I finished this one several days ago and still am not quite sure what I think of it. I read "Nothing to See Here" and loved it so it wasn't necessarily Wilson's writing style that left me unsettled. Given my experience, I'll review this with some pro and cons...

Pros:
- Quirky characters that were flawed but lovable
- Unexpected humor (PT Cruiser thread)
- Found family (that is actually family in most cases but they were previously unaware the others existed)

Cons:
- I'm not sure the story really resolved anything
- Dragged at times and I slogged through it
- I had a hard time buying into the father's basketball storyline

I think this might be a case of picking up the wrong book for me at the time and I may revisit this one at another point when I may be able to better enjoy it.

Overall: 3.25/5 rounded down

Kevin Wilson does such a great job writing the bizarre ins and outs of families, found and otherwise. The premise was as delightful as it was ridiculous, and I loved every single character in the book. Just perfect.

A fun return to the writing world of Kevin Wilson. Once again he produces a cast of quirky but loveable characters, this time in the form of half-siblings who never knew any of the others existed. While the ending left me wanting a little more resolution, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent tagging along on this quirky roadtrip.

Madeline and her mother run a farm in Tennessee. Her father abandoned them years ago, “Mad” learned to accept her life and move on.
One day, a strange guy in a PT Cruiser shows up at the farm claiming to be Mad’s half-brother. Reuben “Rube” tells Mad there are other siblings. He invites her on a road trip to meet them, and hopefully they can track down and meet their father.
They want answers!
This is a story about being isolated and alone one day then discovering you have a beautiful family the next day!
Each character has their quirks, but none of them ever thought they would have a big family to lean on.
Run for the Hills is about finding family and bonding with them. It’s about learning to trust and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. It’s about siblings bonding and discovering they actually love each other.
This is fun-filled book with some emotional detours. It’s a feel-good summer story. It’s about the beauty of finding family-under surprising circumstances!

A book about siblings who thought they were their parent's only child, until they discovered each other. Rube, the oldest, decides after his mother has passed away, that he is going to find the father that walked away from him and his mom. He hires a detective and discovers there are at least 3 more siblings. As he journeys to find them, he finds that the man who was his father was a man who couldn't ever accept responsibility and stay in one place, and not only that but he changed his entire identity with each new place.

The story is full of humor, sad moments, angry moments and detailed descriptions as the siblings travel to meet their father.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kevin Wilson and Ecco publishing for my ARC.

I want to live inside this authors brain for a day. He writes the most realistically complex characters in asinine situations, and it’s so compellingly readable.

I was excited to read Run for the Hills, Kevin Wilson's latest novel. Having discovered Wilson when someone in my book club selected "Nothing to See Here," I became an instant fan. "Nothing to See Here" tells the story of Lillian, a young woman hired by her friend Madison to care for twin stepchildren with an unusual condition: they spontaneously combust when agitated, their skin bursting into flames. This peculiar premise is Wilson's style. He is strange, and "Run for the Hills" continues his resume.

The story opens with Madeline "Mad" Hill, a 32-year-old organic farmer in Tennessee. Her solitary but content life is upended when Reuben "Rube" Hill, a 44-year-old writer from Boston, appears at her farm. He reveals that he is her half-sibling, and their shared father—who abandoned them decades ago—left behind a trail of other half-siblings across America. Rube wants Mad to join him on a cross-country road trip to meet their siblings and confront their father, who now lives in California.

Mad agrees (naturally, or we wouldn't have a story), and the two pile into a rented PT Cruiser (an odd but fitting choice) to begin their journey. Their duo grows into a trio, then a quartet from Oklahoma to Utah. The beauty lies in their differences—each sibling varies wildly in age and interests—while their shared experience of abandonment and lingering questions about their father bind them together.

Each scene sparkles with Wilson's trademark blend of humor and heart, melancholy and absurdity. The dialogue is whip-smart, and the banter sizzles. While abandonment is a rather serious issue, the book maintains a lighthearted tone through hijinks and bizarre road trip adventures. Though Rube's success in convincing his siblings might seem unlikely, the story's swift and delightful pace makes it believable.

I found how quickly the siblings develop protective relationships with one another to be very touching; their "found family" dynamic is sincere and relatable. It evokes Little Miss Sunshine vibes, exploring themes of family, self-acceptance, and finding meaning in life's absurdities. If you’re up for something strange, something that balances humor with emotional depth, then, well, “Run for the Hills.”

First of all, I was surprised at how not "strange" this book was. I have never read another Kevin Wilson book but my understanding is that they are usually quite peculiar and have strange, unnatural aspects. "Run for the Hills" is much more grounded. The strangest part of this book is how strange the narrator believes herself to be, when in reality she lives a fairly straightforward life. With that being said, the characters are loveable and interesting. The ending is a little unfulfilling but not necessarily in a negative way, more so in a realistic way. Humorous at times, this book definitely has cozy vibes and I wonder if the audiobook would make for the perfect road-trip listen.

2025 has indeed been a tearjerker year, and it’s absolutely the year of the road trip story.

QOTD: What’s a 2025 bookish trend you’ve noticed?

Here’s another quirky book full of lovable, unique characters to follow along on the journey:

𝙍𝙪𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨
by Kevin Wilson
253 pages
@eccobooks
Thank you @jointertulia for the finished copy!

Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Mostly.

Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.

As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with every new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?

Infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks, and enormous heart, Run for the Hills is a sibling story like no other—a novel about a family forged under the most unlikely circumstances and united by hope in an unknown future.
This one has more of an understated humor and less sarcasm than the Road to Tender Hearts, but I fell for this cast of characters just as hard.
Great beach read.

#currentlyreading
#bookreview #bookrecs #bookstagram

Whenever I pick up a Kevin Wilson book, I already know that I will be in for a zany and wild ride through a weird yet heartfelt story alongside a cast of characters who are quirky and eccentric, but in a loveably delightful way. In this instance, the “ride” is a literal one, as the central premise revolves around a road trip that four half-siblings embark upon to locate their long-lost father.

Madeline “Mad” Hill’s solitary yet “okay” life living on a farm with her mother in Coalfield, Tennessee is suddenly upended when a young man named Reuben (nickname “Rube”) shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her half-brother. As it turns out, their father, Charles Hill, is a serial abandoner – he walked out on Rube and his mother 30 years ago, changing his name and starting a new life on a farm with Mad’s mother, only to walk out on her and Mad 10 years later. But Rube and Mad weren’t the only ones abandoned – their father actually did the same thing two more times after them, leaving behind a college-age daughter named Pepper (“Pep” for short) in Oklahoma and an eleven-year-old son named Theron (who goes by “Tom”) in Utah. Rube invites Mad to accompany him on a cross-country trek to not only find their other siblings, but also try to locate their father so they can confront him and get answers. Though Mad thinks this is a crazy idea, she ultimately agrees to go with Rube and together, they set off on a road trip unlike any other. When Rube and Mad locate their other siblings and trade stories about their father, they are shocked to discover that he took on an entirely different persona with each “new life” he started. These facts about their father, along with other secrets they uncover, deepen the siblings’ determination to find their father and figure out what exactly is going on (and perhaps more importantly – why??).

I will admit that, at first, when I read this outlandish premise, I honestly wasn’t sure if it was going to work, as it sounded a bit too off-the-wall to me. But then I remembered that this is Kevin Wilson – an author who has the unique talent of taking the zaniest of premises and turning them into fun, delightful, emotionally nuanced stories that may not always be believable, but are always full of humor and heart. I loved the four siblings at the center of the story and was truly moved by their earnest efforts in trying to navigate their newfound sibling relationship while at the same time reconciling the impact of their father’s actions on their lives. With that said, I’m not really sure how I feel about the ending – I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say too much here, but I think this is an area that would make a good (and interesting) topic of discussion.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and highly entertaining read. Sure, there were some moments where I felt like I had to suspend disbelief somewhat, but those were few and far between – plus there was the emotional payoff that made things worthwhile in the end. I definitely recommend picking this one up, as it makes for a fantastic summer read!

