Loved this follow up to the Plot. The twists kept me on my toes - and I love it when I can't predict the ending. If you loved the Plot, you will love the Sequel!

I recently finished The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, and it was an absolute page-turner from start to finish. As a follow-up to The Plot, this novel delves deeper into the complex world of authorship, deception, and the lengths one will go to protect their story.

The protagonist, Anna Williams-Bonner, is a fascinating character—intelligent, cunning, and unapologetically ambitious. Her journey from being the supportive wife of a bestselling novelist to a literary force in her own right is both compelling and thought-provoking. Korelitz masterfully portrays Anna’s determination to control her narrative, even when faced with anonymous threats and the resurfacing of past secrets.

What I found particularly engaging was the novel’s exploration of the publishing industry and the ethical dilemmas surrounding authorship. Korelitz’s insider perspective adds authenticity to the story, making the stakes feel incredibly real. The suspense builds steadily, with each chapter revealing new layers of intrigue and moral complexity.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love Jean Hanff Korelitz's sense of humor. I've been rooting for Anna since the moment she first mentioned <spoiler>the plot of Housekeeping</spoiler>. No spoilers on whether she survives The Sequel, but I will say I was in her corner for every unethical, illegal, and/or arrogant action. Like The Plot, there's a moment where the author gives away the game, but I missed it this time. I'm a little disappointed in myself for that, but I think it also could have been a bigger "tell". I think I would have enjoyed the ride even more had I realized where it was headed.

For readers who enjoy unreliable villainous narrators, Anna is a champ. Also for readers who are familiar with publishing. Korelitz is made of stronger stuff than I, because had I written this, there's no way I could face publishers, editors, journalists, or other writers, ever again.

Too convoluted and improbable. I love the way Korelitz writes but this story was hard to follow and was unbelievable (I know it’s fiction) so as to make it difficult to read. Will read her next one though.

I enjoyed the Plot but The Sequel didn't land for me. Maybe I have read too many thrillers in between but this one wasn't for me.

Realized that the charm of the first book was the male protagonist. Ultimately, this felt like starting over with a whole new story and a new protagonist I couldn't connect to. DNF

I really enjoyed The Plot when it came out, so I was looking forward to The Sequel. But I thought it read like... a sequel. It wasn't unenjoyable, but I found it just didn't have the pop of the original book, and a lot of it focused on backstory and regurgitating what we already knew from the first book. The Sequel definitely picked up in the end, but it felt like a sharp ending to an otherwise okay book.

From rough beginning to slow as molasses middle all the way to anticlimactic end, I just couldn’t see the point of any of this.

I can’t really understand why Jean Hanff Korelitz revisited this story if she only planned to biff it on the ground and rub dirt in its face. The Plot was so good! Like all the unnecessary Hollywood remakes and sequels why couldn’t she just leave well enough alone?!

All the cleverness and intrigue of The Plot (a struggling writer steals the main idea for his successful book from a student he taught who dies without publishing) was really lost with The Sequel. This one follows his wife Anna and she’s just the worst, boring and predictable. A whole lot of nonsense happens and I didn’t enjoy any of it. Every few pages I kept asking why—why is this character so uninteresting when she really should be riveting? Why are we here? Why isn’t it getting any better as we go? Why did I bother finishing it? Why why why?

This whole book was a lesson in restraint and why we need more of it. I’m sad, I was really looking forward to this one.

My thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The Sequel is truly a sequel and best read soon after The Plot. Too much time had passed for me between the two and I struggled to remember enough of The Plot to fully understand all that was going on in The Sequel. Still, an entertaining read with refreshingly new character types.

I can't help but to think that this is a sequel that shouldn't have been written. The Plot was an outstanding book and this follow up is shoddy in comparison.

Korelitz is an immensely talented writer but she went overboard here with her verbose rambling. I honestly didn't think this book would ever end. If you're a reader that likes a quick pace and short chapters then this book is definitely not for you. This was an absolute slog to wade through.

A quick re-cap of the plot to The Sequel:

Anna Williams Bonner, widow of world famous author, Jacob Finch Bonner, has penned her own wildly successful debut novel. Like in The Plot where Jacob was harassed, stalked, and accused of plagiarism, Anna now finds herself in the same situation. She begins receiving anonymous letters accusing her of what exactly? You'll have to read this to find out.

