The premise of this book centers around “stealing” what is supposedly a completely original story. Sadly, the neither overarching novel itself, nor the stolen plot within it, were very original. The twist becomes obvious fairly early on. However, this is still quite an enjoyable, fast paced read with some unique elements. Overall, I give it 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book! It wasn't a storyline I had read before so I liked how there was a book within a book! This one was a slow burn for me and I liked the plot. I listened this this as an audiobook and the narrator was great. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to listen to this book!

Every once in a while in this galaxy of extraordinary talent and literary excellence there appears an anomaly-someone who distinguishes themselves amongst all the bright stars and excellence.. So today I have the pleasure of writing about a superstar book-The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. The imagination and build in this writing reflect a woman whose architecture and flow deserve many kudos. There are high marks in originality,
momentum ,mystery, timing, crescendoed
tension and character development.

This story within a story is told in easy to follow alternating quasi chapters. The author did a mastèrful job of writing two books actually with a synergy that works well. The book within the book has star power and so does its companion piece-a story a bit closer to the present moment.

This five star starts at an MFA writing program being given in a rural Vermont school by Jacob Frach Bonner whose first book was a NY Times notable but whose subsequent books were pretty unsuccessful. While teaching the course he encounters Evan Parker-an arrogant student who claims he has a plot line which is universally marketable. When Evan shares his plot with Jacob it is not told to the reader. It is, however. The catalyst for all that follows.

Three years pass and Evan is dead. Jacob cannot resist the urge to step in and bring the unknown story he was told to the public. All he needs are the name changes
and to follow the trail of Evan’s narrative.
So a newer version is created as distortions become clearer and lies become truths. The result is an overnight bestseller, movie rights, author interviews et al

With perfect timed revelations the success of the book expands to 39 countries. Then Jacob gets a note from someone who knows of his plagiarism and as the threats of making that knowledge available to the public so does the tension increase with each threat.

Little by little the reader is led into more of both stories. The result is a masterpiece of reader manipulation with twists and turns.

An addictive read.

At the risk of sounding cliché, I have to tell you THE PLOT (you guessed it….) is perfectly plotted. The creeping dread; the steady sense of foreboding; these loom heavy and make for a compulsively readable slow-burn thriller.

Jacob Finch Bonner is an aspiring author who showed promise with his first novel. Lackluster books following his debut leaves him desperate for a best-seller to breathe life into his languishing career. During his tenure as a professor, Bonner stumbles upon a student’s idea for a truly sensational plot. When published, the story is destined to be an instant best-seller. Bonner is faced with a series of small but significant decisions that will alter the course of his life. What lengths will he go to save his withering career?

The novel is uniquely structured as a book within a book which added layers to the mystery. I also found the insight into the publishing industry and the behind the scenes of the writing life so captivating. While The Plot is a work of fiction, it adds to the very real (and important!) conversation of who can tell what stories and at what cost.

RATING: 4.5/5 stars rounded up

A big thank you to @Netgalley and @macmillanaudio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Kirby Heyborne!

Jacob Finch Bonner is a creative writing teacher at Ripley College. After he authored The Invention of Wonder, Jacob's career has petered out and he's struggling to write another noteworthy novel. Enter Evan Parker, a pretentious student of Jacob's, who claims he has the plot to the next great American novel. And after hearing it, Jacob knows it's sure to be a hit.

A few years later, Jacob discovers that Evan has died, but his book what never published. Deciding to not let a good thing go to waste, Jacob writes the book, it becomes an instantaneous best seller and his career rockets. But when he starts receiving threats from Talented Tom with the truth of his book, Jacob must figure out his identity in order to keep his secret buried.

I really enjoyed The Plot. This thriller felt fresh and original. The story is told between the present and then gives excerpts from Jacob's book that slowly helps the reader put the pieces together. There are subtle clues along the way, but you never truly get the full and twisted picture until the very end. The author certainly makes you work for it.

I am normally not a thriller reader. I tend to get antsy not knowing what's going on and I just want to solve the mystery quickly. The Plot definitely builds slowly, but the book keeps you invested so you want to keep reading.

I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. For the app, I didn't like how there weren't chapters numbers listed (it just kept saying "The Plot" for every chapter). This made it hard to switch back and forth between the audiobook and a physical copy. The echoing was still not super enjoyable, especially since I needed to put the speed up to 2x for this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon and Bookishfirst for the #gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Well well well this author just does not do it for me. The second giant miss for me. The Plot was incredibly slow moving. I wanted to dnf so many times up until the 45% mark and then it picked up. The ending...well let’s just say I saw it coming. While I did love the writers insight and thoughtful conversation it adds to plot ownership the story was just not thrilling or entertaining enough for me.

