Reviews tagging 'Outing'

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

85 reviews

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.

Representation:
  • bisexual protagonist
  • sapphic love interest
  • Black gay dyslexic side character
  • Black queer nonbinary side character
  • Black bisexual side character
  • other queer side characters (includes lesbian & nonbinary rep)
  • sapphic main couple
  • lesbian side couple

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rachelelouise's review

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lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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katndrsn's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-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


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owliglot's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5


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adrienreads's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

A fun read - read this for a book club, and finished it, which is more than I could say for most fiction for a long time. I mostly listened to the audiobook. 

The characters are often unlikeable, but in a sort of "I'm in this picture and I don't like it" way - definitely relatable to the ways teenagers can be flawed, at least retrospectively for me. That meant that sometimes it was cathartic, but a lot of the time I was just kind of miserable.

I don't usually enjoy this type of book, so don't take my review too seriously if you do. There is a lot of heart put into this book by the author, so if the premise appeals to you, might be worth giving it a try. 

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tinysierra's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is my first Casey 
McQuiston book. I love the Acknowledgements and Foreward. 

“I’m writing this book to show you that you’re not alone. Also that you deserve ridiculous, over the top high school rom coms about teenagers like you, just like the straight kids have!” 

That’s exactly what this book was. A ridiculous,  over the top Looking for Alaska/Paper Towns type rom com with flawed high schoolers whose brains haven’t fully developed yet.

I liked the cast of characters that we got. I liked the fun little scavenger hunt where we get to see the Rory, Smith, and Chloe come together. I also loved that part of the setting was a family owned bookstore. 

When you’re in high school, it really does feel like that’s your whole world. 

Chloe is uptight and a bit mean. She’s not the greatest friend at some points. She’s flawed and honestly a little relatable. Rory and Smith were interesting characters as well, and it was nice to see their development. I liked that Chloe just casually picked up on the fact that Rory was dyslexic and no one infantilizes him or treats him differently about it. 

Georgia makes a good point, that not everyone can leave their (small minded) hometown. Some people have to stay, or it will never get better. 

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lindseyhall44's review

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.5

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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amiraqualls's review

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funny lighthearted 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

Obsessive sapphics. What’s not to love?

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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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heather667's review

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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