ARC Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
10:00
Series: None
Author: Casey McQuiston
Published May 12th 2022 by Pan Macmillan
Goodreads Synopsis
From the bestselling New York Times bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need . . .
Chloe Green has spent the past four years dodging gossipy, classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that's kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal's perfect daughter.
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 neighbour 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.
Fierce, funny and frank, Casey McQuiston's I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy and finding love in unexpected places.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Chloe Green may just be the only person at Willowgrove Christian Academy, both student and staff, who doesn't worship the ground that Shara Wheeler walks on. Vying for the valedictorian post, Shara is the only one who has ever caught up with her, and when she kisses her before prom, and then disappears, just weeks before graduation, Chloe needs to know more. Soon Chloe discovers that she is not the only person Shara has recently kissed, and Shara has left a series of post it notes and puzzles for them all to solve. Is there something special between the two, or is Shara messing with Chloe in order to win valedictorian?
I really enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue when I read it a few years ago, so when I learnt that Casey had a YA book coming out soon, I leapt at the chance to read it. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is less of a rom-com, and more a mystery in my opinion. I expected something similar to RWRB, but instead found the mystery, and camaraderie between Chloe, Rory, and Smith, a ragtag bunch who no one would ever expect to become friends without a catalyst starting it all. The representation in this book is amazing, and I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager. I loved Chloe, and her family, and the entire cast of characters. The only person I didn't like was the Principal, who you're not supposed to like anyway. A fantastic YA debut from an already beloved author, and a book I can't wait to tell my students about!
Dates Read:
September 3-8, 2022
Rating
4 Stars
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