Kevin Wilson

From the New York Times bestselling author of "The Family Fang," a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with a remarkable ability.

Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.

Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.

Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?

With white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written his best book yet—a most unusual story of parental love.

Nothing to See Here

bianca

[She] had believed me. She knew that I wanted them, that I would always take care of them. And so I decided to believe her.

I decided that this was the truth. It was this little fire. And I would hold on to it. And it would keep me warm. And it would never, ever go out.

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.

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.

Emiley Jones

Bessie had believed me. […] And so I decided to believe her. I decided that this was the truth. It was this little fire. And I would hold on to it. And it would keep me warm. And it would never, ever go out.

They had appeared like magic, but I wasn’t magical.

And I wondered what it would feel like to fall but to hold onto someone else so you weren’t alone.

She was holding it in her hands, cupped together. It looked like what love must look like. Just barely there. So easy to extinguish.

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.”

Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. Then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.

Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their carer. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.

Thinking of her dead-end life at home, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?

Helen 

Ryan Mateyk

3.5 stars. A nice fluffy silly feel good book but there wasn’t a ton of substance. Bonus for Marin Ireland narrating 😍

Daphne

So quirky. So wholesome. Feels like a warm hug. Like having someone to hold on to. Like having someone who believes in you. 🥹🧡

I couldn't put it down. A wonderful book about parenting (the good and the bad). 

Steven Ovadia

4.5 of 5 stars

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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.

“I'm not joking when I say that I never liked people, because people scared me. Because anytime I said what was inside me, they had no idea what I was talking about. They made me want to smash a window just to have a reason to walk away from them. Because I kept fucking up, because it seemed so hard not to fuck up, I lived a life where I had less than what I desired. So instead of wanting more, sometimes I just made myself want even less. Sometimes I made myself believe that I wanted nothing, not even food or air. And if I wanted nothing, I'd just have to turn in to a ghost. And that would be the end of it.”

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I have recently come to a very surprising conclusion. I LOVE stories about creepy children.
A boy who whispers "Redrum" with a curl of his little index finger. A girl, who makes drawings of her imaginary friend, which never seems to have a face. Just a tiny child, huddled up in a corner, timidly claiming he can talk to dead people. A little boy, who is the Antichrist with a million spiders in his head, but also really enjoys rock n roll music in vinyl. 
And now, these little shits. These adorable creeps, who burst into flames when they are stressed or angry, and have a touch of wilderness in them. How I love them.

Nothing To See Here is essentially a book about politics. I am not just talking about state politics, although there is a tiny bit of that too, but more than anything, it is about politics of family, friendship, growing up, and morality. I found myself thoroughly invested in the story, and fell in love with the characters (including the "antagonists") more and more after each page. It was an emotional, touching, unexpectedly captivating book.
And that is how I came to read all of it with my breath held, in a single night. A fantastic read.

lexie

fuck, it so good. She found her family !!! the 3 of them found each other.

Kristin Boren

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. 

Apiecalypse Jen

Hannah

“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.

Aamna

Nothing novel about the plot (pun intended) but couldn't put it down. #audiobook

Valeria M

Lara Engle

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.

Patricia Nelson

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.

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. 

🌞Laur🌞

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. 

Kat Albanese

Ali Angco

3.25 - Funny but thin plot. See my full review on Storygraph.

Sarah Pino

Abdullah

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.

Maria Flowers

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.

dija

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.  

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 🥹

Ivy X

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

Kristen Claiborn

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.

Nothing to See Here

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