Chloe Green grew up in southern California. She knows sushi and Boba tea and open-mindedness. That is where she lived with her two moms. But then her grandmother got sick and needed help, and her mothers decide to move to Alabama (back to Alabama for one of them) to care for her. And that’s how Chloe came to be enrolled in Willowgrove Christian Academy.
Willowgrove is the best school in the area. It’s a stepping stone to the SEC for athletes and to the Ivy League for the academically ambitious. And Chloe is ambitious. She had her eye on that valedictorian spot since she walked in the door as a freshman. But Willowgrove is looking for a particular kind of student, and Chloe doesn’t quite fit the bill. The school’s rules are puritanical and more than a little judgmental, and Chloe likes to push against the rules form time to time.
But then Shara Wheeler kissed her.
Shara Wheeler is the quintessential Willowgrove student. She is smart (she’s Chloe’s top competition for valedictorian). She is beautiful. She is dating the quarterback, Smith Parker. And she’s the daughter of the principal. Everyone loves Shara. Except for Chloe.
But then Shara kissed her. Shara kissed Chloe, and then Shara disappeared.
It was the prom, and Shara was about to be crowned the queen, and then she just left. No one knew where she went. But Chloe knew that something was up with her, so the next morning, she broke into the Wheeler’s house and went to Shara’s bedroom to try to find her or find some clue as to where she’s gone. And she does find something—Rory. Rory is literally the boy next door, and he tells Chloe that Shara had kissed him too. And then they find the note.
Shara had left a note in a pink envelope. It was addressed to Rory, but it’s a clue for Chloe, Smith, and Rory. They will have to work together to figure out where she’s gone, and why. Chloe assumes that they won’t want to help her, but they will to find Shara. But as she spends time with Smith and Rory, Chloe realizes that they’re not who she thought they were. And maybe Shara wasn’t who she thought either. And if Shara isn’t the perfect Christian student, and she kissed Chloe, what does that really mean to her?
I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a fun romp, teenagers sent on a scavenger hunt by a young woman who is smarter than anyone expected. But it’s also a look at the areas of our culture that judge those who are different and teach fear and shame around that. Bestselling author Casey McQuiston once again takes what could be a simple love story and turns it into so much more. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is a study of community, of acceptance, and of finding your true self in the culture of control.
I thought I Kissed Shara Wheeler was sublime. I loved every part of this story, from the hunt for the missing prom queen to the way the kids came together, finding their own voices as their senior year winded down. I do know how confining that Christian school culture can be, and I was so happy to see the students finding ways to express their individuality within it. And the ending was amazing, but you’re going to have to read this yourself to find out any more than that. Just know that it’s worth the trip. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the high school story that today’s world needs, and I hope everyone who needs this book finds it and loves it. This is the kind of book that could find a lonely teenager and help turn their life around, just because someone sees them and understands.
Egalleys for I Kissed Shara Wheeler were provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.
