Turning thirty was never supposed to be like this. Ten years ago, Ben, Lindsey, Chuck, Alison, and Jack graduated from New York University and went...
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Sep 06, 2011
Jessica
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I very rarely abandon a book midway through, but I made an exception for Plan B. I've read and enjoyed a couple of Jonathan Tropper books before (The Book of Joe and Everything Changes). But I found the whiny characters, the constant reminiscing and the long trying-to-be-witty soliloquies to be unpalatable. The main character feels like a loser because he has what he considers a dead-end job at Esquire magazine. He wants to be writing the big features, but is stuck doing silly lists... in the bo
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Jan 17, 2010
Amanda
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This is my third Tropper novel, but it was his first and it definitely reads that way. The writing was still great - he writes excellent, hilarious characters - but there was a bit of adjective abuse, particularly in the first chapter (like this horrifically over-written sentence: "The restaurant's dim lighting lent a jaundiced pallor to his already ashen complexion, making him appear gaunt and sickly.") and I'm not really much of a fan of protagonists who are also authors.
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Jan 10, 2010
marg
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There was a time when books were automatically going to be better than their cinematic knock offs. I think it's no coincidence that with the rise of movie making and viewing the opposite is becoming more and more true.
I have noticed that in the last twenty years of writing, books have sounded either like they are trying too hard to be a sitcom or movie because that is mainly what the writer has been exposed to, or that the book is just waiting to be put to movie form, thereby secreting sup More...
I have noticed that in the last twenty years of writing, books have sounded either like they are trying too hard to be a sitcom or movie because that is mainly what the writer has been exposed to, or that the book is just waiting to be put to movie form, thereby secreting sup More...
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Dec 27, 2009
Raya
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Ahh…the existential crisis of turning thirty. I listened to these characters whine and mope and groan the “I can’t believe I’m turning thirty” mantra. On the brink of just turning thirty myself, there couldn’t have been a better time to read this. You turn thirty and all of a sudden you become introspective, wondering when you stopped going to frat parties and started going to dinner parties, when weddings turned into baby showers, and the list, if you are so lucky, goes on. You turn thirty and
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Dec 12, 2011
Catherine
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This is the 3rd or 4th novel by Tropper that I've read. My favorite so far is The Book of Joe. By now, I've realized that his protagonist is basically the same dude, with different friends and family and circumstances, but grappling with the same things: an old love that he somehow fucked up and would like to win back; a father with whom he has some big struggle, or who is simply absent; a controlling mother; a lack of a sense of purpose; and a life littered with mistakes he can't rectify but wa
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Dec 02, 2010
Gail
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Three books in, and it's safe to declare that anything I read of Tropper is a slam dunk for me.
This is his first novel and, while it shows (helllooo adjective abuse!), it's still one of those novels that makes you feel an instant familiarity to its characters, to the storyline, to the ease with which Tropper makes this whole process appear. And by process, I mean, you know, WRITING A NOVEL.
In Plan B, we have five college friends, Ben, Lindsey, Alison, Chuck and Jack — all hi More...
This is his first novel and, while it shows (helllooo adjective abuse!), it's still one of those novels that makes you feel an instant familiarity to its characters, to the storyline, to the ease with which Tropper makes this whole process appear. And by process, I mean, you know, WRITING A NOVEL.
In Plan B, we have five college friends, Ben, Lindsey, Alison, Chuck and Jack — all hi More...
Aug 12, 2011
Alexa
rated it: 
Loved it!
Okay, there were moments when I found the story far-fetched, and I always have difficulty when history is tampered with (though this wasn't such a big deal - who cares if Julia Roberts and Harrison Ford never made the movies they made in Plan B?), but in the end, it felt great to have read this book. In fact, when I closed the book at the end, I felt better about myself, which is not a feeling I think I've ever gotten from a book before. It was really cool to read about a grou More...
Okay, there were moments when I found the story far-fetched, and I always have difficulty when history is tampered with (though this wasn't such a big deal - who cares if Julia Roberts and Harrison Ford never made the movies they made in Plan B?), but in the end, it felt great to have read this book. In fact, when I closed the book at the end, I felt better about myself, which is not a feeling I think I've ever gotten from a book before. It was really cool to read about a grou More...
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May 09, 2011
Caitlin
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I read this book in about 48 hours while on a business trip. I got about 50 pages into it and was wishing I had brought an alternative. This is Where I Leave You, Tropper's latest book, was a collection of tight sentence after tight sentence allowing the natural wit and deep sadness of the story to unfold. Plan B, written nearly ten years ago, starts with clunky and dull conversation, lacking the introspective Tropper captures so clearly. After the first 100 pages, Tropper settles into Ben's ch
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Nov 12, 2010
Ally
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3 1/2 stars. I have this bad habit of reading a book, loving it, proclaiming my love for the author and swearing I will read everything the author has written. And then I end up reading no other books by the author. I was so taken with Tropper's, "This is Where I Leave You," that I made my similar declaration, but this time I followed through. This is Tropper's debut novel, and it definitely has a first novel feel. It's interesting to read a debut novel after reading a novel from sever
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Mar 22, 2011
B
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This is the 3rd book I have read by Jonathan Tropper and again, I LOVE his books. Sure the plot gets slightly stretched; I mean, really? Kidnapping a major Hollywood star? But I think it is done to show how far you would be willing to go for a friend in need. I love how each character had their own viewpoint of where their friends were in their life at 30 and how each couldn't see the others silent suffering. Largely due to the fact that I turned 30 this year and my life is not where I thought i
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Aug 26, 2011
Hilary
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I think I would have felt differently about this book if I was younger. The fact that all characters were freaking out that they were turning 30 was a problem for me, since I am over 30. I tried to think back two years ago to when I turned 30 - did I freak out? Was I freaked out about where I was in life? Did I wish I could go back to college?
Sometimes. Mostly so I had less responsibilities. But I was never sad about where I was. I sort of hate when people wallow. A day or two, I fully More...
Sometimes. Mostly so I had less responsibilities. But I was never sad about where I was. I sort of hate when people wallow. A day or two, I fully More...
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Feb 04, 2009
Jamie
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I just reread this book for the 7th time. I bought it back in 2000 - when it first came out - and read it in one night. Rereading it this last time, again, took about 4 hours. I decided to reread it because I needed to get out of my post Infinite Jest funk, and wanted to be able to say that I had finally finished a book (despite it being a book I had read six times before).
There's nothing super special about this book, it's just a nice book to read really quickly for fans of Nick Ho More...
There's nothing super special about this book, it's just a nice book to read really quickly for fans of Nick Ho More...
Jan 11, 2012
Justyna
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This is the first book by Jonathan Tropper that I've read, and I was pleased. The summary on the book was very vague, so let me describe the plot a bit more. There are four friends who all turned 30, one of whom is a famous actor. This actor has a drug addiction spinning out of control and the other three friends are forced to watch it from the sidelines--until they hatch a plan to kidnap him and get him to detox once and for all. Amidst this intervention, a pair of college sweethearts rekindle
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Dec 17, 2010
Shari
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i seemed to have read Tropper's books backwards and finally finished with this one-his first. i can definately see his developement as an author as i believe i have read all of his books. plan b hones in on 5 friends who have just hit their thirties. they all seem to be evaluating their lives thus far. all except Jack their friend the hollywood actor. he seems to be delving deeper into drug use. they plan an intervention and imprison jack in a house in the country. once their (with really no ma
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Jul 25, 2011
Veronica
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I absolutely loved this book! Five college friends discover, much to their dismay, that their plans didn't exactly work out. All of them turning 30, we see one with a failed marriage, one with a drug problem, and one who can't stay in one place. Four friends band together to force Jack Shaw, movie star and drug addict, to realize that he is on a dangerous path. What they don't realize at first, is that the intervention is not just for Jack. Each of the other four have an ulterio motive and the i
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Nov 09, 2010
Jane
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This is the type of book I usually make fun of - old college friends are angst-ridden as they turn thirty.
In this case Jack has become an over-night movie star, but also a cocaine addict. His four friends from their days at NYU decide to kidnap him and hide him away to detox. They thought they had planned well, but soon their plan devolves to near slap stick. And they have also won me over from my senior citizen cynicism. They are, well...nice. Especially the narrator, Ben.
This More...
In this case Jack has become an over-night movie star, but also a cocaine addict. His four friends from their days at NYU decide to kidnap him and hide him away to detox. They thought they had planned well, but soon their plan devolves to near slap stick. And they have also won me over from my senior citizen cynicism. They are, well...nice. Especially the narrator, Ben.
This More...
Sep 03, 2009
Mindy
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I love this author, so I'll read anything he writes. This was his first novel and I enjoyed it. I feel like the middle section went on a little long, but it had a nice satisfying ending. Book of Joe was one of my all-time favorites and I am looking forward to his newest book coming out in paperback. I see the similarities between him and Nick Hornby, which is fine by me, because I love Hornby too.
I didn't relate at all to the drama of the characters turning 30 and I'm 33. Maybe its b More...
I didn't relate at all to the drama of the characters turning 30 and I'm 33. Maybe its b More...
