I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Description from Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need...

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 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 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.

Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston's I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.

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My Review:

I was really excited to read this book. I anxiously watched as it got closer and closer to my turn on the waitlist to borrow this from the library. I have loved Casey McQuiston's other books so I had absolutely no doubts that I would enjoy this read as well. While I absolutely do believe this is an amazing book, I found I liked it the least.

While I do like a good enemies to lovers trope, this just missed the mark with me. I get the many layers of going to a heavily Christain school and the wanting to deny liking someone so much that you start to hate them kind of thing, but it was a little much for me. I think this book is a really good book because it made me feel so many things. I absolutely loved Chloe. I think she is one of Casey's best characters. I remember being so frustrated at her every time she ditched her friends or didn't tell them about Shara because I didn't think Shara was worth it. I think if the ending was a bit different I would have been okay with the romance angle, but it just wasn't my cup of tea for once.

As I mentioned, I absolutely loved Chloe. I completely understand her hiding her feelings and then being mad that others don't know how she feels but can't tell them because you have to play a part. It's been a long time since I have connected with a character like this. It was also really awesome to have her be bisexual like me! It felt really nice to be represented like that.

I really loved Smith and Rory. I had no idea what to expect when reading the description of this book. I loved seeing them grow and find themselves. I also really enjoyed the conversations between them and Chole. It's amazing how much you learn about a person when you actually talk to them instead of making assumptions.

Overall, I just want to stress that while this book wasn't a complete hit with me, it is still a really amazing read. I don't think a good book is just something you like, it's something that is able to make you feel things and still be engaged even if you aren't fully feeling it. So if you're thinking of reading this book but are not sure, definitely pick it up.

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