A few years ago I read Kevin Wilson's Nothing to See Here, a fun story about 2 children that burst into flames when they become angry. I do love a quirky read and that book has stayed me with since I read it. I was excited to read Wilson's newest offering and can I just say he keeps getting better? Now is Not the Time to Panic is a coming-of-age story about a misfit 16 year old girl and her equally awkward artist friend who is in town for the summer. When they find a Xerox machine in her garage, they get it working and create a poster with a crazy saying, hanging it all over their town. Anonymously of course. Rumors and speculation about the poster spread like wildfire and the two teens vow to never reveal that the poster originated with them. Fast forward 20 years later and a journalist who is investigating the story, figures out that the girl is behind it. What happens? You'll have to read this fantastic story to find out for yourself.

Following the tone of Nothing to See Here, Now Is Not the Time to Panic is quirky, heartfelt, and thought-provoking. It's about Zeke and Frankie, two teenagers making art in a small town in Tennessee. I thought the story and plot were really unique and Frankie's inner dialogue was really well developed. I wish I could've gotten a better picture of her adult life sooner in the novel, but overall I liked it! I thought the ending was well done and wrapped up the story well.

Wow, I truly have no words for how incredible this book is. In the fall of 2020, I read Wilson’s other book Nothing to See Here, and I think about that book every day to this day, and I’ve been yearning for him to write another book. I almost screamed in public when I saw this book was being published, and was so profoundly excited to be given an advanced copy.

Now is Not the Time to Panic is truly spectacular. Wilson really captured what it feels like to be someone not completely connected with the world finding something that brings meaning to them. I was immediately brought back to my sixteen year old self, feeling rather lost and just searching for SOMETHING. The characters are fleshed out and so profoundly human. The plot is unique, absurd (in the BEST possible way), and captivating. The prose is absolutely delightful. I cried multiple times. This book is so touching and personal for me. This, along with Nothing to See Here, has become one of my favorite books. I think everyone needs to read this.

I felt so lucky to have been approved on NetGalley for Now is Not the Time to Panic after having read and loved Nothing to See Here. I actually saved this one for a time when I felt like I needed a really good book…it was so highly anticipated for me.

I’m very happy to report that I was not let down at all. What an incredible story! It was just so captivating.

Honestly, this is going to be a hard book for me to review because I just loved it, but I’ll do my best!

First of all, what a unique story. There are stories out there about teens who feel like they don’t quite fit in, but how many stories are there about what happens when those teens create something that goes so viral and out of control, that life goes nuts?

Yeah, probably not too many.

It was amazing the detail that Wilson is able to go to to show what’s going through these kids’ minds as they create and obsess about their creation. I felt so much love for Frankie and wanted to hug her, but also had a hard time identifying with her intense obsession with the art that she creates with Zeke. Even though I had a hard time identifying with her, I was still just so captivated by her thoughts.

Also, I grew up in a small town where I could totally see something like this happening…that quick spread and takeover of the town. Small town teenager books just speak to me, since I was one of those.

Meeting Frankie as a “normal” adult with a family was so interesting and added an element to the story that I really liked. She’s able to look back on everything she did as a teenager with kind of that hazy clarity that we all have about what happened during our teenage years.

At any rate, this was a book that I couldn’t put down. I needed to know what was going to happen with Mazzy’s digging, where Zeke was, and if Frances would confess to the public that it was her who create the art that inspired the Coalfield Panic. This one gets a full 5 stars.

Wilson has such a knack for writing weird, tender stories. I don't know if it'll hit as well for someone who wasn't a teenager in small-town American in the '90s, but I loved this from beginning to end. Particularly loved the mother-daughter relationship in this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

⁉️ Are there any book releases coming this second half of 2022 that you’re excited for?
I’ve now gotten my hands on all of my most-anticipated reads of the year except for The Winners by @backmansk (hi @atriabooks 👋 lol)

BOOK REVIEW
Now is Not the Time to Panic @kevinwilson
Pub date: November 8, 2022
@eccobooks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

@eccobooks reached out to me a couple of months ago asking if I’d like an ARC of this book, and no kidding, I couldn’t have given a more enthusiastic yes. I loved Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson and had this on my top ten releases of 2022 radar.

It was fantastic. I loved it from the author’s note at the beginning forward, honestly.

So, if you’ve read Nothing to See Here, it’s similar in some way that I can’t really pin down, but it’s really it’s own thing. Frankie and Zeke are these sort of outrageous characters that I think we can still all somehow see a bit of ourselves in.

It’s a coming-of-age story about two teens in the summer of ‘96, that don’t quite fit in except with each other. They do something pretty artsy and of importance to them. It ends up tumbling out of control, creating the Coalfield Panic of 1996 (yes, plenty of 90s nostalgia in this one).

I think this would make an amazing book to film adaptation 👀 also, can I get a tee shirt that says, “The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers, we are the new fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us”?

