-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
A Novel
by Lai Sanders
Feminine rage, cancel culture, and suffocating societal pressure—a cutting and brazen thriller about two Asian American women on a quest for revenge after a public shaming pushes them to the limit, for fans of Yellowface and Counterfeit.
When a conflict with a fellow passenger on the subway spirals into a humiliating breakdown, Shelley Hu's life is over. The incident goes viral, costing Shelley her prestigious Manhattan law firm internship, her spot at Columbia Law, and her plan to build a better life for herself and her mother.
Months later, Shelley is back in Kissimmee, Florida, working the night shift at a kitschy motel near Disney World—the very same job she held in high school. Shelley's life is a black hole until, one night, the beautiful, enigmatic Sophia Moon checks in with her husband and young son. But Sophia's appearance is far from random.
It turns out that, once upon a time, Sophia suffered her own episode of public shaming. Since then, Sophia has rebuilt a new life, and she promises to help Shelley do the same. More importantly, Sophia vows to help Shelley enact revenge on the three people responsible for the worst day of her life with a precise set of plans.
Shelley returns to New York with a new identity and plans that start off well. But when the situation soon spirals out of control, Shelley is forced to reckon with Sophia's unspeakably dark side—though it may be too late.
"Two young Asian American women plot revenge against the people they blame for derailing their dreams...The story intertwines two timelines: the present, where Shelley and Sophia enact their elaborate plan, and the past, where Sophia's origin story unfolds. It's hard to say which storyline is more unhinged. Both twist and turn in wild and unexpected ways. Are parts of the book borderline absurd? Absolutely. But that doesn't make it any less thrilling—and it's not without depth, either." —Kirkus Reviews
"A chilling novel... Fans of stories about serial killers and their psychological make-up will enjoy this book." —Library Journal
"Sanders proves adept at building tension, and she offers a meaty exploration of feminine rancor. It's a wild ride." —Publishers Weekly
This information about The Plans I Have for You was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lai Sanders is an American writer and nonprofit worker living between Lebanon and France. The Plans I Have for You is her debut novel. Her first name is pronounced like the English word lie.
If you liked The Plans I Have for You, try these:
by Cynthia Weiner
Published 2026
A dazzling novel about one young woman's summer of infinite possibility...
by Heather O'Neill
Published 2025
From the hugely acclaimed author beloved by literary lights, including Emily St. John Mandel, Kelly Link, and Mona Awad, a dark dystopian fairytale about an idyllic country ravaged by war—and a girl torn between safety and loyalty.
by Christine Pride
Published 2022
Told from alternating perspectives, an evocative and riveting novel about the lifelong bond between two women, one Black and one white, whose friendship is indelibly altered by a tragic event—a powerful and poignant exploration of race in America today and its devastating impact on ordinary lives.
The silence between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
