Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Author: Casey McQuiston
Edition: eARC/audiobook
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (May 3, 2022)
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQIA+

Synopsis

My review of I Kissed Shara Wheeler

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a surprisingly twisty YA contemporary novel about expectations and their defiance, love and faith and how it shapes people.

Trigger warnings: Homophobia, Evangelical Christianity, religious homophobia, religious trauma, discussions of racism and misogyny, mentions of past off-page outing of an adult supporting character, threatened outing of supporting character (avoided), underage drinking

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Digging Deep and Looking Past Appearances

My first words after finishing I Kissed Shara Wheeler were “Wow, what a book!”

And I’d like to think that encapsulates my feelings pretty well. To be honest, I am not quite sure how I’m supposed to do this book justice in a review. Sure, I could talk about all the things it is on the surface: a fun and twisty YA novel with excellent queer rep, a chaotic and unlikely friend group and all the teenage chaos you’d expect. And that would be accurate!

But to me, what lies beneath the surface of I Kissed Shara Wheeler is much more interesting. Which is fitting because a lot of this book is about expectations and appearances and the wonders that unfold when you dig deeper and look behind the curtain.

Complex Characters

Chloe Green, our narrator and resident rebellious queer kid at her Catholic school, knows a lot about appearances. After all, being known for a) having gay moms and b) being queer herself, she’s exposed to a relentless sort of visibility in her community. People think they know her and Chloe has gotten pretty good at playing into and weaponizing those expectations. She thinks she sees through people and has figured them all out, most of all Shara. But beneath Chloe’s confidence is a whole lot of insecurity as things start to look a little more complex than she anticipated — especially Shara.

Truly, none of the characters in this book are fully who we expect them to be. They defy their resident high school tropes with colourful glory (and a lot of queerness). Only as Chloe is forced to band together to find Shara does she allow herself to truly see her peers in all their messy complexity. As a reader, uncovering the characters’ secrets and personalities beyond their appearances was probably one of my favourite aspects of this book. Casey McQuiston masterfully constructs each character with such vivid energy that they seem to jump off the page.

An Unexpected Mystery

We all know I love a good mystery. So to uncover that I Kissed Shara Wheeler isn’t just a phenomenal YA contemporary but also has a delightful mystery plotline? Reader, I screamed. I honestly expected the whole “let’s find Shara!” thing to be a minor plot point because I’ve been burned by marketing before. But nope, it’s a true scavenger hunt. And I loved trying to figure out the clues and guessing where Shara might be! The mystery aspect kept the pacing fairly quick, so if you’re looking for a “read in a day” kind of book, I Kissed Shara Wheeler might be it!

Additionally, I simply adored all the little mixed media elements! There are Shara’s notes, transcripts of audio recordings, notes scribbled on class notes and so much more. Adding those elements to a book is a surefire way to win my heart and this was no exception. It adds so much texture to the story and I love it!

Growing Up and Growing Into Yourself

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is twisted and mysterious and a lot of it is invisible, like roots buried beneath layers of soil. And much like that metaphorical plant, it’s about growth. About growing into who you are, no matter what someone looking at the sprout thinks you should be.

This theme of expectations and identity and the difficulties of finding your place when growing up was explored beautifully. Honestly, even as a 23-year-old, I took something away from it that I wish I had been able to absorb as a teenager. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is utterly affirming in its love for its characters and their messy identities and I love it.

To avoid this review getting too long, I’ll keep my thoughts about the way this book handles religion and faith short. Just know this: I love how much space this book holds for different experiences and views on faith. Every character has a unique relationship to their faith (or lack thereof) and even though I’m not personally religious, that breadth of experience was really important to me. There is no one-size-fits-all here, the book doesn’t glorify or demonize Christianity. It simply presents it as a lived reality that the characters interface and sometimes struggle with, all in their own way.

If This Book Was a Feeling…

I Kissed Shara Wheeler feels infinite. It’s like a universe collapsing in on itself forever: huge and impossibly tiny at the same time. The book feels like the magic of standing in the wings before stepping on stage, the anticipation of something greater than yourself. It’s the feeling we chase in coming-of-age stories. The moment when you know that the world is big and you are small but somehow that’s exactly how it should be. The feeling that if this isn’t the place you are meant to be, you can create that place.

Overall…

I Kissed Shara Wheeler is delightfully funny and heart-achingly honest, with a mystery element, the most wonderfully complex and messy characters, and queer exploration of all varieties.

This book is for you if…

…you like YA Contemporaries with queer friend groups and mystery aspects
…you are looking for a book to make you laugh and cry like a coming-of-age movie

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