4.66 stars

We meet Jacob “Jake” Finch Bonner released a critically acclaimed novel in his youth, but his career has been stagnant since. He is frustrated with his life when we meet him in the present. Being a teacher in a third-rate MFA program is as low as Jacob thinks he will go. That is until he meets Evan Parker, an arrogant student who brags about not needing Jacob's help because he has THE next bestseller. Unfortunately for Jacob, Evan can back it up. After hearing his plot outline, Jacob is jealous, and his life is consumed by waiting for Evan Parker's first novel. Months and years pass, and nothing.

Digging into Evan's life to figure out why he never released his book, Jacob finds out he has died not long after they met. What does Jacob do? He tells Evan's story, of course! After all, stealing a plot is not illegal. Or is it?

Well, Jake's gamble paid off. Jake is now an accomplished author of Crib, a novel published in the US by Macmillan and translated into many languages. Crib has brought him wealth, worldwide fame, recognition and led him to find love with Anna.

Jacob's life could not be better, but all good things must come to an end. When he receives an e-mail accusing him of thievery, he knows that is just the beginning.

I listened to The Plot on audio, and I have to admit I am a big fan of Macmillan Audio productions. They have excellent narrators working for them, and Kirby Heyborne delivered! His narration was terrific. He did a great job bringing each character to life, and his narration style served the story well: I knew where I was in the book at any given time; and never confused characters. Kirby’s pace was very consistent with and respectful to the story’s flow. The audiobook for The Plot was easy to listen to and impossible to put down.

Korelitz built a great atmosphere in The Plot. The book started slow, but this choice allowed us to understand Jacob and get invested in the outcome. Once the threats began, The Plot started picking up speed, and it did not stop until the end! The slow start took away a little bit from my enjoyability, and I can foresee some people not giving the book a try because of it – but I promise you, the wait pays off.

Korelitz developed Jake’s arc well: I felt that I knew him and understood his motivations. Anna was also a character that Korelitz created well. However, some minor characters felt like they were just there to move the plot along, and I wish I got to know some of them better. The characters in Crib, however, were also intense and vivid. I also loved the idea for the plot, though I feel the story took a while to find its groove. Alternating between Jacob’s life and his book was a great choice as this allowed for the breadcrumbs to be placed throughout the book and gave the reader a fair shot to solve the puzzle by themselves.

I will constantly screech like a schoolgirl when I read something remotely easter eggy or meta in a book. Maybe I liked it more than I should, but I cheered and laughed out loud when, in the book, Crib's publisher was Macmillan (Macmillan Audio publishes The Plot audiobook). I wonder if this changes depending on the edition! I will be checking it out as soon as it is published! It is such a small thing, but it thoroughly contributed to my enjoyment.

I am a big fan of books within books and books about authors. And let me tell you, The Plot hit the spot. I loved being privy to the creative process and struggles of Jake. Furthermore, I loved following him in his journey to figure out what happened to Evan and understand the story he wrote. The mother and daughter relationship within Jacob's book was excellent. Every time the narrative shifted back to Jacob's life, I just wanted to go back to Crib. But also, every time I was reading Crib, I just wanted to go back to "real life." The suspense building worked for me; it kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I enjoyed how both worlds came together at the end. Even though I solved the puzzle way before Jake, I was thoroughly satisfied with the ending.

I recommend The Plot for fans of Magpie Murders, Malice and The Stranger Diaries.

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Jean Hanff Korelitz for providing me with a copy of The Plot.

#FrostaWingsIt #FrostaHeat #JeanHanffKorelitz #MacmillanAudio #ThePlot #Thriller #NetGalley

Jake Bonner was once a moderately successful author, but when he appears to be a one hit wonder, he’s reduced to teaching in a small college. His arrogant student, Evan, insists he doesn’t need any instruction, he already has the perfect plot line for his book. And Jake reluctantly agrees. When Evan dies within ever publishing the book, Jake sees an opportunity to revive his career. When the book becomes an enormous global best seller, Jake seems to have succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. But someone knows the truth, and it becomes obvious that Evan was no ordinary student. Just what has Jake done and what ultimate price will he pay? This is a heart pounding thriller that I stayed up well into the night to finish. Highly recommended

"THE PLOT" was 'NOT" for me.

I prefer "insanely readable" and "breathtakingly suspenseful" reads (as promised on the "THE PLOT's book jacket) and THE PLOT was just too slow-burn and laborious for my discerning palate.

