I love Kevin Wilson’s books and was looking forward to reading this one. I was NOT disappointed. This is a wonderful, deeply creative novel. It’s a bittersweet, yet ultimately optimistic, story about adolescence, small town life, the secrets we keep and how fear can easily poison our world. Yet, he had me laughing throughout and wishing it would never end.

For several years now, I've been that person telling everyone to read Kevin Wilson's last book-- "it sounds crazy, it's about kids who burst into flame but it's not really about that and it has so much heart!" Good news friends- I will finally shut up about that book and move onto this one!

I got an ACR from Net Galley and the instructions say that it's not final so ignore spelling, formatting, and other similar sorts of errors when you write your fair, unbiased review. Truth is, I would not have noticed them. And don't let my reading time reflect my love of the book- I've been travelling and had house guests- this week has been a lot! This is easily a book you could spend a day on the sofa inhaling.

As he did in his last book, he creates a pretty insane framework-- this time 2 teenagers make a poster they post all over town and people go kinda nuts around it. But at its heart, it's the hurt and emotions of these 2 kids abandoned by dads also struggling with being teen-agers and all the other angst of that age and showing those types of characters is where Kevin Wilson excels. I was an angsty kid, but he really makes you understand those emotions and by brining they story into the current day in this book, he also shows how you cone out "ok" or even seemingly successful but those memories and emotions still effect you.

Some might complain they want more... but in this era of so many overlong books where you're constantly reading and thinking "that chapter was not needed" I really like how pared down and focused Wilson's books are. It's like he puts more thought into it and thinks "what needs to be told to tell just the story." He does not create a world that completely unfolds you so you finish his books with a book hangover, more you finish his book, close it and think "that was an insane story and so good!"

Perhaps I should be more critical as it is supposed to be an "unbiased" review, but you just feels o much for these characters and watching their story develop... I loved it and I can not be critical about it! There also weren't any spelling errors :)

So, a few things first: I live in Memphis, TN and I will always support and read any and all Tennessee authors. Next, I really loved Nothing to See Here, so I was quick to request Now Is Not the Time to Panic when I saw that it was available on NetGalley. The author creates really unique plots with realistic characters. This story really thrusts you into small town southern adolescence and the life-giving thrill teenage obsession can create. The book tells the story of 16-year-olds who don't quite fit in. They become instant friends and begin making “art” on Frankie’s dads copy machine. They make posters of their art and hang them around town. This somehow creates a hysteria about who is behind the posters. Satanists? Witches? A cult? Welcome to the Bible Belt. Eye Roll- not at the book, but about how accurate this is for the south. This turned out to be a really well done coming-of-age story packed with trauma, art, young maybe-love, and a lesson on just how big of an impact we can have in this world. Simply put, I love this author and I will continue to read whatever he writes.

Kept me engaged the whole time - the two young characters who hatched the idea were just trying to be artists, connect with each other on a deeper level, and have fun during summer vacation. A great satirical look at the power of viral gossip even before the internet of today and how an artistic endeavor, once out there, takes on a life of its own. Short read with Wilson's trademark sense of humor.

Obsessed. I loved this story so much. Kevin Wilson knows how to write about a secret. He perfectly articulates that exact feeling of nurturing and guarding something that we’ve done (a secret) so carefully in order to protect IT and protect US from discovery. Still can’t stop thinking about this one.

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Now is Not the Time to Panic after loving Nothing to See Here. This is very well one of the quirkiest books I've ever read, and I really enjoyed it. I haven't read any books that integrate art in such a unique and visceral way. I was raised by two artists, a musician and a dancer, so I really appreciated that aspect and especially enjoyed reading about creating art from the perspective of two teenagers. I loved Frankie's character, but I wanted a little bit more from Zeke. Ultimately I'm not entirely sure what the message of this book was, but I don't think I mind? For me, it was about the ride, which I did thoroughly enjoy.

4.25/5

I dreamed a lot as a kid about inventing something that would make me famous. My brother and I would poke around construction materials in our half-developed neighborhood with the intention of creating something. Like Frances and Zeke, loneliness and boredom and that distinct childhood way of dreaming had me convinced every stray rope and chunk of brick, if tied together in some exact way, would become something that made me important. I drew, horribly. I imagined becoming a YouTuber everyone knew the name of. I didn't find writing until I was much older, my aspirations of importance long replaced by a simple wanting to know what I was good at. To know who I was. But that childish wishing always remained. Still does.

Frances and Zeke and this book are a lot about that. The way loneliness and creativity are often linked more than anyone can say out loud. A sense of not belonging forcing you to pick up a pen. To dream of a world in which the law, the boy, anyone really, was skinny with hunger for you. For you.

