I have to give this a 2.5 stars rounded to 3. It just unfortunately didn’t work for me. The beginning was painfully slow and seemed slightly forced to get the story flowing. You’re introduced to Jake who is a “failed” writer who turned into a writing teacher. He meets a student named Evan Parker who is arrogant and a jerk but has a hell of a plot he presents. He is tight lipped about the story overall but does give the plot line to Jake. Fast forward to years later and Jake finds out Evan has died and he does what any author would do with a bombshell story, he writes it.

He then begins to get emails from someone claiming they know that he wasn’t the one with that story and that he was a fake etc etc. Enter panic Jake and the story folds out but this doesn’t happen until the end. It is a loooong journey and when I finally got to the big reveal I already knew that was how it was going to play out so I didn’t have shock factor either. I wasn’t a fan of the end. This is a lot of negatives I know, but if you are new to this genre you may find it exciting and entertaining. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Celadon books and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have just finished reading The Plot by Author Jean Hanff Korelitz.

What an enjoyable read this was. I was interested right from the beginning. It is a plot that I felt I may have read from similar books in the past, but this one had me guessing right along till the ending.

It was a fairly quick book to read but was very engaging and interesting.

The author did a good job with the characters, and the flow of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Jean Hanff Korelitz, and Celadon Books for my advanced copy to read and review.

#ThePlotBook #NetGalley

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a superb read with a well defined plot and characters. The book of the Summer. Well worth the read!

I loved this book! A struggling writer teaching at a small college meets a very cocky student. He can’t seem to connect with a student, until they have a conference and the student shares what he says will be at the plot to an amazing book. The story continues on and the struggling writer finds out the student passed away. But, he passed away never writing the plot to his book. And so begins a twisted tale of plagiarism and secrets.

I have to say I love the book. It definitely has a story within a story that drives the plot. Every time you think you can guess where it’s going, it takes a twisted turns. My favorite part was that the book actually surprised me, I just hard because I read a lot of thriller/mystery box. It was smart and layered, overall a fun read.

Jacob Finch Bonner is a published author but hasn’t had any luck recently and is now teaching in a MFA program. A student shows him his progress on a plot (yep the title of this story) but the students doesn’t follow up with submitting it for publication and he died along with his idea.
Hmmm Jacob takes the plot and sure enough writes a ‘best seller’.

AT first I wasn't sure why this was on my TBR shelf.🤔
I am not influenced by ‘blurbs’ such as ‘breathtakingly suspenseful.
I laugh out loud when one states ‘hilarious’ as they usually aren’t!
Hmmm this was interesting and yes it kept me curious! But I really wasn’t expecting much.

Awww! I was in for a delightful surprise not a breathtaking surprise but definitely one I did NOT see coming. 😊
Hope I have you curious!


Want to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 11, 2021

I’m often sucked in by an interesting premise, and The Plot was no exception. Books about books? I’m there!

Jacob Finch Bonner is a writer who published a semi-successful novel, and then wasn’t able to reproduce that level of success with any subsequent novel. During a stint as a professor, he meets Evan Parker. Evan divulges the incredible plot of the book he’s writing, and it’s apparent to both of them that Evan is writing the novel of every writer’s dreams with a plot that is sure to be a resounding success. Years pass without the novel being published, and Jake learns that Evan died. Jake writes his own novel based on the plot, and quickly becomes the famous author he always wanted to be. His life is finally on the right trajectory, yet someone knows what Jake did and threatens to expose him.

I liked this book, don’t get me wrong. I loved the plot within a plot aspect, as well as the play on the meanings of the word plot. It was very compelling, and I definitely wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. I found it very slow to start, though. It took me a long time and a lot of disengaging and re-engaging before I made it to the halfway point. It picked up from there and I found that the second half went much more quickly. I didn’t find the supposedly amazing plot to be quite as amazing as it was hyped to, and I predicted the big twist, though there were still some surprises at the end. Overall, excellent premise, some parts of the execution just didn’t work for me.

Though the first half of this novel starts off slow, the pace and the storyline picks up around the halfway point. All of a sudden, the novel becomes crazy twisty and turny and the storyline picks up. Though I guessed the culprit fairly early on and knew what was going to happen, I still enjoyed the ending and think everyone else will too.

The Plot is a fantastic read and absolutely has the potential to be one of my favorites of 2021.

So, why only four stars, Bridgett?

There are a few reasons:

1. The writing is very stylistic. I actually love the sentence structure Jean Hanff Korelitz used, but for the first couple chapters, it was a little hard to become absorbed into the story. After that, I guess I adapted, because it wasn't really an issue.

2. While I liked Jake's character, I also found him to be a little...bland. He had zero affect and wasn't terribly fleshed out. Same with Anna.

3. I figured out the BIG , final twist pretty early on. While the clues and red herrings were very well done, for me, it was still obvious. And this, fellow readers, is the main reason this book isn't getting five stars from me. There were still a few little surprises thrown in that I didn't catch, but for me, that didn't make up for the lack of a surprise ending.

