Now Is Not the Time to Panic

Bookseller recommendation

“Kevin Wilson does many things well, but what he does best of all is the quirky coming of age story. Now Is Not the Time to Panic tells the story of the fictional 'Coalfield Panic of 1996' and the two artsy and awkward teens who inadvertently start it. Frankie comes up with the words, Zeke illustrates it: 'The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.' They hang these flyers around their small Tennessee town hoping to stir up a little whimsical mystery. But soon the flyers are replicating themselves all over the state, with rumors of satanic cults, and worse. The relationship between Frankie and Zeke is charming and sweet and complicated as they try to comprehend how an innocent enough attempt at guerrilla art spirals so far out of their control, their reactions churning between pride, awe, horror, and fear. Now Is Not The Time to Panic is a sweet, funny, and at times melancholic look at the lasting effect a fleeting summer has on the lives of two teens still trying to find their footing in the world.”

— Rachel • The Book Table

Bookseller recommendation

“Wow! My first Kevin Wilson book! I am still stunned. A coming of age told with humor. So original, relatable and current. I will never forget:‘The edge is a shanty town filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives and the law is skinny with hunger for us.' I listened on Libro.fm and it was so well produced!”

— Melanie • The Well-Read Moose

Bookseller recommendation

“Having myself been a teenager in a small insular southern town that felt a few years behind the times, Kevin Wilson's protagonist Frankie felt familiar. Now is Not the Time to Panic uncovers the mystery of a moral panic that starts small but becomes a world-famous cultural event. Frankie's dad has left, her triplet brothers are a whirlwind, and Frankie wants something (anything) to happen this summer. Making friends with a new kid in town who also has a father issue is life-changing as they recognize themselves in each other: friendless socially awkward creatives who are desperate just to be seen. This is a story with a great big heart that will not disappoint.”

— Rachel • Avid Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“I absolutely loved this! Ginnifer Goodwin’s narration is wonderful and Kevin Wilson’s writing is just phenomenal. It perfectly depicts how special, memorable, and sometimes confusing, adolescent friendships can be, and has a lot to say about the role of art. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end which made this excellent book even more special. Definitely a highlight in my reading year and one I expect to come back to. Highly recommended!”

— Tracey • Turning the Tide Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“Aspiring writer Frankie is sixteen years old and bored with her small town life. It’s summer and she realizes all of her friends have moved on. She’s lonely. That’s when she meets Zeke. Like Frankie, Zeke is an artist yearning to say something, anything. Together they start making art, culminating in a poster with his art and her words: 'The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.' They hang them around town. Soon, other people start hanging the posters. People become obsessed. And then people start getting hurt. The jacket copy tells no lie: 'an exuberant big hearted novel' that is it, jacket copy, you nailed it! ”

— Stefanie • Water Street Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“I truly loved this short, odd little book about two misfit teenagers in the pre-internet 1990s, the art they made, and the town that freaked out about it. It is alternately sad, funny, weird, and deeply moving. If you were a socially awkward, artsy teen in the 1990s you’ll probably appreciate this book. Kevin Wilson has such a delightfully strange way of seeing the world and I am here for it! ”

— Josh • Underground Books

Bookseller recommendation

“A little coming-of-age story plus a crime story equals an unusual novel that follows two bored teenagers who don't really fit in and whose 'project' goes off the rails. Once again, the author has created a reality that is just a little beyond believable, yet captures human emotions so well.”

— Anne • Newtonville Books

Bookseller recommendation

“I loved this novel! Wilson does a great job at evoking the nostalgia of a teen that lived in the early 90s! The book reads quickly like a movie and I found myself sad to have to turn it off! It's fascinating to think that two teens could do something that can snowball in a way to impact the world. In the end, I empathized with the main character and was glad for the alternate timelines so that I could see how she made it into adulthood. This book is perfect for anyone who loves 90s pop culture, coming of age stories, and an interesting plot!”

— Melody • Park Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This unzipped my heart and let some of my teenage dirtbag feelings fall out. I listened to the audiobook on Libro.fm and found it very moving. I'm a big Kevin Wilson fan and while this isn't as off the wall as spontaneously combusting children or parenting in communes, it is emotionally brilliant.”

— Adah • Main Street Books Davidson

Bookseller recommendation

“A single act can change everything. Frankie and Zeke, solitary teen-age artists, come together in small-town USA one summer and create a poster with far-ranging reverberations. Years later, the ripples remain. An exploration of the power of art, of obsession, of loneliness and connections, of secrets and truth-telling, this novel lingers beautifully, long after its final pages. Rich and expertly crafted literature.”

— Nancy • Raven Book Store

Bookseller recommendation

“Kevin Wilson writes weird books about big truths. In this coming-of-age novel that explores the meaning of art, and fandom, and sensationalism, two misfit teenagers connect and create an odd piece of guerilla art that changes not only their lives, but the lives of countless others—and not necessarily in good ways. Their secret creation becomes a phenomenon that continues to haunt them well into adulthood, though their relationship lasted only a single summer. When a reporter at last tracks one of the artist’s down, she must make a decision about taking credit (or blame) and consider the impact of that one thing she made, with that one guy, that one summer, so long ago.”

— Sarah • A Great Good Place for Books

Bookseller recommendation

“How have I not read Kevin Wilson before?! His writing is heartfelt, emotional, and full of hope. Now Is Not the Time to Panic felt like a love letter to the year before leaving young adulthood. Where all your choices mean something, but you're not quite sure what that meaning meant. Full of unexpected twists and turns, you'll be shocked where Wilson leads you in this coming-of-age story. ”

— Jenny • E. Shaver, bookseller