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perfectsham's review against another edition
4.0
Fun and well written, very enjoyable. The main character is such an egotistical drip that it's not surprising you, as the reader, see the twists coming before him. He's very obviously written to be someone who thinks very highly of his own talents, but we see him constantly missing important information and clues throughout because he's so oblivious to other people's inner lives and motivations.
sfs_reads's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kburch537's review against another edition
3.0
A fun read but the “twist” can be seen from the start.
Go into it expecting more of a contemplation on what it means to own your story vs a thriller and it’s much more enjoyable.
Go into it expecting more of a contemplation on what it means to own your story vs a thriller and it’s much more enjoyable.
miss_majuu's review against another edition
3.0
Really great concept but unfortunately I predicted every single twist.
I hate when mysteries have a defining characteristic about the killer/antagonist and only introduce one character with that same characteristics! And then shockingly it is them… Wow never saw that one coming, who would have thought?!
I hate when mysteries have a defining characteristic about the killer/antagonist and only introduce one character with that same characteristics! And then shockingly it is them… Wow never saw that one coming, who would have thought?!
lindsayaunderwood's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this literary thriller about a book within a book! The first 2 chapters or so were a little slow, but it’s very well written and once I got started I couldn’t put it down!!
krc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
okevamae's review against another edition
4.0
All Jake Bonner has ever wanted is to become a writer. And he accomplishes that dream, to much critical acclaim, at an impressively young age. But when the next book is a flop, and the third doesn’t materialize, he eventually finds himself teaching writing at a third-rate MFA program in the middle of nowhere. His most insufferably arrogant student shares with Jake – and only Jake – his idea for a “sure thing” - a novel with a plot so compelling that it will undoubtedly sell millions of copies and make its author an overnight success. But when the student later dies without ever publishing his novel, only Jake is left knowing about the brilliant, unwritten plot. And surely someone needs to tell this story, right?
Jake’s character is that of a shallow and somewhat narcissistic artist. His entire personality and ego are tied up in the idea of being a writer – not just the idea of writing, which seems to be the least important part to him – above all he is obsessed with all the trappings of being “writerly” and the acclaim of being a successful author. But the constant anxiety he feels over “stealing” the plot, in spite of writing the book himself, serves to humanize him. The early parts of the book are slower, taking us through Jacob’s unsuccessful career and the events that lead up to him writing the book, and then jumps into his successful life, but the suspense starts to kick in once he gets the first anonymous message: someone knows that he stole his story.
I’ll be honest, this isn’t an edge-of-your-seat suspense novel the whole way through, but it was still very compelling and entertaining to watch the mystery unfold. I saw the biggest twists coming, but still really enjoyed the ride, and somehow, the ending still managed to be unexpected.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jake’s character is that of a shallow and somewhat narcissistic artist. His entire personality and ego are tied up in the idea of being a writer – not just the idea of writing, which seems to be the least important part to him – above all he is obsessed with all the trappings of being “writerly” and the acclaim of being a successful author. But the constant anxiety he feels over “stealing” the plot, in spite of writing the book himself, serves to humanize him. The early parts of the book are slower, taking us through Jacob’s unsuccessful career and the events that lead up to him writing the book, and then jumps into his successful life, but the suspense starts to kick in once he gets the first anonymous message: someone knows that he stole his story.
I’ll be honest, this isn’t an edge-of-your-seat suspense novel the whole way through, but it was still very compelling and entertaining to watch the mystery unfold. I saw the biggest twists coming, but still really enjoyed the ride, and somehow, the ending still managed to be unexpected.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
whitneybarr's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I pretty much had most of the “mystery” figured out by about 25% into the book. I had all the details guessed apart from one. That last detail was in place by about 60-70%. This still gets 4 stars, though, because even though I predicted how it would end it was still a well-written and compelling story.