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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
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.
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jake did nothing wrong.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
Free ARC from NetGalley. Honestly I skimmed the beginning chapters and didn’t think I was going to actually read this book.
Jacob Finch Bonner was once a successful author, but was now teaching writing at a low ranking college. One of his students, Evan Parker, is cocky and overly confident that he has a sure fire hit oof a novel in the works. Evan finally tells Jacob the plot and Jacob reluctantly agrees.
Three years later and Jacob realizes he never heard about this fantastic book that was sure to have movie producers clamoring. He looks it up on the internet and finds out that his student died right after his class was over. He never wrote this blockbuster book. So Jacob Finch Bonner decides to write it.
As predicted by Evan, it’s a mega hit. Jacob is thrilled and famous. He’s invited on to a radio talk show. The radio host is awful, but he likes the cute cute assistant, Anna. They start dating and marry shortly after.
Jacob begins getting random emails saying he’s going to o be exposed for stealing Evan’s plot. He digs around to find out more about Evan’s past.
BIG PROBLEM I had with this — it was just the plot. He wrote the actual book. I don’t think, even if he had been exposed, that that would ruin his career. To make this more believable, I think the author of this novel should have had him actually commit plagiarism — find and use some of Evan’s work or something.
SPOILER: Anna is Evan’s sister. She killed Evan because she didn’t want him telling her story. Then she “met” Jacob and married him in order to kill him and then get all the royalties from the novel and movie rights.
SPOILER. of the book within the book: the plot of Evan’s, and then Jacob’s, novel was about a woman who got pregnant in her teens, has the baby, resents the baby, and ends up killing her when she’s about to go off to college. The mother then takes the daughter’s place.
This was Evan’s family, not a story he made up. The mother was his sister. And of course his sister is Anna.
Jacob Finch Bonner was once a successful author, but was now teaching writing at a low ranking college. One of his students, Evan Parker, is cocky and overly confident that he has a sure fire hit oof a novel in the works. Evan finally tells Jacob the plot and Jacob reluctantly agrees.
Three years later and Jacob realizes he never heard about this fantastic book that was sure to have movie producers clamoring. He looks it up on the internet and finds out that his student died right after his class was over. He never wrote this blockbuster book. So Jacob Finch Bonner decides to write it.
As predicted by Evan, it’s a mega hit. Jacob is thrilled and famous. He’s invited on to a radio talk show. The radio host is awful, but he likes the cute cute assistant, Anna. They start dating and marry shortly after.
Jacob begins getting random emails saying he’s going to o be exposed for stealing Evan’s plot. He digs around to find out more about Evan’s past.
BIG PROBLEM I had with this — it was just the plot. He wrote the actual book. I don’t think, even if he had been exposed, that that would ruin his career. To make this more believable, I think the author of this novel should have had him actually commit plagiarism — find and use some of Evan’s work or something.
SPOILER: Anna is Evan’s sister. She killed Evan because she didn’t want him telling her story. Then she “met” Jacob and married him in order to kill him and then get all the royalties from the novel and movie rights.
SPOILER. of the book within the book: the plot of Evan’s, and then Jacob’s, novel was about a woman who got pregnant in her teens, has the baby, resents the baby, and ends up killing her when she’s about to go off to college. The mother then takes the daughter’s place.
This was Evan’s family, not a story he made up. The mother was his sister. And of course his sister is Anna.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
2.5/5
I didn't *hate* it, but as someone who NEVER guesses the plot, I was disappointed when I guessed this one immediately. Also, I hate when an epilogue is used to clean up and OVER explain everything to and for the reader.
Meh. I wouldn't re-read it not sure if I could recommend it either.
Also, not a real fan of the narrator...
I did like Jake and his need to explain his actions, it was comical how he was bullied by Evan... But the book just didn't get better as it went on... But I did like "Crib" I am a fan of stories in stories so there was that.
I didn't *hate* it, but as someone who NEVER guesses the plot, I was disappointed when I guessed this one immediately. Also, I hate when an epilogue is used to clean up and OVER explain everything to and for the reader.
Meh. I wouldn't re-read it not sure if I could recommend it either.
Also, not a real fan of the narrator...
I did like Jake and his need to explain his actions, it was comical how he was bullied by Evan... But the book just didn't get better as it went on... But I did like "Crib" I am a fan of stories in stories so there was that.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes