FICTION

Very Nice

Knopf. Jul. 2019. 304p. ISBN 9780525655633. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9780525655640. F
COPY ISBN
Nineteen-year-old Rachel Klein puts the moves on her writing professor, Zahid Azzam, and then looks after his poodle, Princess, when he travels to Pakistan to visit his dying granny. This end-of-term hook-up opens Dermansky’s fourth novel (after The Red Car), but plenty more follows as Rachel’s recently divorced mother, Becca, takes up with Zahid. Mismatched lovers and bad decisions lead to excruciating moments, and these engulf Rachel’s father and lover as well as Zahid’s colleagues, twin sisters Khloe and Kristi. The action lasts one month and takes place mostly in Manhattan and in a wealthy part of Connecticut. While the genre is comedy of manners, the book comments on nearly every domestic issue of our times, usually with a skewer at the ready. Though written for adults, this tale could vie for YALSA’s Alex Awards: it’s knowing, articulate, funny, audacious, and attuned to Twitterati attention spans. The characters star in alternating chapters, and their inner thoughts and dialog propel compulsive reading to the bloody end.
VERDICT Powerful themes of mother love and daughter fidelity give this frothy novel a depth that lingers after the rush of enjoyment. [See Prepub Alert, 1/7/19.]
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?