Oh my! Now that was an ending!

Jacob Bonner is a published author. His first book created a stir and he was labeled “one to watch”. His second book lacked the magic of the first one and he faded into obscurity. He took a job as a teacher at a school offering a writers symposium. He struggles to find inspiration for another book. At a mentoring session with an extremely arrogant student, he hears of a unique plot. Since it comes from his student, he waits to see it published. After several years he decides to check on the student. Did he fail to get the story written? Did he get rejected by publishers? Jacob can’t let go.

When he learns the student died without producing a manuscript, he faces a dilemma. Should he move on or could he take the basic plot and turn it into a bestseller?

This book examines intellectual theft, lying, and guilt by omission. Jacob has to wrestle with whether a writer can use another writer’s plot in his own work. Will readers see that the work is not his? Where is the line between inspiration and theft? This story is completely compelling. It seems to move predictably but at the point you are prepared for the ending, the author manages to pull the rug out from under you. The ending is unforeseen and surprising. As you finish the final page you will find yourself needing a minute to gather the pieces of your blown mind.

All Jake Bonner has ever wanted is to become a writer. And he accomplishes that dream, to much critical acclaim, at an impressively young age. But when the next book is a flop, and the third doesn’t materialize, he eventually finds himself teaching writing at a third-rate MFA program in the middle of nowhere. His most insufferably arrogant student shares with Jake – and only Jake – his idea for a “sure thing” - a novel with a plot so compelling that it will undoubtedly sell millions of copies and make its author an overnight success. But when the student later dies without ever publishing his novel, only Jake is left knowing about the brilliant, unwritten plot. And surely someone needs to tell this story, right?

Jake’s character is that of a shallow and somewhat narcissistic artist. His entire personality and ego are tied up in the idea of being a writer – not just the idea of writing, which seems to be the least important part to him – above all he is obsessed with all the trappings of being “writerly” and the acclaim of being a successful author. But the constant anxiety he feels over “stealing” the plot, in spite of writing the book himself, serves to humanize him. The early parts of the book are slower, taking us through Jacob’s unsuccessful career and the events that lead up to him writing the book, and then jumps into his successful life, but the suspense starts to kick in once he gets the first anonymous message: someone knows that he stole his story.

I’ll be honest, this isn’t an edge-of-your-seat suspense novel the whole way through, but it was still very compelling and entertaining to watch the mystery unfold. I saw the biggest twists coming, but still really enjoyed the ride, and somehow, the ending still managed to be unexpected.

The Plot...is about a plot. One that is too good no to be written. The Plot was told to Jacob Finch Bonner by an obnoxious writing student. Jacob is very hard to like. He has disdain for pretty much everyone. But especially his students. Most especially for Evan Parker, the man with the plot. A man so easy to dislike.

Years later, having never written anything near as good as his first novel, Jacob goes in search of the plot. It seems that he should have heard of this book by now, because it really was an awesome plot. But...nothing. When he decides to write the book himself, he finally gets that blockbuster success he has always wanted. But someone knows what he did.

The book has excerpts from The Crib (book with said plot) which made me really want to read The Crib! While the whole thing started off a bit slow for me-I hated Jacob and I've heard stories like this before-it eventually took off for me. I think that part of my disconnect in the beginning was the fact that I went back and forth between the novel and the audiobook. Once I got into the plot and characters a little more I easily went back and forth between the two with no problems.

And I loved the ending. Creepy and effective.

Jean Haniff Korelitz created some characters to cheer for and against and created a twisted tale about who really owns a story.

Special thanks to Jean Haniff Korelitz, Netgalley, and Celadon Books for the ARC for me to review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

This is a fantastically fun read. I loved just about everything about it. The "plot" in question here is multilayered and VERY meta. It's a story within a story within a story. The construct raises many questions, such as where do we get our ideas? And, what constitutes plagiarism and theft of intellectual property and what does not? And, how do we understand the stories we tell? It also delves into the world of a writer in a serious yet humorous way.

The one small regret I had was that the "twist" in the outer frame of the story (the main "plot," so to speak) was too clearly spelled out. I saw it coming too clearly. But then I wondered if that transparency was our author playing with her readers, too. The book hinges on the big twist--the amazing story idea that our writer "steals" (maybe) that is a sure thing (as though there is ever such a thing!). So could Korelitz have been having a little fun when making her twist one that was a bit too obvious?

