From Booklist
Nolan's debut novel has no connection whatsoever to the popular American film by the same name. In Nolan's story, four college-age Brits in the resort town of Brighton find themselves with five kilos of cocaine. What to do? Enjoy it, sell it, or just get rid of it? Those options are all explored with both humor and suspense while Nolan's aimless, cynical characters keep busy in their own way. Ward shaves all his body hair to impress the girl upstairs; Steve answers a gay personal ad; Kelvin and Marina navigate the murky waters of their undefined relationship. Eventually, the cocaine becomes, as one character says, like an entertaining guest who comes and stays forever and eats all the food. The drug's messy effects include insomnia, suicidal recklessness, hospitals, and jail. For the most part, however, Nolan has the good sense to keep things light. Given the subject matter and its popularity in Britain, As Good As It Gets should attract a large college-age readership, which may be surprised by the novel's decidedly anti-drug conclusions. James Klise
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