This is a terrible review of a good book, one that made the lonely, desperate teenager still living inside me feel a little bit seen.

OMG!! Could I love Kevin Wilson’s work more? So much nostalgic goodness here. I was smitten when I first read the deliciously weird The Family Fang, and each subsequent book I like even better.

I adored this book! Kevin Wilson is a genius at blending wise and funny, heartwarming and cutting. The result is a gripping and moving novel that is a joy to read but also brings all the feels. This is a heartfelt, but not sentimental novel about so many things - the power of art, the sometimes obsessive and uncontrollable impulses that fuel it, and the ramifications of putting your work out there simply because you feel you must. It's about adolescence and friendship and community hysteria. Hard to explain and difficult to put down! I'll read anything Kevin Wilson writes.

I really enjoyed Kevin Wilson's previous unique and quirky novel, Nothing to See Here, so I was quick to request Now Is Not the Time to Panic when it was available on NetGalley. This story about two 16-year-olds who don't quite fit in, the art that they make one hot summer, and what spins out from there is just as interesting and original as Nothing to See Here. Frankie and Zeke are both just muddling along in Coalfield, Tennessee when they meet, create an arresting and enigmatic phrase (“The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.”) and artwork to go along with it. They make copies, post them anonymously all over town, and then things begin to spiral out of their control. The glimpse into Frankie's and Zeke's lives 20 years later, who they have become, and the tale they tell and why added a welcome element to the novel beyond the usual coming-of-age story. There are several other characters, Frankie's mother and her next-door neighbor, that provide more elements of surprise. This is a story about not fitting in, identity, who owns art, the power of art, and secrets, all wrapped up in a captivating novel.

The only thing missing from my ARC was a page with the poster, but I don't know if that is something that will be included in the final edition. If not, the reader's imagination may serve just as well. Something that I especially liked was Kevin Wilson's "On Writing Now Is Not the Time to Panic" at the beginning of the book. He explains how and why he came to write this book and what it means to him. It was so personal and good that I felt primed to like this book before I even started the first chapter.

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Well known author Kevin Wilson (The Family Fang, Nothing to See Here ) has written a novel is a masterpiece of coming of age, fitting in, and life in general.

There are kids that do not look forward to summer and Frankie is one of them. Even though she drives, has a car, her family is dysfunctional and she essentially friendless. The Summer months are a long, endless bore for her.

That is, until Zeke moves to town, in the middle of a spectacular family breakup. The two immediately become friends and search for things that will make the summer MEANINGFUL. When Frankie coins a phrase, and Zeke draws an accompanying illustration, the two set off a panic that is bigger than the slow little town they are stuck in.

If you love coming of age stories, reminiscence about the days at the community pool or just love a unique look at growing up and fitting in, Now Is Not the Time To Panic is for you!

The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.

#ecco #nowIsnoththetimetopanic #kevinwilson #TheedgeisashantytownfilledwithgoldseekersWearefugitivesandthelawisskinnywithhungerforus #NetGalley

This story really thrusts you into small town southern adolescence and the life-giving thrill teenage obsession can create. I liked it, but I expected something much weirder after reading some of his previous work. It’s missing a spark of something for me.

This is a quirky, original novel. One summer, a boy who is new to the small town of Coalfield, TN, befriends another girl who is also a misfit from a damaged family. He’s an artist and she’s an aspiring writer, and, together, they create a poster and hang it up all over town. They do it in broad daylight, and no one ever notices them because they’re essentially invisible, but the townspeople decide to lose their minds and blame Satanists and drug-addled drifters—the usual suspects. In the days before security cameras and cell phones and internet viral sensations were ubiquitous, this poster went viral in the only way things could go viral in 1996—Kinko’s copies and newspaper articles with a distinctly tabloid take on the thing.

Both Frankie and Zeke have slightly obsessive tendencies, so a part of the book got redundant to me, and it was hard for me to understand how this became so all-consuming to them.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 8, 2022.

This book was so different then what I was expecting. What it did was hook me in at the very beginning and I was on this crazy experience with Frankie and Zeke. Kevin Wilson writes the human experience in such a profound, creative way. When the art piece is made, no one would ever guess the reaction and magnitude of its presence to the outside world. Also how the artists, Frankie and Zeke, are both affected in a different way. They are kids experiencing their own growing pains/issues at the time. I do not want to give out any details as I thought going in blind made for a great experience, but this book opens up so much discussion. It would make an excellent book club pick. Having loved #nothingtoseehere and #nowisnotthetimetopanic being a winner, #kevinwilson is an official auto buy author for me.

