Name: Amelia C 's review of Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
Item: Now Is Not the Time to Panic
Rating: 3
Author: Amelia C

Kevin Wilson

An exuberant, bighearted novel about two teenage misfits who spectacularly collide one fateful summer, and the art they make that changes their lives forever.

Sixteen-year-old Frankie Budge—aspiring writer, indifferent student, offbeat loner—is determined to make it through yet another summer in Coalfield, Tennessee, when she meets Zeke, a talented artist who has just moved into his grandmother’s house and who is as awkward as Frankie is. Romantic and creative sparks begin to fly, and when the two jointly make an unsigned poster, shot through with an enigmatic phrase, it becomes unforgettable to anyone who sees it. 'The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.'

The posters begin appearing everywhere, and people wonder who is behind them and start to panic. Satanists, kidnappers—the rumors won’t stop, and soon the mystery has dangerous repercussions that spread far beyond the town.

Twenty years later, Frances Eleanor Budge gets a call that threatens to upend her carefully built life: a journalist named Mazzy Brower is writing a story about the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Might Frances know something about that?

A bold coming-of-age story, written with Kevin Wilson’s trademark wit and blazing prose, "Now Is Not the Time to Panic" is a nuanced exploration of young love, identity, and the power of art. It’s also about the secrets that haunt us—and, ultimately, what the truth will set free.

A Novel

Now Is Not the Time to Panic

Ritik Sahni

Amelia C 

This was the strangest little book I ever read but it made me chuckle and also made me sad. 2 teenagers meet over one summer and create art that then takes on a life of its own. I think there’s some mental health issues that are involved with the teenagers but is always on the periphery of the story itself. A book about friendship, holding onto the past (and past versions of ourselves).. Kevin Wilson is absolutely fantastic like that. His books are strange, lovely, hilarious, and sad. And if that isn’t the exact definition of life I don’t know what is. I loved “Nothing to see here” more, still an interesting book nonetheless.

Yochanan Vered 

This book spoke to my inner child who used to try to do anonymous things that other people would notice. Though nothing I ever did lead to a satanic panic, of course. 
This book was very fast paced and stayed that way throughout the entirety of it. I felt the main character’s intensity rise as she got more and more invested in her movement. The time jump was a great touch since it allowed for a long term look at the results of her summer. It’s just fascinating to think about how one seemingly harmless thing spiraled so much. What an interesting concept.

Keely Calagos

Hannah

I really enjoyed this book ! got through it so fast cause it was so good! kinda giving everything 5 stars but I loved

Lizzy Jensen

Shay

The premise of this book was so interesting to me. Two kids in a small town in 1996 create a strange poster and spark a panic that extends far past the edge of their little town. I was hoping for a sweet little story of friendship (or maybe romance,) learning that it's okay to be different from other people, and maybe even some lessons about intention vs. impact. 

But I was just so bored with this book. And I am so sad about it. 

There were elements to Kevin Wilson's writing that I liked. There was this very laid back, kind-of dreamy, reminiscent quality to the way he told Frankie's story. There were clear differences in writing style between the past and the present. There was the beginning of something between Frankie and Zeke, and I'm not referring to the relationship being romantic. I mean that there was the beginnings of a relationship I was kinda starting to become invested in. I was kinda starting to root for them and the way they had a singular focus: their little poster project. 

But, the things that I didn't like also happen to be crucial elements for me to enjoy a story. 

The distant writing style is really great and I love it for flashbacks and that kind of thing. But almost this entire book was written in past-tense from the POV of Frankie telling the story of what happened that summer and her role in the Coalfield Panic of 1996. And the effect that had for me was making everything feel dreadfully slow and boring. 

The excitement and heartbreak and anger, all of those big feelings that Frankie describes having, have all been flattened by time. She's much older now and is telling the story of a summer over 20 years ago. And telling the story in this way created a degree of separation I just didn't like. I prefer when I get to experience those hard-hitting emotions with the main character because it helps me understand them.

And despite not enjoying the story much, I pushed through because I was hoping that the ending would make it worth it. I needed to find out what was going to happen to Frankie now that this secret is coming out. (view spoiler)[But... then that didn't even happen on-page. The big impending explosion, all of the fear Frankie felt about being exposed, the literal reason that Frankie is telling this story, just fizzled out. The book ended before the reporter said anything. (hide spoiler)] It was so anticlamactic I wanted to scream. 

But even if none of that bothered me I probably still would not have liked this story because I truly did not like Frankie, and there are two specific events that really made me not like her. 

The first is the way she thought of another kid in town, Lyle. Years before that summer in 1996 he'd gotten in a four-wheeler accident with his sister. She was riding behind him. Lyle was in the hospital for a while but eventually was released, and his sister was still there in a coma. 

This kid had been through a terrible accident and traumatic family event and probably blames himself for what happened, and this is what Frankie had to say about him:


  "I mean, Lyle had always made me sad, to have ruined your life and the life of the person you loved the most in the world because you took a turn too fast."


I don't know, but I just think that's pretty messed up. This kid has been through a tragic accident and all she's thinking about him is that he's ruined his and his sister's lives? Nothing about not being able to comprehend the pain he probably feels? Just straight to blaming him for an accident?

Okay. 

And this one. This one is the one that really did me in. 


  "My whole life," he said, but there was nothing else for a few seconds, just more sobs. "I wish I was dead."
"No," I said. "No. If you died Zeke. If you died, I'd kill myself. Don't die, okay? Don't die. You can keep living, okay? I'm alive, right? You think your life is worse than mine?"


WHAT? She said this to the dude she allegedly likes? He expresses how depressed and distraught he is and you threaten that you'll kill yourself if he dies and then imply that he should what? Suck it up? Because his life isn't as bad as yours?

What in the ever loving fuck?

Never. I will never like a character who manipulates people in this way. That's so vile. And I understand the main character is 16 at the time she says that, but (view spoiler)[later in the book when she goes to see him as an adult he apologizes to her for hurting her that night (because he came on to her) and she said NOTHING about how she hurt him. Nothing about what she said or how she treated him. It's just passed over like that's an okay response to someone being in that kind of distress. (hide spoiler)]

All in all, I really didn't like this book. I know that's an unpopular opinion and so many people have loved it, but this was just not the right book for me.

Nina Bertrand

Kate LeBlanc

Neta Harris

Erin G.

Martha F.

mic shulman

Daniela Rivas

Jerilynn Hallett 

Julia Sawicka

Sixteen-year-old Frankie Budge—aspiring writer, indifferent student, offbeat loner—is determined to make it through yet another sad summer in Coalfield, Tennessee, when she meets Zeke, a talented artist who is as lonely and awkward as she is.

As romantic and creative sparks begin to fly, Frankie and Zeke make an unsigned poster that becomes unforgettable to anyone who sees it. Copies of their work are everywhere in town, and rumours start to fly about who might be behind the ubiquitous posters: Satanists? Kidnappers? Soon, the mystery has dangerous repercussions that spread further afield, and the art that brought Frankie and Zeke together now threatens to tear them apart.

Twenty years later, Frances Eleanor Budge—famous author, mother to a wonderful daughter, wife to a loving husband—gets a call that threatens to upend everything: a journalist asks if Frances might know something about the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Could Frances’ past destroy the life she has so carefully built?

A bold coming-of-age story, written with Kevin Wilson’s trademark wit and blazing prose, "Now Is Not the Time to Panic" is a nuanced exploration of young love, identity and the power of art. It’s also about the secrets that haunt us—and, ultimately, what the truth will set free.

Ritik Sahni &
Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

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Ritik Sahni &Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

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Join the club

Ritik Sahni &
Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson