WOW! I feel like I was getting to the point of burnout on new thrillers. I’ve read maybe one in the past few months that really “wow-ed” me. The Plot is a gamechanger in the thriller/suspense genre for 2021. I’m still reeling from the adrenaline rush after finishing.

The story within a story is such a unique concept, and Jean Hanff Korelitz nails BOTH of the stories. The suspense was truly palpable throughout the book. It was nearly impossible to stop reading. Honestly, I thought I was setting myself up for a disappointing reveal for the actual “plot” because it was so hyped up. However, once we got to that point, my jaw was on the floor. It was absolutely worth the hype. I did find myself getting a little frustrated at Jake at times, but the direction this book took each time was just spot on. The pacing, the atmosphere, the sky-high stakes--it was all executed so well.

I’m loving Kirby Heyborne as a narrator. He was one of the narrators for The Wife Upstairs, which was another great audio production. I can think of a few others I’d love to have him narrate, and I’m looking forward to seeking out other books he’s voiced. His pacing is absolutely perfect for suspense books.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the ALC for The Plot.

I started listening to this audiobook, but the narrator's voice and style were not to my liking. The novel's content is great, and I finished reading the text version ebook, which is excellent. This is probably just a personal thing, but this particular narrator speaks a bit too slowly and deliberately, and seems more "actorish" than most. If you like that kind of narration, this audiobook will be a treat for you. It was not unlistenable for me, but I found that I preferred to read it in text format instead of audio.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Very captivating with amazing character development. Someone steals a idea for a plot for a book. But will they get away with it? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had all the making of a great thriller, however it was pretty lackluster is my opinion.

Jacob Finch Bonner was an up-and-coming author who just never panned. While teaching he comes across a student with the makings of a great book. When the student dies, he takes the story and publishes it as his own. All of the sudden Jake is thrown into the world of success, but someone out there knows the truth.

A lot of this book felt literary more than a thriller, and at times I was just not jiving with the story. The thing that redeems this book is the twist. It was so shocking you would never see it coming at all. I am sure this will be a hit this summer.

One note , I had an advanced copy of the audiobook and the e-book, and by far the ebook wins. Narration did absolutely for this story, and this might have been the reason, I was not digging it until I made the switch to the ebook.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Plot is a slow burning and highly entertaining novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I loved it and I loved the narrator, Kirby Heyborne, whose voice I recognized immediately as the narrator who hypnotized me in Kubica’s Don’t You Cry.

Jake Bonner is an author whose first novel was reviewed favorably in the NYTimes Book Review, where he was labeled, an author to keep your eye on. Several years (book rejections) later, he is on the Ripley College writer’s workshop circuit, a misanthrope charged with mentoring a ragtag group of wannabe authors. He drives an old car, still uses the same natty (rhymes with?) furniture from his college days and, in general, fits the description of an altogether, self-deprecating sourpuss.

Enter younger narcissistic nemesis (NN), Evan Parker/Parker Evan, whose sole purpose, it seems, is to yank Jake’s chain. Puffed up NN, disparages all around him, including Jake, and boasts that he has come up with the ultimate plot that will catapult him into Stardom – Best Seller, Agents & Publisher, a spot on Oprah Winfrey, lecture and interview circuits, Movie rights and let’s not forget a copy of his book on the table in the entrance of every book store.

Tightlipped NN will not give away anything about his plot, yet at some point he can hold it in no longer and spills the beans to Jake, in the privacy of his office. Jake is gobsmacked, he knows that all the rewards NN claims he will reap from publishing his novel will come true for him…

(circa) Four years later, Jake has dropped down to the lowest levels of the food chain, when he notices that NN’s book has never been published…he learns that NN actually died several months after attending the Ripley College Writer’s Workshop. Jake weaves NN’s plot into a book. The words are entirely his, as are character and plot development. As far as he knows, Jake is the only person who ever heard the plot from NN. Jake writes the Novel that catapults him into Stardom – Best Seller, Agents & Publisher, a spot on Oprah Winfrey, lecture and interview circuits, Movie rights and let’s not forget a copy of his book on the table in the entrance of every book store (did I just plagiarize, er, repeat, myself?).

