contrary to its title, THE PLOT is way more than a plot. it’s well-crafted & well-written, w/ above-average character development & masterful plotting. basic synopsis: Jacob Finch Bonner was a professor in MFA program Ripley when an arrogant student shared a winning plot. a few years latter Bonner discovers that the student dies & decides to use the plot for a new novel, which becomes an instant bestseller. Bonner then receives increasingly aggressive communication from ‘Talented Tom’ accusing him of plagiarism. compelling questions re: who owns a story? not quite a spoiler alert but intended for people who read it: the end rests on an idea that ‘the plot’ captivated audiences bc it was unrealistic & too horrific for real life. I disagree x2. I think that the horror of ‘the plot’ is indeed realistic & also that I prefer to avoid such heart-wrenching storylines.