Received ARC from Ecco via NetGalley.

In this newest Kevin Wilson novel he gives us a road trip with 4 half siblings who are traveling cross country to find their dad. Their dad has left all of them at some point in their lives so they go in search to find out why.
I have loved all of Kevin Wilson novels so I was so excited to get his latest in an advanced copy.. I always love his quirkiness and his characters. The first part of the novel was just what I expected. We get background on "Mad" the main character, then we get introduced to "Rube", who drives up in his PT cruiser. He wants Mad to join him on his search for the rest of their half siblings and then to find their dad.
The novel has long chapters and too much introspection from Mad. It was not my favorite Kevin Wilson novel. It just didn't have the quirkiness and humor I was expecting. Also, I did not like the ending. It felt like it was unfinished.
Overall I give this 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for an advanced E book copy.

@eccobooks | #gifted Sometimes connecting with a book…or not can be a very bizarre thing. I read two road trip books nearly back to back recently. Both were from authors I’ve loved. Both involved a lot of humor and quirky characters, qualities that usually work for me. Same, same. Right? Nope. Sadly, I failed to connect with the first book (see yesterday’s review), but happily, the second book, 𝗥𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦 by Kevin Wilson, did everything I was hoping for.⁣
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As is typical, Wilson took an out there premise and made it seem almost normal. In this case we have a pair of adults who find out they share a father. The two couldn’t be more opposite and the little time each spent with their father couldn’t be more different, but there’s still something there. Both are hurt and confused about these differences and why their dad left families he seemed to love. Further, it appears they’re not the only siblings their dad has abandoned. As promised, the two set out on a road trip to find the others and their wayward father.⁣
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I liked these characters so much and thought Wilson did an excellent job developing fresh sibling relationships under trying and sometimes rather madcap situations. This was a story with heart made even more sweet because of its well-placed humor. Wilson achieved a perfect blend of the two. All that is why, despite a rather rushed ending, 𝘙𝘶𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 was yet another winning book from Wilson, a definite auto-buy author! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Road trip anyone? If so, we have a fun ride planned for you. Madeline “Mad” Hill and her mom live and thrive on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. They have done well here, despite the sudden disappearance of her father twenty years before. Mad is in her early thirties now and one day a man shows up at the farm and states that he is her older brother “Rube”. Her father had a previous family in Boston that no one knew about. Rube had hired a private detective and it was discovered that the father had abandoned other children across the country. Mad and Rube decide to visit these other siblings and eventually track their father down for a familial showdown.
I have enjoyed several of Wilson’s books and his latest continues that trend. They are entertaining reads with a lot of heart. He adores writing about families, dysfunctional or otherwise, and I like tagging along.

Thank you Net Galley for supplying me with an e-galley.

I can see why this one has been hit or miss...⁣
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But it was a hit (albeit not a perfect read) for me!⁣
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Summary ⁣
In this funny and heartfelt novel, four half siblings (previously strangers to each other) set off on a road trip across America to find the father who abandoned them. This gem combines Wilson's signature dry humor with a moving story of family love and discovery.⁣
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As someone who experienced a father abandoning his family to start a new family and as someone who has half siblings that make a life with a dysfunctional father completely worth it, I fully connected with this story. I don't think it was as funny as most summaries suggest but I was okay with it because of how much I loved the characters.⁣
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I think the piece I wish the story included was why the father chose to repeat his toxic and destructive behavior four times, it would have helped the genuineness of the whole premise for the story -- and saying in one line that he probably had some mental health issues wasn't enough.⁣
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Thank you@netgalley and @librofm for this advanced listening copy! Run For the Hills came out on May 13th and it would be a great book to add to your summer reading list.⁣
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Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this quirky, fun and thoughtful book!

