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allisonobrien's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
lovelymisanthrope's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I heard about this book on Booktube last year, and when I saw it at the library bookstore, I knew I had to get it!
"Nothing to See Here" follows Lillian. Lillian and Madison were best friends in school, until Lillian had to leave because of a scandal. The pair have not spoken in years, but when Madison calls Lillian and asks her to be her nanny, Lillian steps up. Madison's husband is on track to be a political leader, but his two children from a previous marriage have an interesting quirk: they can suddenly burst into flame. The children have to come live with their father, and Madison does not know how to handle them: enter Lillian.
This was such an interesting idea, and so well executed. Lillian knows nothing about children or being a nanny, but she falls in love with those children like they are her own. She is the first person to treat them like real children, and I loved watching her go out of her way to make their lives more fun, all while she tried to understand why they burst into flame. She never just wrote them off, but she really tried to understand where the fire came from and brainstormed how to prevent it. I also think this is a great representation of parental love, even if Lillian did not give birth to the children personally, she treated them like her own.
The whole metaphor for why the children burst into flames and what it means was impeccable. It was so interesting, and I really enjoyed seeing the children teach the adults an important lesson.
I was irate about how their father treated the children and how Madison treated Lillian, which is the only reason I bumped it down half a star. I think these were both important plot points, and added a lot to the story, but it really got under my skin.
I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to enjoying more from Kevin Wilson in the future.
"Nothing to See Here" follows Lillian. Lillian and Madison were best friends in school, until Lillian had to leave because of a scandal. The pair have not spoken in years, but when Madison calls Lillian and asks her to be her nanny, Lillian steps up. Madison's husband is on track to be a political leader, but his two children from a previous marriage have an interesting quirk: they can suddenly burst into flame. The children have to come live with their father, and Madison does not know how to handle them: enter Lillian.
This was such an interesting idea, and so well executed. Lillian knows nothing about children or being a nanny, but she falls in love with those children like they are her own. She is the first person to treat them like real children, and I loved watching her go out of her way to make their lives more fun, all while she tried to understand why they burst into flame. She never just wrote them off, but she really tried to understand where the fire came from and brainstormed how to prevent it. I also think this is a great representation of parental love, even if Lillian did not give birth to the children personally, she treated them like her own.
The whole metaphor for why the children burst into flames and what it means was impeccable. It was so interesting, and I really enjoyed seeing the children teach the adults an important lesson.
I was irate about how their father treated the children and how Madison treated Lillian, which is the only reason I bumped it down half a star. I think these were both important plot points, and added a lot to the story, but it really got under my skin.
I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to enjoying more from Kevin Wilson in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death of parent
lisasilv's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved how this story developed. At first, I was a little put off by the magical realism (it's just not my style) but I loved seeing the relationship between Lillian and the kids and her growing into a very unexpected role. Yes, there were some characters I hated but they were meant to be hated.
The book is a little older but that was ok; it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.
The book is a little older but that was ok; it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Forced institutionalization
jazhandz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book has a writing style that’s straightforward, dancing on the line between showing and telling, which serves some emotional beats well and others quite poorly. I think everyone who calls this book “heartwarming” is slightly off the mark but I’m not sure what a better word is. Bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Suicide
imogenlj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
4.25
A humorous, engaging quick read- I read it in one sitting- where the emotional payoff sneaks up on you. It’ll stay with me! A good one to get out of a reading slump.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Suicide
small_shrimp's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide
lebishop13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Abandonment
laurathebookhermit's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read this book because I was intrigued by the burning children but honestly the novel really doesn't focus so intensely on the children as a I thought it would. In my opinion they were really a way to bring the other characters together. I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book however, there were some challenges along the way. There was some implied representation of some uncomfortable topics that I felt should have potentially had some trigger warnings for. It was also a book that I felt would have benefitted from being longer to allow for some of the relationships and characters to develop more. I think this because it is a book that is very character driven and I was left with a lot of wonderings and questions. Things I really appreciated about the book was the delving into the effects of different types of upbringing on the person as an adult. I can't really elaborate on that without spoiling the story. Another aspect that I would like to see in fiction more is the representation of m/f relationships that are not romantic. I was worried that a romantic element would be brought in that I would have been disappointed by, I was very glad that didn't happen. Overall, I would recommend this book and I enjoyed the overall experience of the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent and Child abuse
littleloterialibrary's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
bearybooky's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Child abuse, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Classism, and Abandonment
Minor: Blood, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Addiction