The Plot' by Jean Hanff Korelitz ✔.... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
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Thank you to @netgalley for this arc. What a book! The story follows Jacob Finch Bonner, a once successful fiction writer who can't quite seem to come through with that second book. He finds himself teaching writing at a job he hates and encounters an arrogant student with the most insane idea for a novel. A Plot he knows will catapult his student to instant stardom. Then the student dies.... but the story can't die with him👀
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This was amazingly addictive. I read this one in a day because I literally couldn't put it down. It went off in a direction I didn't see coming and kept me guessing till the end. Full of twists and brilliant writing. Definitely recommend

A slow start led into an exciting middle, then drifted into a pretty predictable end. It was a psychological thriller that didn't quite get there for me. The 'big twist' was extremely obvious and it certainly took a long time to get to the point. However, I enjoyed reading about Jake Finch Bonner and I particularly enjoyed the 'Crib' passages. I liked the writing but there felt like a lot of page filler that could have been cut out. It was all a little too unbelievable to me.

**I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review via the publisher and Netgalley.

The blurb of this book had me really intrigued to read this, as I love a thriller, and the plot sounded really intriguing. I really wanted to like this book based on the premise.

Unfortunately I found this a bit hard to get into and ultimately I didn’t finish it, as it took a long time for the plot to feel like it was really going anywhere. I think this is down to taste though and I would give it a 2.5 if I could (as it’s not badly written, I just didn’t like the writing style (it feels a bit overwritten) and I prefer a book where there is a bit more mystery.

This novel feels more like an exploration of motive than identity. I am much more one for suspense and a plot twist, but I think people who like more of a domestic thriller will like this. This would be perfect for those who like to read about complex characters and explore why they act the way they do - it just ultimately wasn’t for me.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will look out for the others now. I found the book intriguing until around 75% of the way through when the culprit became obvious, however this did not detract from the overall story. The storyline was one that I can honestly say I have not come across before which is true of the fictional story inside this book. I also enjoyed the mystery of the storyline and how the main character eventually put everything together.
This book is well worth a read.

American author Jean Hanff Korelitz, whose first book A Jury of Her Peers was released in 1996, is probably best known for the books that have been adapted for the screen. Her 2010 novel Admission was made into a film starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd and her 2015 novel You Should Have Known was recently adapted by HBO into The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. This is all to say that she may have some insight into the publishing industry which is partly the target of her latest book, The Plot.
Jake Finch Bonner is a failed author. While his first book received good notices her could not follow it up and finds himself as a creative writing teacher in a small academic institution in Vermont. One semester he meets the arrogant Evan Parker, a student who claims he has nothing to learn and what is more, he has the plot to a novel that is guaranteed to be a best seller. A few years later Jake discovers that Parker died soon after they met, so he writes his own novel based on the plot that Parker outlined to him. Where the narrative takes off is when Jake’s book Crib does indeed become a best seller and the movie rights are optioned. Jake’s life turns around spectacularly, but he also starts to receive emails threatening to reveal that the book was “stolen”.
While The Plot is written like a thriller it is essentially a morality play. The question being: how much to authors owe to those who came before them, and how much can a plot idea be “owned” by anyone (can you copyright an idea?). It is clear through the book that Jake wrote the novel (it was not plagiarised) but the problem he has is the way he has sold his inspiration and the media circus around his success. At the same time, Korelitz takes plenty of opportunity to take digs at the writing fraternity, the publishing industry and the related media circus.
Where The Plot falls down a little is as a thriller with a killer twist (or two, if you count the twist in Jake’s bestseller Crib, excerpts of which break up the main narrative). Korelitz tries to play fair with the reader which means, if you are paying attention, the big reveal should become fairly obvious reasonably quickly. But more than that, Jake wrote Crib, he should know what the twist in that narrative is, and yet in order for the reader not to be spoiled, his investigations proceed as if he himself does not know how that story ends.
But even though Korelitz is clearly going for the gasp-inducing twist, there is much more to The Plot. And it is these dimensions – the moral dilemma, the dive into the publishing world – that lift this above the usual domestic thriller.
3 1/2 stars (rounded to 3)

I could not put this book down! It started a bit slow but once it got going, it was so intriguing. I picked the ending early on but that didn’t make it any less satisfying to read. Jake is flawed but I found him to be an interesting character. Highly recommend this book.

