that hits. This book is going to be so important for so many queer teens, especially queer teens of faith.

Content warning: religious homophobia (this is mentioned in the author’s note at the start of the book).

I Kissed Shara Wheeler follows Chloe, Smith and Rory as they try to solve the mystery of Shara Wheeler’s disappearance less than 24 hours after she kissed them all. This is going to be a spoiler free review.

Tropes: academic rivals to lovers, quest.

IKSW was one of my most anticipated books of this year. I really enjoyed RWARB and ADORED One Last Stop, so the fact that this was YA instead of NA didn’t put me off this release. However, I didn’t love this book. It wasn’t a bad book at all (in fact, it is rather a good one), but I don’t think it achieved all of what it promised. The romance between Chloe and Shara was just meh. It felt like they went from hate to love too quickly, and I was left confused as to why they felt that way about each other.

As well as the romance, the other major plotline was the John Green style mystery - trying to figure out where Shara disappeared to via the clues she left for them. I found this mystery really interesting but then it just... stopped. The reveal was super anti-climactic. I get that this was sort of the point as it was meant as a criticism of the ridiculous actions of Shara, but it just ended up feeling bland.

This review at this point might sound really negative, and my star rating doesn’t really match that. That is because I did enjoy this book – the characters were interesting (I especially loved Ace and Georgia), the secondary romances were lovely and I love Casey McQuiston’s writing style. I also think this is an important book. It shows queer youth stuck at places such as Willowgrove Christian Academy that there is another, more accepting world outside of their own, and it reminds everyone that identity is a journey that can take time and need support. I am glad this book was written, and I am glad I read it. I just think expectations need to be set correctly – this is not a romance or mystery story, this is a coming of age story about identity and love in all it’s forms. If you go into this expecting that, I think you will enjoy it much more.

3.5 rounded up.

Thank you to Net Galley, Macmillan Children's Books and Casey McQuiston for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

First of all I can’t believe I got accepted for an arc of this book because I love Casey Mcquiston’s other books so so much! This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I’d even go as far as saying that this is my favourite book they’ve written!

I loved the mystery aspect to this book and I found the high school setting to be much more relatable than Casey’s other two books which is partly why I loved this one the most!

Of course there were many humorous moments in this book, like always with Casey Mcquiston, that made me burst out laughing and overall it was such an enjoyable read.

I also loved every single one of the main cast of characters- even most of the background characters! I found Chloe to be such a relatable character at times, and I loved her friendship group so much- the ones she had at the start and the end. I especially loved how Smith, Rory and Chloe became friends through Shara, and I loved the end when their friendship groups combined to try and stand up to the Principle etc.

And, like always, there was lots of great representation in this book, with lots of people discovering their sexuality and/or gender identity! The character development of most of the characters was amazing to read about.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book and I can’t wait to get my signed exclusive version from Waterstones when it’s released!

5/5 ⭐️s

Where do I start?
This book is a mystery. It's a treasure hunt with endless twists and turns, someone always one step ahead.
This book is ya. It's school and coming of age, trying to put together the puzzle of life and fit yourself into it.
This book is a romance. It's teenage angst and nervous first kisses, trying to navigate loving someone else when you're not yet sure of yourself.

But more than that, this book is a love story. It is a testament to survival. It is a book about teenage girls who are overall kind of a nightmare, and proof that there is a world out there for everyone.

It is a love letter to imperfections.

Chloe Green is a girl after my own heart: she's smart, determined, and competitive to a fault. She knows what she wants and she isn't afraid to ask for it, to demand it, because she knows it's what she deserves. She makes mistakes. A lot of them. But you only know where they're going because you have made the exact same mistake a thousand times over, because Chloe is one of the most realistic teenagers I have ever had the pleasure to come across in literature. I recognise the way she thinks on such an intrinsic level that it feels as if she's a product of my own imagination. She's obsessive and infuriating and, to be honest, probably my new role model.

Shara Wheeler is the definition of layers. She is (to quote Taylor Swift) a nightmare dressed like a daydream, except that inside that nightmare is just a girl. She is completely untouchable for most of the book, but so entirely human that it hurts to think about. There were lines in this book that made it feel as if someone had put the melody of my soul into words. Like she had taken feelings I have never been able to express and voiced them like they were the most simple things in the world.

The rest of the cast was, as always, amazing. I've fallen particularly in love with Smith and Rory, who are possibly my favourite take on childhood-friends-to-lovers with a splash of boy-next-door. Smith's character development throughout the book had me entranced, and the tension surrounding the two of them was next-level brilliant.

The pop-culture references were hilarious. The representation was, as ever, all I could have wished for, not just with the countless LGBTQ+ characters but also by looking at stereotypes that try to shove people into boxes and refusing to allow it.