Despite all those issues, I still loved this book. It was structured beautifully, and, as a writer, I could relate to so much of the content. This will definitely be a top ten read for me this year, I have no doubt.

Recommended, my peeps! Go pre-order your copy now. :)

Available May 11, 2021
4.25 stars

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for my review copy.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Plot by Jean Haniff Korelitz.

Even though Jacob once had a shining moment as an author for his debut novel, his fifteen minutes are up, and he is now teaching for an unimpressive program. His students treat him with apathy, and he is beginning to lose hope that he will never be a known author again.

But then Jacob meets a new student, Evan Parker, who Jacob finds completely arrogant, narcissistic, and totally unimpressed with Jacob's desire to help him. But Evan has a story, a mind blowing story, a story so good that it is practically fail proof. Jacob knows that it's only a matter of time until he sees Evan's story on the shelf. But years pass, and he never does, but more than that, he sees that Evan Parker has died. But Jacob still knows Evan's story, and he also knows that Evan left behind no one that would no his story. Perhaps Evan's story can become Jacob's...

This was a BLAST to read! So much about it to love. I loved all of the literary and author references. I loved the story within a story. The mystery was so fun, the characters were very compelling. If you are looking for a well paced, colorfully layered mystery/suspense, grab this one!

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz will be one of my favorite books of 2021! After his first book lands on the New York Times New and Noteworthy list, Jacob (Jake) Finch Bonner has failed write to anything else worth mentioning. He considers himself a professional failure and has turned to mentoring and teaching as a means to support himself. It's while teaching at a third rate MFA program, he encounters an arrogant and egotistical student who, even Jake has to admit, has the plot for an overwhelming successful novel. Years after continued professional disappointment, Jake discovers that his former student has died and with him, Jake assumes, his story. It's a story to good to let go! Jake writes the novel that becomes an instant NYT best seller and Oprah Book Club pick, and lands Jake on the famous author touring circuit, giving him everything he's ever wanted. One day, however, Jake receives the text he's subconsciously been dreading...."You are a thief". Jake tries to hide his secret while also trying discover who else knows it. The Plot, which incorporates a story within the story, is intriguing, suspenseful and definitely a page turner. Additionally, I absolutely loved the peeks into the writing and publishing world which Korelitz presented with a bit of self-depreciating humor. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you @CeladonBooks and @Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This book sounding interesting. However, I didn't care for the story. I was extremely bored. Not sure if it was writing style.

I loved this! I was completely hooked from the first pages. Spectacular twists, including the last one that I didn't see coming until it was pretty much already there. Highly recommended.

This is a great read and my top thriller from 2021.

This is a story about Jacob, a failed novelist who is now teaching at a third-rate MFA program where he encounters an arrogant student, Evan, who claims he is working on a novel with a story sure to make an international best seller. Jacob is skeptical until the student finally reveals the plot. When years go by and Jacob does not see a book from Evan, he learns that Evan passed away. So Jacob decides to steal the plot and write his own book -- which becomes a huge bestseller. He is riding high, until he receives an anonymous message threatening to expose his theft of the plot. This leads Jacob on a journey to learn more about Evan and his history in an effort to find the person threatening to blow up his life.

This story kept me completely engaged -- I couldn't put it down, I was so eager to learn more and see how the mystery was resolved. For those who enjoy thrillers or mysteries set in the publishing world, this is a must read.

Highly recommended!

This is a great thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. The main character, Jacob Finch Bonner, had a promising first novel, but since then his career has petered out. During a stint teaching at an MFA program, he meets a student who shares that he is working on a book that has a story sure to be a best seller. When Jacob learns several years later that his former student has died, he takes the plot and makes into his own book. Jacob's book with the student's story is a huge bestseller, leading to fame and fortune for Jacob. But then he receives an email from an anonymous correspondent saying they know Jacob stole the plot, leading Jacob on a wild chase to determine who is behind the messages -- and whether he can do anything to stop them.

I enjoyed several of the author's previous books, but this may be my favorite one. The plot here was quite clever. The mystery was well plotted and kept me engrossed throughout the story. Highly recommended!

Jake is an one hit wonder novelist turned writing teacher. One of his students tells him the plot of the book he wants to write and it sounds like a sure hit. Years later, Jake finds out that the student is dead and did not write the book with this great plot. So he writes the book and it is indeed a best seller and becomes the most talked about book. But Jake feels guilty for taking the plot and sure enough, someone else knows and is out to blackmail him.