I felt that the author's premise was compelling: a "has-been" novelist is currently teaching in a third-rate MFA program. The novelist steals a too-good-not-to-steal story idea from one of his fourth-rate students. The stolen story gets published and the novelist's fame and wealth soar. The novelist's "perfect world" starts to fall apart, however, when he receives an anonymous "I know what you did" email accusing him of stealing the story.

It's important to note the novelist wrote his best-selling "stolen story" book in its entirety by himself. I have read many books with very, very, very similar plots and even though I agree that stealing an author's idea for a book does not comply with "best practices" and is WRONG, it happens all of the time.

I listened to the audiobook and perhaps the reason why I was unable to connect with the book's protagonist (and had trouble staying awake while listening!) can be blamed on the book's bland narration by narrator Kirby Heyborne. I was waiting for the narrator to give me some jolts and those jolts never came!

The book only had one narrator and almost 11 hours of straight book narration did not bode well for this narrator or this listener. I checked Kirby Heyborne's credits and he did a great job with the narration of "GONE GIRL" and 'THE WIFE UPSTAIRS" but it's important to note that in those books, he only narrated portions of those audiobooks and not the entire audio.

Author Jean Hanff Korelitz has had great luck with film and television adaptations of her novels and if the author secures a screen deal for THE PLOT, I will definitely be watching!

4 stars

Definitely more of a literary fiction novel than a thriller, I really enjoyed the dark tongue-in-cheek humor about writers, academia, artistic egos, & that pesky crippling fear of failure. Good prose, a slow burn build up of guilt & dread, & a lot of deviousness that comes out in the end.

[What I liked:]

•I found Jake a relatable character. Not a massive failure as a person at all, but carrying around those feelings because he hasn’t found the motivation to live up to his potential. Not someone who goes out of his way to help others, but still a decent human. His moment of ethical weakness that comes to haunt him is very human.

•So—the best plot ever invented? Maybe not. But it was twisty enough to pass as a potential best seller. The bits of “The Crib” inserted between chapters were fun to read, as well.

•Ooh, the villain is one of those you just love to hate. So gross & hypocritical & devious, but they still had depth & plausible motivations so their villainy didn’t feel over the top or unbelievable.

•A very solid ending. Did I figure out who the villain was pretty early? Yes. But it was still worth it to read to the end to learn all the motivations & see how the subtle details played out.

•The epilogue is so good! & I really, really wonder how the writing career of Candy’s guest will turn out.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•The villain’s identity isn’t exactly obvious, but they are very suspicious from the moment they show up. Jake, for all his research, is very gullible. It’s a little hard to believe he didn’t verify the backstory the villain fed him.

CW: mentions of drug abuse/drug overdose, underage sex, murder, suicide

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

The Plot completely blew me away! It was so artfully crafted and layered. I really did not see many of the twists coming. I also love the idea of a "novel within a novel" that the author used. This was such a fun concept, especially for writers and book lovers. I'll be recommending this one a ton!

This was a very good book! Different than what I expected but still kept me wanting to read more. I couldn't put this one down until i was finished. I loved the thriller aspect of it and I highly recommend.

This was a fun, interesting, and great story! This is a story that is told through the real timeline and also through chapters of the book within the book. I loved both portions of the story and found them to be captivating. I wavered between a 4 and a 5 star and landed at 5 stars. I thought that the beginning was a little slow, but once we jump forward in time to once he has stolen the plot, I felt like the story just FLEW! It was fast-paced and got crazier and crazier!

I alternated between the audio and the print versions of this book. The narrator did a wonderful job with this book, and I highly recommend the audio!

I think thriller readers will enjoy this one!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

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!

This book sounding interesting. However, I didn't care for the audiobook or the story. I was extremely bored. Not sure if it was the narrator or the writing style. Also the Audiobook book seemed to have a feedback.

This was the solid thriller I was looking for. I may have caught on part way through as to the 'big reveal', but I had no idea what kind of a ride we were going to go on to get there. I really enjoyed bouncing back and forth from the story to the story within the story. I felt equally invested in both!

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

The audiobook version here, however, was terrible. It sounded like an automated voice. Luckily, I also got the print version and was able to enjoy this book that way. I would not recommend this audiobook version.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

What a fun book this was! I loved the audiobook which I switched to after the slow start and I’m so glad I did! The narrator did a fantastic job, I couldn’t put the book down, I finished in a day. I loved it so much, I can’t recommend it enough!

I was looking forward to this however it’s rather slow. I don’t know if it’s the narrator or the story line itself? It’s a DNF for me.