I've enjoyed both other books by Kevin Wilson so when this one came up I knew I'd want to dive in! I'm glad I did!

This is exactly the kind of book I really enjoy because it's unique, funny, but also has a lot of warmth to it. Quick and light, you'll laugh out loud numerous times but it will also make you feel something.

This story centers around found family when a bunch of random people find out they are all the children of a man who basically went from family to family. Its a great premise for a book and you can relate to each character in this book which is one of my favorite things about Wilson's characters.

I read this on kindle as an ARC but I'd love to eventually listen to the audio as I feel like that would be a super enjoyable experience. This book also might be a fun, light read for a book club who needs a break from heavier books.

Highly recommend!

Kevin Wilson is an author who doesn't know how to write a bad book. Run for the Hills is no exception. The only difference is this book is shorter than most and has notes of sweetness too. It still has all the humor we expect from Mr. Wilson but I just felt he really wanted to tell a different kind of story. Just under 250 pages and it's a book that you could put in your purse or book bag and pick up and out down and just savor each chapter and have that desire to go back to it and still feel connected to the story. Its about siblings who didn't know they were sibling and end up finding each other and want to meet their father. They jump in a CT Cruiser and head across the country meeting quirky characters and figuring ot what it will be like to meet their father and what it will truly mean to them. I just loved this book. My sould needed to read something like to forget the world! raed it and enjoy. Thanks to Ecco books and Netgalley for the read.

Summer 🤝 road trip books. Kevin Wilson’s latest release follows a loveable crew of siblings who have never met before as they embark on an epic road trip to track down their missing father— a man who disappeared from each of their lives without warning years (or even decades) before. Along the way, adventures abound, as they do on any good road trip!

RUN FOR THE HILLS was less quirky and original than the other books of Wilson's that I’ve read, but his signature wit and frankness were definitely still present. I felt so much warmth and tenderness for the characters and appreciated the later-in-life coming of age story for the older siblings. This impressively struck the balance of uplifting, but never saccharine.

There were a few areas that left me wanting more, though. There’s a pretty narrow focus on their missing father in the book, which makes sense given the circumstances, BUT I couldn’t help wanting a little more insight into the characters’ broader lives. I also didn’t find the ending wholly satisfying. It felt a bit anticlimactic after so much lead up.

To put it in road trip terms, I enjoyed the journey more than the destination here, but I’d still recommend this as a warm, hopeful book with an edge. In particular, if you love stories of found family, pick this one asap!

🌟🌟🌟💫/5

Kevin Wilson's new novel "Run for the Hills" has a lot of heart and tells about a group of half-siblings on a road trip to find their estranged father. Their father has periodically left his family behind and started anew in different parts of the country. The story has a lot of humor and strong character development.

"So you're just on a fact-finding mission to create an oral history that explains the actions of our dad? You're going to each family and kind of upsetting the order of their lives?"

Attention, Elon Musk! You're not the ONLY serial-fatherer out there.
(Just the creepiest!)

Four recently acquainted siblings head for California to find their father, and discover why he left each of them only to create a new family in another state.

A new Kevin Wilson book is always cause for celebration, so I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy this one more. Perhaps its because the novel seems more plot than character driven. Maybe it's because I just finished Ariel Courage's Bad Nature, a similarly themed road trip tale about a woman on a collision course to reunite with her father. (And, in my opinion, Courage did it better.) Or, maybe it's just me . . .

Give this one a try. You may enjoy the trip far more than I did.

Run For the Hills is a road trip book. And a search for a father. And like all Kevin Wilson's books, it's not your basic story.

What do you do when your father up and vanishes?
How does that impact your childhood, your young adulthood, your middle adulthood? Four different times, Charles Hill has left a family. Four disparate siblings team up to find him.

It's heartwarming and heartbreaking. There's near death and reaffirming of life. There's similarities and differences and love and anger. And a PT Cruiser.

Kevin Wilson puts so much heart and soul in his books. They are always a treat, and quirky and thougt provoking. Read it!