The Plot Book Reviews

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Loved it!. I was so excited to win an early review copy of The Plot from BookishFirst. I was crossing my fingers so hard that I would win! As soon as I receive the book I drove right in. I knew I would enjoy it but I didn’t think I would have enjoyed it THIS much. I already am a huge fan of books that have to do with books, bookstores, booklovers, etc.. but this story took it to a whole new level. The story revolves around a college professor/failed novelist who has a student with a VERY good idea for a book.. possibly one of the BEST ideas to come across his desk in a long, long time. As a reader you are taken on a thrilling journey of the twist and turns of the publishing world, ownership and copyright. What does it mean to be successful? The suspense around the “theft” of a story idea had me up into the wee hours of the morning. BUY THIS BOOK! You will NOT regret it.

Good Read. Good read that keeps you flipping pages

You’ll probably figure it out way before the end.. No real surprise ending here.

Meta, “Gone Girl”-ish. Don’t know if the dual story structure was worth it… didn’t really have a big payoff once the climax was set in motion… on the positive side, this author took a really big creative swing here.this book wasn’t a home run, it was at least a ground rule double, though. There are slow burn, nuanced character developments… along with tensely plotted, beach read action sequences .

The Plot9. Even though I enjoyed reading this book, I hated the ending. I did not like Anna at all, and Jake was shallow, unethical, and dumb. Maybe he should have majored in math after all! Or investigative journalism. But he still could not connect the bread crumbs left by a devious and obnoxious sociopath. How ironic that he felt so superior to his students and yet fell victim himself to such a monster because of his greed, and need for fame and fortune.

Has a Real “Gotcha” ending. Taut writing, well described characters and a plot twist that comes, at least to me, as a total surprise. Not to give anything away but when things happen a bit too conveniently and too fast you might want to step back a bit and see the forest from the trees.

No suspense, no twisty ending. I had high hopes for this book after the great reviews. I kept waiting for the suspense. There was not any. The plot was very obvious just as soon as the character who is out to expose the main character was introduced. I kept reading thinking that there would be a big twist at the end, but no. I was really disappointed.

Slow burn - worth it!. First, thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of The Plot. When I first read the plot line of The Plot (haha), I was hooked! A story about a writer who steals a storyline? That’s just Inception-like! I knew I needed to read this book for myself. I requested a copy, and after being immediately approved (thank you again!), I dove right in. Okay, I have to admit. The beginning is so slow. I almost DNFed this, especially when I saw that others felt the same way. But I knew that I couldn’t do that, and I forged onward. By Part Two (the book is divided into 4 parts) I was dedicated. The writing improved greatly for me. The beginning was kind of droll, and there wasn’t enough dialogue to keep me interested. As the story goes on, the dialogue gets much heavier, which I needed and thus appreciated. Two of my favorite parts about The Plot were, one, the play on words. You don’t realize it til nearly the end, but the title holds a double meaning. Two, I loved seeing another book in this book (Crib). Little excerpts of the book Jake wrote are scattered between chapters. It made the book that much better. Seeing as I don’t want to give too much away, I will admit that I guessed a lot of the ending. Did I see it right from the start like some readers are claiming? Not at all, but there were several clues that informed me of the person behind the anonymous attacks Jake receives after stealing this plot line. I was actually a little ashamed of myself for not reading the very obvious clues sooner! All in all, stick with this book! Even if you feel like the beginning is much too slow for you, I promise it gets better. In fact, the second half of the book doesn’t feel remotely like the first half. It becomes a true mystery, complete with plenty of travel and dialogue. I loved The Plot, and I think you will too! 4/5 stars

The Plot. Loved this book!!!!!

The plot. Crazy unbelievable twists all the way to the very end! An absolute MUST READ👍

Entertaining. I called it midway through, but still a fun read.

The Plot. A very interesting book to read!

Predictable. Boring

Familiar story. THE PLOT is similar to a number of other books with similar plots: what happens when a celebrated author takes ideas from someone else. The similarities are enough that readers can be forgiven for thinking they already read this book. Until the 3/4 mark when the ending becomes obvious. Author Jean Hanff Korelitz has a good grasp of the protagonist and the perils of writing fiction. I just wish she had created a slightly off-kilter version of this book; it would have been more entertaining. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Very interesting read. This book is hard to describe. It is a book about a fiction author who finally has a monumental best-seller known for its surprising plot twist only to be accused of stealing the story from someone else. The veiled threats keep coming and finally he decides he has to investigate and see if he can find out who is doing this to him. He does find out who it is and then there is a plot twist in his story.......well I won't go any further and give anything away. You really need to read this book for yourself. #ThePlotBook @CeladonBooks

Hooked!. Great level of suspense and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The Plot. Started out slow. Then, got interesting enough to keep reading. But, had to skim over a lot. Not worth the time spent! Even after skipping over slow parts. Terrible ending! Don’t waste your time reading it!!

