"But Zeke needed to know. You had to choose sides. And you always chose the person who didn’t fuck everything up. You chose the person who was stuck with you."

What an incredibly unusual story. This is the story of Zeke and Frankie who spend a summer together making a poster that has Zeke's art and Frankie's words on it. They then plaster the poster all over town. Next thing you know, it gets enmeshed with a story some teens make up to get out of trouble and things get out of hand and copies start appearing all over the world. It becomes a phenomenon. Crazy things happen. It gets out of hand.

And the whole time, no one knows they started it all.

"I thought that the saddest thing that could happen was that something inside your head worked so hard to make it into the world and then nothing happened. It just disappeared. Now that I’d put those words into the open air, I needed them to multiply, to reproduce, to cover the world."

This book captured the feeling of being a teen and coming of age in the 90s. What art is. What friendship can look like during those years: intense and like it's your whole world. The characters are so real, jump out of the page so much that you can't help but root for them.

"And I wanted to say that it wasn’t his fault, that it was an accident, but maybe everything is an accident. Maybe nothing in the world is intentional. Maybe everything that has ever happened and ever will happen is some dumb mistake. So who cares if you apologize?"

Wilson's stories have so much heart and are so unique and so bittersweet and the characters are so flawed and yet beautiful. It's not possible not to love the books. And this was no exception.

with gratitude to netgalley and ecco for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Another knockout from Kevin Wilson! I just love how weird the characters are in all of his novels and this one did not disappoint. This plot was such a different concept and brought me right into the Coalfield Panic. Frankie and Zeke were so interesting to read about and Frankie was so complicated but also so relatable.

This was my first book by Kevin Wilson and the highest praise I can give is saying I'll be adding him to my list of authors to watch for going forward. This book was phenomenal. Not just a coming-of-age story, but a fantastic narrative about growing up in a small town in the 90s, finding first love (even if you insist that you're just friends), and figuring out how to leave your mark on the world. Two awkward teenagers, thrown together. A unique, compelling story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kevin Wilson for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Two awkward teenagers just want to make art when they are thrown together one strange summer in the small town of Coalfield, Tennessee: all Frankie knows about herself is that wants to write, and all Zeke knows about himself is that he wants to draw. While they spend some time making out, neither is comfortable with sex or a definition of their relationship beyond friendship. When they discover a broken copy machine and repair it, a disturbing shared art project becomes their obsession. They seal their art in blood, make hundreds of photocopies all summer, and put them everywhere in town.

The two teens painfully discover that they can anonymously put images and words out into the world, but they can't control the trajectory of their art, or how it will capture the minds and imaginations of others around them. Even as adults, the explosive result of their art is something that Frankie and Zeke would very much prefer to keep a secret, even as their creation seems to propel them each toward a less exciting version of their original dream. Did the kids create the art, or did the art create them?

This coming-of-age novel is both unique and compelling, an explanation of how art can serve as a vehicle for unexplored feelings and desires, how art can be appropriated by others in surprising ways, how art can morph into legend over time, and how art often cannot be suppressed because it refuses to release its hold.

Love Kevin Wilson, but the writing style in this one was not for me... it felt precious and grated on me after a while. Same with the plot, but I did like the characters a lot.

In Now Is Not the Time to Panic, author Kevin Wilson tells Frankie and Zeke’s story in a humorous and tender-hearted manner, with just enough of the weirdness that fans have come to expect from his fiction. It is Frankie who receives most of the attention—in fact, the book is narrated from her perspective—which makes the entire tale feel like a somewhat twisted coming-of-age story. However, in a revealing Foreword to the main narrative, the author indicates that his real reason for writing this novel in the first place was to base the plot around these seemingly profound, but ultimately nonsensical, lines: “The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives and the law is skinny with hunger for us.”

Many readers will relate to that one summer from adolescence that we will remember always and some of us may have one that altered the trajectory of our lives, as in the case of Frankie. The setting in a pre-internet world was so nostalgic and perfect for me as a kid growing up without the internet. I loved Frankie, as that kid who knew a guy who knew a guy but didn't actually have a lot of friends. I loved how Zeke gave her the chance to be young, and unapologetically herself. He gave her somewhere to be long, and that is something everyone needs at some point in their life.

The writing is amazing, and the themes around friendship touched upon are universal and nostalgic. I especially would love to talk about the artist’s responsibility, or lack thereof, for the consequences of their work in the world. This is a fascinating debate that’s hinted at throughout this book.

This is my third time reading Kevin Wilson, but he is an auto-buy author for me. I grew up in Tennessee and his books always take me home, so for that I'm thankful.

