Audio Review: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

March 02, 2020

This was such an unexpected surprise!

Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson

Released October 2019

Audiobook | Goodreads | Amazon

Source: Library Loan

Kevin Wilson’s best book yet—a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with remarkable and disturbing abilities

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.

My 2 Cents For Free!

This is such a strange and amusing book. I requested it on Libby many weeks ago without reading the blurb and had no idea what it was about or where it was headed but I started it up with hope in my heart (hope that it wasn't going to be sucky) and as soon as I started listening I realized I was going to follow it anywhere.

Lillian leaves her crappy life to take a former schoolmate up on an offer. She doesn’t know what the offer entails but she doesn’t think it’ll be any worse than living in her mother’s attic and working lousy low paying jobs. When she arrives at Madison’s mansion she’s met with a rush of emotions because things happened in their past that I won’t reveal that pretty much ruined Lillian’s chances for a better life. Madison is now the wife of a politician who hopes to move on up in the world but they have two little problems and it’s now Lillian’s job to ensure that these twins from a previous marriage remain well taken care of and out of the public eye. Sounds sort of easy enough, right?

But there's a little snag. The twins catch on fire when their emotions run high.

I loved Lillian who thinks, “A wicked child was the most beautiful thing in the world.” Well, now she has two fire children and it feels perfect. She’s unconcerned that they can both set her ass on fire whenever they wish. There are plenty of fire extinguishers around and the money is GOOD. She’s so down to earth and beautifully sarcastic and her interactions with the kids always felt genuine. It’s such a weird scenario but it works. She’s never dealt with children before this but she turns out to be the perfect “governess” for these kids and their interactions might melt your heart just a little.

Madison, on the other hand, is a selfish creature but also a weirdo so I couldn’t despise her too much. Actually, these two women are both weirdos and that’s probably why I fell so in love with this story. They don’t behave the way you expect them to behave. At all.

The audio was read Marin Ireland who pulls it all off without a hiccup. She does excellent work with all of the characters, even the kids, and kids are hard to do. I can easily recommend this one to anyone looking for something offbeat.

Content Warning: