Fan Casting The Plot

Jean Hanff Korelitz’s riveting novel is a story within a story that is a Rubik’s Cube of twists. Jake Finch Bonner is living a life he never expected. Instead of fame and fortune, this once-promising young author is teaching MFA seminars at an obscure university and barely making ends meet. Then abrasive, self-important Evan Parker arrives in Jake’s class with a one-of-a-kind plot that he’s confident will rocket him into the kind of success and stardom enjoyed by few in the literary world. And once Jake hears that story, he knows Evan is right, and Jake’s jealousy and self-pity are palpable. But Evan Parker doesn’t publish that book—Jake Bonner does. And someone knows whose plot he stole. Korelitz’s psychological thriller keeps the reader guessing even when the answers seem clear, and when the final piece clicks into place, what you see is the last thing you’d expect. — Seira Wilson, Amazon Book Review