Feb 14, 2010
Julie
rated it:
I love this author, and anything he writes. This, his first novel, is no exception. It's about the dreams you have for your life, and what happens when you hit thirty and realize you've accomplished none of them. Perhaps I liked this book so much b/c I could relate to it a litte too well ;) Nonetheless, in typical Tropper fashion, this is a quick, fun read that also leaves you introspective about your own life. I recommend this book to fans of St. Elmo's Fire; the comparisons between this book
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Jan 06, 2010
Blair
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Too close to home to warrant any type of critique. This novel resonated deep within me on an almost molecular level. It felt like a handbook or at least a learner's manual for those of us crossing the threshold into what we perceive as "adulthood". This is a book to be shared among friends because there is something in it for everyone. I read it in a single day because I honestly could not put it down. There were so many "I know how that guy feels" moments that it was al
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Aug 04, 2011
Ronya
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Oh, Jonathan. I'm disappointed in you. This was not good. Not good at all. It was extremely predictable and not as funny as your later books. The characters were annoying. I wanted to punch each of them at least once throughout the course of the book. Though I didn't really care for the story or its characters, you left me with some questions--some holes that I would have liked to have filled. But I'm not losing any sleep over it.
I thank my lucky stars that I did not choose this to be my More...
I thank my lucky stars that I did not choose this to be my More...
Sep 29, 2011
planetkimi
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Jan 06, 2009
Courtney
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Jonathan Tropper is becoming one of my favorite authors. He's so easy to read--this was another that I finished in a day. (I really need to get back to work...too much free time at home.)
This engaging story looks at a group of college friends who recently turned thirty. One of the guys is currently a movie star with a drug problem. The rest of the group need to find a way to help him, so they kidnap him and take him away to help him detox.
The story was definitely entertai More...
This engaging story looks at a group of college friends who recently turned thirty. One of the guys is currently a movie star with a drug problem. The rest of the group need to find a way to help him, so they kidnap him and take him away to help him detox.
The story was definitely entertai More...
Apr 14, 2010
Taylor
rated it:
After reading This Is Where I Leave You, then reading The Book Of Joe, and loving each, I was eager to continue my Jonathan Tropper kick... I ended up reading the other books he's published - How To Talk To A Widower, Everything Changes, and Plan B, and enjoyed his similar style of writing but definitely found these to be less mature and tightly structured than the first two I encountered. As This Is Where I Leave You is his most recent publication, I'm definitely interested in continuing to fo
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Aug 26, 2009
Becky
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It's quite seldom that a book gives me an epiphany like this one did. I'm not sure if this book would affect others the way that it did me; one storyline between two characters REALLY hit home for me. I still think that most people would enjoy it. But for me, I'm turning thirty and this book captured a lot of what I felt. I did find the narrator to be more than a little self absorbed and whiny...and I didn't really feel the storyline between him and his girl. But overall, pretty true to life, an
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Dec 19, 2011
Kari
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I've read Book of Joe and Everything Changes, and Plan B was in the middle in terms of ranking Troppers novels (Everything Changes #1). I thought the idea of this group of friends being friendly was a little out there, but they were all so different that reading about their antics kept me interested. What kept me reading was the idea for romance, the male AND female friendships and interactions, and needing to know how the conflict would be resolved. I thought the protagonist had a pretty good j
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Jul 14, 2011
Emily
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I picked up this book after reading This is Where I Leave You and loving it. Though Jonathan Tropper has written other books (and some coming more highly recommended than this one) I choose Plan B because it what it was about.
The story is about a group of five friends who are all approaching or just turned 30. Since I am gaining on 30 I thought that this book would hopefully give me some insight into what it means to reach such an ominous age.
I was a little disappointed More...
The story is about a group of five friends who are all approaching or just turned 30. Since I am gaining on 30 I thought that this book would hopefully give me some insight into what it means to reach such an ominous age.
I was a little disappointed More...
Mar 15, 2011
Corinne
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I'd read other novels by Jonathan Tropper before reading Plan B, which was a good thing because if I'd read this first I would have given up on him. It's very obvious to me that this was his first novel, based on the plot and character development. It was also obvious this was his first time at the rodeo because his publisher didn't give him a good editor as there are some glaring errors in this novel - I'm talking spelling, mistakes in character names, and some logistics that a good editor woul
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Sep 23, 2008
Laura
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Oct 29, 2008
Aaron
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The title of this novel refers to two separate things, one of which is more symbolic than the other. The more symbolic reference is to the novel's main character, who is seriously contemplating a new course of action to get his life back on track. He's about to turn thirty and has very little to show for it. He has a stagnant job as a list-writer for a nationally-known magazine. He is days away from a divorce from Sarah, whom he married in a vain attempt to get over his ex-girlfriend Lindsay. He
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Dec 02, 2011
Grace
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I was super excited to read this book after having LOVED his more recent novel, This is Where I Leave You. Sadly, this one was a disappointment. First, it has basically the same premise (people forced together because of a certain situation, and while they are there, they are forced to work out all of their problems). Tropper succeeds in once again creating very colorful characters, but I found myself thinking by 45% or so that I just wanted everything to wrap up and be done.
