Plan B

by Jonathan Tropper

Book Overview

The heartwarming debut novel by the New York Times bestselling author of This is Where I Leave You and One Last Thing Before I Go. 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 out into the world, fresh-faced and full of dreams for the future. But now Ben's getting a divorce; Lindsey's unemployed; Alison and Chuck seem stuck in ruts of their own making;...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312645074
• ISBN13: 9780312645076
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Tropper Gets it Right...A terrific and breezy read

A lot of reviews of have mentioned how much this book talks aboutpop culture...some see it as a positive and others as a negative. I was drawn to this book for two reasons. 1) The cover says "Thirty ..." (which is funny) 2)The back of the book which speaks of, well, all the pop culture references. I'm sucker for that stuff I guess. Everything from Three's Company to Billy Joel (whose lyrics play a role--a first in a novel I've seen)is in there. The more astute among you may find parts formulaic. Yet, that really didn't bother me. Look at what sells in this genre of fiction today--all these books about plucky single ladies from London. If you are touched by a book, isn't that all that matters?Tropper gets the details right. I'm closing in on 30 and share many of the feelings as our narrator, Ben. Trouble letting go of the past, fear of the future, etc. The music of 1980s, Star Wars, Seinfeld...these things were part of our lives and Tropper doesn't put them in to be cute. He puts them in because people actually look at life through the prism of these things. Tropper mentions an idea that I had discussed with my own friends (isn't it cool when you see your ideas validated by a good writer?)--the idea that Gen X is unified by it's pop culture. Many of us were. I cared deeply about these characters and found myself reading 200 pages in one day just to see what happened. The plot, as Booklist says, is a bit like The Big Chill. And the Jack-Alison relationship bears an uncanny resemblance to the Rob Lowe-Mare Winningham relationship in St. Elmo's Fire. Except that the Alison character is far more appealing than the Mare Winnigham character (and Jack more appealing than Rob Lowe--in anything). Some of the events in the book do fit together a bit too perfectly, but it is fiction. And in the big picture, it was a book that gets it right. In fact, Tropper writes a great first novel. Now, why I can't meet a Lindsey?

a fun read!

A friend of mine got me this book for m 30th birthday, and I couldn't put it down. I can't believe how accurate it was. So many of Ben's feelings about turning 30 mirror my own - disappointment at the fact that you aren't where you thought you would be at this age; fear of drifting apart from your dearest friends, etc. This book deals with all of those issues and more. I was also very touched by the passages with Ben and Jeremy, the nine year old who has just lost his father. How often do you read about a single guy interacting with and caring about a young boy he's not related to? Tropper got a lot of other points right as well, right down to the passage about office toys and toys in general. Yes, it is unbecoming for a 30-year-old to buy a Darth Vader mask, but that's hard to remember when you keep forgetting you're 30. I found the references to Star Wars and 80's music to be quite natural and not jarring or overabundant at all. These are common points of reference for our generation and they definitely fit in here. The bottom line is that now that I have finished reading the book, the thing I remember the most is that wistful feeling that drove the book. I can't remember the last time I felt such empathy towards a male character, and I felt it because Ben's experience as a 30 newbie is universal.

Real World meets Fiction

In accordance with some of the other reviews posted about Plan B, this book deserves attention as well as more than 5 stars.Plan B has a beautiful ensemble of main characters that are really cohesive together, and are written in such a believable way to 'real life' its incredible. Each character shines in their own way, and you'll see a bit of your friends and yourself in everyone.The story centers about four 30 something friends in trying to save a fifth friend from his own destruction, and in doing so discover more about themselves and each other despite being best friends over all these years. What makes this novel so great is the strength of the character's dialogue...I have had these conversations so many times myself, and had the same introspections that the main character Ben reflects upon.Mixed in this tale that spans just a few short weeks is a great sense of humor (much like Nick Hornby's 'High Fidelity' & 'About A Boy'), all too real emotion and self-worth, quirky situations, and a non-stop pace. Every chapter left me begging for more, and I'd really like to see a sequel. This is begging to be made into a TV mini-series or movie.Also, as a person who just turned 30 myself, the references to everything 80's and late 70's is a fun walk down nostalgia lane. There are things discussed within the chapters that brought a smile to my face as I too remember certain songs, shows, events, etc... that were part of my childhood and how I reacted to them in my life. In a nutshell, I think this novel perfectly captures Generation X as we enter our 30's. Great job!

I wish there were more than five stars!

I can't remember the last time I so enjoyed a book. The story, about a group of friends who kidnap one of their crowd to get him off drugs, was gripping, and the fact that the friend was a movie star just added some fun complications along the way. Each of the characters here reminded me of one of my friends, and the author is to be commended for truly isolating the various quirks, fears, and personalities that are so prevalent in our generation (I'm forty-one, but I think i still qualify). The story is told by Ben, who is both ironic and sincere, somewhat depressed, but hysterically funny as he tries to make sense of his failures at age thirty and come up with a new plan (hence the title) to make his life more meaningful.Many of the reviews here talk about how this will definitely be a movie. I can see their point, but I don't think a movie can capture the compelling tone of the narrative, which is what really holds this whole story together.All in all, a fun, light read that you will absolutely enjoy and not soon forget.

A Fresh New Voice!

The rapid-fire dialogue and witty narration alone make this book a worthwhile read. Add to that the fun story-line involving the kidnapping of a movie star and hiding him in small-town USA, five old college chums shacking up to detox their addicted friend, entanglements with the locals and the local police dept., and you have a comical, gripping novel that you can't put down. I was impressed with the witty, yet simple narration, and enjoyed the pop culture references, being only slightly older than the characters involved. This is the type of books that critics generally turn their noses up at for being too mainstream, but it is wonderfully entertaining, and should find a large audience. I look forward to Mr. Troper's future novels.