Jake finally becomes a grown-up at the age of 30-something. He meets and marries the girl of his dreams, who changes his life (not to mention the furniture, dishes, and glassware). She feeds him lots of green soup and boy does he lap it up. His life is now meaningful and happy. Sourpuss is now the picture of contentment - hahahah, tell me you don’t see it coming…."Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang, Walla walla, bing bang…." he wasn’t very smart (oops, there I go again, forgive me David Seville/Ross Bagdasarian).

Everything comes crashing down around poor Jake as the first (of many) message(s) arrives from Tricky Tom. (Our author joins me in my newfound infatuation with Patricia Highsmith.) Did Jake or did Jake not plagiarize Evan Parker/Parker Evan’s book? Not every idea you throw out into the air can be claimed as your intellectual property…and you cannot plagiarize something that has never been published (published does not necessarily mean printed). Too bad Jake didn't have confidence in the merit and integrity of his work. To legally discredit Jake, "Tom" would have had come forward and expose the source of the claim, which would likely have been impossible since the manuscript was never published - if it existed at all. Possibly, there might have been a breach of confidence, but heck, the guy whose confidence may have been breached is too dead to sue. Let me set your minds at rest, plagiarism will make for a great debate in a book club, but it is not really the issue here, there are other issues at play. I mean, like what's with all that green soup wife keeps making and Jake keeps slurping? I looked up what green symbolizes in literature...are we talking guilt, greed, jealousy? Whose?

I figured out who Tom was pretty early-on, but I confess, I should have expected (but did not) the PH-ish ending. WOW just WOW.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audio book. I LOVED IT. I loved the story/plot, I loved the writing, and I loved the narrator!

Jean Hanff Korelitz's "The Plot" follows Jacob, Jake, Finch Bonner, a has-been author who teaches writing in an MFA program. While he had a successful debut as an author, he struggled with his following publications. At the program, he meets an arrogant student by the name of Evan Parker, who is sure that the plot he conceived will make him a bestselling author. When Jake hears "the plot," he becomes envious since he knows that Evan is right: the plot is amazing and sure to sell. A couple of years pass and Jake hasn't heard anything about Evan Parker's book. He does some research and finds that Evan Parker is dead, and his book was never published. Feeling a sense of obligation to the plot itself and the world of literature, he decides to pen the novel himself. A few months later, everything that Evan Parker predicted came true: Jake is a bestselling author after publishing a story based on the plot that he heard. However, his success comes at a price since he is now receiving anonymous messages accusing him of thievery.

I picked up this book based both on its cover and description. The cover of the book truly encompasses the "book-within-a-book" nature of the novel and plays with the dual meanings of the word "plot." While it is a different color from most thrillers I have seen, it still showcases its genre. The description is also very compelling, and I'm typically a sucker for stories that involve books. However, while there were parts that I enjoyed, in general, this was a miss for me.

As many other reviews have stated, this story is very much a slow burn and takes considerable time in picking up. In this regard, I did not find it to be very thrilling or suspenseful for a story within this genre. I think I prefer thrillers to increase in pace well before the final pages. Thus, I never felt at the edge of my seat while listening and felt rather bored several times during my reading experience.

In terms of character and plot, both were a bit of a miss for me. The main character was arrogant and off-putting in a way that I did not really care what would happen to him in the end. I also did not connect to any character in particular. Granted, I believe the author probably intended for all the characters to be unlikeable. On the other hand, I also found the actual plot, or rather the development of the plot, to be predictable since I guessed the ending pretty early on so the "twist" ending was underwhelming. In addition, the book features an epilogue that I'm not convinced it required. The ending of the book as well as the epilogue, are laden with expository dialogue, and the reader is almost bombarded with information that is said rather than shown.

The style of the book read more like a literary thriller and used more flowery language than other thrillers I have read. However, I was not a fan of the main character's many asides throughout the book. I found myself constantly rolling my eyes at the main character's musings, arrogance, and entitlement.

