Day’s YA: I KISSED SHARA WHEELER

I KISSED SHARA WHEELER by Casey McQuiston
9781250244451
5/3/22
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

When Chloe Green moved from LA to Alabama with her moms, she knew it would be four tortuous years. Four years of homophobic comments and close-minded puritanical leadership at Willowgrove Christian Academy. But the end—and the valedictorianship—are in sight. The only thing standing in her way now is her one and only rival, Shara Wheeler, the principal’s daughter and the golden child of Willowgrove. 

But then, weeks before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and runs away. Desperate to find Shara and drag her back so she can win the valedictorian spot fair and square, Chloe teams up with Smith, Shara’s jock boyfriend, and Rory, Shara’s neighbor, on a quest for answers. They make an unlikely team, but they share one important detail: they were all kissed by Shara before she disappeared. So the trio works together to follow the trail of clues Shara left behind. In Chloe’s words, “It feels alarmingly like she’s just been assigned to the world’s worst group project.” 

Casey McQuiston is well known for their funny, feel-good adult rom-coms, and with I KISSED SHARA WHEELER, they make the move into the YA space flawlessly. The mystery of Shara’s disappearance kept me turning pages as I tried to untangle the clues alongside Chloe. And the queer cast of characters is delightful and loveable, but also relatably flawed. I KISSED SHARA WHEELER is a beautiful and hilarious story of queer discovery and queer joy, perfect for fans of COOL FOR THE SUMMER by Dahlia Adler, PERFECT ON PAPER by Sophie Gonzales, and THE HENNA WARS by Adiba Jaigirdar.

“An engaging, fast-paced story.” —Kirkus Reviews

Happy reading!
<3 Emily

YA Resources:
2022 Books for Teens
Day’s YA archives
2022 Adult Books for Teens