Now is Not the Time to Panic takes place in the 90's in Coalfield, Tennessee. While brainstorming how they can fill their summer with their art, 16 year olds Frankie and Zeke come up with a poster design. They place the posters around town anonymously, eliciting many questions from locals and some copycats. Soon the town is in a fog of hysteria.

This novel is a bit more subdued than other books of Kevin Wilson's I've read, but it captures the essence of teen angst in small town Tennessee so well. I am always surprised at the way Wilson writes his characters, but I love them so much every time- Frankie and Zeke were no different. This book evoked nostalgia so deeply without being too showy and I loved that about it. Despite a bittersweet yet satisfying ending, I can absolutely say this will become another comfort read for me by Wilson. I loved it so much. We are the fugitives.

Thanks so much to Ecco books and Netgalley for granting me an advanced copy of Now is Not the Time to Panic in exchange for my thoughts! Kevin Wilson has done it again!

If you like quirky books with interesting stories and weird, but lovable, characters, this is the book for you! I fell hard for Frankie and Zeke, two precocious and odd 16 year olds who start a "panic" in their small Tennessee town when they come up with a strange phrase and turn it into a poster that they plaster throughout their town. The townspeople are confused--who made this? What does it mean? Some believe its satanic, some believe it could be a famous artist...and it turns the town upside down. Kevin Wilson is such a great writer! This is only my 2nd book of his that I have read, but he is an auto-read author for me now!

This novel is a testament to the power of teenage friendship, the unintended consequences of outsider art and the lingering legacy of both. A really wonderful novel!

Rating: 4.5 stars, but I rounded up to 5

Thank you netgalley for an e-ARC of this book.


Since I was familiar with Kevin Wilson prior to reading this book, having read "Nothing to see here", the weirdness of the characters and situation was like putting on an old shoe. I was totally ready for it and excited. The book is a coming of age novel about two 16 year olds, Frankie and Zeke and the "trouble" they cause through their art in the summer of 1996 in a small town. There is a bit of a "Footloose" aspect to the story in terms of how the town reacts to the posters. Which can also be described as that 1980s/1990s vibe of when it's foreign to us it's clearly Satanic or underground and "bad".  I really enjoyed reading how the poster effects others and the resulting actions.  Even if you didn't grow up in that time period, it very much applies to our current reality and misinformation/disinformation/ concern about control from the government. 


I really enjoyed the mix of past and current to layout the story. But what really made it great for a gen X lady like me was the references to all things of the 1990s. Not just music/bands that were more alternative and less mainstream but also historical references and people.  If you're not familiar with the names in the book, I highly recommend that you Google them to get the full effect of the reference. Even if you don't look it up, you'll still very much enjoy the storyline which is able to stand in its own. 


The book makes you think about what an artist is responsible (or not responsible for) when they've made art. At what point are people responsible for their own actions upon hearing or seeing the art? When or should the creator accept blame for the reactions and hysteria related to what they created? How does the media drive the story?


The only thing I could have done without in this book was the sex element. It didn't really add or detract from the book but it does prevent me from sharing it with my 14 year old for a bit longer. 


Overall, highly recommend this book. It's a very quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kevin Wilson, and HarperCollins for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Now is Not the Time to Panic is a raw, visceral coming of age novel about a girl, Frankie and her first boyfriend Zeke who inadvertently cause a satanic panic in their small town when they anonymously put up posters they designed everywhere they are able.. Set in the backdrop of the mid to late 1990s, the story has a very real feel to it and the reader immediately gets the feeling that this is something very personal to the author. I love how a single line, a single stupid teenage idea can have such rippling effects on not only those personally acquainted with it, but with those around them. It’s a lesson on how quickly art can go viral, even before the age of the internet and how people fear that which they do not understand. I also loved the themes of how our teenage years shape us into the adults we later become and how some things truly never leave us.

My only complaint is that I wish I knew Frankie better. The story is told from her point of view, but I feel like she is still kept at a distance. Then again, maybe that was intentional.

Recommended for Gen X, fans of coming-of-age stories, and teenage friendships.

3.5 stars

2.25 stars!

This is a weird one for me to try and review - there were parts and specific sentences that I loved and felt so deeply, but the overall story did not work for me.

I didn't understand Frankie's obsession with the sentence she wrote in her teens. I felt that it made a profound impact on her, and helped shape her throughout her life... I just never understood why. It never clicked for me.

I feel like the book would have been more impactful as a novella, because at times, it did feel a little repetitive.

I do love the way Kevin Wilson writes. It feels so easy and effortless. I'll continue to pick up his books!