I loved this tale of a writer and his stolen idea
No huge twist as seemed quite ovious to me and u know fairly early on but a good read and good characters
Is it worth all the hype …no
But is enjoyable none the less and liked the ending a lot as was fitting and real to the plot . Cd be a sequal
Ty netgalley and publishers

I am not a typical thriller reader as I often find them prioritising plot and twist over excellent writing. Unfortunately Jean Hanff Korelitz' novel THE PLOT falls exactly into these problems from the jump. I found the writing very simplistic and rarely challenging or complex. I also found the characters to be uninteresting and underdeveloped and if your characters are one-dimensional, then why should I care? Furthermore, the plot-within-the-plot is quite average and uninvolved. On the positive side, I read it quickly and found it easy to follow.

Thanks to Faber & Faber, NetGalley and Jean Hanff Korelitz for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘Good writers borrow, great writers steal. - T.S Eliot (but possibly stolen from Oscar Wilde)’
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I can’t remember the last time I raced through a book type way I did The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz! I think it was the perfect mix of intoxicating writing with fascinating story, but I found myself not moving for a whole day and consuming most of this book in that one sitting! A true delight from start to finish!
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Jake Bonner Finch is a writer with one big success and not much after that, who finds himself teaching at a writing program. Enter Evan Parker, an arrogant student of his, who brags about having a plot so good that nobody could ruin the story, and during a one to one session with Jake, tells him the plot to which Jake can’t help but agree will most definitely be a best seller.
When no such book materialises, Jake googles his former student to find he has tragically passed away and never got around to writing the novel. So Jake does what he thinks best, uses the story Evan told him and writes the novel himself. As expected, it’s a runaway success, propelling Jake to the life of a famous author beyond his wildest dreams…. Until an email sent to his website reaches him saying ‘you’re a thief’. But who knows about the story’s origin? And why are they so adamant on calling him out? And just how far will they go?
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This was SUCH an addictive read, easily falling in my best of 2021! The characters felt so real, and I felt like I was going through the whole journey with Jake. I’m a sucker for the book within a book concept as it is, so I knew I’d love this from the start, but the warmth of the story and the twists and turns are truly brilliant. There is also a point in the story, maybe mid way through, when it clicks and everything falls in place for the reader to easily figure out where this is going, but it’s still no less gratifying when it finally reaches the books climax and I always find that’s true true testament to a great read, when you can see the twist coming and yet still it’s every ounce as enjoyable to read!!
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This book couldn’t be less than 5 stars, if I could I’d give it more! Thank you to Netgalley and Faber Books for the ARC! I will be recommending it to all!!

The premise of this book sounded right up my street.
However, I really didn't enjoy my reading experience of this book. The plot was OK but I struggled with Korelitz writing style. It felt very jaring, and didn't flow. It lost me a couple of times.

Overall I didn't enjoy this one. Not for me.

This blurb had everything I wanted in a thriller- I don’t know what it is but I love the academic or literary setting and a thriller. So to discover a novel about a down-on-his-luck, once-successful author stealing another’s plot and the consequences that come with this, had me requesting this book immediately.

Jacob “Finch” Bonner, a once successful author, is now working at a literary programme on a small college campus. Here he has to read other student-writer hopefuls work (which he hates doing) and giving them tips. When a student arrives called Evan Parker, a self-confident, sort-of-an-asshole, tells Jake about his plot, Jake (and Evan already) knows that this is unique and will become an instant best-seller and success.
Switching to a few years later Jake is still in a rut with his writing and life when he remembers this student- what ever happened to him? What happened to his novel? And from there he steals the plot and publishes his own.

Bathing in his success, Jake starts getting anonymous emails- someone who knows his secret- and from this point, Jakes mental anguish and trying to discover who this person is consumes his life.

It was fascinating to see the investigation Jake does to find the truth of who is threatening him and finding more about his ex-student. As things unravel, Jake learns where the plot originally came from and this investigation I really enjoyed.

The author here does well to plot the narcissism of Jake to begin with and the self-frustration at not being able to write a new book and lack of ideas.

I would say that this was a slow burning novel (which isn’t for me) but the novel does pick up around 60% when move things are uncovered and then I wanted to read more.

I did unfortunately guess the ending quite early on in the book so there was no sudden “twist” that I usually love from thrillers.

Also the beginning of this book seemed to have lots of exclamation marks for some reason. They were used at points that I didn’t think were necessary- but I think that’s just me 😂🙈 I am not a writer but the over-use of exclamation marks at the beginning did keep throwing me off.

Wow what a fantastic book I gobbled it up the plot of course is everything and in this case title too and what a plot .The story seems initially too simple to warrant a whole novel but you soon realise there is more to the story
The characters are full detailed and believable as are the characters in the book inside a book which on its own would be a fabulous read
The book is fast paced and exciting and had me hooked and caught very quickly .Truly a book that was hard to put down
There is a great twist in the end which I had predicted but enjoyed reading on to see it played out fully
I will be recommending this book to people who like thrillers but also to those who like a literary novel as the insight into the world of the novelist is magnificent
Last comment will be I’m sure this will be a film if the rights are not sold can I have them !?

