Everyday I Am So Fucking Grateful That I Have The Kind Of Friend Group I Got To See In I Kissed Shara

Everyday I am so fucking grateful that I have the kind of friend group I got to see in I Kissed Shara Wheeler. I live in an area that’s been growing but still relatively small where the only religion is Christianity. For years it was so isolating that I hadn’t even bothered to consider finding out what was different about me. I just kept trying to shove myself into the mold that everyone wanted me to. And then in 7th grade my closest friend came out to me as bi. And when I told her I might be questioning she sent me video after video and patiently explained what each label meant and I found something that clicked. And then another friend came out. And another. And another. And our labels have changed for some of us and plenty of people are still unlabeled but I stumbled into my own little queer friend group and somehow found more. And I found teachers like Mr. Truman. I’ve met and befriended people so similar to Georgia, and Benjy, and Shara, and Rory, and Ash, and Smith, and Ace, and Summer, and am unendingly grateful to all of them. They’re the kind of people you don’t even realize you need until they’re in your life and you’ve nearly forgotten what it was like without them and couldn’t imagine letting them go. To see those friendships and those people in IKSW that was so very close to my situation (though I’m probably more of a Shara than a Chloe. Someone please find me my Chloe) was so wonderful and seeing the queer friendships and queer joy Casey McQuiston includes in all their books is something I will forever love them for because it’s not only shown me what I want but what I already have and I’ve come to appreciate those relationships so much more than I already do seeing them mirrored in a book I love so much.