I don't have the words to properly explain all the reasons I love this, but it was easily one of the best books this year. The plot, the characters, the romance, the friendship - absolutely, astoundingly brilliant. I cannot thank the author enough.

I did not stop smiling my whole way through this book. Casey McQuiston has created such a lovely and relatable story; I have NEVER felt so seen in a book before. I will continue to gush over this book for the rest of my days

I wrote myself a note at about the two-thirds mark of this book, saying that my final opinion of it would depend hugely on how it stuck the landing. I had already been utterly gripped by the book at this point, and was greatly enjoying the ride, but I had no idea the 100 or so pages of joy awaiting me (going by my experience of McQuiston's other books, I should have been more prepared). This was glorious. I'm very nearly twice the age of the protagonists now (!) and my small town was over 4000 miles away from Alabama but I Kissed Shara Wheeler still had me guffawing, curling my toes with joy, shedding a tear or two... it filled my heart with a warmth and a hope that I wish I could pass back in time to myself a couple of decades ago.

I need to start by saying I was really looking forward to reading this book as soon as it was announced and it certainly did not disappoint.

Chloe is days away from the end of school and hopefully making valedictorian. But then Shara Wheeler kisses her and disappears, leaving a series of clues behind. Paper Towns meets Gone Girl as Chloe tries to find out why Shara disappeared and find her to rightfully claim her place as valedictorian. Along the way, the stories of love and friendship make this a must read.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is Casey McQuiston’s first YA romance, and I loved it just as much as their adult novels. In classic Casey fashion, this book was so readable that once I got about 50 pages in, there was no stopping me and I read the whole thing in one sitting. Shara and Chloe are absolutely iconic and have redefined rivals-to-lovers in this glorious rom-com.

Thanks to Macmillan for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.

I was absolutely giddy by the end of this book because I was just having so much fun. I loved Red, White and Royal Blue so much, and while I absolutely loved One Last Stop I was missing the snarkiness of early Henry/Alex. That sass is back with a vengeance in I Kissed Shara Wheeler and I am completely in love with all of the characters in this book. When I started, I was a little nervous about the Smith, Rory, Chloe thing because I don’t usually like ‘competing for love’ as a trope. Let’s just say that that is not what’s going on here and I should never have doubted Casey McQuiston. Rory and Smith are as much my faves as Chloe and Shara, and I am in awe of Casey McQuiston’s ever perfect supporting casts.

The premise of this book is that Shara Wheeler, popular prom queen and perfect girl, kisses her boyfriend, the boy next door and Chloe, her rival, and disappears. All she leaves behind are cryptic notes with clues leading to more clues all guiding them to find her. And with each clue, there is more of Shara’s hidden side revealed. I absolutely loved it. The notes were fun, I found myself piecing together the clues along with the ‘I kissed Shara Wheeler’ group chat, and I loved the way we got to see more and more of Shara with each page. I think the friendships are my favourite part. Seeing these disparate and cliquey groups come together gave me huge found family vibes, and my queer ass wanted to adopt the entire cast and feed them cookies. Also, Chloe’s moms? Aspirational. Queer icons.

Can’t review a rom-com without talking about the romance, and in this book we’ve got Shara and Chloe. I won’t talk too much about it because this book is best discovered unspoiled, but if you love rivals-to-lovers and snarky competitive girls, you will love them. They’re both disaster queers and I couldn’t help but laugh at their ridiculous teenager antics to outmatch each other at school. I laughed at a lot of things in this book, actually, with classically hilarious Casey McQuiston prose and a lot of jokes and references that had me cackling.

The town, and school, that the book is set in is a small and heavily religious town and Casey McQuiston examines the best and worst parts of small-town life throughout this book, as Chloe is forced to reexamine her assumptions about small town Alabama and the people who live there. Somehow this book made me nostalgic for teenage years – even though I hated mine – while still giving me the fight-the-world feelings that RWRB gave me. It was a heady mix and when I finished the last page I had to lie down for a hot minute and think about my life.

This book is a must-read for any queer person who grew up in a small town, and in general. McQuiston’s YA debut and third novel is adventurous, insightful, and makes you look back on your high school yearbooks with a kinder eye than before. I felt seen in unique ways that books rarely manage, and couldn’t stop reading. It took me a little bit to really get into it, especially as the initial premise felt too similar to Paper Towns, but once the side characters began to come into view a bit more and I understood what McQuiston was doing, I found it original, captivating, and delightful. Fans of Ophelia After All by Raquel Marie in particular will enjoy this.

Content Warnings: homophobia, religious trauma

I've read both of Casey McQuiston's adult books and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I was really looking forwards to her YA debut, and dare I say it? I Kissed Shara Wheeler is my favourite of the lot.

Shara Wheeler is the perfect, popular girl at Chloe Green's school, and her academic rival for valedictorian. After kissing Chloe, Shara disappears at prom, leaving behind a series of cryptic clues in pretty pink envelopes - enticing Chloe, Shara's boyfriend Smith, and Shara's neighbour Rory to solve the mystery she's woven and find her.

