Nothing To See Here

5/5 stars

Lillian and Madison were unlikely friends at school, but have maintained distant contact in adulthood. Suddenly, Madison enlists Lillian’s help to care for Madison’s twin step children. It seems like a typical nannying job except for the fact that the children can spontaneously burst into flames. Lillian must figure out how to care for these children without setting the entire house on fire. 

This book really surprised me! First, I applaud Kevin’s ability to write about “fire children”. The entire time I read, I had zero issues accepting this phenomenon as totally believable. The magical realism was truly entertaining to read, and the story was so descriptive, it felt like I was watching children burst into flames in my own home. 

The characters were perfect and added everything they needed to the plot. While my name is also Lillian, I related more strongly to the children. I felt every “you won’t leave us?” in my core. The relationships in this story are complex and force you to consider who you’d remain unconditionally loyal to. 

This was a much deeper novel than I expected. It delved into topics including: family, abandonment, friendship, responsibility, and loyalty. It was a very quick read, and I plan to re-read it in the future!