The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay takes readers on a wild ride through the complex world of London's theater scene. Themes of race and class are explored against the backdrop of an audacious plot hatched by friends Eddie and Hugh. The satire in this book may be offputting to some readers, but it pushed me to think about racial bias in the arts.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Eddie is an African immigrant in London who has written a tour de force of a play about the immigrant experience but can‘t get in the door at any agencies. Hugo is a white guy feeling stifled by his future career in law. When the two strike up an unexpected friendship that has Hugo posing as the playwright, will it be a success or will it spin out of control? The answer is…yes. If you‘re looking for likeable characters, look elsewhere. If you‘re looking for thoughtful satire about bias and using the man to stick it to the man, this is worth a read.

The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay is a wonderfully written debut!
This British contemporary novel was an enjoyable read.
The writing and story kept me entertained throughout the entire novel.

Overall an interesting book with a great (and sadly, realistic) ending.

Sadly, we learn about the bias and discrimination in playwriting thanks to a talented playwright named Eddie. She finds herself discriminated against and she comes up with a plan to prove it.

As Eddie does this, so much more happens and not all of it’s good ultimately, there’s a lot of heartbreak and ache. It feels realistic and sadly, believable.

Advanced reader copy provided by Atria and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This was an interesting read. The pacing was good but the main characters were very hard to like. This is a good middle of the road novel.

Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moruakgomo, Eddie for short, is an aspiring playwright hoping to make it big in London’s theater world. Repeated rejections make her suspect it's her name and not her plays that are the problem. Hugo Lawrence Smith is stifled by his law degree and wants out. He and Eddie become friends and plan to use Hugo's name on Eddie’s play. When her plays are successful, they can expose the theater world for its racism and hollow clout-chasing. This plan soon spirals out of control, leaving Eddie and Hugo wondering if their reputations and friendship can survive.

Breaking into the literary scene is difficult, but it seems harder for those who have ethnic names and don't seem to have default whiteness or wealth. It definitely seems the case when Eddie gets rejections on her play with her own name, and a meeting with a pen name that turns into a rejection soon after, despite the apparent interest to start with. Her play is about identity, belonging, worthiness, and citizenship; ironically, her first-generation immigrant status inspired it but can't get her foot through the door. Enter Hugo, a year after their chance meeting. His name wins an award for the play and gets an agent and production right away. Now all they have to do is lie to everyone in both their lives to see the play made.

The false identity to get through the door has been done in other novels before, but this one seems to hit me harder. I think because we have the intersection of race, nationality, and gender all possibly making it harder for Eddie to succeed. The UK doesn't have the same "work hard and you'll be a success" story that America does, but that's the mentality for every immigrant and their family, no matter what country they enter. Families want success and financial security for their children, and the arts are chancy because it's luck and connections as well as talent that brings popularity. While the bargain starts out with an idea to expose the theater world as not-inclusive, the lies weigh down everyone involved. It's hard to maintain integrity with that weight, leading to the final third of the novel. It comes together nicely, and the question of identity and worth remains. People will always second guess whether it's opportunity or connections. Either way, talent and the bravery to continue will always help someone make their mark.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with this Advanced Reader's Copy. All opinions are my own.

My final rating was more of a 3.5 star rounded up to 4.

Naledi "Eddie" Moruakgomo is a queer Nigerian immigrant that moved to London. She's an aspiring playwright trying to get her big break in London's theatre scene. While she's in a cafe working on her manuscript, she runs into Hugo "Hu" Lawrence Smith.

After submitting her script and getting rejected by a numerous amount of agencies, she comes up with an idea. She asks Hugo to put his very white and nepotistic name onto her play and submit it. If and when it gains traction, they'll reveal their secret that Eddie is the actual author. What ensues, no one could have predicted.

I enjoyed how this book addressed the very real problem of bias in entertainment where minorities are often bypassed because of the underlying racism and misogyny that exists. The story kept my interest and I really liked Eddie as a character. Hugo I didn't feel was as strong as a character, but that may have been the point.

If I could change the writing perspective, 1st and 2nd person(?), I would change that, but by the end I wasn't as bothered by it as I was in the beginning. I just needed to adjust, mentally. I also felt half way through Eddie started speaking more like a Gen Z'er. As a Millennial, I don't dislike Gen Z slang, I just felt it wasn't as noticeable in the first half of the book, which again, I just needed to mentally acclimate which sometimes interrupts my positive reading experience.

