“‘Good writers borrow, great writers steal.’—T.S. Eliot (but possibly stolen from Oscar Wilde)”

THE PLOT is unlike any other book I’ve read! Jacob Bonner, an author with only mediocre success, is teaching at an MFA program when one of his students shares about the book he’s working on. Jacob is blown away by the plot and waits to hear news of its publication. when Jacob instead hears that the student has died, he’s faced with a dilemma: what should be done with this magnificent plot he knows about?! though it took me a minute to get into the story, once I was in I was completely hooked and didn’t put it down until I had finished it. the book is really two stories in one, which is fun to read and also very impressive. 4.5/5⭐️—I really liked it!

The Plot was an interesting read, full of complex characters. Needless to say it was tight and intricately plotted. This book will be especially appealing to any fan of fiction and book publishing in general, giving voice to many interesting thoughts on proprietary information, writing and the very nature of story. It was a fast paced read if not exactly suspenseful, and I was feeling quite satisfied with the novel in general even when I figured out what was really going on at about 75% in. I liked all the gray areas in this book - the people were neither all good or all bad, their actions sometimes unexpected and other times very understandable. I must say that I did not like the ending for a number of reasons and this will probably prevent me from recommending it to my library patrons.

This enjoyable thriller takes it time at the beginning. We learn more about Jacob and we also get to read excerpts from his bestselling book “Crib”. We wait to find out what that incredible plot twist is that has made it a must-read book. We learn more about Evan and how he developed his story and his book’s “shocking” plot, which is now in Jacob’s book. Will you figure it all out before the end? You might. I did, but it didn’t ruin it for me.

This is my first book from author Jean Hanff Korelitz. I was glued to the HBO series “You Should Have Known” with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, based on her novel “The Undoing” and had to read The Plot because of it. I was not disappointed.

I also would like to note that the publisher encouraged those with early copies to donate them to one of the many “Little Free Libraries” across the U.S. to pass them forward. Great effort.

I started this book with high hopes of a great read, but it was a very slow start Then BAM! I couldn’t put it down, the twist & turns kept me up half the night reading. I highly recommend reading The Plot, a novel within the novel was brilliant. This will be book of the year!!!

Everyone gets to write their own story; it's what novelist Jake Bonner tells his writing students.. What happens when he tells someone else's story is the stuff off this gripping, compulsively readable novel . Evan Parker, one of the enrollees at Jake's residency at Ripley College, is supremely confident that his yet barely written novel will be a huge success, based on a story sure to get him there, and when Jake hears it, he's forced to agree, although the first two pages Evan shows him, while competent enough don't even hint at the genius of the plot.
When Jake learns that Evan died shortly after the residency was over, he's tantalized by the still unwritten story, inspired by what he could do with it. And when he writes it into a best seller, with all the rewards that come with it - the Oprah interview, the Spielberg movie, the game and the money - his life seems almost complete, until he meets the fan he marries.
Then the emails begin, from the anonymous writer who accuses him of theft - of stealing a dead man's story - and mounts a social media campaign to reveal his duplicity. Jake's efforts to track down his extorter take him to an encounter neither he nor the reader could ever have expected .

Jacob Finch Bonner is a writer haunted by his early modest success, which he has been unable to match. His first novel may not have wowed readers but critics loved it and it put him on the map. His follow up book flopped, and even he knew it wasn't very good--he just didn't have a great plot idea-- and his third one never got printed. So the story starts with Jake as a teacher at a third rate summer writing course for want-to-be authors. His first novel is the only thing that gives him credibility, but he is aware that everyone knows he hasn't followed up on that early success.

So imagine his chagrin when one of his students, in fact, the most obnoxious and unlikeable one, comes in his office and presents him with an incredible plot, one that is guaranteed to sell books. However as time passes, he never sees such a book being published. Then one day by chance he finds out that the student died shortly after the summer literary course and the book was never written. Jake can't resist the urge to steal the plot and use it to write his own book. They are his words, he wrote every one, but the story line is his student's. The book sales, as he predicted are phenomenal and he has a best seller. But then, just as he has everything he has ever wanted in life, he gets a message, "you're a thief, you stole the story."