Either way, I couldn't stop reading this. I enjoyed the voice, the layered narrative, the metatextual approach, and even the final twist, even if I did see it a mile away. Highly recommend!

While this thriller started off a little slowly for what I was expecting, it is absolutely worth sticking it out. The descriptions on being an author/writer alone are enough to make most readers become pretty invested. I definitely recommend checking out this thriller this summer!

The Plot is a slow burn suspense that I enjoyed! Jake is an author that has had one somewhat successful release but after that hasn't been able to continue or grow his success. He takes a job teaching writing at a small college in Vermont and meets Evan, an unlikeable student, who swears he has the plot for next blockbuster novel. Evan won't share the idea in class, only turns in a few pages for review that are not super impressive, but then shares the plot with Jake during a conference - and Jake knows he's right. It's a sure thing. Fast forward a few more unsuccessful years for Jake and he learns Evan has died, only shortly after taking that class, and it appears he never wrote the book. So Jake does, using Evan's plot. And what a success it was. We're talking Oprah Book Club and a Spielberg movie signed.

And that is when we really get going. He starts getting harassed by email that he is a thief and it gets much more interesting. I did figure out the big twist pretty early on but I get the sense that the author intended that. There is a bonus whammy in here that the book that is written from Evan's plot is intertwined in the story - so there are a few times I had to take a breath to get straight which story line was the "story" and which was the "novel."

I enjoyed hearing more about Jake as a struggling and then successful author, the writing process, his thought process about writing, how he thought about working completely solo, his publishing team, and everything involved in his work. He was a fairly likable character to me that made some bad decisions. There are also quite a few literary references dropped in that you may catch depending on your reading history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advance copy of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz in exchange for my honest review. The Plot will be available on May 11, 2021.

4🌟 If you’re looking for a suspenseful read that you can’t put down you need to read The Plot!

The story follows Jake, an unsuccessful author who is teaching a writing course. One of his overly confident and arrogant students claims to have the absolute best plot for a book. Jake doesn’t believe this student until he finally hears bits and pieces of the story himself.

Years later, as Jake is struggling to write his own novel, he wonders if his pompous student ever wrote the extraordinary plot. It’s a plot to remember that would be on the New York Times Bestseller list and picked up for film rights. Jake discovers that his student died and the book was never published. Jake begins to remember the details and writes the story on his own - it’s a huge success! Jake is basking in the success of his novel when he starts receiving cryptic messages from someone saying he stole the plot and threatening to expose Jake.

Although I guessed the twist of the book early on, it was still an excellent read with plenty of unexpected “wow” moments. It was hard to get into the book at first but after the first few chapters I couldn’t put this one down!

Thank you Celadon Books & NetGalley for the advanced copy. The Plot comes out May 11!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. I finished this book in two days. I would have finished it in one day if it weren't for life's inconveniences, such as work and other responsibilities. I have read other reviews that say the reader felt the book started slowly. I didn't feel that way at all. I knew it was building to something really great - and it did. Jake is a 37 year old writer of one novel that garnered critical acclaim andone that was not as well-received. He teaches writing (most seriously doubt if writing CAN be taught) in a program at a small liberal arts college in Vermont. One of his students is Evan Parker, and absolute blowhard of a young man, who claims to have an absolute bestseller of a plot for his book. Without giving too much away, I'll say that Evan does indeed have a great plot for a novel and the reader of The Plot gets to enjoy it also. It was probably the best novel-in-a-novel book I've read. I can't say enough about The Plot. It was so different than other books that I've read, and I read dozens of books a year. The writing was so quick paced that I felt as if I were on the edge of my seat several times. The twist at the end was a cut above so many other books - in which the reader knows what is going to happen but reads anyway just to watch it all fall out. I'd recommend The Plot to readers of all genres. It has something for everyone - a great story, fully fleshed out characters and a twist that no one will see coming.

This book works as a suspenseful mystery, but it also provides interesting insight into the experience of writing and becoming successful (or not). I started to have an idea about what was going on, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one is a no for me.

I genuinely do not understand why this book is getting such high reviews. I found it to be very predictable, boring, and underwhelming.

Summary
Jacob Finch Bonner is an on-the-way-out writer who teaches a summer crash course on fiction writing at an "anyone can get in if they pay" university. Once known as an up-and-comer for his debut novel, he has not produced anything noteworthy in a long time.