Nevertheless, I think I would recommend this book to readers who are new to thrillers as a genre. I also read that this author has a good track record of getting her books adapted into other media. If this book gets adapted to film or television, preferably television, I would most definitely watch it. I think the plot would lend itself well for this medium and the inclusion of other meaning-making elements, such as acting and music, would create a more suspenseful feel.

3.5 stars rounded up

THE PLOT follows Jake, a once "new and notable" writer whose career flatlined after his second book didn't live up to the promise of his first. While Jake is teaching at a low residency MFA program, an obnoxious student tells him his idea for a book with a genius plot. A few years later, when Jake hears the student has died, he writes the book himself, only to find that his ex-student was hiding dangerous secrets.

The first 30% of THE PLOT was very hard to get through - a lot of woe-is-me from the main character, which I struggle with, especially when the MC is a white man. I think we're supposed to feel annoyed with him, but still. It was a lot. But once we got into this book, I really liked it! I knew what was going to happen after about 60% of the way in, but that didn't impact my enjoyment of watching it play out.

I recommend this for people who liked The Silent Patient, and maybe recommend against it for anyone who wants to be an author, because I think it would be super discouraging!

Jacob Finch Bonner had fallen on hard times. His first book was a moderate success, but book two was a flop and books three and four can’t even get published. He’s been reduced to teaching at a third rate MFA writing program. There, he encounters Evan Parker, the most obnoxious person anyone could have as a student. Evan is convinced he’s got the next best seller, on a par with Gone, Girl. When he dies later, never having published his supposed masterpiece, Jake steals the idea. And sure enough, the book is a colossal success. Then, the emails from Talented Tom start coming, accusing him of being a thief and a fraud.
The theme of the book is who owns a story. This idea has been tackled before, even Mark Twain said there’s no such thing as an original idea. I liked that the book paints a very ambiguous story. This wasn’t a case of out and out plagiarism. Jake ties himself in knots explaining his own actions to himself.
The book starts off slow and takes a while to really get going. The chapters interlace Jake’s life with chapters from his best seller. It would never be called fast paced. But there’s a nice underlying tension throughout and I was really curious to see how both stories would play out. I had a pretty good idea early on who Talented Tom but it didn’t dampen my enjoyment to be proven right.
I was really impressed with Kirby Hewborne as the narrator.
My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.

I was really excited to read this book and was granted an ARC in audio format. I had actually pre-ordered the book as well.

This novel moved very slowly. It felt almost "whiney" in some places. The main character was not likable to me and his journey was one that I found fairly improbable. Although there was one element to the mystery that surprised me, I figured out the main part of this early on.

This book was just "ok" for me.

#netgalley

#ThePlot

This book is a story of a writer, Jake, who was also a writing teacher. He was a NYT Best Seller for his first novel and his subsequent books have fell short. In comes a cocky student, Parker, exclaiming he has an idea of a book that will be read by all. Jake is rather dismayed and doesn’t give it much thought especially only given the first few chapters of the book, Parker thought would make World status. Parker then explains the plot to Jake, which is untold to the reader, and Jake knew without a doubt that this plot would indeed reach best seller status and everyone in the world would be talking about it. Forward a couple years, Jake found an obituary notice for Parker, and realized his book was never published.

Jake went on to write the book with the plot that was given from his student and it did indeed reach people far and wide. The only problem is that someone on the internet has began spreading rumors that Jake’s book was plagiarized and it wasn’t his story to tell. Who is doing it and what happens when Jake discovers the truth?

For me, this was a really slow burn. The twist at the end wasn’t as nearly shocking as I was hoping it would be. I did enjoy reading more about the publishing world, but all in all only 2.5 stars for me.

Thank you to Celadon books for the gifted copy.

I read the book and did the audio for this one as well! Both were very good and well done! The audio felt like the emotions and everything with the story line was done very well! I liked this one a lot and would recommend it to other colleagues and students.