Jean Hanff Korelitz writes thrillers by digging deep into characters under stress, not through plot per se, but in "The Plot,” she does both. When a writing teacher, himself a now-failed writer, appropriates the outrageously wild plot recounted by a student, since deceased, his life lifts into the stratosphere. But then the threats arrive… Not only is the fictional plot only gradually revealed (artfully, through extracts), this novel’s plot is sly and intended to surprise. The author is an immersive, rhythmic stylist, and the tension throughout is high. My own enjoyment was eventually thwarted because I picked the twist ending, probably only because I read way too many “give me a twist” thrillers. The Plot is also a brilliant window into the world of writers and their approaches, ecosystems, and psyches. Overall, an enjoyable, slightly atypical literary thriller.

The Plot / Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Plot, is a phychological thriller, unlike any I have read before and I have to say I really enjoyed it .

It was slow going compared to the books I normally read, but I had a feeling if I stayed with it, I would really enjoy it and I did! So many twists and turns and it was very unexpected.

Do not even get me started on the ending!!

Will definitley be purchasing a copy of this when its released in August!

The story follows a struggling author called Jake, who teaches an MFA programme. One of the students is arguably an arogant jackass, but also happens to have a unique idea for a possible future bestseller.

Jake is incredibly intrigued by the students ideas, and cannot get them out of his head.

Quite a few years later, Jake is still not having any great success in his writing career and is running out of ideas. He thinks back to the plot of his students novel, and searches to see if he ever released that brilliant book idea.. it turns out that the student actually passed away, not long after that meeting with Jake.

Jake believes that the story Evan wrote, needs to be told.. and so he does.

He releases the book and soon the book is a bestseller topping all of the book charts, and Jake is making a LOT of money.. however someone out there is very aware that the idea was not his originally. The person contacts Jake and accusses him of stealing the plot.

Jake, goes on a mission to find out who the person is.. and hopefully he can do this.. before the truth comes out.

Many thanks to NetGalley/ Publisher/ Author for an advanced copy of this

Reviewed on instagram/amazon/waterstones

Jacob Finch Bonner is a struggling author. He published two books. The first was praised by the reviewer but not the big breakthrough he longed for. The second one did even worse and for his third and fourth weren’t even published. So he became a teacher for people who want to be writers. One of his students told him years ago that he has the best idea for a plot and that publisher will fight over the right to publish it. It will be made into a movie and be becomes a famous author. On their only one-to-one session he tells Jake the story and he has to admit that it is fantastic. In the following years he waits for this book to be published. But then he learns that the student died only a couple of month after he left the writing class. Jake takes the plot and turns it into a book himself, thinking that this story is too great to be not told. And indeed, it becomes a huge success. But while he is on his book tour and speaking to Steven Spielberg about making it into a movie, he suddenly gets threatening messages. Obviously someone out there knows that the idea of this story is not his.

I was aware through other reviews that this book takes it time. And it really does. It is a slow burner, and not only at the beginning. But the story is intriguing enough that it kept me hooked. It was interesting to read about the publishing industry. I never wanted to be a writer because I know I lack the imagination to come up with good ideas. It made me think about how authors develop their plot and where their inspirations come from.
Jake is not a bad guy. He just saw a good opportunity and took his chance. He always felt a bit guilty. The villain here is somebody else. The twists were not so hard to guess but that did not stop me enjoying the book. It is a slow, but carefully crafted story which I enjoyed reading.

Intertwined into the chapters are occasionally a few pages of Jake’s book but they are a kind of let down. It is just telling. I experienced this a few times before, for example in “The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair”. The writing in these –fictional- successful books is never as good as the rest of the book. I don’t know why that is, maybe it is because the author tries to write in a different style. This was my first book from this author and I would read another one from her.

Bookworms love books about books right? Add a bit of plagiarism, threatening letters and mysterious 'real life' connections and you have a cracker of a thriller.

When struggling writer turned teacher, Jacob Finch Bonner, hears an unbelievable plot from an asshole of a student, he is more than a little bitter about it. How could such an undeserving novice writer come up with such a sure fire bestseller plot? Years later, Jacob discovers however, that this explosive book was never published. So he decides to "borrow" the plot. He could do it better anyway right?

You just know this is not going to end well.

This book was compulsively readable and twisty. The only reason it didn't get the full 5 stars was because I guessed all the twists. That is not to say that they were predictable, just that my mind goes to dark places (lol).

