How do I describe this book? I had no expectations for Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson and then it became one of my most unexpected and beloved titles of 2019. I absolutely loved this book more than I can say.

Nothing to See Here is so many things all wrapped up into an indulgently readable package. It is funny and sad, smart and accessible, profound and so so mundane. I don’t know what it is about Wilson’s writing, but I was utterly swept up into this novel and I could not have broken free of its rhythm before the end even if I’d wanted to.

Most of all, I fell in love with the characters inside this gem. They are imperfect and weird, they curse and fight and sometimes they light themselves on fire, but they are all so real and relatable. The characters in this book jump off the page and into fully fledged reality with a life and color that surprised and bewitched me. The book is over and I’m still not ready to let go of them.

Nothing to See Here is about family and loss, trauma and love, and learning to trust, and it is such a beautiful story. I recommend this most highly to anyone thinking about reading it. You will not be disappointed.

Children who catch fire, senators who would do anything to gain power, and parents who value wealth more than their own children. This story is funny, well written, heartbreaking, sobering, and deeply relatable. Not my typical type of read but I’m glad I picked this up!

I could hardly put this book down. While there is difficulty in describing the plot -- children that burst in to flames without hurting themselves? -- this story really is about building a family out of unloved people. First person narration doesn't always lend itself to wonderful descriptions, but this has them. I felt like I was playing basketball when the kids were learning and Lillian was practicing. I found myself telling everyone about the book as I read it, so it will be an easy book to promote.

“How else would we protect ourselves?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. How did people protect themselves? How did anyone keep this world from ruining them? I wanted to know. I wanted to know so bad.

The blurb of this book is not typical and I am not sure what drew me to it but I am so glad I read it. Even though this book sounds like it's about two kids who light on fire, the fire itself is such a small part of the overall story. It's really about parenting, family, friendship, neglect, and belonging.

"She was holding it in her hands, cupped together. It looked like what love must look like, just barely there, so easy to extinguish."

I am not usually a fan of dark humor but in this case, I think it was beautifully done and added a tiny bit of lightness into this story which at its core is actually a very sad story. If you're looking for a funny, clever story about kids who spontaneously burst into flames, this is not your story.

If you're looking for a touching story about belonging and family with bits of dark humor sprinkled in about politics and wealth, this is your story.

I loved reading it.

With gratitude to netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

One of the funniest books I have read in a long time. I was hesitant since the topic is so odd, but I'm so glad I read this. An unusual story that you are going to love!

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson is a quick, light read. Ill admit that I was hesitant to read a female protagonist written by a male author but I quickly learned these fears were unfounded. The story is about Lillian, a girl in her mid twenties, who is asked to help out her high school friend. Lillian finds her self in charge of 10 year old twins who are like feral creatures with a unique ability. This is a laugh out loud story that keeps the reader hooked.

Entertaining on many levels, with a Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children kind of vibe. And you’ll feel good at the end.

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK. I devoured it in 2 days and sitting here with tears in my eyes because the ending was perfect and emotional, and I’m also sad it ended? NOTHING TO SEE HERE is pretty perfect from title to finish. Lilian, our flawed heroine, is tasked with watching over the two stepchildren of her high school best friend. The catch: the spontaneously catch on fire when upset, and they are the seemingly unwanted children of a state senator. But Lilian needs a job, and wants to be near her mysterious friend in a Tennessee mansion, so she takes the job even though she’s never looked after children before.

The plot may seem wild, but it’s also tender, realistic, and truly funny. I gasped, laughed, and teared up multiple times. Wilson’s writing is succinct and breezy, and I thought he could never top the incredible THE FAMILY FANG, but I think he has here by a mile. It comes out at the end of October and I can’t recommend it enough.

4.5 stars- what a weird and inventive book. It’s going to be a huge book this fall and it’s worth the buzz. Well written, quirky characters, outrageous but believable scenario. A must read!

Thank you to the publisher for the free, advance copy.

"Nothing To See Here" is the first book I've read by Kevin Wilson, but it will not be my last. Lillian and Madison meet at a prestigious school and become best friends despite the huge disparity in their backgrounds. More than a decade letter, Madison, now the wife of a powerful senator, contacts Lillian, still living with her mother, with an intriguing job opportunity. Lillian accepts the offer and becomes the governess for the senator's children from a prior marriage. The children, Roland and Bessie, are afflicted with an unusual condition-they spontaneously catch on fire when agitated.