Wow! I was able to read a sample of this book a few months ago, so when this popped up in NetGalley, I snatched it up as quick as I could. The Plot is narrated by Jacob Finch Bonner, a once-shining-star writer who now teaches for a second-rate MFA program after his second book didn't even sell a thousand copies. What immediately captured me was Jacob's voice. He carries an old leather satchel with him (so that when he makes it "big" he can talk about how he's carried it around with him since grad school.) He doesn't like poetry and doesn't even wish he liked poetry, but he WISHES he wished he liked poetry. Korelitz paints this fantastic picture of a man who has grandiose thinking but does nothing to back it up, who just wants to make it as a writer, but feels like he's falling further and further behind. And it's into this space that a student--an obnoxious, unlikable student--tells him a plot that Jacob knows is going to be huge. Fast forward a few years later, Jacob (still unhappily plodding away at his 3rd novel that always seems out of reach) remembers this student and realizes that he never heard anything about the book. After some internet searching, he realizes that this student died only a few months after leaving the grad program... which means the amazing, sure-fire, incredible plot is up for grabs. What's a desperate writer to do?

I listened to this book in just a couple of days. Jacob isn't necessarily a likeable character--but he's not exactly unlikable either. I rolled my eyes at him so many times (Finch was a self-given middle name. Every single time he shows false modesty) and yet I couldn't help rooting for him to solve the mystery of who is stalking him. Also, I did not see that ending coming. This is one people are going to want to talk about. I know I was searching for someone who had also read this book so we could discuss it.

I listened to the audio of this book . The narrator did a fantastic job of giving Jacob Finch Bonner a voice. I felt like I was listening to a movie the entire time I listened to this book.

This is another wonderful book by Jean Hanff Korelitz. The Plot is most definitely a thriller and the suspense is maintained throughout most of the book. I enjoyed the protagonist, Jake, and other strong characters as well as the vivid scenes created by the author. I can recommend this book highly to readers who enjoy long mysteries/thrillers with twisting subplots a la Stephen King. My personal preference is for more compact books with fewer subplots but I'm in the minority. The Plot features a book within a book, (within a book?) and within each a family with almost identical experiences. I found myself wishing that Jake would hire a detective, whom he could now afford, but that wouldn't be as suspenseful as causing the reader to worry about the choices Jake is making. I did get a hint of the book's final twist about a quarter of the way through when I asked myself, "Is this turn of events too good to be true?". When I start wondering that while reading a mystery, it often turns out to be the key to the twist.
The Plot reminds me a lot of a 2013 film, The Words, starring Bradley Cooper, in which an unsuccessful writer gets a job in a literary agency in NYC. He finds a brilliant manuscript in an antique briefcase which then becomes "his" brilliant and wildly successful novel. He meets his girlfriend (later wife) at an event to promote "his" novel, and things start coming off the spool. The Plot takes similar situations to deeper and darker places.
I enjoyed the reading by the always-wonderful Kirby Heyborne very much. He is equally adept at men's and women's voices which isn't always true in audiobooks.
In summary, this is a terrific and well-produced thriller that will attract many very happy readers.

A once-promising novelist has turned to teaching writing in a third-rate program in Vermont, where he has a student who relates an amazing plot to him. A number of years later, he finds out the student died without having published that amazing story. So he takes what he remembers and creates a huge bestseller. And then he gets threatening notes, which is when his life starts to fall apart.

This audiobook totally kept my husband and I glued during a long day of driving! The two of us kept exchanging ideas about what we thought might happen next. The ending took us both by surprise. Kirby Heyborne’s narration was excellent.

My only complaint - the very earliest part of the book said the words “Richard Peng Hall” so many times that we almost turned off the book. So glad we stuck with it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Many reviews about this book said to read it even if just for the ending. I’m afraid to say that I saw it coming. It was still an enjoyable story about Jacob, a writer who takes an idea from a failed, dead writer and it comes back to bite him. Jacob is not a likable character but I was still rooting for him. The book alternates his story with chapters from the novel that he allegedly stole (he wrote every word but based on his student’s idea). This book within a book is also good even if I failed to see how all the fictitious readers had gone “Gone Girl” crazy over its plot. What I really loved was the excellent audiobook narration by Kirby Heyborne, whose pacing makes the novel even most suspenseful.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Macmillan Audio!

