Nothing to See Here by Kevin    Wilson


I loved The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson (the movie not as much… but you know that happens sometimes). After waiting patiently to get the ebook from my local library I was notified last week my hold was available. Whew was it worth it.

I dropped everything I was already reading. It’s been a treat to read. Just easy, compelling and otherwise (and I am sorry to use this again….) a joy. I really got into these characters.
The main character Lillian really comes into her stride when she moves in to take care of her charges, that literally are charged with the ability to combust. I think it’s an analogy about anger and frustration with situations that are out of ones control perhaps. I don’t care, it’s a plot point that is really in my opinion … an aside. Really truly… it isn’t as much a major function of the book… that isn’t a spoiler but my opinion.

Responsibility to and love within friendships makes this book tick.

I can totally see why this novel has become a book club favorite. It’s about love, friendship and ultimately the fire of parenthood, which is completely and utterly engaging.

If I still had my book club active (sadly once I gave up on facebook, our book club quickly fell apart) this absolutely would have been a read. It would have been interesting because we had some parents some not parents in the group. I would have loved to hear the parents take on the fire aspect of the children’s lives. Does this mirror what a meltdown really looks and feels like without the combustion and subsequent damage? Since I couldn’t ask them, I have to assume, yes this is a metaphor for general childhood and learning to love. The light of this novel is watching Lillian work through the fires and learns instinctively how to quell them.

Other reviews state that the children of the novel are damaged. I didn’t see them this way. I saw the three main characters (Lillian, Bessie and Roland) as the most honest characters of the book. They aren’t damaged at all. Sorry to those that think they are. Misfits? Nope… not that either. The conversations between the three are full of nuture and need that similar to that Nick Lowe song “Love Starvation” they are looking for something and are pretty honest about it.
The finale’ of the book is pretty straightforward and honestly I wouldn’t have wanted to have the book end any other way. It does wrap up in a nice pretty little package with a pink warm bow. I can’t imagine this charming of a story ending any other way.

A rather enjoyable read, warm and touching. If I ever get that book club going again… I would love to reread and discuss. Maybe win this movie gets made I will be able to get a group together again.


View all my reviews