I really enjoyed this book and wish it had been longer as it only took me about two hours to read. The premise is definitely unusual (kids who catch on fire?) but the author makes it work beautifully. The story is both touching and humorous and explores issues such as privilege and power, acceptance, love, and friendship. The characters are well developed and realistic. I found myself actually caring about what happens to Bessie and Roland. This is not a dark story about children with supernatural abilities (like Carrie or Stranger Things). It is a lighthearted feel-good story about being different and finding your place in the world.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kevin Wilson, and HarperCollins Publishers for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this endearing book.

I really want to like Kevin Wilson's writing more than I do. He has some great ideas, interesting stories, and fun characters, but there is something about his writing that turns his great ideas into good books. Not great books. This is my third Kevin Wilson novel and all of them suffer from the same thing: they have great stories and characters but the pacing and climaxes in the plot become a letdown. For example, the opening of this novel has great tension between Lillian and Madison, boarding school roommates, so when Madison asks Lillian to come and be the live in nanny of her two stepchildren, Lillian agrees. This tension that is built, the acts and betrayal between Lillian and Madison are only mentioned again on a surface level. This does not become the motivation of either of their actions when they get back together, just used as an example of Madison always getting her way because she is privileged and rich. The pacing seems a little off too. The beginning, from the beginning until the time Lillian meets the kids seems to take forever, like he spends the first quarter of the novel as an information dump. For a novel that feels relatively short, it feels like it takes way too long to get into the action.

I do admire Kevin Wilson's ideas. A story about a woman reunited with someone she only knew briefly in high school, to become the nanny of her twin stepchildren, who also spontaneously combust, is a pretty great idea. There is a ton of potential with this novel, but instead we get Lillian teaching them how to play basketball and lying by the swimming pool. I do not know what could have been done differently, what could have made this novel a little more exciting, but the execution is not it. The ending is pretty good, but this feels more like a wasted opportunity than anything. I felt the same way about "The Family Fang." I felt the same way about "Perfect Little World." I also feel the same way about this novel. If you like his work, then this will fit right in, but if you are waiting for him to just knock a book out of the park, the wait continues. Kevin Wilson has home run potential, but he is still fouling off pitches. I will still be reading his work, because it is still quick and entertaining.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wilson has written an enjoyably quirky novel which exists in our world, but with one slight difference, people can spontaneously combust! The main character, Lillian, was raised by a single mom without money or resources, but her hard work allowed her to earn a scholarship to an elite boarding school. She forms an immediate bond with her roommate Madison, although they have very little in common. After a scandal forces Lillian back into her impoverished life, the girls stay in touch and build two very different lives. Year later, Madison has it all, money, a marriage to a man with political aspirations, and a young son; Lillian on the other hand lives with her mom and works at two grocery stores. However, within her perfect world, Madison has a small problem, two problems actually, in the form of her step-children and she asks Madison to become their nanny. Family dynamics, friendships, and a range of emotions are on display in this book. You will feel a connection with the flawed characters, and as long as graphic language is not an issue, you will enjoy the writing immensely.

I am a fan of Kevin Wilson's previous work and long-time readers will recall that the basic premise of this novel matches the plot of Annie Fang's comeback film. This is a darkly comic tale of female friendship, class differences, and parenthood. I flew through it and definitely recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
Nothing to See Here was an unexpected win for me since I usually don't laugh at books that are touted as being funny. This book actually made me laugh out loud at times while reading, which is a definite rarity. It's weird, quirky and hilarious., and I'm looking forward to reading more by Kevin Wilson.

I almost passed up the chance to read this ARC, because I hadn't loved The Family Fang (it eventually hooked me, but I almost gave up reading it a few times). I'm really glad I didn't, because Nothing to See Here is really something. Something I can't exactly describe. Lillian is in a dead-end job and living in her mom's attic, when her penpal/former school friend, Madison, writes and asks her to come work on her estate. Lillian and Madison have a weird friendship conducted entirely by mail, having not seen one another for the decade since Lillian was expelled from the fancy private school where they met and where Lillian was on scholarship. Madison's life is completely different from Lillian's and was seemingly perfect until she had to take in her senator husband's twins from a previous marriage, who have the tendency to burst into flames. Yes, burst into flames.

