Reviews with content warning for Bullying - I Kissed Shara Wheeler

This is my third Casey McQuinston novel, and I lover every second of it! Although this is their first YA novel, all of the staples which make this author such a fan favorite (strong friend groups, humor, joy) are all there, maybe even more so than ever!
There are a few plot holes, but it was such a fun read overall, and I would highly, highly recommend!

I think that the relationship between Smith and Rory was so well done as well! They were my favorites:)

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apileofcranes's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

To me, I kissed Shara Wheeler is the best of YA realistic fiction. Though it utilized many common tropes of the genre, they are all executed in ways that feel deeper and more real than almost any other YA book does. There are a couple of moments where it feels like these tropes are used just to heighten the drama, but the payoff in the end made up for it.
A common problem I’ve found for YA books set in high school is the lack of depth in a lot of side characters, and any depth added is usually told to the reader and not shown. I would say this is where Casey McQuiston’s writing shines the brightest. The supporting cast is so fleshed out and charming that I would read spin-offs about them if they existed. The sides ships rival the main pairing in the book, and Smith is just the best character ever.
The plot itself is fast-paced and creatively mysterious without any dreading suspense that someone will be dead by the end of the book, which is a refreshing twist on how this trope usually goes.
It’s an excellent read for anyone who is queer and living in a place/community where they have to hide their true selves, or is struggling with reconciling their queer identity and their religion. It gives a very grounded look into Christian schools in Deep South, a rare setting to see in YA from my experience.
Overall, it’s an amazing read with fleshed-out characters and a playful mystery to boot. An enemies-to-lovers plot so strong you’re left wondering at certain points if they can make it past enemies at all, but the resolution is all the much sweeter for it.

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crykea's review

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challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Details:
Narrated by Natalie Naudus
Unabridged

A gorgeously queer rivals to lovers cat-and-mouse YA mystery, serving a tie up of Looking for Alaska and Pretty Little Liars, in tone.

My favourite thing about this book was that it had amazing conversation on gender and sexuality, and discussion on how being queer and religious can be difficult but achievable in a small town (with various perspectives on this).

For characters, we don't get direct, present input from Shara until much later in the story but even by the end, I found her to be insufferable. I did warm up to her a little bit, but I just didn't vibe with her attention seeking expoits and how she used people. I really enjoyed getting more of a character breakdown from her and seeing her vulnerabilities unearthed eventually, but I still can't say I liked her.
I felt like Chloe's motives for looking for Shara was too obsessive and strange that it was just to beat her with school grades and becoming the valedictorian. I know there was so much more to it (and I'm glad I stuck around to find this out) but it wasn't a plot development that kept me hooked, especially early on.
I also struggled to see this bad bitch personality that apparently Chloe was known for (as well as the - and I paraphrase this here - 'big-boobed lesbian'). It felt more told than shown and maybe I just couldn't believe that someone can radiate bad bitch energy with such an irritating voice... it just gives the game away.

Talking of voices...
Some of the voices put on were really silly and unbelievable (e.g. Benji and Shara were major examples for this). These times I couldn't help but be pulled out of the narrative. I got used to it eventually but every now and then I'd just stutter-giggle at the absurdity of how they sounded, which is awful when I really think about it....

I adored the banding together of different cliques and the breaking down of social constraints in the face of adversity towards diversity and being unapologetically who you are. That was a bold and beautiful goal that I think the author smoothly curved the direction towards being the overarching narrative.

I throughly enjoyed the last 35% of the story more than the actual hide and seek of the main storyline and if we had more that then this would probably have been more loved from me, but I understand that this would then be a very different book...

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