During a summer session, he has an arrogant student named Evan Parker who is convinced he had the plot to the next Great American Novel. Jake manipulates Evan into telling him the plot and is wowed that is has potential to be a great novel, but doesn't necessarily lead Evan to believe it.

Fast forward a few years and Jake finds himself working at the front desk of a writer's retreat hotel. A guest at the hotel reminds him of Evan, so Jake decides to investigate what happened to Evan and his Great American Novel and discovers that Evan has dies. Then he decides that since Evan Parker's book has not been published, Jake will use the plot and write it instead.

The book becomes and instant best seller and everybody loves it and raves about it and finds it shocking and amazing. Jake goes on a tour for the book where he meets and quickly starts a relationship with Anna, who becomes entwined in his life. During his tour, Jake starts to receive anonymous emails from someone who states that he knows Jake is a fraud and stole the plot from Evan's book and threatens to expose him.

The rest of the novel is Jake trying to figure out who is the anonymous email sender is.

Thoughts
This book was SO predictable and overall boring. I guessed the twist almost immediately and was correct. Jake is not a likeable character, and I had a hard time caring about him or anything about his journey.

The excerpts from the novel Jake wrote were not impressive and the twist in that book wasn't that shocking. I wasn't sold on the amazing story of the plot at all.

Additionally, the author's use of incessant parentheses drove me bananas!

I will not be recommending this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has got to be the best one I've read that deals with the process of writing, authors and the publishing industry. Although I'm not an aspiring writer, I do free-lance work for a company and have been told too many times to count that I should write a book. As if! Although the main character often says anybody can be a writer, I have read or attempted to read too many books that prove the opposite.

Jacob "Jake" Finch Bonner is a writer who met with success by making the "New and Noteworthy" column of the New York Times with his first novel. Unfortunately, his second and third attempts were not as successful so he turned to teaching at a third-rate MFA program. One of his students, Evan Parker, an arrogant jerk, has a self-proclaimed "sure thing" whose plot he shares with Jake. Jake agrees it's a certain hit. As time passes but the book fails to be published, a curious Jake finds out that Evan has died and has left the door open for Jake to appropriate the plot. Life for Jake changes on a dime. His book is everything he thought it would be: number one on the NYT best seller list and movie rights optioned with an A-list director. Life couldn't be better. That is until he receives an e-mail saying he is a thief. The attacks continue to be more specific and more public and set Jake on the path of discovering who is behind these attacks.

This is a great suspense thriller. The pacing is good, the story original and the insights into writers and writing are enlightening. I did figure out early on who was behind the attacks, but how the story unfolded kept me reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an Advance Reader's Copy. The publication date is May 11, 2021.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to preview The Plot. Having not read anything by Jean Hanff Korelitz in the past, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't realize I'd already watched TV shows and movies based on her previous works. I will absolutely be seeking out her works in the future.

The Plot was an unpredictable, twisty thrill ride that (mostly) kept me guessing until the final pages. I won't give anything away here because I wouldn't want to taint anyone's experience of this book. I highly recommend it to readers that like to be kept on their toes.

This is the story of a writer who steals a story from a dead student and then gets caught by someone sending him messages. The book has taken off big and the writer ignores the messages. He goes on a quest to find more about the dead student, to see if he can identify who is sending the messages.

I'm a sucker for stories about writers. Possibly because I secretly want to be one. (Sigh!) So when I read the premise for this novel,  I knew I had to read it.  Jake Bonner, washed-out writer, steals the perfect plot from one of his students at an MFA program.  This story then becomes an instant bestseller,  propelling Jake into instant stardom. It's a dream come true,  until Jake receives an email from someone accusing him of theft.  Who could it be since his student passed away shortly after telling Jake about his sure-thing plot? What comes next is a psychological decent into the mind of someone whose been caught and has everything to lose. This novel is a slow burn into a full on climatic blaze that will make you think twice about stealing anyone's story.

QUICK TAKE: I love a good TALENTED MR. RIPLEY story, and while I didn't love love love THE PLOT, I ultimately really enjoyed it. It definitely feels a little long, but the ending saves what is a bit of a slower middle section. A down-on-his-luck author decides to teach a writing course and one of his students pitches him what is essentially THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL. Cut to two years later, said student has died, and the author decides to steal his idea for his own, cue the awards and accolades and Steven Spielberg movie adaptation. That is, until an anonymous person starts sending the author messages threatening to expose him as the fraud he is. I was onboard until the middle section, which is essentially the author trying to figure out who his "blackmailer" is, but the ending is dark and fun and twisty and worth the read. If I'm picking a fave of this genre, it's still MAUD DIXON, but I enjoyed this one a lot.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this amazing book!