I was pretty much hooked by the story a few pages in. Madison and Lillian are both wounded and weird in different ways, and neither are really that sympathetic. They do seem like real people I wanted to know more about. Watching Lillian take on the role of governess to Bessie and Roland was fascinating. She isn't sure she wants to take care of them, doesn't necessarily like them, but ends up loving and protecting them. The kids are great and really believable even though they burst into flames. I really liked the surreal quality to the story and that it takes place over the course of just weeks and ends fairly unresolved. It's like a lovely little interlude--I couldn't put it down until I finished the whole thing.

Thanks to Kevin Wilson, Ecco publishing, and NetGalley for the Advance reader copy of “Nothing to See Here” This was my first Kevin Wilson novel, and wait for it, not my last! No hyperbole, I am looking forward to his back catalogue. From the reviews that I have read in the past, the two most common words are quirky and weird. From my reading of Nothing to See Here, which has some, magical realism, so these two kids sometimes spontaneously combust, no big deal! While it is a plot point, I found myself more interested in the characters, including said kids. Lillian is a strong literary character with a powerful and biting force. Mr. Wilson writes with witty, short, declarative sentences that are dripping with subtle sarcasm that is very much of the real world. This book might be labeled “weird” but I thought it was grounded nicely in the real world with real people with real struggles about growing up. In the end I think readers will be finding they have learned about the dynamics of parenting and how we all make it in the world today. Thanks for reading! Nothing To See Here will be released on October 29, 2019! It has a beautiful cover also, matches the beautiful content on the inside! #nothingtoseehere #netgalley

So I really enjoyed Kevin Wilson's other books- especially "The Family Fang". I started this one put it down for later and picked it up again last night. I finished it in one sitting. It is a sweet story about what makes an unconventional family. Is it especially deep- no, but it is touching and I found myself drawn into the life of Lillian and her two strange charges.

Originally I came across this book when I was reading the excerpts in the Buzz Books 2019 Fall / Winter collection of the best stories to look out for in the coming months. It sounded promising, but it took me a while to request this since this is an author I wasn’t familiar with. I’m glad that I did, even more so when I saw the author’s Dedication – ”For Ann Patchett and Julie Barer” having recently spent time in another world courtesy of Ann Patchett.

Madison is the daughter of a well-to-do family, and Lillian is a girl born into an impoverished life, both monetarily and in affection. Lillian makes her way to her dorm room alone after her mother drops her off at the esteemed Iron Mountain Girls Preparatory School, cautioning her that she’s about to enter a world for which she’s utterly unprepared.

” As I walked to my dorm, I realized that the other girls didn’t even look at me, and I could tell that it wasn’t out of meanness. I don’t think they even saw me; their eyes had been trained since birth to recognize importance. I wasn’t that.”

They become friends almost as soon as they meet when Lillian arrives, but there is a sense of an uneven nature to their friendship. Madison takes Lillian under her wing, and just as easily, places her under the guillotine when it serves her purpose, and Lillian ends up expelled from the only chance she’s ever had to escape the life she was born into.

Time passes, fifteen years, and although they’ve communicated through mail periodically, but not regularly. And then Madison contacts her, asking her to come visit their estate, without stating the job opportunity she has in mind – a job as governess, caring for, watching over her husband Jaspar’s twins by his now-deceased ex-wife. Bessie and Roland are ten-years-old, and are not like most ten-year-olds, they have an exceptionally unfortunate condition, which seems to “flare up.” When annoyed, agitated, angry they seem to, well, umm… spontaneously combust. Most unfortunate. But, the problems directly created are less the issue that concerns Madison and Jasper, they are more concerned that Jasper’s political future will be impacted should other become aware of this information.

Since it’s impossible to determine when and where these incidences might occur, it’s considered “best for all” if Lillian lives in a “guest cottage” on their massive property with the twins, with the added charge of making sure she also handles the twins home schooling. Since Jasper, excuse me, Senator Roberts, was being vetted for a potential position in a large white home on Pennsylvania Avenue. Of course, it would never do for a prominent political figure, especially with so many eyes on him, to have children who could create awkward moments – especially those involving flames sparked by a moment of anger. The publicity would ruin him, imagine the tweets generated!

I enjoyed this one so much more than I anticipated, and appreciated the light touch of dark humour that is woven throughout this story, as well as the themes of power and money in politics, as well as friendship, abandonment and, most of all, the power of love.



Pub Date: 29 Oct 2019


Many thanks for the ARC provided by HarperCollins Publishers / Ecco

This is a wonderful book about what's important, and about finding yourself, and how that can happen in the most unexpected and bizarre of circumstances. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Such a cute story! Truly unlike anything i have read and very different. I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks to Net galley for the ARC!!!