Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

14 reviews

kelly_e's review against another edition

funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

Title: Now Is Not the time to Panic
Author: Kevin Wilson
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: November 15, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Accessible • Witty • Thoughtful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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 has just moved into his grandmother’s unhappy house and who is as lonely and 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. Satanists, kidnappers—the rumors won’t stop, and soon the mystery has dangerous repercussions that spread far beyond the town. The art that brought Frankie and Zeke together now threatens to tear them apart.

Twenty years later, Frances Eleanor Budge—famous author, mom to a wonderful daughter, wife to a loving husband—gets a call that threatens to upend everything: a journalist named Mazzy Brower is writing a story about the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Might Frances know something about that? And will what she knows destroy the life she’s so carefully built?

💭 T H O U G H T S

Now Is Not the Time to Panic is my first foray into Kevin Wilson's work. I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting, but what I got wasn't it. What this was for me was a quick, forgettable coming-of-age story that was solid on audio.

From the very beginning, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. The pacing was slow through the first half, picking up through the second half but I just couldn't bring myself to care. The writing was decent, so I am thinking it was just the story itself. I will say after reading the author's note I had a little more appreciation for it simply because of how personal writing this story was for him.

Now if Not the Time to Panic is awkward and unsettling read focusing on young love, a sense of identity, the power of art and artistic collaboration, and the secrets that haunt us. For me, it was nothing memorable, and while I still might give Nothing to See Here a go at some point in the future, I just don't think I am the intended audience for this author's work. I can understand why so many connect with it though.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Kevin Wilson enthusiasts
• fans of the coming-of-age story

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"We’d created meaning where there was none, but, I don’t know, isn’t that art? Or at least I think it’s the kind of art that I like, where the obsession of one person envelops other people, transforms them." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Suicide attempt, Cursing, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

aharper's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Infidelity

ms_kristie's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death and Infidelity

blewballoon's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-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

3.0

This is a good book, for someone else. I listened to this on audiobook and Ginnifer Goodwin absolutely nailed the narration. I loved Nothing to See Here by the same author, so I grabbed this one without even looking at the synopsis. I found that book to be grounded, creative, funny, and hopeful. It dealt with darker subjects delicately. The dialogue and characters felt real and natural while also being unusual. I think this book also has most of those qualities, but it didn't have as much levity and hope. I felt a sense of dread the entire time I was reading it, waiting for things to go bad and then worse. I also found it harder to connect with the main character, it was more difficult to understand why she did what she did. I did really appreciate the Author's notes at the end about how this story came about and how it connected to his own life. I think this was just a little too somber for what I wanted, but I would recommend it to those who appreciate that more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Cursing

alywise's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Car accident, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders

hinkleh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Infidelity

Moderate: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Pregnancy

Minor: Medical content and Panic attacks/disorders

internationalreads's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

2.5

Very disappointing after loving his other book so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Infidelity, Car accident, and Death

author2223's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Infidelity

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Murder, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

What I love most about NOW IS NOT THE TIME is how it takes adolescence seriously, a period in which the world seems big and small all at once. We see Frankie and Zeke chase what makes them feel alive—and, honestly, don't we all do that, in our own big and small ways? I really enjoyed this and will be recommending it to everyone I know.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death, Medical content, and Infidelity

Moderate: Kidnapping and Panic attacks/disorders