Again, thank you @eccobooks for my gifted physical copy and @netgalley and @eccobooks for the e-ARC

#nowisnotthetimetopanic #kevinwilson #nothingtoseehere #bookreview #booktour #bookreviewer #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #advancedreadercopy #arcreader #anticipatedreads #2022books #lovethisbook #booksiread #booksilove #mybooks #booksandme #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookselfie #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #booksinnature #readthisbook #favoriteauthors #lastbook #lastread #instabook #newbook

Now is Not the Time to Panic weaves a captivating web of intrigue around the following questions: What does it mean to be an artist?, What is the purpose of art? and Who owns, and more importantly, who is responsible for art once it has been created? Wilson provides answers to each of these questions amidst a rocking 1990s coming of age setting. The lead heroine is a blast to root for, reminiscent of many of John Green's best. While some choices by supporting characters seemed sudden, this is an awesome book for any young, or young at heart artist.

I fell in love with Kevin Wilson’s writing after the release of Nothing To See Here. His storytelling is filled with loveable, and endearing characters that are accompanied by Wilson’s signature whip-smart wit. So when I learned he wrote a new novel Now Is Not The Time To Panic, I immediately added it to my list of most anticipated reads of 2022.

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

In the summer of 1996 16-year-old Frankie Budge, an aspiring author is determined to make it through another lonely summer in Coalfield, Tennessee. Frankie meets Zeke who is new to town and just as lonely and awkward as Frankie is. The two meet and both romantic and creative sparks fly. Together they begin creating art and construct a poster with an enigmatic phrase.

Twenty years later Frankie(now Frances) is a famous author, mother, and wife when she receives a phone call that threatens to upend everything. A journalist named Mazzy Bower is writing a story about the Coalfield panic of 1996, the journalist believes that Frankie is the center of it all.

It’s been a long time since I have felt so much joy while reading a book but Now Is Not The Time To Panic made my heart very happy.
So much so that I found myself not only laughing aloud but smiling while reading it. In Now Is The Time To Panic Kevin Wilson perfectly captures the charm and angst of growing up in small-town USA. Both Frankie and Zeke were perfectly characterized and filled with such emotional depth that by the end of the story I felt as if I personally knew them. I loved this story so much that I had to add it to my favorites list of 2022!

Without giving anything away I will say that readers who are familiar with the Kentucky/Tennessee area will love how Wilson incorporated a couple of local chain restaurants in the story, ie. Krystal and Huey Burger. Also If you do decide to read this one, I suggest reading the author’s note at the beginning of the book to learn where Wilson got the idea of this story.

I highly recommend this charming, quirky, and highly entertaining story for anyone looking for an instant mood boost! Readers who enjoyed Nothing To See Here will absolutely adore Now Is Not The Time To Panic.

Now Is Not The Time To Panic Will be available on November 8. A massive thanks to Ecco Books and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Art, regret, kids, the 90s, pre-internet life and fame, the power of ideas - thoughtful without getting preachy, nostalgic without losing sense of reality

A weird and clever story, like only Kevin Wilson can do. The strong characters made up for a somewhat lackluster plot. While I won’t be recommending this one as widely as Nothing to See Here or The Family Fang, I still think existing Wilson fans will really enjoy this.

Incredibly thought provoking work here. His characters are so well drawn out, that I truly felt like I was living the narrative alongside them. The writing is beautiful, and evocative and makes the pages fly, Can't wait to sell this!

definitely panicked when NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC showed up in my mailbox (thanks to Ecco Books!)

after being blown away by NOTHING TO SEE HERE, I had no idea what to expect with this one -- other than I was excited.

in epic Wilson fashion, this story has such an endearingly quirky factor that keeps you engaged all the way through -- it follows two teenage misfits that are forever changed by one summer and the art that they create together.

it's described as a coming-of-age story that explores young love, identity, the power of art, the secrets that haunt us, and what the truth will set free -- but truly it encapsulates how it feels to be a teenager, riddled with questions, insecurities, and driven by the desire to belong to something... someone.

it's a short, quick-read (less than 300 pages) with characters that will be keep you reading -- this is not a book where there's a lot of different events going on in the plot or twists/turns -- this is simply a story about two teenagers and how their decisions change themselves and those around them.

thank you ECCO BOOKS and Netgalley for an advanced copy! NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC will be available November 2022!

This is an interesting crossover book as YA readers will appreciate the creative rebellious act and will be captivated by the fall out from their actions.

As an adult reading this book, I completely connected with that one teenage summer and wanting to rediscover a friend after 20+ years.

"Now is Not the Time to Panic" focuses on two teenagers who do something they believe will be incredibly special, and it is, just not how they expected. It's a story about dealing with your past, finding yourself, and moving on. Kevin Wilson writes characters so well. His plots are strange but gripping. I open his books knowing I'm going to read something unique with incredible depth.

