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libbet13 's review for:
I Kissed Shara Wheeler
by Casey McQuiston
Casey McQuiston for me is an author who ping pongs back and forth between solidly okay and pretty darn good. Unfortunately, I felt I Kissed Shara Wheeler was just solidly okay. That being said, the prose and style is still very on par with their other books, and if you enjoyed the style of Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop, you won't be disappointed with how I Kissed Shara Wheeler reads. However, it's worth noting that this book is a young adult book, and is centrally much more about identity and finding out who you are than it is a sapphic romance.
My struggle with enjoying the book primarily came down to Chloe and Shara being absolutely insufferable for the majority of the book. This is likely an issue very specific to me, as I went to an academically rigorous high school and came out of it with the steadfast opinion that people shouldn't be sharing grades or competing to be valedictorian (which, sorry Chloe, is a nice title to put on your resumé but isn't much more than that, so not totally sure why you'd dedicate half of high school to pursuing it), and people should instead be pretty much the exact opposite of Chloe and Shara when it comes to academics. It was really hard for me to get beyond this attitude in both Chloe and Shara for most of the book, especially when Chloe would mention moments from her childhood when her intelligence and success in school was praised. (Like when she said her moms would tell her all the other parents wished their kids were doing as well in school as Chloe -- why is that something being discussed at a birthday party? That's just breeding a toxic culture. Celebrate your kid without putting someone else's kid down.) But beyond the pompous attitude they both had towards academics, I simply felt like they were both unkind people and struggled to root for them for quite a while. It was hard to really care about their relationship at the end of the book, because I just didn't feel invested in either of them.
On the note of being invested, I also struggled to understand why any of these characters cared to find Shara so badly. Shara was not set up mysteriously or intriguingly enough for me to truly understand why Chloe, Rory, and Smith were so desperate to find her. And when she returned, I still felt I didn't know who she was or what her whole deal was. I just didn't know Shara by the end of the book, which isn't right.
I also felt like the book went on a bit too long and lost its way a bit after. At that point it just felt like McQuiston was just throwing random stuff at the wall, like and , to fill space and bring Chloe and Shara together. It just didn't feel as natural and plot-driven as the rest of the book, and I found it harder to get through than the first half.
But, I did absolutely love essentially every single side character. Smith, Ace, Rory...they're my babies and I will protect them. When the John Green elements of the book failed me, these characters kept me going.
I also appreciated the plethora of LGBTQ+ characters in I Kissed Shara Wheeler and the representation of the queer journey in the Bible Belt. I think it's something teenagers definitely need in their lives, something that shows them things do turn out okay. And the mystery to find Shara was certainly a fun ride. All in all, a solidly okay book that will give the people who need it exactly what they need.
My struggle with enjoying the book primarily came down to Chloe and Shara being absolutely insufferable for the majority of the book. This is likely an issue very specific to me, as I went to an academically rigorous high school and came out of it with the steadfast opinion that people shouldn't be sharing grades or competing to be valedictorian (which, sorry Chloe, is a nice title to put on your resumé but isn't much more than that, so not totally sure why you'd dedicate half of high school to pursuing it), and people should instead be pretty much the exact opposite of Chloe and Shara when it comes to academics. It was really hard for me to get beyond this attitude in both Chloe and Shara for most of the book, especially when Chloe would mention moments from her childhood when her intelligence and success in school was praised. (Like when she said her moms would tell her all the other parents wished their kids were doing as well in school as Chloe -- why is that something being discussed at a birthday party? That's just breeding a toxic culture. Celebrate your kid without putting someone else's kid down.) But beyond the pompous attitude they both had towards academics, I simply felt like they were both unkind people and struggled to root for them for quite a while. It was hard to really care about their relationship at the end of the book, because I just didn't feel invested in either of them.
On the note of being invested, I also struggled to understand why any of these characters cared to find Shara so badly. Shara was not set up mysteriously or intriguingly enough for me to truly understand why Chloe, Rory, and Smith were so desperate to find her. And when she returned, I still felt I didn't know who she was or what her whole deal was. I just didn't know Shara by the end of the book, which isn't right.
I also felt like the book went on a bit too long and lost its way a bit after
Spoiler
Chloe found Shara and she came back to schoolSpoiler
the protest graduationSpoiler
Principal Wheeler's admissions scamsBut, I did absolutely love essentially every single side character. Smith, Ace, Rory...they're my babies and I will protect them. When the John Green elements of the book failed me, these characters kept me going.
I also appreciated the plethora of LGBTQ+ characters in I Kissed Shara Wheeler and the representation of the queer journey in the Bible Belt. I think it's something teenagers definitely need in their lives, something that shows them things do turn out okay. And the mystery to find Shara was certainly a fun ride. All in all, a solidly okay book that will give the people who need it exactly what they need.