Lillian is in her late twenties and is stuck in a very aimless and unsatisfying life. She lives with an unpleasant, diffident mother, works at a job she hates and has no social life. One day, she is contacted by her best friend from high school, Madison, a fabulously rich socialite, who has married an up and coming senator. They had a falling out but had stayed in touch, over the years. Madison has a job offer for Lillian: to care for her husband's 10 year old twins, from his previous marriage. Sounds like an easy gig, right? Well, it turns out these twins, have issues-they can burst into flames when angry or upset. Okay, I hope my fellow readers are not fleeing the room, and grabbing any other book, they can get their hands on. I agree the premise sounds pretty fantastic, but damn it, it works and I ended up loving it, on several different levels. Wilson is a sharp observer, with a dry with and a fondness for outcasts. He has also created characters, that will stick with you for awhile, especially Lillian. I hope you give this one a chance.

Lillian Breaker is working a dead-end job in her home town, when she gets a frantic letter from her former roommate pleading for her help. Lillian’s dreams of a better life for herself were cut short when her roomie Madison got caught with drugs at their exclusive high school, and Madison’s father paid off Lillian’s mother to get Lillian to take the rap for Madison. Lillian was expelled and her mother spent the money on cigarettes, booze, and partying.

Fifteen years later, Madison Billings Roberts is married to a much older man, a U.S. senator, and they live on a palatial estate with their son Timothy. But Senator Roberts has two children from his first marriage, Roland and Bessie, who (to say the least) have special needs: if they get upset, they spontaneously burst into flames. And these are two angry kids. Madison and the senator need a nanny to look after the children in a special guest house on the estate, away from the main house since there is no predicting when these incidents might occur. What if there were witnesses! Imagine the negative publicity! What if they burn the house down! Think of what would happen to the Roberts’ perfect image! The senator’s career would be down the tubes! You can substitute any disability for “spontaneous human combustion” and the reaction of adults would be the same.

Lillian is the only person that Madison trusts enough with her secret. The salary that Madison is offering is really good, too, so Lillian takes on the job of looking after the two near-feral children. There are themes of friendship, forgiveness, disability, family, loss, and unexpected love. And yet this is an uplifting feel-good book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

The pitch for this book (woman signs up to act as governess for a friend's children that have a tendency to spontaneously combust) peaked my interest, and this was a breezy, fun read. The premise is just out there enough to be believable, and the book manages to get surprisingly deep on some ideas about what makes a family and what money lets you get away with. The plot moves along quickly and never overstays its welcome, even if a few of the beats it's going to hit are fairly easy to spot. I came looking for fun after a few deeper noon-fiction reads and I got what I came for.

Hi. Come closer. We need to talk about #NothingToSeeHere for a minute. Like, where the HELL did this book come from!? Or, why are there not more posts and glowing #bookstagram reviews about this furiously funny and intimate story about female friendship? Also, why did you pick #TheWaterDancer* as your #BOTM book when you should have picked one of the most grounded and bizarrely interesting books of the year…a book that just happens to feature children that spontaneously light on fire? And I’m so curious why there aren’t more of us trying to convince others that this hidden gem might be one of the best books of the year. It’s hilarious and heartbreaking and an interesting exploration of family and inheritance (genetically, physically, emotionally). And if you don’t believe me, check out the NYT review by #FleishmanIsInTrouble author Taffy Brodesser-Akner…the opening line is literally “Good Lord, I can’t believe how good this book is”.
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Anyway, that’s all I have to say about that.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of Nothing to See Here! I'd been hearing some buzz about this book, but wasn't expecting to love it so much! I laughed a lot throughout this book, and loved the quirky personalities of spontaneously igniting children Bessie and Roland. Lillian's character was brash and entertaining, yet had a lot of depth. I felt that all of the characters had a realness to them, which was refreshing. The plot was fast moving and I flew through this book. One of my favorite parts of the book was Lillian and Madison's love of basketball. I highly recommend it!

This was a cute and quirky novel about kids that spontaneous combust, and it surprisingly works. Kevin Wilson created a fun and unique novel about friendship, unconditional love, family, and finding a sense of belonging. It was equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. I did find one of the minor plot lines to be unnecessary (Lillian and Madison’s relationship) which is why this wasn’t a five-star read for me.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing/ Echo and NetGalley for an advanced copy to review!

It's not often you read a truly original novel. But this is quirky and compelling in the way that Kafka's Metamorphosis is riveting. Bare outline: prep school dropout gets a phone call ten or fifteen years later from her old roomie, now married to a senator. Seems he is being groomed for higher office and needs a trouble shooter to deal with his two children from a previous marriage who - get this, catch on fire when they're upset. If that sounds ridiculous to you, this book won't be your cup of tea.

But if you're intrigued, I recommend this story. It's not polished, but it's honest and real and funny and poignant. I cared about the three misfits- the two kids and their woefully unprepared but fiercely protective temporary guardian. You can read as much symbolism as you like into this story of love and loyalty and family. Thanks to the publishers and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kevin Wilson uses unusual familial situations to get his point across. We meet Lillian during a particular downward spiral that began the day she was born, wherein she was ignored by an uncaring mother, but had been granted a boost during her senior highschool year when she was granted a scholarship to an exclusive boarding school. What happened that year regarding her roommate Madison set the tone for the remainder of her life until Madison reestablishes contact thusly setting in motion the rest of Lillian's life. Her complex relationship with Madison (great name) has tinctured her life so far. What Wilson has done here is somewhat like his construct in The Family Fang, which is to grant the kids, Madison's stepchildren, extraordinary powers that the adults don't know how to handle. Almost a metaphor for parent-child relationships. I love how he weaves his story and keeps me engaged.

