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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So twisty!! It’s about an author who steals the plot idea of one of his former students who died. He thinks he got away with it (though is going crazy worrying he’ll be found out) when he gets a message saying they know he’s a thief. Even when you think you have this book figured out, it keeps surprising you! I talk more about this suspenseful literary thriller in this video, starting at 7:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gteNoLicGu0
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reeling from the fact that evil has won and the villain has gotten away with murder(s!).
I can’t with this book. It’s been a long time since I read such an frustrating story. So predictable from the word go. Such a stupid protagonist. I don’t understand why we had to endure 300 pages from his idiotic POV when Anna’s would’ve been so much more interesting. At least do it Gone girl style and split it, instead of doing a huge exposition dump (which we all knew) at the end. And don’t get me started on the Plot that gives the excuse to the whole story. Talk about trite. They make such a fuss about it being so original and stranger tha fiction. Please. I lost count of how many times it’s been done. Still , I think the author could’ve done something with Anna’s story.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
I saw it on sale and the title caught my eye, but it wasn't enough to grab me. It wasn't until I read Malcolm Gladwell's blurb that I got interested. He said something to the likes of, it was one of his favorite reads that year. I was shell shocked by the thought why is he here? He crossed an aisle and it's making me confused. He specializes in fringe science social behavior and it's very out of place. Might be a genius marketing tactic right there.
It begins with a man who has wanted to write since he was a child. While adequately skilled he lacks what makes writers good. The lack of a muse or inspiration.
It wasn't until I was halfway through the novel that I knew what I was reading. I don't read this genre too often. I found it pleasant and the twist is quite good.
It begins with a man who has wanted to write since he was a child. While adequately skilled he lacks what makes writers good. The lack of a muse or inspiration.
It wasn't until I was halfway through the novel that I knew what I was reading. I don't read this genre too often. I found it pleasant and the twist is quite good.
What a ride! At the risk of losing my librarian street cred, I'll admit that I checked out The Plot because the Stephen King blurb on the cover caught my eye. Normally I ignore blurbs, but I really dug his column in EW back in the day, gleefully titled The Pop of King. His recs have turned me onto a few well loved novels over the years.
Within the first few pages I knew I had picked up something special. I enjoyed the hell of this book. It's clever, well paced, and the title/accompanying cover art are positively *chef's kiss* perfection. I did figure out one of the major plot points fairly early on but that didn't hurt my experience of watching the story unspool. My one complaint is that I didn't find the novel within the novel quite as compelling as the main storyline. Nevertheless, I felt engaged throughout; I loved the drama and the writing style. I was surprised I hadn't come across this author before and I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.
P.S. I also wish I could tack on a extra 5 stars for the author's depiction of a female character's gray hair as super foxy and, in fact, her most irresistible trait. Doing the Lord's work for us silver sisters!
Within the first few pages I knew I had picked up something special. I enjoyed the hell of this book. It's clever, well paced, and the title/accompanying cover art are positively *chef's kiss* perfection. I did figure out one of the major plot points fairly early on but that didn't hurt my experience of watching the story unspool. My one complaint is that I didn't find the novel within the novel quite as compelling as the main storyline. Nevertheless, I felt engaged throughout; I loved the drama and the writing style. I was surprised I hadn't come across this author before and I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.
P.S. I also wish I could tack on a extra 5 stars for the author's depiction of a female character's gray hair as super foxy and, in fact, her most irresistible trait. Doing the Lord's work for us silver sisters!
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was great! I couldn’t tear myself away from this book—the clues were so well placed and I had a lot of empathy for the main character. It raises some really interesting questions about how to define authorship, and resolves them in a way that is delightfully unexpected, plot-driven, and still open for discussion. The revelation after part three made me gasp. What a plot!!!
My only qualm is that after the reveal, the answer becomes very very clear to the audience. Given what Jacob knew about the plot and Rose so far, it should have become very obvious to him too. It doesn’t make sense that with all his months of suspicion and deductive reasoning that he’d never suspect Anna, whose gray hair he already noted in their first encounter! He should know from writing the book & finding that it’s a true story that he’d be looking for a woman who is passing herself off as 15 years younger, so some parts of his later investigation don’t make a ton of sense.
My only qualm is that after the reveal, the answer becomes very very clear to the audience. Given what Jacob knew about the plot and Rose so far, it should have become very obvious to him too. It doesn’t make sense that with all his months of suspicion and deductive reasoning that he’d never suspect Anna, whose gray hair he already noted in their first encounter! He should know from writing the book & finding that it’s a true story that he’d be looking for a woman who is passing herself off as 15 years younger, so some parts of his later investigation don’t make a ton of sense.