Cool premise but overall just wanted more from this. It started out strong but around the halfway point I started losing interest in these characters - I enjoy an unlikeable narrator if done well but I just felt annoyed with Eddie and Hugo; I also wish we just stayed in Eddie’s narration instead of splitting it with Hugo’s POV. I definitely think there’s some meaningful topics here but it just didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Warona Jay, and Atria Books-- Washington Square Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I ate this UP!! This is my absolute favorite type of literary fiction-- juicy, fast-paced, and still reflective. Jay has an extremely fresh and original voice, and I appreciated her writing both from Eddie and Hugh's perspectives. For this being a shorter book, there is so much that happens to where the story feels much longer (in a good way). I never knew where the story was going to unfold, and I do think as a whole I was satisfied by the events that took place. The Grand Scheme of Things has a ton of great reflection on both external and internal bias, in companies, industries, strangers, friends, etc. I think perhaps the most fascinating thing about this book, especially given that we get to read from his perspective, is how complicated Hugh is as a character. Because in certain ways, he seems like a great guy-- but then there are things that he does that prove the exact opposite. And both co-exist, with him not realizing the true impact of what he's doing/what he is because he thinks he's a good guy. Ultimately proving one of the points of the story!! Much to think about and reflect upon finishing. I do think the writing of alternative perspectives in a voice that directly addressed the other character didn't quite work for me, and there were times I got really frustrated with Eddie constantly avoiding telling ANYONE the truth. I would have liked to see a bit more of her than Hugh as well, but ultimately, I like the way their stories unfolded separately and together. I eagerly look forward to reading more of Jay's work in the future!

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Warona Jay. It was an interesting premise - an immigrant female playwright, Naledi(Eddie) finds success by having a white male pose as the author of her play after it is rejected. The story is very timely and touches on a lot of issues - racism, sexism, immigration. It was well written and look forward to reading more from Warona Jay. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Franki said it best: "How are white men even real?" Aspiring Black playwright Relebogile "Eddie" Moruakgomo faces repeated rejections in London's theater scene, suspecting her non-white name is the barrier. She partners with Hugo Lawrence Smith, a well-connected white man disillusioned with his legal career. They submit her play under his name to expose the industry's racial biases. As the play gains acclaim, their plan spirals, threatening their reputations and friendship. This debut novel delves into themes of perception, redemption, and the impact of success. I liked this a lot! And for such a good book, it was shocking how I much I disliked almost all of these characters (Blue being an exception). This book was a perfect mix of Yellowface and BlacKkKlansman, so if you're a fan of either of those and their premises, I think that you'll enjoy this book. Without giving too much away, although the ending was abrupt, I feel like everyone kind of got what they deserved.

Thanks, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book and following the plan through to see where Eddie and Hugo would end up. Although I found the middle of the book slower, it picked back up and kept my interest.!

Thank you to the author, publisher for providing a free ebook version of this title in exchange for my review.

I wanted to like this book, but it fell flat in a few places. Maybe I just read too much so this felt - blah. Felt like the author tried to put too many buzz worthy topics in the same book - it's too much.

Not for me.

2 stars rounded up from 1.5 b/c I feel bad for a 1 star.

Eddie and Hugo are physical opposites but they make a powerful team that gets Eddie's work published and produced and Hugo onto the stage. And then....This is told from both of their perspectives. It's very much about prejudice in the arts world and, unfortunately, it's being published in the immediate wake of By Any Other Name which is focused on misogyny in the world of the stage. Jay has created two very good characters, has a distinctive and incisive writing style, and has made me eager to read more. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I wanted to love this book more than I did due to the background with theater and plays. Unfortunately it fell short for me with the references that seemed a little overbearing and the unsatisfactory ending. I wish it had played out a bit differently and I felt there was some stinted flow when it came to the dialogue at certain parts. I did persevere in finishing but I almost wish I had just placed it down before I got too ahead.

I can't believe The Grand Scheme of Things is a debut!! Two coming together to work out issues , especially two strangers male for an interesting discovery of how situations play out .

really fun and well written work with some awesome ideas and vibes on it. would very much recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I tried to read this back in the summer and paused at 11%, thinking I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. Now I have tried again and given up only a little further along. It just isn't for me. Naledi, the main protagonist is a recent graduate and the narrative reads a bit young adult to me. I am sure her character has important things to say about institutional racism, but I didn't warm to her and got a bit fed up of the general humourlessness of the story and Naledi harping on about how brilliantly she did at university. The conversations with her mother and family in Botswana were littered with words in (I assume) an African language, but since I don't speak that language, they were meaningless to me.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"The Grand Scheme of Things" by Warona Jay is a first-person, dual-POV British contemporary novel set a few years after Brexit. The story follows Eddie, a Botswana-British playwright, who has completed a dystopian play. She faces challenges due to her birth name and race. To help her play succeed, she asks Hugo, a white British man, to pose as the writer. Their secret complicates their lives even further.

The setting plays a significant role, with references to Brexit and subtle nods to a character resembling JK Rowling, creating a vivid time period for the story. Themes of white privilege, ignorance, and artistic integrity are explored through both Eddie’s and Hugo’s perspectives. Their different experiences with the powerful agent Helen highlight the impact of racism, as she treats them very differently based on race.

Eddie, who has a long-term girlfriend, and Hugo, who is often in relationships, share a complex friendship that feels more like a shared struggle than genuine camaraderie. The book avoids romantic elements, instead focusing on deeper questions through their relationships and the dynamics surrounding them.

Content warning for racism and queerphobia. I recommend this book for readers interested in post-Brexit racism and complex character-driven relationships.

I found this novel difficult to follow - there was too many characters, sub plots and dialogue. It might be for someone else but it wasn’t for me.