It is at this point that the story really takes off and I couldn't put it down. As other reviewers have noted, the beginning of the book moves slower. Not that it isn't interesting, but it is a slow build up. This is a phycological thriller and it is interesting to see Jake slowly unravel the mystery of who is tormenting him. I figured out who was doing it well before the end, but I think the author purposefully leads us there. We watch Jake, and it's like the horror movies where you see the hero walking headlong toward destruction and you want to yell, "Stop!". Another thing that surprised me was I didn't think the author would reveal this supposedly can't miss, unbelievable plot idea. How do you live up to that? But they eventually did, and it is an important part of the story. Was it quite as unbelievable as promised? No, but it was a good story and I was willing to accept the premise.

I really enjoyed this story. Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for access to an ARC of this book.

Oh, what to say! The premise of this book piqued my interest from the moment I heard about it. Our protagonist (and I use that term very loosely here) is washed-up writer Jacob Finch Bonner. Poor, woe-is-me Jake, who it seems the world is against, is teaching writing classes because he was never able to find that commercial success years after having written a promising debut novel.

It is during one of his classes that he becomes acquainted with the arrogant student Evan Parker, who claims he has a plot so great, that anyone could write the novel and not screw it up. Evan eventually discloses this plot and Jake sulks even more realizing Evan is right, it will be a massive hit, and Jake will remain a nothing in the world of literature while his student rises above.

Fast forward to a few years later and Jake wonders what has become of his student as he hasn't heard news of the novel he thought he was sure would be a success. Jake finds Evan has died and therefore the plot idea has gone to the grave with him. What is there for Jake to do but heroically resurrect the plot idea himself and write his own novel, finally guaranteeing that long sought after commercial and critical success! Oh Jake does have some momentary moral pondering about this, which he justifies by considering it his duty to keep the story alive, even if it didn't exactly belong to him.

Fame! He finally has it. Everyone knows Jake's name and his new book "Crib" is everywhere, including #1 on the bestseller list. But someone else recognizes that plot and knows it wasn't his story to tell and they want to make him pay. They are hell-bent on getting revenge for this "theft." But who is it Jake's tormenter and what do they want from him?

Oh, I wanted to love Jake, or at least like him a little bit, but his character is such a pathetic caricature of a man that I found it hard to empathize. His oft negativity towards the writing of his students had me extra critical of his own writing. When we are giving excerpts of his novel "Crib," it is then that I realized what a truly terrible writer he is. Was this intentional by the author as satire? I like to believe so, but it left the ability to like Jake a hard sale for this reader.

I will say the Plot is a very fast-paced book, which is exactly how I like my suspense novels! It's an enjoyable and easy read, but I was able to figure out this "plot" long before the book was over, so if you're anticipating some great, huge twist at the end, you may end up feeling a bit let down if you're like me and already have it figured out mid-way. That being said, this was still a much enjoyed novel that I recommend as a solid summer weekend read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Celadon Books for allowing me to read and review an advance copy!

After hearing about The Plot on the What Should I Read Next podcast, I knew I had to read this ASAP. The premise was really exciting: it's about an author who writes a bestselling story, which he originally heard from one of his students who had since passed away. Then when he gets called out for stealing the story, it's time to investigate. What a thrilling concept! Unfortunately, the execution wasn't what I expected. I want my thrillers to be snappy, quick, and clever, not drawn-out info dumps full of tangents and flowery, fairly pretentious writing. It made it difficult to connect with the MC, care about his situation, or feel much of anything when the plot twist inevitably came around. This book was, unfortunately, not for me, and while the story itself was interesting, it was a true disappointment.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz became quite suspenseful after the background information in the first part. I was cheeriing for the successful author who 'borrowed" the plot and anxiously lived hoping to not be discovered. Many more secrets are uncovered making the novel a satisfying read.

Wow!!!! This book had me hooked!!
Ok, it started a bit slow, but when it takes off, buckle your seat belt, you are going for a fine ride!!!!
Jacob, our main character is a struggling author.
When he stumbles into a position to produce a novel, that may not be his to write. Someone knows what he has done, and wants to make sure Jacob knows it!!
Oh, and dont think you know how it will end...THE PLOT thickens!

This book has been on my radar for a few months. Domestic thrillers have been exhausting me lately. I have forced myself through thriller after thriller with the same old tropes (It's the husband! It's the wife! It's the crazy lady!). I was looking for something to spark my interest and recapture my love for the genre.

The summary of The Plot caught my attention because it sounded unlike anything that I have read before. And, mostly, it was.

Jake is an almost one hit wonder. He published a book that made a tiny splash and brought him enough attention to generate expectations for his "next" book. But the next book came, and went, without much interest or praise.

