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A review by patricktreads
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So this is my first book by Casey (yes I know), so I was really nervous that I would be really excited and then the work not meet expectation.
I was BLOWN AWAY! I’ve always loved a good mystery and I loved the character growth that came from this one. This book had the mystery, it had the drama, it had the representation, and it even had pre-read content warnings. That last one was also everything.
I had no clue that this book would be set in Alabama. That was a pleasant surprise. What was more exciting is the fact that this fictional town is actually only set about an hour from my hometown. It was exciting to have a story with parts of my home represented.
I also connected with the main characters experiences. A lot of these small towns in the south are very spot on to the description laid out by the author.
Last note to add is if you have the chance, the audio book is exceptional. I was given access to an arc by audio, and the narrator was spectacular. They didn’t just read the lines of the book, they absolutely performed the pages. At one point our main character cries and the narrator is so spot on that I could feel the pain in the words.
Absolute recommend!
I was BLOWN AWAY! I’ve always loved a good mystery and I loved the character growth that came from this one. This book had the mystery, it had the drama, it had the representation, and it even had pre-read content warnings. That last one was also everything.
I had no clue that this book would be set in Alabama. That was a pleasant surprise. What was more exciting is the fact that this fictional town is actually only set about an hour from my hometown. It was exciting to have a story with parts of my home represented.
I also connected with the main characters experiences. A lot of these small towns in the south are very spot on to the description laid out by the author.
Last note to add is if you have the chance, the audio book is exceptional. I was given access to an arc by audio, and the narrator was spectacular. They didn’t just read the lines of the book, they absolutely performed the pages. At one point our main character cries and the narrator is so spot on that I could feel the pain in the words.
Absolute recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Abandonment, Bullying, and Gaslighting