Horrible, Pass on it. After all the hype I bought this one. It's a waste of money. It's written poorly, the characters are just plain dumb, the dialogue is inane, and it's obvious about two thirds in what's going on. Started skimming all the unnecessary verbiage to get to the end and prove myself right. Amazingly I kept my wife informed on what was happening as I read it and she told me the ending correctly. I can't help but wonder how a book like this gets such good reviews. Oh well, I guess " anyone can be a writer ". Pass on it. Life's too precious to spend time on this tripe.

A book club must read!. The Plot, spellbinding and dark, is a nesting Russian doll of a mystery. There’s a plot inside a plot and twists inside twists. Jean Hanff Korelitz has delivered a carefully crafted, beautifully written thriller that is impossible to put down. Pity Jacob Finch Bonner. His first novel earned him a mention as a “New and Noteworthy” author by the New York Times. His second and third attempts sunk like stones. Now he’s living off his dwindling success teaching a writing workshop at Ripley College when he meets Evan Parker, an overly confident young man who is convinced he’s going to be the next star author because his unfinished novel cannot fail. And when Jacob reads sample pages and hears the novel’s synopsis, he knows Evan is right. Fast forward several years. Jacob is now coordinating a writer’s program at a hotel in an upstate New York town that is reinventing itself into a tourist attraction. After a guest reminds him of Evan Parker, he searches for him online. Parker is dead. What happened to his great idea? Another fast forward and Jacob Finch Bonner is a successful, bestselling author. How did he get here? It’s not as simple as you might think. Jean Hanff Korelitz is already an accomplished author (the award winning HBO series The Undoing was based on her novel You Should Have Known) but The Plot is in a different league. This is a sure fire bestseller and a book club must read. 5 stars. Thank you to NerGalley, Celadon Books and Jean Hanff Korelitz for this ARC.

Not a fan of murder mystery but……. This held my interest for a while….until the gray haired girlfriend came into the picture. There wasn’t any warmth to the relationship and she became suspicious to me. I also got irritated with the author being a “wimp”.

Maybe it’s me?. I admittedly read more non-fiction than fiction. To really get into a novel it has to grab me early and pique my interest. This novel didn’t do that. I was bored and didn’t really care for the main character. I think she is a good writer and gave the book three stars for that. It just wasn’t for me. Next.

A Novel Within A Novel. I was so excited to read THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I picked it up on the day it was published and couldn’t wait to dive in. I love books about writers and based on the description it seemed like this book was written for me. Jacob Finch Bonner was once a literary wunderkind with his acclaimed debut novel, but after his second book didn’t get the same level of praise, he was relegated to teaching at a low residency program in Vermont. One arrogant student tells Jacob the plot of a novel he’s writing. Jacob waits for the book to be published but it never arrives. Jacob seeks out his former student and learns that he’s dead. Inspired by the plot, Jacob writes a novel based on the story told to him and it becomes a literary sensation. While Jacob is on tour, he receives an anonymous message saying he’s a thief. This book starts at the MFA program in Vermont and moves to present day after Jacob is a star. Interspersed are sections from his own book, Crib. The book within a book is described as having a big twist that no one saw coming. Sadly, I saw the twist in Crib right away, and I figured out what would happen in the book about half way though. While I was somewhat surprised by the very end, I predicted what would happen fairly early on. While I think the book is well written and interesting, I was disappointed. Jacob as a character is annoying, as intended. The book says a lot about the profession of writing, and writers, and writing culture. As someone who writes, this book made me feel very insecure. I think it was supposed to be funny, but it made me scared to write. If you’re looking for a twisty thriller about writing and books this summer, this book is perfect for you.

Plot. It was alright

Great twist at the end!. Well written, well-developed characters and a great plot.