I can't say I'm disappointed by The Plot, but I can't say it surpassed my expectations either. It's that weird in between of books I enjoyed, would recommend, but won't stick with me.

We follow Jacob Finch Bonner, an author whose career is on the decline and he's regulated to a bottom-tier creative writing program filled with young, up and comers all to ready to take Bonner's place. When arrogant Evan Peters reluctantly shares the "sure thing" plot for the book he is writing, Jacob waits for Evan's story to take over the world. But years pass, and nothing comes of Evan's revolutionary idea. After Jacob learns of Evan's passing, he brings the story to life and becomes a sensation. An acclaimed author with endless praise heaped upon him, but after about a year - Jacob starts receiving anonymous messages accusing him of plagiarism and he discovers he might be on a downward spiral once more.

I liked that this story discussed writing and ownership. It was kind of a cool and unique through line in a story about writing. I also thought the audiobook was excellent and I appreciated getting little excerpts of Jacob's written novel 'Crib.' But I do have to say I was a bit disappointed as well. I was able to pinpoint a characters involvement pretty early on in the story - and while I didn't know everything, I definitely knew something. I also thought the end got a little monologue-y for my taste.

The Plot does have a bit of a slow start, but the story builds very well and keeps you engaged with both Bonner's narration and the samples of Crib included. We learn information as Jacob does and that's always a fun device in mystery stories. It does have academia-vibes because of the writing angle, so I automatically associate it with fall, but I feel like this would be a perfect transition book between late summer and fall or something that will put you in a mood for mysteries!

I received an advanced audiobook copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The audio quality is so poor on Netgalley, I couldn’t listen to this without a weird, echo-y sound. Will wait for the real thing.

The Plot follows an author named Jake who has fond himself teaching writing after being unable to write a follow up to his debut hit. One of his students, Evan, arrogantly approaches him with the plot of his own book and tells Jake that this is going to be the next great American novel that nobody would find fault in. Jake is astounded by his hubris, but can't help but agree that this plot will be a hit. Several years later, Jake is reminded of Evan and while searching for him to see what became of his career, he finds out Evan is dead. Jake rewrites Evan's original plot, soaks in the fame, and begins writing his next book when he begins to receive threats about his "stolen work."

I knew to expect The Plot to be a slow burn based on other reviews I had seen. However, I found myself to be let down by it through the end. I don't mind a slow burn when it takes off at the end and makes my head spin but this just wasn't the experience I had with this book. I found it to be, for lack of a better phrase, a predictable plot. I guessed early on what the twist might look like but kept hoping I was wrong. I also felt like this story was overly descriptive and repetitive at some points.

All that being said, this book was not for me BUT I think it has a place on the shelves of many readers. The problems I had with this book come from being very picky with my thrillers and my own personal taste of writing style. I think this book will be a headspinner for anyone that is new to thriller or readers who enjoy authors like Peter Swanson, Stephen King, Scott Thomas, and Megan Miranda.

If you enjoy a very slow burn, an extremely complex plot and strong character development ... pick up The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz! This novel is a story within a story, a book within a book, and a plot within a plot that you will definitely have to pay very close attention to. The problem for me was that it moved so slowly that I had a hard time keeping that close attention. The plot (pun intended) definitely thickens with every chapter and every detail uncovered! It's a really interesting story but you cannot expect it to grip you. If it had been executed more like a thriller with a fasted paced edge and quickening to it, I would have enjoyed it so much more. But that's just me. Some readers LOVE slow burns and if that's you -- ENJOY!

Thank you, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley, for a copy of this book for review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book. I truly was hoping after reading reviews of this book myself that it would resonate with me, but I had so much trouble getting into it. I honestly think a large part of that was the narrator of the audiobook version. There was almost no inflection in his voice. Maybe if I had read this in print version and used my own internal voice to narrate this book that it would have gone over better. I really wanted to like this one based on the premise but it just did not do it for me. I also struggle when it takes a long time for a book to get going - I need some action up front to hook me so that I can power through the rest of it.