Nothing to See Here
Reviews
Another example of blood doesn’t mean family exactly.
3.5 stars. A nice fluffy silly feel good book but there wasn’t a ton of substance. Bonus for Marin Ireland narrating 😍
4.5 Stars
So quirky. So wholesome. Feels like a warm hug. Like having someone to hold on to. Like having someone who believes in you. 🥹🧡
4.5 of 5 stars ----- This book was actually just a random read and was not even in my top tbr. I just saw it on my Scribd and thought that I've read the synopsis of it somewhere and had the sudden urge to start it. I'm glad I did because I honestly truly adored this book. This book has a very unique aspect to it. The main character Lillian, having to babysit combusting twins? You don't stumble upon that kind of story like, uh, ever. It was kind of original. Despite having kids with strange hereditary trait, which was kind of leaning in an unrealistic sense, it felt so refreshing that the author still made the flow of the story so realistic. That was the actual strong point of this book. This book was emotional and heartwarming. The relationship between Lillian and the twins was honestly moving. The way she handled the twins, her having absolutely no experience with kids, and her genuine desire to take care of them choked me up. She considered herself a loser with no clear future but when it comes to the twins? She was just so sincere and compassionate about them. I loved her so much, as much as I loved the twins. And can I tell you about that little plot twist at the end? It seriously made me laugh as hard as the twins had after learning about it. Who knew that it would happen? I truly loved and enjoyed this book a lot. So entertaining. I also loved the writing style of the author. I appreciated the humor in it so much. I highly highly recommend this to everyone.
fuck, it so good. She found her family !!! the 3 of them found each other.
Just a story about what it's like to be a reject sibling of a legacy political family. Shockingly sweet, very readable. Loved it!
This book about children who can catch on fire when they are upset had no business being as sweet and lovely as it turned out tot be and I have no idea why it broke me but it did.
“This was what I finally realized, that even as we sank deeper and deeper into our lives, we were always separate. And I wondered what it would feel like, to fall but to hold on to someone else so you weren’t alone” this book is terrifically strange and I absolutely ate it up. the ending is perfection would highly recommend.
Nothing novel about the plot (pun intended) but couldn't put it down. #audiobook
4.5
What a weird, wonderful little book. Nothing to See Here is a tidbit of magical realism with surprising heart. This is one of those books I'll carry inside of me for a long time.
I can see why this book got so much buzz when it came out. What a great story. It begins with an unbelievable situation about children that catch on fire, and ends in a heartwarming way where these children find a home with someone who loves them. The audio version is wonderful and something about the accent of the narrator seemed to fit the character perfectly.
5/5 for narration.
I thought this was a really unique and cute story. I do think it was a little rushed in the beginning and wish there was more in the ending. This book had me laughing out loud at points and tugged on my heart strings (in a strange way) at other points.
❤️❤️❤️
3.25 - Funny but thin plot. See my full review on Storygraph.
I thoroughly loved this.
ok so, this book!! i don't know how and i don't know why but it made me feel so warm and happy. the book is basically about a woman hired to take care of two kids who literally catch on when they are agitated. it's very layered. the narration is very addictive. it's funny. it's emotional. it's cute. it's real. it's magic? this book is still making me feel things and i highly recommend this for someone who just wants something light, warm and fuzzy.
The plot is wholly original, albeit underdeveloped. There were a myriad of tender moments, but I wish it had more character development or taken place over a longer period of time, rather than just a few weeks in the summer. I read this book in just a few sittings; it was fun to read, but the author's voice didn't seem authentic enough to me. I think I was waiting for Madison and Lillian to fall in love and live happily ever after. I'm all for books that leave you wanting more, but this felt incomplete. I still enjoyed it, though and would recommend it.
I love kids i think
Quirky, emotional, and entertaining. Full of magical realism, friendship, family dysfunction, abandonment, and self-discovery.
The audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland was phenomenal. I would have highlighted more lines in a paper copy, but possibly enjoyed it a little less.
