Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

35 reviews

seventhswan's review

hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

This was a fun, lighthearted read that I know I would have eaten up as a teen! It had the Casey McQuiston hallmarks of being very chaotic, full of side characters that were as well-developed as the MCs, and of course extremely gay. As McQuiston points out in the acknowledgements, it's important that LGBTQ teens have access to these kinds of stories, so I'm not bothered in the slightest that the plot was pretty predictable - and the writing was solid, anyway.

I didn't, though, enjoy this book as much as One Last Stop or Red, White and Royal Blue. Part of this is definitely that I'm not the target demographic for this story and found the high-school friendship dramas grating rather than relatable at this point in my life. Part of it was my frustration with Chloe, the main character - I liked just about every other character better, and found that she didn't get less annoying over the course of the book. And, sadly, part of it was that I feel parts of the plot were so unrealistic as to be dangerously hopeful. I wish it was possible to be nonbinary, date men, wear glitter eyeliner, and still get a full D1 scholarship for college football. I wish it was true that a group of LGBT students could effectively protest a homophobic Christian high school and have the support of the local press, and for the worst result of this to be some mean words and funny looks. Red, White and Royal Blue was just as unrealistic in this regard, but there are far fewer potential First Children in the world than ordinary queer teens in violently homophobic environments, and while the relentless optimism of this book was sweet, I don't feel able to fully endorse it.

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cecinamo's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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

This was just an absolutely amazing sapphic romcom!!! I loved it so much! It finds so many new ways to surprise you and is so funny and heartwarming 💗💗💗 I love the characters so much <3 All of them are so well written and you get attached to them very quickly! Would 100% recommend!!!

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lunep's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-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

4.5

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the_addictt's review

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

For the first like 2/3 of the book I absolutely hated Sarah and the book was hard to read for me, as it was a lot about her. But after that portion when we get to know her and the author allows us to understand her, I fell in love with the character. Amazing book. I recommend :)

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plumpaperbacks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

I might not have the same deep love and intense attachment to this book as I do Casey’s adult novels, but I did still really enjoy it. This book is a collage of elements from other YA books I’ve enjoyed—the bittersweet feeling of high school ending from The Summer of Everything, the academic rivals to lovers slow-burn that may or may not have been simmering all along from Today Tonight Tomorrow, the self-discovery and acceptance of so many other queer stories—while still being its own unique thing.

It’s a story of ferocious girls and cinnamon roll boys and yet another iconic group of disaster queer friends, the sort of group Casey excels at writing. It’s a story of teens being messy, teens being teens, in the final moments they have before becoming adults; of all the stages of queerness and trauma and healing and love, of love in so many different forms and expressions. And it’s beautiful. It’s fun, it’s important, and it’s so very beautifully done.

It might not be a book I love with enough fervor to call a favorite, but nonetheless, I know I’ll be thinking about it for some time. Casey’s books tend to have that effect.

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