I absolutely do not want to accidentally give anything away. Ironically this is a book about a plot, which happens to make a unique and thrilling plot. Does that make sense?

If you like reading about books, writers, the art of writing you will love this book. If you love twisty and unexpected things happening around every chapter, you will love this book. If you live for the surprise ending, you will love this book.

Great characters, amazing villains and enough twists and turns to keep the reader scratching their head. Read this book and enjoy the ride!

https://www.michigandaily.com/books/author-of-the-undoing-fails-to-live-up-to-expectations-in-her-new-novel-the-plot/

Plagiarism, copying, theft; call it what you will. Each of these terms guarantees consequences, whether you’re a student, a politician or a writer.

Jean Hanff Korelitz explores the extent of literary plagiarism in her upcoming novel “The Plot.” The novel follows Jacob Finch Bonner, or Jake, a “once promising author” whose first novel was labeled “New & Noteworthy” by the New York Times Book Review. However, his following work failed to live up to expectations, which is where “The Plot” begins.

The premise of the novel seems enthralling, especially when taking Korelitz’s own success into consideration. Two of her novels have been adapted for the screen, including her 2014 book “You Should Have Known,” whose HBO adaptation, “The Undoing,” received critical acclaim. Starring actors Nicole Kidman (“Big Little Lies”) and Hugh Grant (“Notting Hill”), “The Undoing” was HBO’s most-watched show of 2020, and received a handful of nominations from several awards shows, including the Golden Globes. But past the storyline, “The Plot” falls short of achieving a similar enchantment.

....https://www.michigandaily.com/books/author-of-the-undoing-fails-to-live-up-to-expectations-in-her-new-novel-the-plot/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55315487-the-plot?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SEOCM9h4VJ&rank=1

Review The Plot is a suspense novel about a writer and the plot of his most recent book. It starts a little slowly, but it picks up steam closer to the end. I couldn't put it down once Jake started to figure out who is tormentor really was.

Five Stars all the way from the slow burn start to the sizzling finish, The Plot jabs relentlessly at both the writer and reader.
Meta in form, our main man Jacob "Finch" Bonner, a one-time semi-read author, has devolved into teaching a writing course at a sub-par college on the East Coast. There he works at putting an interested face on when he meets his new students. Until, that is, he meets new student, Evan Parker, the man with The Plot that cannot fail. He will be rich, famous, and in demand. He's also quite secretive about this plot but eventually divulges just enough detail for Jacob to realize that it is The Plot of the century, indeed.
Fast forward a few years and the book never comes and no one has ever heard about Evan Parker. But Jacob's career as an author is just about to skyrocket.
This book touches on many hot issues in the publishing industry today. The question is also posed: are there any new ideas under the sun? If you write the words but the ideas springs from someone else, is it plagiarism? Even more, if you tell someone else's life story, if it's not yours to tell, is that also theft? There is so much food for thought here within these pages wrapped up in an absorbing mystery/thriller. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Celadon and Netgalley for the early arc in exchange for an honest review.

Once an author on the New York Times bestseller list, Jacob Finch Bonner’s is now stuck teaching a writing course for a third-rate MFA program. One of his students, Evan Parker, refuses any help from Jacob, stating that he has such a great plot he knows the story will end up on the Best Seller’s list. He shares his plot with Jacob, and it really is an amazing idea for a story. Years later, Jacob remembers that conversation and looks into Evan’s life to see what ever happened to him, as he never saw the book Evan was working on in publication. When he finds out that Evan had died and never wrote the story, he borrows the plot and writes his own novel, which does indeed become a Best Seller and he enjoys all the perks of his fame. Then he starts getting threats in the mail calling him a thief (which is a bit of a stretch, since can you really steal a plot?). But now he’s starting to worry, will the person, calling themselves TalentedTom, go to the press with their message? The story builds from there, and I don’t want to ruin the fun for you. It’ a bit slow moving, and you get to read a lot of the special plot book, and there are some good twists in the telling. Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for my copy of The Plot.