I’ve gone back and forth a bit on whether or not this is a 3.5 or a 4 star book, mostly because I thought that the big gotcha moment was predictable from very early on in the book (although I didn’t think the author would go quite as far with it as she did.) I ended up at 4 stars because I did enjoy reading it overall and I have respect for an author who will really go for it with her ending.

Jacob Finch Bonner – coasting on the limited acclaim of a one-and-done book he published in his twenties – is an adjunct professor at a third-rate school’s writing program, “teaching” adults with no promise how to improve their writing. Until one day, Evan Parker walks into his office with an idea for a book that he is writing that is a sure thing – he’s come up with a plot outline for a book like nothing the world has seen before and it’s going to make him wildly successful. However, when the book is never published and Jake can’t get the idea out of his head, he decides to write it himself. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know what he has set in motion until it’s too late.

One thing I was really impressed with was the author’s book within a book. The idea that she wrote full chapters of a second mystery book within her main narrative was a really different idea, although I did find myself being drawn to those chapters more than the ones from the main book, which probably made me judge the main story more harshly. I also appreciated the time jumps so we didn’t have to get bogged down in the day-to-day of these characters’ lives leading up to anything relevant actually happening. However, the time jumps also took away from the full development of the main characters, which I think would have been helped by showing a bit more of their struggles and general isolation.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

Fabulous book. And I loved how it was carried out. Two plots going on within one book. The character development was great. And while I had an inkling fairly early on of what the twist was going to be, the storyline kept me guessing and I was still surprised when it was time for the big reveal at the end.

Definitely recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

One of the best books that I have read this year. It certainly lives up to the hype. It told an incredible story that lingered with me for some time. Excellent.

Wow! This book was suspenseful and fast paced. It was a very jarring read! I really couldn't put this one down.

I ended up DNFing this book. The writing style was not for me. I got about 50% of the way through before I gave up. It was very slow and I felt like we were reading about the same points over and over again. I did enjoy the idea of the book; just don’t think that it was executed effectively. I was very bored and wanted more action to happen for a mystery/thriller.

I wanted to love this book but I just didn’t. It felt like such a long read & it's not even a very long book. The story didn’t feel very original &. I only finished it to know what happened.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read by Ms Koreltz. Nicely written. Characters well developed. Hope to see the next one soon. Fun book!

A great story, the original "plot" might not seem original, but the story as told by Jean Hanff Korelitz is definitely an original. Every story has more than one side, this one has several and each leads the reader on a different journey. A once successful writer who now finds himself teaching while he waits for his next great story, has a student, a young man with the potential to be a huge success. the young man dies too soon....yes we've seen this plot before, but stick with it, you will defnitely be surprised. I freaking loved this book, read it in one loooong sitting.

The Plot was one of this summers hottest books and I’m so glad I was able to read this! The Plot is a “book within a book” style and it really grabs you without being confusing.
A writer turned teacher starts getting threatening notes saying his new book plot is stolen and that’s all you need to know until this book grabs you! I was completely immersed in Jake’s story.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz's literary thriller, is just a delight from start to finish. A clever, suspenseful plot and engagingly realistic characters are depicted through frankly ebullient, often tongue-in-cheek, prose, as the mystery is carefully but excitingly constructed, bit by bit, toward its dramatic conclusion. I gobbled this book up in just a couple of sittings, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away! I'll be honest, it started off slow and I was not a fan of the writing style, there were lots of thoughts in parentheses and exclamation points and I felt they really detracted from the story. However, once the true story actually began and Jake was enjoying success from his novel based on a former student's plot the writing style changed. At this point I could not put the book down. I just had to know who was threatening Jake. I also absolutely loved the excerpts from Jake's bestselling novel that were included throughout the book. Knowing what the story was that caused such an uproar made the whole story feel real.
I did not see the massive twist at all. Once that started to unfold I knew I wasn't putting the book down until I had read the last page. This is a book that will stick with me.
Read this book!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic! Many twists and turns with one wild ending! It started out slow & was difficult to get into for me and I was worried it would be a long read. So for anyone who thinks the same, keep reading!! Excellent

DNF-no rating cuz it’s probably just me…

I'm going to put this one on the back burner for now.
I have been struggling with this one for awhile. Based on others reviews, this is a slow burn, and things don’t pick up until about 35% in. I’m ok with that. But the writing style is giving me pause as well. I have trouble connecting with sentences that are so wordy they end up as long as a paragraph.

The plot still intrigues me, so maybe I’ll give this another go, once my TBR pile gets shorter.

ARC provided by NetGalley

What I loved about this book was the premise that "art" imitates other artists. All the time. So when one is truly down and out in their profession, why not steal someone else's "art." Only a line is drawn. You get ideas from another writer's work because let's face it, that is where ideas come from. But when a writer goes overboard his world begins to terrorize him. Propelled by guilt? Or his own imagination? Or a haunting? Read on. A very good read!

This book was fantastic! Many twists and turns with one wild ending! It started out slow & was difficult to get into for me and I was worried it would be a long read. So for anyone who thinks the same, keep reading!! Excellent 😁

The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz, does exactly what you want it to — provides you with an interesting mystery, a bit of a thrill, and an amusing, often tongue in cheek examination of teaching, writing, and the publishing industry. The story is twisty and exciting, but the real star is the prose, which is fresh and funny, and keeps you turning the page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jake Bonner wrote a really good, very popular book. But he was in danger of remaining a one-hit wonder when chance threw an opportunity in his way. Many years ago, when Jake was a teaching at a low-rent writer's workshop, a student told him about the plot of the book he was writing. Recognizing that the idea was sure to become a bestseller, Jake couldn't help but be jealous. Several years later, he comes to learn that the student has died, his book never written. So Jake takes the idea and runs with it.

Sure enough, the book is a hit, jumping onto the bestseller list, becoming an Oprah pick, everything Jake always thought he wanted. But he can't enjoy his fame and fortune, because he's just waiting for someone to expose him. And then one day, he gets a note: "You are a thief." Someone knows his secret, but who? And what do they want? As the threats of exposure intensify, Jake falls down the rabbit hall of his former student's life, where he unearths more secrets than might be quite healthy for him.

Like other reviewers, I too found the plot twist to be kind of predictable, but there was still plenty of suspense as I read to find out how Korelitz was going to pull it all off. On one level, this book is a disturbing, twisty story, with a somewhat pathetic main character you couldn't help but have some sympathy for. On another level, this book is a meditation on the ownership of ideas and the responsibility wrtiers have to one another. On either level, the book falls a little short, as characters and ideas aren't as fleshed out as one might like, but that doesn't prevent it from being an overall enjoyable read.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

Wowsers!!! I did not see the plot twist coming in this book!

Jake Finch Bonner is teaching in a MFA program when a student tells him a plot that will haunt him forever. A few years later, he finds out that the student has died without ever writing the book, so he decides to write it. Then one day, he receives a note - “You are a thief.”

I enjoyed the story within a story structure and appreciated the insider’s view of the writing and publishing industry.

A fiction novel, about a best selling fiction novel, that includes THE fiction novel? I was sold by the description alone. I mean who doesn’t like reading books about books, bookstores, or authors? A twist that was *fairly* predictable but still provided overall enjoyment, this was a fun and enjoyable read.

OMG! I absolutely LOVED The Plot. I mean what's not to love about a book within a book? The story is interesting and I found myself glued to the pages. It's been a while since I have been so delighted by a book, and so satisfied. It's a terrific book and one of my faves this year. I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next. Thank you to Celadon books and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.