There’s something very ballsy about writing a book featuring another book within the book which has supposedly the greatest plot in the world, one which will make its author untold riches and put them right at the top of the best sellers list. I was instantly intrigued by the description and it did not disappoint. This is an incredibly written, intriguing and captivating book - and yes, the plot is seriously great.

Unfortunately it's not as I thought it would be! The plot of the plot really grabbed me and I though woah! I thought this is awesome I've never heard or seen anything like that before, apart from once with Morvern Callar although that has a very different theme it essentially does feature plagiarism. The irony is quite amusing that it's about struggling writers in honesty, I was very bored by the writing and the constant feel of droning on, especially when it came to the descriptive. It just goes on and on and on about the trials and tribulations faced by writers and frankly it brought the thriller aspect down with *CRASH* and seemed more like
I was reading a How To manual at times! Unfortunately there wasn't very much shock value when the "reveal" was uncovered because it was blatant from a very early stage in the reading. I hasten to add as well that I had no care for the protagonist as he spent a vast majority of the novel being whiney and self indulgent. I'm sorry but on the face of it the book wasn't great, which is a great disappointment because I was really looking forward to this one. But hey, I've not got a published book so who am I to lay judge and jury.

The Plot is an interesting thriller, unlike anything I’ve read before. What stood out to me was that it was never EXACTLY what I thought it would be. Was Jake going to be driven mad with his guilt? Is there even a mystery to solve here? It was very clever in that respect. I liked that it always offered more than I’d expected it to. And while the overall twist didn’t come as a huge surprise to me, I’m sure it will for many readers.

I was also really impressed with the author’s writing style. This was my first Jean Hanff Korelitz book but it certainly won’t be my last. It was intricately worded and I think that helped bring Jake to life. It definitely communicated his snobbishness. One of my favourite literary devices is the story within a story so naturally, I found a lot to love here. There’s a good amount of balance between “real life” and Jake’s bestselling novel.

Characters are morally grey from start to finish. I don’t think there’s a single character that can be filed under either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Everyone has trauma or skeletons in their closet and a line that they would cross for their own individualistic reasons. I think it dealt with the what-ifs very well. Personally, I didn’t find any of the characters likeable but it’s not the kind of book where you NEED to like characters to enjoy the story as a whole.

Although the ending was satisfying, I think that I would have preferred justice to be served right at the last second. After all, there were plenty of secondary characters who are aware that the main character has been digging up dirt so you’d think that the way things panned out would raise some suspicion... But hey, that’s just me!

With every book there has to be an outlier review and in this case it my unfortunate duty to be that person. Jacob Finch Bonner is a mediocre writer who had some moderate success with his first book. His second sank into obscurity with barely a ripple and he now finds himself teaching creative writing to a new generation of hopefuls. One of his students, Evan Parker, an obnoxious young man is unwilling to share much of his writing but claims to have an idea for a sure fire plot that cannot fail. Begrudgingly Jake agrees with him when he finally wheedles the plot out of Evan.

Jake think nothing more of this but, a couple of years later, is surprised not to find Evan’s book on the bestseller lists. He does some basic sleuthing and learns that Evan died shortly after attending his (Jake’s) course. He also learns that there are, apparently, no living relatives. So Jake does the unthinkable and takes Evan’s plot and crafts it into a book that, yes, makes it onto the bestseller lists. Ok it’s not his plot but all the words are his. He did write the story. He is still riding the wave of success when he gets the first message from someone calling themselves TalentedTom claiming he is a thief!

Jake brushes it off. How can you steal an idea? Aren’t most plots derivative of something? Didn’t he write all of the words in the actual book? But as the messages continue and get more threatening he decides to try and track down this TalentedTom and set them to rights. He travels around following the leads and clues. What he finds though is rather disturbing. It’s not just a plot he has taken - it seems to be someone’s actual life story. And that someone is not very happy about it!

I do agree the story was very well written although in a very flippant style. That’s fine, I do flippancy myself. It was, however, I thought, quite slow and not particularly riveting. Yes it got a lot more interesting towards the end but by then I had already guessed the twist so again any suspense was lost on me. The way the story was told - a book within a book was well done and Jake’s character was really well portrayed. He wasn’t exactly likeable but neither was he unlikeable, I suppose he was like most of us, a mixture of characteristics and just trying to make a living. I could totally imagine him sitting at his keyboard typing away at this amazing story. But that’s my other problem - I don’t actually agree that ‘the plot’ was that exceptional!

The idea for the book was very good and I know a lot of people enjoyed it more than I did. I didn’t NOT enjoy it - I just didn’t love it but I think the author has a lot of talent and I would totally read another book by her. Thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd. for providing a free copy which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

3.5 stars rounded down.