A New York Times Bestseller • A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!
Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, People, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, TIME, The A.V. Club, Buzzfeed, and PopSugar
“I can’t believe how good this book is…. It’s wholly original. It’s also perfect…. Wilson writes with such a light touch…. The brilliance of … Club, Buzzfeed, and PopSugar
“I can’t believe how good this book is…. It’s wholly original. It’s also perfect…. Wilson writes with such a light touch…. The brilliance of the novel [is] that it distracts you with these weirdo characters and mesmerizing and funny sentences and then hits you in a way you didn’t see coming. You’re laughing so hard you don’t even realize that you’ve suddenly caught fire.” —Taffy Brodesser-Akner, author of Fleishman is in Trouble, New York Times Book Review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Family Fang, a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with a remarkable ability.
Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.
Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.
Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?
With white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written his best book yet—a most unusual story of parental love.
more
Very easy and addictive read told by a great first-person character. A sharp commentary on class and a certain kind of vicious privilege. The premise of spontaneously combusting kids is nuts, but Wilson really makes it work. And really, to people who don’t know how to love kids, I suppose they might as well be creatures that spontaneously combust all the time. But this book does love kids. A great read.
Witty and surprisingly wise, a quick read with tremendous originality
Absolutely loved this book more than I expected! I fell in love with the main character instantly, as she reminds me of myself in many ways. I was expecting the book to be too sci-fi/fantasy for me but it was not at all, the children get upset and they can combust into flames and the main character is hired by her friend to help keep the children calm, so they won’t burst into flames. One of my favorite books!
This was a strange little book that I ended up falling in love with. A love story, or a story of self discovery, take your pick. It will warm your heart.
this book! so funny and tender and outrageous and deeply felt and real.
As unique as it is charming, Nothing to See Here questions the idea of family—are you born into one or is it the one you form with people in this world? Can’t wait to discuss this one with my book club!
5 things I liked about Nothing to See Here and why you should put it on your #toread list—and why writers should take note:
1. Genuinely funny. Too often, when something that’s more “literary” fiction is described as funny, what people really mean is bitter, or snarky. There are tones of that here, sure, but it’s also got the kind of humor that comes of a sense of possibility.
2. The protagonist’s voice and attitude. This isn’t someone who knows everything. She’s wrong about people, or makes a joke that doesn’t land, and then we hear her take note—check, oops, got that wrong. And by the end of the book she knows herself better.
3. Every character was rock solid (and there were very few of them). Even the minor characters evolved in ways that were absolutely, totally in keeping with everything we knew about them. Writers take notes: Kevin Wilson’s secondary and tertiary character development is stellar. It’s so clean, without any words that aren’t necessary to the story as a whole, and yet it’s there.
4. The magical realism. There’s just the one wild card here: kids who catch on fire when they’re angry. And not only does it fit into the very real larger world perfectly, it’s absolutely critical to the story in both literal and metaphorical ways.
5. All the hope. There are some damaged people in here—but they manage to haul out their problems, shine some light on them, do some dealing and then get on some new roads. That’s really all I ask for in a book: Spank the really rotten people, let the decent ones grown, and land an ending that’s satisfying. #loveitwhenpeopletakecharge #determinedwomenrule #booksshouldbefun
Just okay. Usually like Jenna’s picks but thus one fell short
Kevin Wilson has done a wonderful job creating the voice of a disaffected, disillusioned young woman who becomes a nanny for her unworthy friend’s stepchildren. The protagonist is bright, capable, articulate and cynical, all in approximately equal measure. Wilson has taken an entirely fanciful idea, that of children who spontaneously catch fire when they are angry or deeply upset, and the reader willingly suspends disbelief on that point because the nanny and her charges are so engaging. I’m tempted to refer to it as magical realism, although Nothing To See Here doesn’t really fit that category. The fire is certainly symbolic of the inner turmoil these–and doubtless other–children experience. The publisher rightly suggests that fans of Eleanor Oliphant are likely to enjoy this and appreciate the sense Wilson leaves us with that given half a chance, humans will connect and that it’s possible for love to warm the heart without burning it.
Unique and entertaining
Fantastic
Loved this book! The dialog is outrageous and hysterical, look forward to reading the rest of Wilson’s novels!
