Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

61 reviews

kbairbooks's review

challenging funny mysterious 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

3.75

This was cute and mysterious. As always Casey’s characters are incredibly fleshed out and they just feel so real and delightful and I loved the learning about yourself aspects but the book did feel young to me. I’m past the age where I want to read about high schoolers anymore but I want to read anything Casey puts out for the rest of forever. I enjoyed the mystery (especially since it wasn’t horror based) and the Christian aspects were interesting from my ex-Christian POV. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Homophobia, and Outing

mallory10100's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

WOW i loved this book so much 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Biphobia, Cursing, and Misogyny

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Outing, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Minor: Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual harassment

god i love found family books and this DELIVERED

dododenise's review against another edition

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

It’s Casey McQuiston, of course this book gets five stars. 

This book was so much fun. A beautiful ya romcom, full of teenage drama, idiocy, passion, love and friendship. The cast of characters was wonderful. Everyone was so interesting and the whole group was diverse and fun. There were just a tad bit too many characters because I did loose track of them sometimes. 
The representation in this was wonderful. Queer found family, or in this case a queer friend group, just makes me unbelievably happy. And the book kept getting queerer (is that a word? it is now). Watching them grow and become more confident in who they were was wonderful to read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Outing, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Racism and Alcohol

cozyreadsandcoffee's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

3.5

I think this book fell short of what I know Casey Mcquiston can do. 

I think Chloe was almost too whiny and superficial to enjoy her journey. [Don't get me started on her valedictorian speech] I think  I would have enjoyed this more if given the perspectives of Rory and Smith because having it from just Chloe's viewpoint became almost superficial. 

I think also being in a small town, the seriousness of kids getting outed to their families was not as much as it should have been. It just seemed there wasn't much on this topic as I thought there would be. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Biphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Transphobia, Abandonment, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Alcohol, Racism, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

mayareadsxo's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

Most of the time, when i read, I see pieces of myself in words or character descriptions. Maybe I even see myself in a character or two. I’ve never read a book where I can look at over 4 characters and say “wow! that’s me.”…until now. 

I honestly don’t have any words of my own. Read the book. It says all I could want to. 

This is one for the books. I highly recommend it. Because of its nature, please be cautious and check the trigger warnings. They are there for a reason. 💕

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Cursing

Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Transphobia

emilypete17's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective 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 book is like the chaotic queer lovechild of a John Green novel and all of your favorite coming of age movies from the past decade. Casey McQuiston knows just where to hit me to make me bawl my eyes out and snort-laugh every single page. I wish I had this book in high school, and I'm so glad there are other queer kids in the south who have it now and maybe will finally be able to see a piece of themselves on the page.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Biphobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Classism, Dysphoria, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Racism, Outing, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

arthur_ant18's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Bullying, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Outing, Alcohol, and Cursing

Minor: Racism, Infidelity, and Cancer

lindseygetsliterary's review

emotional funny reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Biphobia

Minor: Alcohol

marvelmerlin's review

funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia

Minor: Alcohol

skudiklier's review

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

4.75

So: I loved both of Casey McQuiston's other books, but I had no idea if I would feel the same way about this one, given that it's YA. When I started it, it felt a little too Paper Towns, and I'll admit I was worried. 

But given the fact that I read the last three-quarters of the book today, neglecting many other responsibilities, I'd say I liked it. 

It's a sweet queer rom-com mystery with a great love quadrilateral and a fair amount of religious trauma. I didn't grow up in the south, but I was in the theatre gay friend group at a small-town redneck conservative high school, so, you know. I can relate. 

This book was really sweet. If you start it and you're unsure whether you like it or not, I'd recommend reading the author's note at the end. I did that a little ways in (not for any particular reason), and it helped me picture some of the characters/tone better. Also, side note, I love Smith Parker with my whole heart. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Alcohol, Outing, and Cursing

Minor: Sexual content, Racism, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Transphobia

Major warning for religious trauma!