This was just so great. I read it in less than a day - which is something I have grown to expect from McQuiston's books, I find their writing so easy to read and engaging. Also, they really do write my favourite banter-y dialogue (and have the honour of being the one author whose pop culture references don't make me cringe out of my skin). I Kissed Shara Wheeler really takes 'disaster gays' to a whole other level, and I for one am so here for it. Shara Wheeler is absolutely psychotic and I am OBSESSED with her. I think the best way I could describe the experience of reading this book is by comparing it to watching a high school movie (in the BEST way). Does it feel at all realistic? No. Do I want it to? Absolutely not.

All in all, just a really enjoyable read. This was such a fun, irreverent romp and I loved it. Totally recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Casey McQuiston for the ARC of this novel.

I misread this title as SaraH Wheeler about 60 times before realising it was SHara…
I’ve not read Casey McQuinstons other books but I have heard rave reviews and I was looking for a YA which would completely get me to ignore reality and this certainly did the job.
The main character, Chloe is clever, competitive, & totally focused on getting what she wants, and in this instance it’s to win valicitorien but when SHara vanishes she doesn’t want to win by default so she seeks her out. SHara had left clues, it was strangely self indulgent for a teen to concoct such an elaborate rouse as to where she’s disappeared to, and you just wouldn’t have been able to do that in my old town - either someone would’ve seen you get on a bus or no one would be bothered to try and find you.
Both Shara and Chloe are quite frustrating characters, but who wasn’t annoying as hell at times when they were a teen? The way their minds work is intriguing and frankly I wouldn’t want to be one of their enemies or to be competing against them for anything as it’s obvious they’ll both go to any lengths, think along the lines of Alison & Mona from PLL but even worse.
Whilst finding Shara is the main plot, each of the supporting characters has their own story going on and it’s interesting to see how those arcs play out. It’s a great book for having a realistically diverse group of characters who are fleshed out and not just there for the sake of it, they’re all important to the plot and I absolutely loved Smith! It’s definitely one of those books that people are going to want a glossy, sexy adaptation of and if it got made I’d watch it to see if the clues where handled in the same way or if they’d have to find a different way to show things onscreen. Very funny and full of messy characters who you love to hate!

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a young adult romcom with a mystery, as the school rebel hunts down the missing perfect girl just before graduation. Chloe moved from California to Alabama with her mums, and started Willowgrove Christian Academy, where she's built up a reputation for herself as someone with perfect grades and a rebellious attitude. A month before graduation, the principle's daughter Shara Wheeler kisses Chloe, then disappears. As Chloe tries to work out where Shara is, she finds other people on the same course: Shara's boyfriend, Smith, and her bad boy neighbour, Rory. Together the unlikely alliance try to follow Shara's clues, but maybe Chloe will also start to discover things about the town and the people in it.

A lot of people will be excited to read this new book by Casey McQuiston, aimed at a slightly younger audience than before, and looking at the weirdness of the end of school alongside the lives of queer teenagers in rural America. From the start, you are thrown into the mystery of where Shara has gone, building up a picture of Chloe's life and those around her. Chloe is a difficult protagonist at times, incredibly frustrating especially when she's completely ignoring her friends, but also clearly someone who does care about others when it comes down to it. I did feel like she would be drawn into Shara's clues though, as you did get that sense from her, though there were some parts in the middle where the whole mystery element seemed to be drawn out (and then, somehow, it got resolved a long way before the end of the book). Chloe's insistence that everything is due to her wanting to be valedictorian properly, not by default, feels like a classic romcom trope, and in general the book has a level of self-denial that I think a lot of people will find relatable.

There's a lot of characters to keep track of, but by the end, I felt like a lot of the main and side characters were distinctive, though a few (particularly Benjy and Ash) didn't feel like they got enough airtime in the mix, perhaps the danger with such a large cast. I particularly liked Smith and Rory's storylines, looking at what happens when people grow apart as teenagers for no real reason, and I found the resolution very sweet. I liked Georgia too, though again, due to Chloe's ignoring her for a large chunk of the book, you didn't see as much of her as you might've. In general, one of the ways the book shines is in depicting a lot of different kinds of teenagers, and having them grow to realise their differences aren't as different as they feel, which brings a nice atmosphere to the ending.

Having not grown up in America, I might not understand everything in the depiction of high school, and this specific kind of Christian high school in particular, but I did really like the 'end of school' feel and the distinctive characters in the book. It's a fun romcom that shows how queerness in small towns comes in many different ways and sometimes people aren't quite what you think. I stayed up too late reading it, which I think I would've done if it had existed when I was an actual teenager too, and that's really how I judge what is an enjoyable romantic comedy novel.