Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

46 reviews

mlthomas234's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book. The main character Jake is not particularly likable but he is understandable. I also liked the “story within the story” device and how we watched the plot unfold. A pretty solid thriller. I’m not giving it five stars for two reasons: for one, the first act is extremely slow. What the book summary shows as the premise (man steals plot, gets weird message) takes up the first THIRD of the book. This really didn’t feel necessary and ultimately I don’t think that long build up was consequential to the story. Secondly, the twist was fairly predictable— very shortly after that 30% mark. I don’t think a plot twist being predictable makes it a bad book— just didn’t blow me away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Child abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Abandonment

Minor: Abortion

beyourbestshelf's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, and Drug abuse

liz_not_bennet's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

The beginning was slow but then it became more and more WTF??! until I almost couldn't handle it anymore.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse and Murder

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Death, Drug abuse, and Murder

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A very, very clever tale of a writer who appropriates a story that's not his to tell, and is guilt-ridden and then haunted when he starts getting messages that it's a stolen plot. The characters are consistently appalling narcissistic, selfish, whiny. The plot is, as one would expect, fabulous. 

I'm always lousy at figuring out mysteries and am consistently gobsmacked when I get to the end. This had a very satisfying ending. Perhaps others might see it coming but I was sucked into the story and so was appropriately floored at the twists and turns. 

A small part of the story takes place in Seattle, and it's always fun to see one's home through another's eyes.
And it's a book about books and writers and how books are written. Finally, there's a charming cat named
Whidbey. What's not to love?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

jvd's review

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Stalking, Murder, Mental illness, and Drug use

jskeldum's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Murder, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, and Child death

sfbookgirl's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Plot is two books for the price of one! I enjoyed The Plot for its quick pace and its focus on the literary world. Jacob Finch Boner was once a famous author whose first book was an instant bestseller. Now working as an instructor for an MFA program, Jacob encounters a student named Evan Parker who arrogantly proclaims that he doesn’t need Jacob’s assistance because he has the best idea for a plot. 

 

When Jacob later learns that Evan died, Jacob does what any writer would do…he writes the book Evan never got the chance to write. While riding the high of his new success, Jacob receives a startling email with the note, “You are a thief.” I enjoyed reading snippets of Jacob’s aka Evan’s book throughout The Plot, but I suggest not going in with high expectations for Evan's "best plot ever." That said, The Plot was still a thrilling read that is set in a world avid readers will enjoy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Murder

Moderate: Abortion

beauty_andbooks's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I went into this book blind and the beginning was slow. I didn't mind the time jumps (I actually enjoyed them), but by a quarter through the book, I had an idea of the twist at the end. It was quite obvious which characters were the 'villains' and I was expecting more of a shock factor from the twist. The author built the twist up as something dark and brutal but it was pretty normal for a thriller.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Child death, and Abortion

katrinasherise's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Murder, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Adult/minor relationship

amcghig's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicide, and Toxic relationship