At a small creative writing college he coaches mediocre and less than mediocre writers. Jake gives them just enough confidence to think they can publish a book. Then, Evan Parker enters the program. A jerk with a story. Evan shares his plot with Jake and surprises the teacher with something new, something unusual. A new plot. Jake cannot believe that this inspiration has been revealed in such an undeserving person. Shocked, bitter, and a little resentful, Jake carries on wondering what happened to the story as years go by without publication.

Finally, Jake checks in on his old student to find out that he passed away unexpectedly. And he's presented with a dilemma. Surely, a plot so grand, a story so new, should not remain untold...

Jake rationalizes that it isn't plagiarism. Ideas belong to no one. Words belong to no one. He'll just retell the story. Does it really matter who came up with it when the story is constructed of his words, his dialogue, his time and energy?

After the book is published and becomes a best seller (an Oprah Book Club pick!) Jake begins to receive messages threatening to reveal his deception. And that is when the plot of The Plot really takes off.

The beginning and ending of this book were amazing. There were a few chapters in the middle where I was thinking, "Hurry up already!!!" Jake's woah is me, repetitive thinking, (I love Anna! I'm a liar.) moral issues were a little exhausting but the ending was smashing and tied the whole book together. Solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ book. Really enjoyable and a refreshing entry into the thriller genre.

Thank you #NetGalley for the providing an ARC and an opportunity to review this book in return for an honest review.

#ThePlotBook #NetGalley #ARC

The first 1/4 of this book was extremely slow, boring, and unlikeable, and I almost put it down, but I am so glad that I didn't. This book ended up being a fantastic read. There are 3 stories within this story and I loved them all. I did figure out the twist fairly quickly but that in no way took away from my enjoyment of this book. I've read this author's work before, and after this great book, I'll continue to read whatever she puts out.

I went into this novel with alot of excitement at first but I didnt like the writing style of this book much so I didnt enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a twisty thriller about writer Jacob Finch Bonner. He had minor success with his first book, but then he ends up teaching writing at a small college. One of his students explains the plot of his upcoming book to Bonner. Years later, though, the book has not been published. When Bonner looks into it, he finds out this student died before he could write his story. So, Bonner decides to write it for himself, and the book is a hit! Until he starts receiving threatening messages, that is. Who is sending the messages? What happened to his student, and where did he get the idea for this story? This book was amazing, and I highly recommend it! I did figure out what was happening pretty early on in the story, but that did not lessen my enjoyment. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks so much to the publisher and author for an advanced ecopy of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I had previously read this author's book, You Should Have Known ( aka The Undoing), and really liked it. My enjoyment of this one was just as great. You can hardly go wrong for me with a plot that includes a book within a book! Jake is a somewhat of a milktoast character....a writer who years ago had a highly praised first novel to which he has never had an equally lauded follow-up. As his money dried up, he was forced out of his NYC writer's community into a more suburban liberal arts college that has seen better days, too. Jake now is a mentor to wannabe writers, very few of whom he has much hope. Then one day, a student shows up with a plot so great the student just knows it will be a best-seller and be made into a movie by an A-list director. He won't tell Jake the plot, but through some of his creative writing he allows Jake to critique, Jake is intrigued. He finally convinces the student to share the plot with him. Jake is amazed to realize that, for once, he agrees that his student has a fail-proof plot that will be just as successful as the student thinks it will be, IF the man ever actually writes it. Years go by, though, and Jake realizes that the book was never written.....Jake, still struggling to find writing inspiration that will elevate him to the top of his game again decides since the student never wrote a book about the plot, someone should, and it might as well be him.

Naturally, the book IS the success Jake knew it would be and he is on top of the world....but someone realizes the plot of Jake's book was stolen, and they aren't about to let him get by with it.

I thought the pace of The Plot moved really well and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. I had the luxury of listening to the audio when in my car, while reading the ecopy at home.

The narration of the audio was very good. The characters all came to life well. The whole book was satisfying to me except the ending, though the ending was entirely appropriate for the tone of the novel. This author is clearly a cynic, and writes her cynicism well. I will be telling everyone about The Plot. Can't wait until someone buys the rights to make this book into just as great a series or movie as The Undoing was for the author her last go-around.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the narrator. The 3rd person narration was natural enough that it faded into the background while playing out each scene vividly and omnisciently without outright telling what the characters were thinking. The read was intriguing, easy and comfortable, and I loved how the plot of Evan's story wasn't revealed until just the right moment. The character development was awesome and overall this book was just a fantastic read. Kept me guessing, kept me up late, kept me picking up that book any time I could spare a moment so I could find out what was going to happen next. I think this book will resonate with any writers who love a good plot (lol) and I simply have to give this one 5/5 ⭐'s

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review!