What a gripping, enjoyable, fast-paced read! Lillian is leading a disappointing life when her high school friend, Madison, proposes a strange business arrangement: She’ll pay Lillian to watch her husband’s two children for a summer. It’s quickly revealed that these twins are anything but ordinary and anything but easy, and it’s not just because their mother died and their father abandoned them. It’s because when angry, provoked, upset, or overwhelmed, they catch on fire.

This book caught my attention right from the beginning, and I read almost the entirety in one sitting. I did draw back a bit toward the middle—it seemed too easy for the kids to trust Lillian and for her to take care of them; I kept waiting for something more dramatic to happen, and for the kids to spontaneously combust more than they actually did. Also, the author wasn’t afraid to lean into sentimentality, which was both a benefit and a bit of a turn off. But, all in all, with an interesting cast of characters and a well-paced plot, this book is a can’t miss!

This was a strange read for me, a bizarre story line with few characters that were appealing. Lillian and Madison were friends for a short time, but stayed in touch. Lillian’s life is pretty miserable, until Madison calls her to ask her a favor; Madison needs Lillian to care for her husband’s two kids. The weirdness starts as it is revealed the two kids spontaneously combust in fire when upset. I was repulsed by Madison and her husband, but it was easy to feel empathy for Lillian and Bessie and Roland. For readers who have more bizarre taste than me, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is an unusual and entertaining novel that surprised me in so many good ways. Lillian's frenemy Madison is now the wife of a US Senator and she's got a problem she wants Lillian to solve for her. Seems Madison's husband Jasper had two children by his second wife- Bessie and Roland- who spontaneously burst into flames. It doesn't hurt them but it does make a mess of things wherever they are. Now their mom has died and Jasper has to take them in so Madison hires Lillian as their "governess". Lillian has a strong voice and she's also determined to make things better for the kids. She knows nothing about children but she figures out quickly that they need help on the inside as well as the flame proof clothes. Madison remains a shadowy Lady Benificent figure but she's really not that nice, is she? How Lillian, Bessie, and Roland navigate their new reality to become a family is a treat. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Interesting characters, a snarky heroine, and great writing make this an excellent read.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harper Collins/Ecco for sending me a digital ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to believe this is my first novel I've read from Kevin Wilson. Wow. He's a fantastic storyteller! Now I want to go back and read everything he was written prior to "Nothing to See Here".

I love quirky novels. And this one is definitely quirky and then some! There's magical realism as well. The novel opens in the mid '90s in Franklin, Tennessee. 28 year-old, semi-slacker, Lillian is working two cashier jobs when she receives an urgent letter from her high school friend, Madison. Madison has a job opportunity for Lillian. The job pays well, and she gets to live on a sprawling estate for the entire summer, there's just one catch, she has to take care of Madison's stepchildren, 10 year-old twins, Roland and Bessie. Oh, there's one small problem, the twins have an unusual affliction where they spontaneously combust when they get agitated. What could possibly go wrong? Lillian's job is to be a governess to the children (feed, play, teach, and try to keep them calm 24/7), which won't be easy since Lillian has no experience taking care of children, especially ones that catch on fire.

I absolutely loved the plot. It's unlike anything I've ever read. Also, this book is so funny. The dialogue is razor-sharp, witty, and delightful. Roland had some of the best dialogue. His personality is so stinking cute! Bessie is a little firecracker (no pun intended), and I loved Lillian's dry humor and stiff demeanor. I loved Lillian and Madison's backstory, and my goodness, Madison's senator husband, Jasper is a pitiful excuse for a father. I wanted to punch him so bad. There are some tender and sad moments as well. I thoroughly enjoyed every zany moment of this little gem. It's got a great balance of humor and heart. An unexpected surprise. Highly recommended!

Release date: October 29, 2019

I loved this book! It was so different and heartwarming. I’m hoping that there will be another book.

Entertaining. Fluff. Everyone was two dimensional but the story kept my interest. Great if you're looking for something simple and mindless.

I had no expectation at all for this book upon reading. It ended up being the sleeper hit of the year! Heartfelt, engaging, and downright hilarious, I read this in one sitting.

It took me a little while to get into this book but once I got going, I really liked it because it was so different from everything else I had been reading. A novel set in the present day is always fun and the quirky circumstance of these two friends being brought together years after one of them gets kicked out of their prestigious boarding school is an unlikely scenario which works really well. It's a tough book to write about because I don't want to say too much but this is a fun yet though-provoking novel which challenges us to change the way we think about people and, ultimately, what makes a family.

I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. For being a book about children who catch on fire it was surprisingly real and heartwarming.

It’s hard to explain why, but I really loved this books. Everything about it is so weird and a little cynical, yet it all works. I didn’t want to put it down. It made me laugh, it made me feel, it made me wish a little bit that kids could catch on fire when they’re mad.

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.