Breathtaking suspense and a terrific twist. Neither Jacob (Jake) Finch Bonner nor Evan Parker are very likable when we first meet them. Jake is a failed writer. He had his one successful novel but that was it. He’s bitter and resentful and full of self-pity, a bit pathetic. Everything is unfair, nothing is his fault. He is reluctantly teaching writing at a small, nondescript college. And if there is not much to like about Jake, there is nothing at all to like about his student Evan Parker, who is going to change his name to Parker Evan to protect his privacy after the astounding, amazing novel he intends to write based on the best plot in forever he has created. Evan is rude and arrogant and declares he doesn’t need any writing advice from a has-been. Not sure why he is even attending Jake’s class or the school, except possibly to brag and be a big shot. He is reluctant to divulge any details of his planned novel, but when he finally does reveal the plot to Jake, Jake is stunned. Evan is right – this novel is going to capture the interest of the entire world. Jake’s prospects and fortunes continue to decline, and every once in a while he wonders why he hasn’t seen the publication of Evan’s novel. When he learns Evan died, apparently without finishing or publishing the novel, Jake has an idea – and a big decision to make. Is it wrong to use Evan’s idea? Is it really stealing if the novel was never written, never put before the public? Well, Jake convinces himself that it’s okay to use the plot and he writes the novel. And the fame is just like Evan said it would be. But along with all the security and fame and adulation comes an always-present fear. What if the novel was written after all? What if somebody finds out? Author Jean Hanff Korelitz does an amazing job of making us as fearful as Jake. As the story progresses we start to wonder if every next person he meets will be The One. The One who knows and who will tell. Jake becomes more likable, less pathetic, and you actually start to feel some sympathy for him. He’s become close to his family again, has a wife, has friends . . . all this can’t be taken from him, can it? Even if he didn’t come up with the plot (and is once again having some difficulty writing the next novel), Jake wrote this novel, right? It’s his. He’s not a thief. Is he? The suspense builds and builds until it is almost too much to bear. A sense of doom hangs over each page, and you can’t stop turning each page; you must know what is going to happen to Jake. And along with the suspense about Jake’s fate, there is the mystery of the plot itself. It garnered so much attention and fame and admiration. What was it?? So good or so terrible or so different – or what? The Plot was one of the most gripping, enjoyable books I have ever read. It’s a delightfully dark, addictive story with superb writing, a tight plot, providing some fascinating insight into writers and writing, the struggles, challenges, unwritten rules, the protocol. As the story unfolds and details are added you wonder if they are clues or red herrings. I did figure out the final big twist but that did not detract at all from my satisfaction with the ending. I couldn’t wait to find out how it would all unravel in the end and wasn’t sure about anything until the very last page. Thanks to Celadon Books Macmillan Publishers for providing an advance copy of The Plot for my reading pleasure and honest review. It’s an intense, breathtaking page-turner and I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation. All opinions are my own.

The plot. Very easy to get to bad guy. A bit boring getting there.

The Plot. It took awhile to understand where the author was going with the story. You must hang in there as the plot evolves. The book turned out to be quite interesting. Just took too long to get there

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Great book. Really enjoyable and unique

A Gripping Mystery!. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook for review! I flew through this. The story was compelling, the mystery was enchanting, and the writing was as lyrical as Korelitz has Jake describe Evan's writing in the beginning. I do wish the voices had been a little more distinct, however, from the story of Jake and The Plot, to the story within the story, of Jake's novel, Crib, to even the first few pages we get to read of Evan's version of the novel in the beginning. The style was incredibly similar, and if it hadn't been for the chapter titles where readers are literally TOLD these are pages from Jake's novel within the book, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. The story is as unique as any mystery/thriller I've ever read. The meta-factor definitely helped with the originality, and it was a refreshing take on the genre. Do I think the plot (the actual story that starts all the drama, not this book, The Plot) is the best thing since sliced bread; as remarkable as Jake seems to think when Evan describes it to him in his office, guaranteed bestseller and sure to be picked up by Hollywood? No. Did I see the big bad coming from about 50% in? Yes. Was the ending pretty expositional and slightly eye-roll worthy? Yes. Can I think of better way to have ended the book instead? Well, no. So. All in all, a quick thriller that, while it didn't really keep me guessing, definitely kept me engaged, if for no other reason than I enjoyed Korelitz writing and Jake's character. I will definitely be checking out some of Jean Hanff Korelitz other books, and am grateful to have received this eARC!

5 star read!. Picking up The Plot by @jeanhanff I thought I knew what the story was going to be about and honestly was worried if I was going to enjoy it. In the synopsis we learn that Jacob Finch Bonner is a teacher in an MFA program who hears his student’s plot idea for a book and who later steals it and writes it himself when he learns the student has passed away without writing it. The last line of the synopsis says “‘What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?” I was not expecting to get hooked so early on and be wanting to pick up this book at every opportunity. While I guessed part of the twist early on from a very minor mention of something mundane, I was still turning the pages quickly to learn more. I loved the way the author didn’t feel the need to linger on any one time period for too long, realizing that the reader could make some inferences into the time periods not covered. This characteristic kept the plot moving perfectly. Jake’s character felt authentic and changed appropriately through the different stages of his life story. It showed in small details like carrying his clothing in two plastic bags to the college where he would be delivering the 3 week program as an MFA teacher who hadn’t put out anything worthy in a while to the more egotistical persona associated with fame coming up with lines to make himself sound modest. Having portions of Jake’s novel embedded within the story was a unique and satisfying format to deliver this great story. This is my first book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be my last. Her previous novel You Should Have Known was made into a Netflix series called The Undoing starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland. I binge watched that series and loved it not knowing it was based on a book. Thank you to @celadonbooks for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. The Plot publishes May 11, 2021.

The plot…. Not a terrible book. It kept me entertained even though half way through the story I guessed where the story was heading ….and I was right. I’ve read better and also read worse.