Now is Not the Time to Panic is my first novel by Kevin Wilson and I really enjoyed it - Frankie, our narrator, is a wonderfully written character, I love her perception of the world around her and the feeling of honesty as she describes her feelings, surroundings, and the people in her life. She stole the show for me. I also enjoyed the simplicity of the time the crux of the book takes place - 1996 - a pre-internet ("as we know it") and pre-device world. As a work of art that 16 year old Frankie and her summer of '96 companion, Zeke, takes on a life of its own in her hometown of Coalfield, things get crazy (literally, people die!) but her narration is deeply personal. The artwork itself and the words within was a little... annoying to me HOWEVER, there is an intro in the ARC that I received by the author that put it completely in context and every time I read it and felt like "I don't like this", I remembered it was real and that made it alright. All told, a wonderful, nostalgic and bittersweet novel.

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
256 Pages
Genre: Coming of Age, Fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Pub Date: November 8, 2022

This is a story about 16 year old girl Frankie and her new out of town friend Zeke. Zeke is there for the summer staying at his grandma’s house with his mom. Frankie is a shy teen who lives with her mom and her triplet brothers.

Frankie is an aspiring writer while Zeke wants to be an artist. These two kids who don’t have many friends find each other and make a creative poster. The words from Frankie and drawings by Zeke. They are on a mission to put their poster all over town. Little do they know these posters start an actual panic in their town and beyond.

I enjoyed the story of Frankie and Zeke. They are quirky, loner teens who you are rooting for. I think everyone has been in this stage of life and it helps to you connect more with this book. Life is weird and tough and all you want is someone to go through it with.

Kevin Wilson writes with a distinct, strange voice that permeates all his work, this included. As has been my experience with him before, "Now is Not the Time to Panic" started out a little peculiar, but then before I knew it I was completely sucked in.

Periods in our youth help shape us. But in many ways, Frankie is still stuck in the summer when she was 16 and, with the help of a visiting teen boy, created a poster that became a pop culture phenomenon, an untold mystery. Over the course of the book we unravel the story of Frankie's origins - that summer - but also something about the nature of childhood passion, obsession, and the need to make a mark, to feel seen.

I'm honestly not sure what the message was here. Something profound, I'm sure. For me, this book was incredibly engaging, I really enjoyed reading it, and sometimes just that is enough.

Kevin Wilson is one of my favorite authors. His plots are one of a kind and his characters are indelible. Frankie and Zeke are teenage misfits when they meet one summer. Boredom leads to creating a piece of art that soon becomes a phenomenon and changes their lives forever. The repercussions of their art become something that haunts them every day... It's a coming of age story, a search for identity all powered by the art they created.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advance read.
Will always recommend Wilson- he's the best !

What happens when teenage ennui, small town claustrophobia, and artistic expression collide in the heat of a Tennessee summer? Kevin Wilson’s Now Is Not the Time to Panic shows us what kind of madness two bored but creative teens can foment under the right conditions.

The novel immerses the reader in the awkward, quixotic, and creative world of two teens, Frankie and Zeke, whose shared artistic endeavor in the name of self-expression results in the Coalfield Panic of 1996. This small town offshoot of the real “satanic panic” of the nineties has lasting impacts on the town and the teens, who are forced, reluctantly, to revisit it as adults.

This book is beautifully written. Wilson continues to prove that he is a master of characterization. Much like The Family Fang, this novel deeply explores the psyche and relationships of the characters, their friends, their family, and even their neighbors. Wilson continues to explore the human impulses that drive his characters and the experiences and interactions that influence their growth with the mix of sensitivity, humor, and gravitas that make his novels so compelling and entertaining. It will transport many readers back to the chaotic unease of life as a teenager, willingly or otherwise, but the journey is worth it.

My gratitude goes out to NetGalley and Ecco for access to this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

‘the edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. we are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.’

the coalfield panic of 1996 started from a poster that frankie and zeke, two lonely, awkward sixteen year olds, made one summer is coalfield, tennessee. the two hung posters everywhere and made an entire town wonder where they came from, but it quickly got out of hand with rumors began to fly and dangerous repercussions started to spread.

now, twenty years later, frankie gets a call that threatens to upend everything: a journalist named mazzy brower is writing a story about the coalfield panic of 1996 and might frankie know something about it?

i loved this! it was fun and quirky and tapped into that weirdness that you’re dealing with when you’re a teenager. this book made me feel like i wasn’t the only kid who walked around the neighborhood with a sharpie and wrote dumb stuff in ‘hidden’ places.

all the characters were lovable (except maybe frankie’s husband). i related to frankie and i loved her triplet older brothers.

it was a really quick read that was just a fun escape! i’m really glad i requested an advanced copy and started my summer off reading it.

i highly recommend this to anyone who loved NOTHING TO SEE HERE and generally likes quirky books.