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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my second time reading The Plot, and I have to say, I liked it less the second time around. I picked it up again to refresh my memory before diving into The Sequel, but honestly, I had forgotten most of the details of the first book.
Jake, the protagonist, is a once-successful author who's now teaching at a low-tier New England college. When a cocky student named Evan shares a brilliant plot idea with him, Jake is intrigued. Years later, after Evan dies, Jake decides to write the story himself, leading to a bestselling novel that propels him back into the literary spotlight.
The book takes a wild turn here, and I was expecting something more along the lines of Yellowface by Kuang, where the protagonist steals a story. However, Jake writes the story himself, adding his own details and effort, which made me question whether this is truly plagiarism. He essentially took an idea and expanded on it after realizing Evan would never write it.
As the story progresses, it becomes increasingly hard to believe that Jake would spiral into obsession over an online troll. The ending felt like a Lifetime TV movie, and even though this was my second read, I had forgotten who the antagonist was. I was still able to figure it out early enough, but it didn't take much away from the book.
My main issue, without giving away spoilers, is trying to understand the motivation of the troll. A lot of their decisions don't make sense in relation to how they handle Jake, but I'm still interested in reading The Sequel.
I didn't really enjoy this book. I had the 'twist' guessed really early on...I think the idea of the story was good, but it just didn't hit with me.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicide, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book read well but it was very predictable in my opinion. It was a bit slow, ramping up at times and dragging towards the end in some places. If you do not normally read mystery/thrillers, then this is the book for you!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5 stars. Fast read. Entertaining but not at the level I expected based on NYT book review hype. I enjoyed it.
Well-written thriller with a Stephen King vibe. Some enjoyable side notes about writing. Ultimately didn’t interest me—the thriller/twist/tension parts didn’t click for me.