Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Nothing to See Here

First off, all the starts to the narrator of this book, Marin Ireland. I had to go check to make sure there were not multiple narrators. She was that good. She gave each character a very distinct Southern accent which to me, elevated the reading experience. Now back to our regularly scheduled review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book for what it was. Although the book led to a lot of discussions of some pretty heavy themes, it's actually a pretty quick and propulsive read . . . once you get past the much too long and boring Chapter 1. If anything, it sometimes felt too superficial. I felt that the author relied a little too much on "mic drops" and "truth bombs" instead of a well-developed plot.

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kristinj1's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is based on a unique premise, definitely not one I've read before! The main character, Lillian, seemed to have a lot of character building at the beginning but I felt like I didn't really understand her inner dialogue once she was at the house in Tennessee. I feel like this book was unresolved for me. The kids, Roland and Bessie and then Timothy - unresolved, not clear what their future holds, not sure why they burst into flames. Lillian and Madison- unresolved, are they every going to speak again, does Madison remember that Lillian took the fall for her in high school? Jasper - despite the fact that the gene for bursting into flames seemed to have come from him, he's almost a non-playable character. And what about Jane, his ex-wife and the mother of Roland and Bessie? She ended get own life and thought she'd ended the lives of her kids, too?? Why doesn't she get justice?

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kriyon's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad fast-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

5.0

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rystonlentil43's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed it early on, but I gradually lost interest. I thought it wrapped up well; I just didn't feel engaged. Still, I like the basic idea.

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veeples's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-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

4.75

This audiobook (specifically!) came at recommendation from a good friend, and I can say with absolute certainty that the narration absolutely gave this story the extra emotional punch to put it over the top. I think this is the kind of story for anyone who’s felt left behind, whose felt discarded or out of place, and the all the fear, hope, anxiety, and fear of moving forward from that. It would have been easy for the hopeful tones of this to fall flat and kind of saccharine with a found family that’s just too… sweet and straight forward. The anxiety, the fear, the hesitation keeps the fierce devotion grounded, because hope is never easy when you’ve been so wronged in life. My only complaint is that I feel time and its passage could have been conveyed more clearly, especially when the question of “how long does summer last?” keep coming up.

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vertibravia's review

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

I listened to this book as an audiobook on Libby and the narrator, Marin Ireland, gave an incredible voice to the main character and the story. Also, the found family trope but with the parental figure “finding” the children? I cried. (Also, the main character is sapphic!)

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danasaur's review

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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adrilynn21's review

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emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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