The Grand Scheme of Things

Author: Warona Jay

Genre: Literary Humour

Publisher: Footnote Press

Date Published: 2024

Book Length: 273

Format: Paperback provided by Love Books Tours in return for an honest review

Star Rating: 5***** I loved it and highly recommend

About Book: Two unlikely friends hatch an extraordinary scheme to expose the theatre world in this wildly entertaining and sharply observed debut novel exploring perception, redemption, and how success shapes us all. Meet Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moruakgomo. Or, for short, Eddie: an aspiring playwright who dreams of making it big in London's theatre world. But after repeated rejections from white talent agents, Eddie suspects her non-white sounding name might be the problem. Enter Hugo Lawrence Smith: good looking, well-connected, charismatic and . . . very white. Stifled by his law degree and looking for a way out of the corporate world, he finds a kindred spirit in Eddie after a chance encounter at a café. Together they devise a plan, one which will see Eddie's play on stage and Hugo's name in lights. They send out her script under his name and vow to keep the play's origins a secret until it reaches critical levels of success. Then they can expose the theatre world for its racism and hollow clout-chasing. But as their plan spins wildly out of control, Eddie and Hugo find themselves wondering if their reputations, and their friendship, can survive.

My Thoughts The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay falls under the Literary Humour genre. From the moment I started reading, I felt as if the weight of the world rested on the shoulders of Eddie, the main protagonist. One of my favourite quotes from the book comes early on: “Being the first child in my mother’s family to be raised outside the country meant that every return was like Neil Armstrong bringing remnants of the moon back with him.” This perfectly encapsulated the sense of pressure and expectation that Eddie carried with her throughout the book.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this book, but the writing was eloquent and flowed effortlessly. The prose is graceful, as if it dances off the page. Warona Jay skilfully explored complex subjects in a way that drew you in and made me want to learn and understand more.

The friendship between Eddie (Naledi) and Hugo stands out as particularly authentic. Their bond felt genuine and rooted in a shared desire to change their lives through the play Eddie wrote. Despite coming from distinct backgrounds and having different personalities, they complement each other perfectly. Their interactions are filled with honest conversations and moments of tension, along with disagreements and arguments which only add to the believability of their relationship.

This book is full of twists, turns, and emotion, making it hard to put down. I thoroughly recommend The Grand Scheme of Things – it’s a captivating read that didn’t disappoint me.