2.5

I really liked Nothing to See Here and was excited to read another story by Kevin Wilson. I truly appreciate his ability to write quirky and unique stories with unconventional characters. Unfortunately however, this book missed the mark for me. The impulsive behavior of two teens, which becomes an obsession and remains that way years later, felt overblown and overly dramatic. It read like a YA novel, I missed the humor, and guess I was just hoping for more... Having said that, I’m still a fan..

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Now Is Not the Time to Panic will be published on November 8th, 2022.

The deal: Sixteen-year-old Frankie meets this dude named Zeke and together they turn angst into art, paste a bunch of copies around town, and accidentally incite a big ol’ panic with serious repercussions.
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Is it worth it?: Maybe? I enjoyed this, then forgot about it no less than 12 hours later. It's quieter and more character-driven than any synopsis would imply. I had an ARC from NetGalley, which included a really interesting forward from the author about how the panic-inducing phrase came to be. I endorse sampling that bit first because it adds an interesting bit of texture.
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Pairs well with: Wilson’s other book, Nothing To See Here (which I preferred), also whatever flavor of teen angst best suits your fancy
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B-

Kevin Wilson has done it again! In this sharp novel, we follow two teenagers who are trying to make meaning of their summer, and end up creating a movement across the world. They keep it a secret until adulthood, when someone discovers the truth.

The intimate authors’ note at the beginning of the book played an excellent role in helping me understand the characters

Themes of mental illness, sense of self, personal exploration, family, and loneliness.

This is a powerful coming-of-age story that continues to live in my mind rent free. It’s funny, witty and relatable, while touching on some profound topics.

In 1996, 16 year old Frankie expects to have an uneventful summer in her painfully ordinary small town, where nothing exciting ever happens. She’s a loner who spends her time working on a Nancy Drew inspired novel. Then she meets Zeke, who just moved into town. Frankie and Zeke decide to create art together. Their creation sets into motion a wild chain of events that they never could have expected.
20 years later, Frankie receives a call from a reporter who is looking for answers about what is known as the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Frankie is terrified of how this might affect her present life and family.

This story explores the moments in our youth that become so meaningful and shape who we become. Specifically, what it feels like to create. It shows how art can take on a life of its own and affect our lives in ways we never could have imagined. I especially loved how Wilson conveyed the way one’s art can be an all-encompassing obsession. How we can carry it with us our whole life and remember the details of certain moments like they were yesterday.

I loved this story from beginning to end. Frankie’s POV was so genuine, real and punchy. It’s been a long time since I actually laughed out loud to a book!. I loved that this was set in 1996, it made it so nostalgic for me. It was so personally relatable. It's the kind of story that gets you reflecting on your own life and the things you've created. and what it all means. The dual timelines also added such depth to this story. I found myself thinking about these characters and what would happen in their lives long after finishing this book..

This story is a special one - the plot, the characters, the writing - excellent! I highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley, Ecco Books and especially Kevin Wilson, for sharing this with the world!

Wow, I loved this book! I've read "Nothing to See Here" but this book is much better. It's the story of two 16-year olds who find each other and form a powerful, artistic connection that ends up exploding with consequences neither could have imagined. The novel portrays the kind of obsession and angst that can happen during adolescent relationships, which felt cathartic to me. I would not have enjoyed it so much if I didn't know that they were going to meet again as adults and get to read how they would deal with that connection and period of time, and I was not disappointed. Highly recommended! Thank to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oooh, that was good. Not quite Nothing to See Here good but also not The Family Fang.

Thank you, NetGalley folk, for a chance to read an ARC.

I really, really enjoyed Kevin Wilsons "Nothing to See Here" a couple years ago - so quirky, weird & unputdownable. Delighted to receive an early copy of his latest effort, "Now is Not the Time to Panic". This new novel is told in dual time-lines about two lonely & misfit teens, Frankie & Zeke, in late 90's small-town Tennessee, just trying to make "ART" and be noticed, when a poster they created goes what would today be referred to as "viral". Forward 20 years later, and they are leading their own adult and artistic lives when their roles & involvement in the "1996 Coalfield Panic" is discovered, and we are along for that journey. This is also very much a "coming-of-age" story and I loved the main characters so much, especially Frankie! At times both funny & sad, I adored & devoured this book & HIGHLY RECOMMEND it, a true pleasure to read. Don't forget the "author's note"! My sincere thanks to the publisher, author & Net Galley for the complimentary DRC, the exchange of which did not affect my opinion.

A coming of Age story about how obsession can carry forward through the adulthood. A single summer in 2 teens life have long reaching effects. I loved this one!!