Very Nice by Marcy Dermanksy - Reshelved Books

Hello there Dewey Readers! 

I was privileged to review an Advance Reader Copy of Marcy Dermansky's latest novel Very Nice, which is to be published on July 2, 2019. 

This novel is the perfect literary summer beach read...or soap opera, whichever you prefer. Rachael is in college with the hopes of being a writer. Rachel has written a short story about a flight attendant with a wild life and venereal disease that her professor offered criticism on (a Chris Bohjalian reference?).  Rachael is totally enamored with her writing professor, Zahid Azzam, who is famous in the literary and writing world, but has stopped turning in her assignments due to the criticism.  She fantasizes about him, secretly loves him, even ends up watching his dog, and eventually sleeps with him. Zahid is a bit naive but also thinks a little bit too highly of himself.  When I was reading this novel, I kept comparing Zahid to Adelle Waldman's character of Nathaniel P. (Check out our review of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. here.)  After Rachael and Zahid sleep together, Zahid ends up traveling back to Pakistan because his grandmother is dying and Rachael ends up taking the dog home with her. 

Now, you see the dog is a poodle, and Rachel's mother's dog (who was also a poodle) recently passed away.  Her mother takes the dog right into her home and heart, filling the void of having lost the love of her companion. Her mother and father have also recently separated, her father leaving her mother for a young flight attendant who may or may not infect him with a disease.  (You'll have to read it to find out.) This is where things get weird.  Zahid ends up returning for his dog but ends up staying with Rachael and her mother.  He even falls in LOVE with her mother.  Rachael's mother hides her relationship from Rachel, and Zahid hides his one-time-stand with Rachael from the mother, throw in some guns, a strange relationship with a family who's son almost caused a mass shooting in Rachael's mother's classroom, a lesbian ex-babysitter and grown woman love story, and you get this messy literary soap opera with a wowsza of an ending I don't think anyone saw coming.  

Would I recommend this book as a beach read? Yes.  Do I really know what I read at the end?  Not really. Do I really care? Nope.  So Dewey Readers, this book makes a great addition to your beach bag and Days of Our Lives episodes.  I leave you with a rating of 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read!
~Jessica