If there's one unifying theme I'm noticing with reviews of this book, it is that Peter David's take on the script was better than the movie itself. I won't disagree. Peter David put a fun spin on it, taking the reader inside the minds of the characters and even making some of the worst jokes in the script work (a little better). He also tossed in some great references to the actors' other work (like The Mask or The Fugitive), and provided continuity to the previous film. At the end of Batman Returns, Batman was still a wanted fugitive - a situation the script for Batman Forever never addressed. A scene between Batman and Harvey Dent in the novel clears that up while providing a bit of backstory between the two characters.You know, this Peter David guy... he's pretty good at this sort of thing!