4.5 stars
Received an ARC from the publisher.
After finishing a two-year MFA writing program, Jake publishes his first novel The Invention of Wonder. But after many years and 4 different book manuscripts, every publisher he approaches refused to publish his books. He worked at a writing program and while teaching a class he stumbles across a student who just happens to have a plot that no one can mess up, it is an instant bestseller even if the person who wrote it had no talent. It kills Jake that this person has come up with this book after he has spent so many years trying. Then as time passed and this MFA program is no longer around Jake still things about that student and his plot. This is when Jake realizes the student died shortly after he was his teacher, without ever publishing this book. What a perfect opportunity and Jake does not let it pass. Jake writes his own story using this plot and just like predicted it becomes an instant hit. He is going to book tours interviewing with many tv stations, is on Oprahs book club, and has a movie in the works. Then he begins to receive incriminating messages that contain his worse fear. Someone knows his secret.
The only thing I did not like was that it is sometimes hard to follow the wording, and I got lost because the story often interrupts sentences with side points before finishing the sentence. At some points I found myself forgetting how the sentence started and having to go back to figure out how the end of the sentence connected. So, the sentences are long-winded. In the beginning, it was a problem for me but as I got into the book, I no longer noticed it, so I think I got used to the writing style.
There were many things that made me get completely lost in the story. One is how realistic it all played out and the way Jake thought. It was so realistic I almost kind of feels like a lot of the character concerns and worries about writing and publishing a book come from the author's own fears or at least the fears most authors have. Like how Jake mentions he sent out manuscripts and hadnt got one single review. Little things like this throughout the book made it so realistic that I could relate to the thinking and worries that Jake has. People who read a lot will enjoy the little things only people who read a lot will get like how when you say to people, I have counted and I have read (a certain number of books) What you really mean is that Goodreads told you the number of books you have read
In the book the plot that Jake stole is always being explained as being one that anyone could write because it is just so good, well this is half true with this book. The plot and the twist at the end were so epic I completely agree this will be a total hit, but I am not sure if anyone could write it because this author set the bar high. The way it played out had me strung along for the ride and man that ending had me gasp and think how clever. I read a lot of suspense and psychological thrillers
