Run for the Hills is the story of 4 half siblings making their way across the country to visit their common dad (they all have different mothers) who left each of them at a critical point in their childhoods.
Having read two of Wilson’s previous books, I was expecting a touch of magical realism, but this one had a different feel. The first third was everything I had hoped for, with Wilson’s signature humor shining through.Unfortunately it lost its way over the course of the novel. What started as fun became a slow and laborious crawl to the finish.

Family roadtrip to find a missing father?! Sign me up. This was so dysfunctional but definitely captures the family dynamic element that one would expect.

I have such a soft spot for Kevin Wilson’s stories about messy, complex families. He’s able to pack in so much character development and unique plot points into relatively short books. In "Run For the Hills" Mad Hill is surprised by the appearance of Ruben Hill, a man saying he’s her half-brother and that they have more half-siblings across the country. Their father was a different man with each family before leaving them behind. Now they’re going to team up to track him down and get some answers.

It was so interesting getting the perspectives of the different characters and seeing how their relationship with their father impacted them growing up before being left behind. I also loved seeing how the siblings so quickly began to care for one another and look out for each other. Even though they are biologically family, the way they came together had the feeling of a found family dynamic since they were choosing their connection.

I enjoyed how the conclusion of the book didn’t feel like everything was being wrapped up neatly with a bow. It’s still complicated and messy, but in a way that made it feel real instead of contrived. Definitely add this book to your TBR if you’re a fan of Kevin Wilson or just stories about complicated familial relationships and forging new connections.

I’m such a fan of Kevin Wilson’s delightfully dark fiction that I jumped at the chance to grab this new novel—a story about a group of half-siblings grappling with the unfolding mystery of the whereabouts of their deadbeat dad while getting to know each other on their first-ever family road trip—despite my own history with my own suddenly disappeared dad in my teenage years. Wilson consistently delivers the most loveable, offbeat characters, and I was confident that this plot, in his hands, would avoid the traps of more broadly written fiction. (Truly, I would have paused a beat before picking up this book if it had any other name in the by line.)

This novel isn’t filled with the same level of surreal plot points as his others (no cult panics or children spontaneously bursting into flames), but it captures the same delightfully manic energy. Wilson again delivers us a heartfelt story about flawed people finding their place with a likewise community of fellow travelers. Any other author could have written this too seriously, too focused on the loneliness of being abandoned by a parent. But Wilson finds the truth of how the folks who stay are the real story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for this honest review. I cannot wait for this to be fully out in the world.

A road trip that begins as a search for a long lost father, unites four half siblings in this heartfelt journey. Upon finding their father, they realize that what they have really found is a connection and a family with each other. Full of Wilson's trademark humor, it's a reflection on belonging and memories and knowing what you searched for might not be what you dreamed of.

I've enjoyed several of author Kevin Wilson's books - I really dig his irrelevant humor and sense of the absurd! Very happy to have gotten my hands on his latest, "Run for the Hills", which is a zany and big-hearted U.S. road trip about a group of half-siblings of very different ages in search of their long-lost and deadbeat Dad. I also liked that it was set in the pre-iPhone days of 2007 when paper maps were still in use & a PT Cruiser was still a cool car. (I could also live w/o the basketball, but ok). Overall a good look at what makes a family and I really appreciated that this was a shorter novel and the way all the storylines wrapped up. My sincere thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance readers copy - a true pleasure to review it!

Really enjoyed this read. The siblings involved in the story showed a love for one another that you don't find much these days, but it is very believable. Their quest to find answers so that they may be made whole in their adult life showed a lot of bravery and forgiveness. This is the second book I've read from this author, and this by far was the better.

I love Kevin Wilson and I loved the siblings' journey. Wilson has a way of adding quirkiness to his characters and plotlines without overdoing it or making anything terribly unbelievable. I was a bit disappointed with the end and would have liked an epilogue to see how things panned out after everyone decided which path to take.

What a great book! I'm a huge fan of Kevin Wilson, and his latest novel does not disappoint. A quirky twist on a classic road trip story, RUN FOR THE HILLS gives the reader off-beat but believable characters on a quest for what seem like simple answers but are complicated by humans being humans. Although Wilson gives each the four characters a bit of POV time, our center is on Mad, whose life shifts when her half-brother Rube shows off with news about their father. I really enjoyed the way Mad tries to work through her feelings throughout the trip while being both thrilled and appalled that she has a set of siblings she never knew about. Definitely recommended.

This book as a quirky premise, like all Kevin Wilson books. This time is it this: Charles Hill has started and abandoned 4 families and 4 children along the way. None of the abandoned children or remained wives know that they are in an unfortunate club together. That is, not until the eldest abandoned child takes a road trip across the country, tracking down his half-siblings in search of their father on the west coast.

