Now Is Not the Time to Panic – Kevin Wilson
Expectation: An offbeat novel with commentary about misplaced outrage.
Reality: Elements that could’ve lifted this out of typical coming of age territory weren’t mined to completion by the author.
My Take:
Nostalgia can comfort, but it can also haunt.
In “Now Is Not the Time to Panic,” Kevin Wilson gives readers both perspectives with a story that is part celebration of art and friendship and part cautionary tale of rose-colored reminiscing.
For latchkey kids Frankie Budge and Zeke Brown, the summer of 1996 in smalltown Coalfield, Tennessee, was uneventful until, on a whim, they created and distributed a poster that unleashed mass hysteria in their community and eventually became an enduring art pop mystery.
Twenty years later Frankie, now a successful fiction writer, is both burdened and comforted by her role in this zeitgeist moment but is still unprepared to confront its repercussions — including two deaths — when public exposure looms.
Like Wilson’s kooky “Nothing to See Here,” one must suspend some disbelief in order to buy the plot. Specifically, how a rather innocuous drawing with a non sequiteur phrase fueled unbridled Satanic fears, and that the two were never discovered until decades later. These are kids hanging photocopied posters in broad daylight, not Banksy.
With a straightforward story, one-sided perspective (Frankie’s) and young adultish sensibilities, I found myself frequently bored. There were only glimpses of Wilson’s offbeat humor, and for a short novel, he mined the hell out of the usual coming of age tropes.
In some ways this approach fit the era, and the tedium of filling your days in a pre-digital summer vacation, but it also overshadowed the best part of the novel — the impact of fleeting friendships.
The fast intimacy between Frankie and Zeke eventually morphs into each one serving as muse for the other. At that age, they don’t understand the concept of platonic collaboration, and it leads to a failed romance that upends the relationship only a few weeks after it began.
Wilson writes about this quick, intense friendship with a clarity and warmth that only hindsight can provide. So, it was disappointing to have an ending that felt rushed and incomplete.
In the age of social media, it’s easy to keep tabs on former friends and project a reality onto them with a hefty amount of “what if” sentimentality. But the author brings Frankie and Zeke back together for a soul baring discussion that only skimmed the surface.
When Frankie learns that only she has a positive view of that summer, there’s very little introspection. How does this change Frankie’s relationship with the poster? What does it mean for her art? She received so much from Zeke, and she contributed to his mental breakdown. It’s a heavy and heady topic that, for the most part, just hangs there.
An epilogue could’ve done wonders and likely would have changed my overall rating. Craig Davidson, whose “The Saturday Night Ghost Club” is a close cousin to “Panic,” was far more effective in closing the emotional loops.
Actress Ginnifer Godwin gave an engaging performance that helped keep things moving even when it felt like the plot had stalled. I enjoyed her portrayal of teenage Frankie and Zeke, but she softened some of the more madcap edges that make Wilson’s writing fun.
Thank you to Libro.fm and HarperAudio for a free copy of the audiobook. This exchange of goods did not influence my review.
IYKYK: this phrase, repeated endlessly, will definitely haunt me: “The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.”
Rating (story): 3/5 stars
Rating (narration): 4/5 stars
Format: Audiobook (personal library)
Dates read: February 2 – February 4, 2024
Multi-tasking: Good to go. This character study is easy to follow regardless of activity, although it didn’t prove to be a very exciting road trip listen.