Posted on Instagram @carolinehoppereads 8/15/22

“Kevin Wilson’s stories show us a world that is both real and full of illusion. One imagines the skies that sit over these towns are always a particularly vibrant shade of blue. The characters are people we almost know, and yet their lives are heightened, peculiar, both more dazzling and more tragic than our own. In turning the world not upside down but maybe twenty degrees on its side, he forces us to look at our own lives in a new and slightly off-kilter way. He is a dazzling and important new writer.” This is from Ann Patchett's review of an earlier Kevin Wilson book and could apply to them all. Is his writing an acquired taste? I think not. Your brain either reads and says Yes! or What!? In other words, if you liked the others this one is a must read. And, by the way, Franky and Zeke - are they distant cousins to Franny and Zooey?

This was not the book for me. Two teenage outsiders make a flyer and post it around town. It takes on a life of its own and they cannot control the consequences of their actions. The verbiage of the flyer made no sense to me yet they seemed to think their slogan was quite profound. I thoroughly enjoyed Nothing to See Here so I had high hopes for this one. Sadly I could not buy into the premise. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Frankie has always been interested in writing, but doesn’t tend to have many, or any, friends. When Zeke shows up in town for the summer, the two quickly hit it off and decide to create some art. They design a poster and make hundreds of copies that they post around town. All the sudden the posters are making a splash, who posted them and what do they mean? The thing that brought these two friends together is suddenly pushing them apart.

So every time I see this book I remember that I got it in the mail they day it was leaked that Roe V Wade was going to be overturned and all I could think was. “No. Now is definitely the time to panic!” That has nothing to do with this book but it will always remind me of that day. Onto the book though, I found this concept so interesting. A phrase and design that was cooked up by two teens truly rattled a town. It was so fascinating to look at something that was essentially “viral” before we had smart phones and instagram to go viral. Wilson just has a way of telling a story that just pulls you right in and makes you want to keep reading. This book was different, and a bit odd, but those who have read Nothing To See Here would expect nothing less from Wilson.

Kevin Wilson continues his hit streak with another thought-provoking and totally weird book. I loved Nothing to See Here (about children bursting into fire!!) His latest book, Now Is Not The Time to Panic, tells of friends Frankie and Zeke and the artwork they made one summer that totally freaked out their small Tennessee town. The book is charmingly weird but also beautiful and I enjoyed it a lot.

Big thanks to Ecco Publishing, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Now Is Not the Time to Panic!

"The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us."

Something special happens when two loner teens find each other and creative sparks begin to fly! Who knew it would cause a panic in their small town called Coalfield? I so enjoyed this charming coming-of-age story! Frankie and Zeke made such a perfect pair; Frankie, with her knack for writing, and Zeke with his artistic flair, have one summer together as they explore young love and find their artistic identities.

I immediately connected with all of the characters in this book and found myself wishing there could be a series about them. Frankie and Zeke were both delightfully offbeat. Frankie's zany triplet brothers were a hoot and I wanted to adopt her mother for myself! It was interesting to read about the characters again 20 years later. Frankie has become a popular novelist. Her mom is still the loveable character she was 20 years prior. But where is Zeke??

I definitely loved this book and if you are a coming-of-age story lover, you will, too!

This story follows misfits Frankie and Zeke, who meet by chance during one summer in the 90's and end up bonding over their love for art and over just being ‘different’. They combine their talents with words and sketching to create a piece of work that ultimately leads to a baffling panic that takes their small town by storm. What follows is a quirky, heartfelt coming-of-age story as we follow Frankie and Zeke into adulthood and discover how that one summer and that one piece of art made such an unforgettable impact and changed their lives in a way they never anticipated.

“It was beautiful, and then somebody else, the rest of the world, made it not beautiful.”

Now Is Not the Time to Panic is such a unique story, different from anything I’ve read before. It was weird, witty, tender and endearing, and I found the whole reading experience utterly delightful. Growing up in the 90’s in a small town myself just added another level of nostalgia and connection to the characters and setting that I just couldn’t get enough of.

I particularly loved the characters - they’re young, innocent, and completely lovable despite all of their teen angst and flaws. The characters are so well-drawn with such unique personalities that you feel like you really know them by the end, and Frankie especially is just a great protagonist that you can’t help but root for.

Overall, this book just felt incredibly genuine to me. It brings humor, sincere and awkward yet real dialogue, and a bittersweet conclusion in such an imaginative and entertaining way. I just couldn’t put it down. I also recommend reading the author’s note ‘On Writing Now is Not the Time to Panic’ first for a deeper connection to the words and to gain an appreciation for how much Kevin Wilson seems to just be putting his heart on these pages.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!