I adored 'Red, White and Royal Blue' and so I am pleased to see Casey McQuiston back on form with her first young adult novel. We meet Chloe Green at the beginning of her hunt for Shara Wheeler. Not only did Shara kiss Chloe but she dramatically disappeared after homecoming, just in time to threaten her claim to valedictorian. Can Chloe overcome her academic nemesis by claiming valedictorian for her own, even while following Shara's crazy puzzle trail?

This novel is pretty fun and twisty. I enjoyed the trio Chloe formed with Shara's boyfriend Smith and next door neighbour Rory, all victims of Shara's kiss and ditch. The puzzle trail is fun to read and introduces a range of characters and scenarios in False Beach and at the mega-Christian Willowgrove School. The characters embody different LGBTQIA+ identities, oppressed by the teachings of the school and gradually muddling through this to find their voice. Chloe, who moved to the area from California as a freshman, is secure in her bisexuality and so it is endearing to watch how she is able to bring friends out of their shell and fight for what she believes in, all while kicking Shara's butt academically. She thrives where others would sink, sometimes at the detriment to her likability - it is, however, fantastic to see her grow as a character throughout her journey.

The reason for the docked star is that the puzzle trail is solved about 60% of the way into the book with odd pacing for the rest of it. I felt the narrative could have been better spaced out, but I did appreciate our opportunity to get to know Shara as more than a voice on a pink notelet.

Overall, lots of teenagers will feel seen within the range of characters McQuiston writes and will enjoy the mystery at this book's centre. I hope that this is the first of many young adult novels for McQuiston. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It kept me guessing the whole way through. The formatting of short chapters and different style of notes was great. It captured the feeing of the last bit of time before graduation so well. A must read.