Highly recommend all around 🥹
This was such an entertaining and quick read. There is def a deeper meaning to the fire children, the symbols of privilege, etc and I think those nuances helped with understanding the feelings associated to the bizarre series of events that occur in this book
If I had realized the author of this book is the same guy who wrote The Family Fang, I would have politely declined to read it. I had a long-standing rule that if I started reading a book, I absolutely HAD to finish, even if I hated it. The Family Fang put a decisive end to that rule. I picked this book because it was a Read With Jenna selection, and I did indeed finish it, despite the author's history in my reading log. This story starts by painting a realistic picture of the difference between the haves and have-nots. That theme continues throughout the book, but it takes on a lighthearted air. It's hard to be overly serious when reading about kids who burst into flame when they're agitated. Any parent can tell you that dealing with a tempe tantrum thrown by a toddler can feel like putting out a fire, so spontaneously combusting children doesn't seem that far-fetched. I did have a few questions that were left unanswered. WHY do those kids burst into flame??? I kinda still want the answer to that one. Are rich people really that selfish? I realize this is fiction, but why in thw hell were those kids not absolute train wrecks after the way they had been treated???? In all, this was a light, cute, and moderately humorous read that won't take up too much of your time.
So quirky and fun that the emotional impact completely sneaks up on you. I sped through it and will probably give it another read eventually
Highlights
And this was what I finally realized, that even as we sank deeper and deeper into our lives, we were always separate. And I wondered what it would feel like, to fall but to hold on to someone else so you weren’t alone.
They didn’t want to set the world on fire. They just wanted to be less alone in it.
And they were laughing. They were laughing hard. And it was difficult to look at them, they were so bright, this white, blinding light.
And then they were on fire, too, these vivid red and yellow flames. They stood there, burning. And I was happy. I knew they were okay. I knew that they couldn’t be hurt. The grass turned black at their feet, and the air around them turned shimmery.
It was beautiful. They were beautiful.
This is how the world works. Things are bad and crazy and chaotic. But you ride it out and you don’t let it hurt you, and then there’s this stretch of time that is so calm and perfect. And that’s what was always waiting for you.
Then, slowly, the fire rolled down to her hands, and there was this jittery flame and she was holding it. She was holding it in her hands, cupped together. It looked like what love must look like, just barely there, so easy to extinguish.
“You can see it, right?” she asked me, and I said that I could.
And then it was gone. She was breathing so steadily, a perfect machine.
“I don’t ever want it to go away,” she told me. “I don’t know what I’d do if it never came back.”
“I understand,” I said, and I did understand.
“How else would we protect ourselves?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. How did people protect themselves? How did anyone keep this world from ruining them? I wanted to know. I wanted to know so bad.
I waited for her to say something, and she just stared at me, figuring me out. I don’t know what I thought would be there, in her eyes. She just shrugged, like what could she do about it? I knew she was sorry. It broke my heart, and I knew that a good part of my life had been spent waiting for it to break so I could get it over with.
And there were these two kids, and they burst into flames. And I had known them for less than a week; I didn’t know them at all. And I wanted to burst into flames, too.
I had never wanted kids, because I had never wanted a man to give me a kid. The thought of it, gross; the expectation of it. But if a hole in the sky opened up and two weird children fell to Earth, smashing into the ground like meteroites, then that was something I could care for. If it gleamed like it was radiating danger, I’d hold it. I would.
People don’t care about anyone but themselves. They don’t notice anything. They are never looking at what’s interesting. They’re always looking at themselves.
Maybe raising children was just giving them the things you loved most in the world and hoping that they loved them, too.
And as they stared at me, I knew how much of myself I was going to unfairly place in them. They were me, unloved and fucked over, and I was going to make sure that they got what they needed. They would scratch and kick me, and I was going to scratch and kick anyone who tried to touch them. I didn’t love them; I was a selfish person and I didn’t understand people all that well, not enough to really feel an emotion as complicated as love. But I felt tenderness for them, which felt, to my little heart, like a kind of progress.
A lot of times when I think I’m being self-sufficient, I’m really just learning to live without the things that I need.
It was such a strange feeling, to hate someone and yet love them at the same time. I wondered if this was normal for adults.
And I wondered what it would feel like to fall but to hold onto someone else so you weren’t alone.
It broke my heart. And I knew that a good part of my life had been spent waiting for it to break so I could get it over with.
They didn't want to set the world on fire. They just wanted to be less alone in it.
“It was so easy to be in love with you back then. And I liked it, because as long as I was in love with you, I didn’t have to love anyone else.”
..They didn't want to set the world on fire. They just wanted to be less alone in it.
How did people protect themselves? How did anyone keep this world from ruining them? I wanted to know. I wanted to know So bad.