I loved this idea and the book within a book storyline. It, like the book inside it, was such a good idea. It was also well written and had a steady pace (which is hard to do!) I did see the "twist" coming and many times found myself yelling at the main character for being so blind and short sighted. Despite guessing what would happen, I did enjoy this book and I think it will be, rightfully so, much read and talked about this summer. I'm so glad that a book I had high expectations for (mostly) held up! 3.75 stars


Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

“The Plot” is one of the most advertised and anticipated books so far this year and I’m grateful to have a received an ARC from Netgalley. Jacob Bonner is a former moderately successful author floundering in his own writing while teaching a masters program. He meets a cocky student that says he’s got a plot for a novel that is a guaranteed knockout and This starts the gears turning on what is a slow burn, nerve racking, cat and mouse thriller that has an explosive twist ending that sneaks up on you and punches you right in the gut. I’m rarely surprised by twists and this one genuinely made me smile even though the book takes the long and winding road to get there. At times it drags a bit and most of the supporting characters never feel quite fully realized and distinct. Still, its deliberate plotting and skillful craftsmanship when it comes to the core mystery and reveal are to be admired and praised. It lost a star for me because while there’s a lot to enjoy here, especially for people like me who love books about writers and writing, it’s essentially an ok book elevated to memorable and great by the ending and the gasp inducing twist. I would definitely recommend it, but it does take a bit to get going so stick with it and you’ll be rewarded.

I loved this book-within-a-book! The premise is fascinating and the slow-burn buildup made me keep reading until the wee hours. Some pieces of the puzzle may be somewhat evident fairly early on, but the details of what happened and when and how are slowly revealed with a skill that keeps you guessing! There are also nods to a couple of other novels that I loved. Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the advance digital copy.

Jacob Finch Bonner is a bitter and disgruntled novelist teaching at a third-rate MFA writing program. Therefore, when Evan Parker—one of his most arrogant students—, boasts that he has an idea for an instant bestseller novel, Jacob dismisses him …, until he hears the plot. The story blows him away.

Years pass without Jacob seeing the book published, so, out of curiosity, Jacob tries to look up what became of his former student to find that Evan had passed away from a drug overdose.

Not wanting the story to die along with Evan, Jacob takes it upon himself to complete and publish it for himself. Sure enough, it’s a hit. He achieves national fame and everything seems to be going so well for him, until he receives an ominous tweet from an anonymous user, and Jacob’s entire world begins to fall apart.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a clever psychological thriller that centers around a writer’s all-consuming obsession. The main character is extremely flawed and believable, and I feel like his spiraling paranoia provides an interesting modern commentary on the relationship between social media and an author’s mental health.

However, what bugged me most about this book was its writing style. (I love parentheses and em-dashes when used sparingly. I love them! I do! ) However, the constant exclamation points and interjection of unnecessary information mid-sentence felt jarring to me and really disrupted the flow of the writing. This made it difficult for me to get into the book. However, about 1/3 of the way in, the story really hits its stride and I was hooked.

All in all, this is compelling, food-for-thought type of novel that questions whether someone can truly own a story.

The premise of this story intrigued me, and I’m glad that I got the opportunity to read it. There were some things that I enjoyed, and a few things that I didn’t, but overall, it was a good read that held my attention as I flew through it.

The things I liked: It didn’t glamorize writing as an occupation. Jacob had his ups and downs (mostly downs), and I could empathize with the pressure that he was facing internally and externally. He was a complex character, and extremely flawed, which made him feel more real to me. I was hooked early on, even though the story developed rather slowly over the first half of the book. There’s an exploration into the ethics and morality of taking a plot idea from someone who isn’t using it (since they’re deceased), and the way guilt affected Jake even before he received the first message. Once the messages come in, the tension ratchets up until the conclusion. There were multiple storylines involved, which kept my attention held. In addition to Jake’s professional and personal arc, there were excerpts from Jake’s book itself, as well as the background of where the story idea came from. The way the story unfolded was interesting, even though this felt like more of a literary mystery than a thriller.

The things I didn’t like as much: I’m just going to say it — I knew who was sending the messages well in advance, so I wasn’t surprised by the big plot twist at all. It felt kind of disappointing after reading this whole book and knowing the reveal so early on. The ending wasn’t my favorite part of the book, and it felt so anti-climactic to me. It was also difficult to really get too attached to the characters, since they weren’t generally likable people. Evan was probably the biggest jerk I’ve read in a book recently, and if I met him in real life, he’s the kind of guy you’d just want to punch right in the face on principle alone. But Jake wasn’t a great guy either. I totally understand feeling down when you’re at the lowest point in your career and life, but he never seemed to feel positive at any point, and ended up dwelling on the negative at all times. It felt like this tendency to perseverate kept him from seeing things that were right in front of him. Finally, at times the writing style felt a little clunky, with run-on sentences that I’d have to reread once or twice to make sense of.

Even though the “like” paragraph is shorter than the “didn’t like” paragraph, I did enjoy the book. It was a good story, even if I don’t think that the worst writing can’t ruin an amazing plot. The phrase “anyone can be a writer” is repeated multiple times throughout the book, but I think it needs to be amended. Yes, anyone can be a writer, but not anyone can be a good writer, which I think is truly the key to success. This one is definitely worth the read, and clearly written by a good writer.

I really wanted to love this book based on all the early rave reviews I kept seeing on it. Sadly it was fine but not what I was expecting.

I figured out the big twist really early on so it was a bit of a letdown when it all started unraveling. The ending made me mad and it still annoys me days later.

I think had I of been an author that I'd be more fascinated by this book.