I love when excitement for a book is still there once the book is complete. I liked the feeling of page-turning (well, swiping on my tablet lol) and finishing with a satisfying ending.

This book starts off very slow but I promise you if you stick with it you will be rewarded with an amazing story! It centers on Jake, an author who had trouble maintaining success after his first book and is relegated to teaching writers courses at various schools. He talks to a very unlikable student who has an amazing idea, and when he sees later that the book hasn't yet been published, he takes the idea and writes it himself, to huge success. As time passes, he starts getting indications that someone knows what he did and tries desperately to protect himself.

This book is uniquely told by alternating between chapters from the actual novel Jake wrote with the chapters of what is happening right now and told from Jake's POV. I was equally interested in both storylines. As I said earlier, it does start slow- the first 3rd of the book felt like a slog but I read the rest of it late into the night once it got going. The author expertly weaves a complex story in a way that is easy to understand and ties what seemed like disparate pieces together, with multiple twists throughout. Though I did figure out who the villain was, I enjoyed reading up to the point where it was revealed to see if I was right, and didn't feel let down that I had guessed it. There were additional surprise reveals beyond that one as well.

I would absolutely recommend this book- rarely do I go from just pushing my way through a book like I did in the first part to finishing it and thinking "wow, what an amazing story". It's a unique storyline with an intriguing mystery, and Jake is a likeable (though flawed) character. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz, is quite a creeper of a book - in the sense that it starts off real slow, sort of meandering around, building up two of the central characters you don't yet quite understand how or where they are going, and it breaks away and takes off somewhere just past the one-third mark.

The book is about a novel writer, Jake Bonner, and his book. The meta- approach doesn't quite become evident in the beginning, and all you see is the author, Jake, before "the plot". He is a one-book wonder, has had a second work that sank without a trace, and has been working on a third work for years now, without any obvious or realistic end date in mind.

You get to hear his backstory, and the initial portions of him in the Writing Workshop at Ripley, though seems to be well written - is clearly over-written. There is at least 50 pages there that didn't need to be, IMHO. The trick with writing meta is to not indulge and to do it well, or else it turns out to be much worse than ever intended. To write a story about an author who can't write anymore, and ends up wasting paper and the ink used to write on that paper - is surely ironic, considering the story you're reading seems to be dragging its feet, and can't really make up it's mind on where it is going, or even if and when. There are pages upon pages of descriptions and thoughts - mostly of Jake, and his baggage-heavy way of thinking about everything - only to realize the baggage is not in Jake, but is in this book you - the reader - are reading.

Not sure if that's a superlative achievement, or an affront (if not an outright insult).

Anyway, once the book is published, the story gathers speed and things actually begin to happen faster than paint dries.

In all fairness though, "The Plot" is actually reasonably well written, even though the writing seems a bit trite at times, and oblivious to the irony it is creating, but eventually it gathers enough momentum to actually move fast, and move well. The few other characters are well-enough drawn out. The twist was nice, though a little predictable (possibly, there was no one else who could be..!) - but satisfactory, nevertheless.

The "book" inside this book has some very strong characters, and - I kid you not - the writing in that story often comes across as more gripping and attention-demanding than this "outer book" (!). Again, not sure if that's intentional or a result of an oversight.

By and large, the thriller aspect catches up, and pushes the plotlines enough to fill in the holes, or obfuscate well where it can't fill. The last chapter, and the Epilogue - all that narration - seemed so dated and really tiresome. There could have been more meaningful conversation for those last few pages, that would have made us, the readers feel more for the characters. I guess the momentum gained by then didn't quite allow for much except ramming things through.

A clever plot - no doubt. One just wishes it were written smarter.

My thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan and Jean Hanff Korelitz for sharing a pre-publication advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you Celadon Books for my copy of THE PLOT , in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style and her ability to literally keep you turning pages - short chapters helped too. The characters were well-developed and I thought the premise was extremely clever. But the story fell a bit short for me. Keep in mind I’m used to reading faster paced thrillers and knowing this author wrote the book that inspired the tv adaptation THE UNDOING, I had pretty high expectations.

It was a quick read and was overall pretty enjoyable (with the most excitement happening in the last 15-20 pages) but I think I was expecting more and kept waiting for something BIG to happen. My bookclub is reading this one in august so I’ll be curious to hear their thoughts as they are a group of diverse genre readers.