Isn’t It Though? Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

I’d say I am a decently-sized Kevin Wilson fan.

My first Kevin Wilson book was The Family Fang, followed by Perfect Little World — probably still my favorite.

So, when I find an author whose work resonates, I tend to set aside time for any new work that comes along. I somehow missed this release, back in 2022, and was happy to pick it up in paperback late last year. (I am still woefully behind on my TBR shelf.)

There’s zero ill will in me saying “Now Is Not the Time to Panic” was not my favorite Wilson book — it’s beautifully written and will be somebody’s favorite, for sure. I just struggled with some of the characters’ choices within. I will say this, though — when Wilson puts pen to paper, he nails the emotion of the moment, always.

For the record, in this, the summer of 2024, it certainly is a time to panic, as we stare down another scary election cycle, we are anticipating a crazy-ass hurricane season and my God where is Princess Kate?!?! But in the fictional world of Frankie Budge in Coalfield, Tennessee in the mid-90s, maybe not so much.

Frankie, all of 16, is bored. It is summertime, she’s already an outcast but now an outcast without even school to ground her somewhere, her older triplet brothers are kinda sorta jerks, and she’s not going to admit it but she’s lonely. And her dad ran off with his girlfriend and gave his new baby girl the same name as hers. It’s … a lot. So, to meet Zeke was a bit of a gift.

Zeke, new to town, is also a bit of an oddball and equally damaged on the parental front. His mom is near catatonic, having brought him to her hometown after her husband’s been caught cheating. Also lonely, also looking for a lifeline, Zeke connects with Frankie and together, they place their angst and anxiety into a piece of art meant to be subversive but not altogether tragic.

But the fates had other plans.

What I admired most about this story was Wilson’s ability to tap into that feeling of “Oh shit, did this just happen? Did the kinda sorta innocent but not really innocent thing I just did be the thing that triggered all these other dominoes to fall?” We all are or were young once. Young and stupid.

What I couldn’t quite figure out was Frankie’s behavior into adulthood. Or Zeke’s, for that matter. This is definitely worthy of a book club discussion. I mean, Zeke — c’mon! All those years, and …

Having been on both sides now, as a child once and a parent still, I have a certain admiration for Frankie’s mom — in fact, she may be my favorite character. I hope I can live long enough to rock the sneaker collection she’s got going on.

“Now Is Not the Time to Panic” would make an excellent selection for any kind of book club, but maybe more so for a mother/daughter/teen one — it really is an excellent coming of age novel. I may not agree with Frankie, but I respect her.