At first I had a hard time accepting the premise of the book. And then for a time I enjoyed the ridiculous premise and underlined some great writing - a particular passage about basketball which must be a passion of Wilson's since it also features strongly in Nothing to See Here. However, by the time the sibling crew reached Salt Lake City the plot felt repetitive. When the siblings did finally meet their dad I was hoping for more, but perhaps as written it's more realistic: with anger, apologies that are too little too late, and not enough remorse expressed. I didn't feel a sense of satisfaction with the ending, although the book seems to try to tie everything up.

I loved Nothing to See Here and enjoyed Now Is Not the Time to Panic as well so I'm a Kevin Wilson fan, but this one just did not hit the mark for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book for review.

Funny and tender. Moving without being treacly. This is Kevin Wilson firing on all cylinders. I really loved spending time with these people.

This is not as quirky as other Kevin Wilson books but it is touching. It takes a bit to get going but worth it in end. It is a story that shows what true family is and about seeing the positive in a childhood where there is a lot of hurt. I will say the book is worth it just for that character "Tom" wise, sensitive and beautiful beyond his years.

Madeline lives and works on the family farm with her mom. Dad disappeared 20 years ago but one day, a man appears and says that he is her half brother. Not only is their father still alive, but there are also two more siblings. They set out on a road trip like no other and journey across the country, picking up their siblings and confronting their father. Full of Wilson's usual quirky humor and plenty of heart.

I loved the other Kevin Wilson book I read but this book was really hard for me to finish. It was a slow start and the characters were all over the place. My brain hurt at times trying to follow their conversations and thoughts. I idea of the book was interesting but the characters didn’t engage me.

When I first heard about Kevin Wilson's book, Nothing to See Here, I didn't know what to expect since the premise just sounded so bizarre. And I loved it! So when I saw he has a new book coming out this year, I was excited to delve into another story with quirky yet relatable characters. The cross-country road trip/quest isn't necessarily unusual, but the cast of characters makes this a fun journey. They each bring their strengths and vulnerabilities along with moments of joy and levity. It's a story that involves found family with family members that are only recently found. Charming read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for the e-arc.

A new Kevin Wilson novel is always a happy event, and this one is my new favorite. A quirky exploration of what makes a family and how it shapes you. Will be purchasing for my library and recommending to the other selectors in my system

3.5
This is the perfect "found family" book as we follow a group of siblings traveling America, finding each other, and ultimately their dad. Our main character to follow is Mad, Mad is farmer in Tennessee and has had a good life. She is now in her 30's when a stranger shows up claiming to be her brother with a shared father.

This gave vibes of West With Giraffes as we explored different states and had little problems arise. The humor was light and overall a warm feeling read. It felt a bit long at times with not a lot of surprises within the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the gifted e-ARC.

When Mad was a kid, her dad ran for the hills. Twenty years later, her half-brother shows up at her front door & shocks her. Her brother, Reuben, has done work with a private investigator and found other siblings that their father had ran from. There is a lot of sibling bonding, reflection, relationship growth, human growth…

I just love Kevin Wilson books. This one is no different, an excellent beach read for the summer or for a book club.

Kevin Wilson has become an auto-read author for me, and I was so excited to get a chance to read an ARC of his newest book coming out later this year! I’m so glad to report that it lived up to all of my expectations, bringing a charming, found-family story that will make you rethink all of your definitions of what it means to be a family and will introduce you to characters that will steal your heart.

The story opens with 34-year-old Madeline (aka Mad) working on the farm she and her mom own. They've been on their own ever since her dad left them about twenty years prior. One day a man in his early 40s approaches Mad’s farm stand and tells her that he's her half-brother - and then proceeds to break the news that her runaway father has had multiple families and kids over the years, doing the same thing to all of them as he did to Mad and her mom. Things take off from there as Mad and her half-brother Rueben (aka Rube) embark on a road trip to locate their other half-siblings and hopefully eventually confront their father. It's everything that Kevin Wilson does so well - it's heartwarming, funny, unexpected and quirky, with so much personality that you’ll even feel like you know the car they’re driving in.

Again in true Kevin Wilson fashion, it’s deep and emotional, while also being such a silly story that you can't help but love and root for all of the characters in this unconventional family. With found family, humor, an easy storyline to follow, and a great mix of characters and plot, I can see this one having wide appeal. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Any Kevin Wilson book is going to be good, but I don't think this one had quite enough nonsense or spent enough time with the dad understanding his actions.