This book is delightfully quirky, sometimes hilarious and completely enjoyable. Despite the far fetched premise, the characters were interesting and real. The heart of the book is Lillian’s developing relationship with the two combustible children she is caring for and I loved watching this relationship deepen. I could have used a bit more backstory about Lillian’s relationship with Madison, but that didn’t decrease my enjoyment of this book. A must read for someone who wants something unusual and a bit off the beaten track.
I loved this book. Bought it because the cover was intriguing, though I’ll admit I was skeptical about the premise. Wasn’t sure how the author was going to convince me that there was an otherwise normal world where kids could catch fire.
Don’t want to say too much and spoil it for you. Suffice to say, it’s a great underdog story and I found myself rooting for the main character to the very last page. It’s a rare book that leaves me tearing up and smiling at the same time, but this one did. Kudos, Mr. Wilson!
I loved Nothing to See Here! Lillian is recruited to take care of two stepchildren of her old college roommate. No big deal, right? Except these children spontaneously catch fire. I really never expected to like this story but quickly fell in love with Lillian, Bessie and Roland. Kevin Wilson’s story is a breath of fresh air in the fiction world!
Very cleve
Kevin Wilson’s most recent novel, Nothing to See Here, is a wonderfully eccentric offering that will appeal to misfits and outcasts of all flavors-flaming or otherwise. Lillian, the books first-person narrator, is a wholly original character whose sardonic wit and self-deprecation are instantly endearing and compelling. She is asked by her wealthy and glamorous friend to come work as a caretaker for her husband’s children by a previous marriage. His previous wife has died, and the twins are now being placed into his unwilling custody. It seems that the ten-year-olds are a bit of a burden, since they burst into flames whenever they become agitated or upset. Acknowledging that this attribute may complicate his prospects for becoming Secretary of State, it is incumbent upon Lillian to keep them hidden from the public view but still appropriately cared for. Lillian has a history of sacrificing for her friend, and her deep love for Madison (and lack of any other prospects) compels her to take on the position despite her lack of experience or ability. Lillian’s propensity for mishap and her lackadaisical attitude turn out to be exactly what is needed in this absurd situation, and the novel depicts her attempts in ways both hilarious and touching. Wilson is asking a lot of his readers by requiring them to suspend disbelief with a pair of children that can experience spontaneous combustion while remaining unscathed, but it becomes easy with his skillful guidance. Nothing to See Here is almost cartoonish in its madcap action, and its short length is perfect for a plot that could not be sustained for very long. From start to finish, the book is laugh-out-loud enjoyable as well as thought-provoking. At its heart, Wilson’s novel entertainingly addresses an issue that all parents face: No one really knows what they are doing when rearing children, and sometimes the best approach is to just experiment with the best of intentions-trying not to self-immolate along the way.
Thanks to the author, ECCO and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
This book took off slowly as the backstory of Lillian and Madison’s friendship is laid out. Madison grew up in the lap of luxury, while Lillian came from a low-income home, daughter of a single mother. Lillian received a scholarship to study at an exclusive school and had Madison as her roommate. Now years later Madison, the wife of Tennessee Senator Jasper Roberts, asks Lillian to be the governess for Jasper’s children by his second wife. But there is a big catch here – the children have a tendency to burst into flames when agitated. I almost gave up on the book because the premise of “fire children” began to seem really corny. But about a quarter of the way into the book the children took stage and everything changed. At that point I was sucked into the story as these children quickly wormed their way into my heart.
Lillian moves into the Roberts’ guesthouse with the 10-year-old twins Jasper and Bessie. Author Kevin Wilson made these unusual children distrustful of others, vulnerable and adorable. Lillian is sassy, as socially inept as the children, and not at all impressed with riches. She can relate to these children and is overwhelmed by the unexpected maternal feelings she develops for them.
I grew to like the character Carl, Senator Roberts’ gofer, and absolutely loved Mary, the Roberts’ housekeeper. Nothing fazed that lady. The power of politics is prominent in the story, but the power of love is stronger.
This is a heartbreaking, yet heartwarming and oftentimes humorous story. Thank you HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book.
Weird and wonderful. While it could be a quick read, it warrants taking a leisurely pace so you can better appreciate the author’s brilliance.