The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Celadon Books, 336 pages, $28

The ultimate meta-novel has been written. Author Jean Hanff Korelitz has pulled off a thrilling mystery, rich with plot and character and twisty insides. And it should also satisfy readers with a literal yearning for literate literature by the literary.

“The Plot” begins with a poor schmuck who unfortunately hit it big with his first novel when he was in his twenties. It is unfortunate because the schmuck, Jacob “Finch” Bonner, couldn’t manage an adequate successor book. He drifted further down the writing chain, from a few weeks of running a writing class at a low-profile school to eventually editing other people’s stuff, trolling online for new clients. (Let me pause and say I consider the work of editors and writing teachers to be sainted positions.) 

However, before Jacob hit his version of rock bottom, one day an arrogant, self-promoting “student” appeared in one of his last years of teaching a writing class in person. Although Evan Parker (nom de plume: “Parker Evan”) had never written a book before, he had written one now, which he claimed was a sure-fire bestseller, guaranteed to be on the New York Times best seller list. He didn’t want to share his writing, which sort of defeated the purpose of a writing class, Jacob informed him. Hahaha, Evan Parker/Parker Evan replied and basked in his high self-regard. But eventually Evan Parker revealed the plot to Jacob. Then several years passed, in which Jacob’s life fell into disrepair.

By chance, Jacob comes across some information which leads to his renaissance. But nothing good ever happens without A Price to Be Paid. Korelitz perfectly plots her book. The second half explores the mystery and a reckoning. “The Plot” has so many aha! moments, I am loathe to describe more about the book. I will say I was enthralled, I raced to the end, I was deeply satisfied.

MBTB star!

(P.S. You only have to pay half-price for this review.)

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Square Fish, 416 pages, $11.99 (c2013)

On the eve of the Netflix broadcast of its series based on Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha books, which it corporately renamed “Shadow and Bone,” I read the first book in the series, “Shadow and Bone.” (I feel there was too much redundancy in that first sentence, but without redundancy we would not be doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Not that Bardugo’s book is doomed or mistaken; it was fabulous and enjoyable, in fact.)

The Grishaverse, as it has been styled by Bardugo’s fans, is both comprehensible and strange. People with very human traits of anger, jealousy, love, madness, curiosity, and pique populate the country of Ravka, overtly fashioned on old Russia. They are at war with neighboring countries. The other countries have repeating rifles, but Ravka has the Grisha, people who wield what we book readers would call magic. 

Alina and Mal are orphans who were raised on the estate of a minor lord who took many war-created homeless children under his wing. He was often gone, so their care was left to his household. There were good times and there were uncomfortable times, but mostly they survived, thanks to their friendship. When Alina and Mal got older, they joined the army, Alina as a mapmaker apprentice and Mal as a tracker. 

One day, the Darkling, lord of the Grisha came to their camp just as their company was set to traverse “The Fold.” The Fold was created by a Grisha. It is never-ending darkness that envelops what used to be verdant and productive farmland. Now the gray wasteland is populated by volcra, vaguely human-shaped, flying monsters. There is nothing volcra like better than the taste of fresh meat. Because of their specific powers, it is the fate of some of the Grisha to help navigate silently through the utter darkness of The Fold. There are some fire-casters who can defend in case the volcra manage to find them anyway. At this point Alina does not realize she, too, has a power and will eventually become a Grisha (sorry, minor spoiler). At this point she is simply a scared mapmaker.

Anyway, the Darkling lord whips into camp just before the journey. He is on board the desert ship that will roll into western Ravka, cut off by The Fold from the rest of the country. During the voyage, the volcra find them. Alina finds her unique power when she saves Mal from a volcra’s claws.

It is not clear whether being a person of power will benefit Alina. She has a soft bed to sleep in, clean clothes, fresh food, but she cannot control her power. What good is she? And there truly begins the saga.

Young adult-ish reading, but that shouldn’t stop old adult-ish people from digging in. Bardugo has a fairly traditional, comforting style of writing. She pays attention to details and doesn’t make her world so outlandish it is a struggle to understand characters’ motivations. Thoroughly enjoyable!

P.S. We have made it a human mission to repeat mistakes over and over again.