I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Outside of a Dog

English language

Published April 18, 2022 by St. Martin's Press.

ISBN:: 9781250244451

(1 review)

Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and the puritanical administration of Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.

But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair and square.

Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost …

Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and the puritanical administration of Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.

But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair and square.

Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.

5 editions

Elska Bee reviewed I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Review of 'I Kissed Shara Wheeler' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A pretty decent queer YA read with an idiots/academic rivals to lovers throughline. The mystery was low stakes but intriguing enough as you watch the friendship between Chloe, Smith, and Rory develop. Chloe is a slightly unlikeable main character who learns to overcome her prejudices and pre-conceived notions while both Smith and Rory go on separate and intertwined journeys of self-discovery.

I actually really loved Chloe as the lead. I can see how some might find her annoying but Natalie Naudus does an excellent job as narrator and brings to life this academically obsessed bi mean girl. I say mean, but it's more that she is very blunt and no-bs. Her all-consuming obsession over finding Shara and proving that Shara is a terrible person is both entertaining and a good reflection on misplaced priorities (and sapphic chaos).

The main weakness with this one is the length as it does drag …

A pretty decent queer YA read with an idiots/academic rivals to lovers throughline. The mystery was low stakes but intriguing enough as you watch the friendship between Chloe, Smith, and Rory develop. Chloe is a slightly unlikeable main character who learns to overcome her prejudices and pre-conceived notions while both Smith and Rory go on separate and intertwined journeys of self-discovery.

I actually really loved Chloe as the lead. I can see how some might find her annoying but Natalie Naudus does an excellent job as narrator and brings to life this academically obsessed bi mean girl. I say mean, but it's more that she is very blunt and no-bs. Her all-consuming obsession over finding Shara and proving that Shara is a terrible person is both entertaining and a good reflection on misplaced priorities (and sapphic chaos).

The main weakness with this one is the length as it does drag out the mystery for a long time and continues for longer than expected after it's resolved. I don't feel like there was wasted pages, but one of these days I swear McQuistion will learn to make their books a bit shorter, sharper, and shinier lol.