Or just skip this altogether.

The problem I had with this book was that I just didn't find Anna all that interesting. For the first 1/3 I didn't mind her but after awhile I just wanted to tell this woman to shut up, get over it, and no one cares least of all me. That's due to this entire novel being inside Anna's head with all her snarky and murderous thoughts with very little dialogue with any other characters. I usually love a snarky character but Anna is very dry and boring.

The rehashing of her brothers book and long winded excerpts of it bored me to tears. I skipped all of those sections. 🥱

Not to mention that Anna can outsmart anyone. She murders time and time again and no one is none the wiser. Outrageous and unbelievable is putting it mildly. And then it concludes with a most unsatisfying ending making me regret my choice to download this.

Korelitz does leave the possibility to revisit Anna in the future but you couldn't pay me to spend another minute with this miserable woman. 2 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for my complimentary copy.

THE SEQUEL
Anna Williams Bonner is living a contended life of a literary widow reaping the royalties and now with her own debut novel doing well something has gone wrong and someone knows too much about her late brother, late husband and even herself. She has worked too hard to get to where she is and to loose everything now is just not an option!!
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I listened to the plot kusy before reading this which was a big advantage as the story picks up from there.
I honestly didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the plot...it started well but then it got quite boring and repetitive ..exp the last 25% which is good .
But overall I had high expectations from the book but felt let down with the content in terms for a full fledged book.

I was so grateful to receive a copy of this book, as it had been on my TBR for a long time. Before diving into The Sequel, I decided to pick up The Plot to fully immerse myself in the story.

I absolutely love this author! This is now the third book I’ve read by her, and I can see myself tracking down her earlier works to explore more of her writing.

The Sequel continues the story from The Plot, but it can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone. The backstory and themes from the first book are seamlessly woven into this one without feeling repetitive. The author does a fantastic job of incorporating the necessary details without overwhelming readers who might be new to the series.

The story follows Anna, who, after the loss of her husband, decides on a whim to write her own book. To her surprise, her late husband’s literary agent agrees to publish it, and Anna becomes a successful author in her own right. However, strange things begin to happen—anonymous correspondence and post-it notes start appearing, suggesting that her husband’s famous book may have been plagiarized. What follows is a tense, cat-and-mouse game centered around the mystery of a book written by Anna’s brother before his passing.

I enjoyed this book just as much as The Plot. The tension, thrilling twists, and unexpected turns kept me glued to the pages. In fact, I stayed up late last night because I couldn’t put it down once I hit the 85% mark—it was just too tempting to see how it all ended!

I’m already planning to convince my book club to read this one so we can discuss not only The Sequel but also the first book in the series. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this—it’s a thrilling, captivating read that I highly recommend!

The book is exactly what the title states, a sequel. I enjoyed the first novel "The Plot", and felt like this one was able to drive across the story...but it is, in fact a sequel. It was an interesting take, with characters that made you want to continue to see how it all ends.

Like an alternative point of view, this novel revisits the scene-of-the-crime so to speak of The Plot and turns the tables somewhat. Unlikeable characters pull my rating down to 4 stars from the 5 stars I would usually give such a compelling book. It was hard to put down when I switched to the audiobook version. Thanks NetGalley for the arc print copy.

Anna Williams Bonner knows how to get things done. She took care of the problem of her author husband…umm, late husband, and has now written a book of her own. When her past won’t seem to leave her alone, she goes on a quest to make sure her past stays exactly where she left it.

I enjoyed The Plot more than this one. This was slow moving in most places. There were a few things that happened that made my mouth drop open, but for the most part I was underwhelmed.

An argument could be made that a sequel to The Plot wasn’t necessary and I would agree. The Plot had an it factor that made it easy to devour.

But this has something The Plot doesnt. A central main character that is reprehensible, but entertaining; immoral and fascinating. Anna feels like the female equivalent of Joe Goldberg, so being in her head was so entertaining.

The pacing dragged a bit sometimes, but Anna’s voice is compelling enough that I would definitely pick up another book in this series.

The Sequel picks up where The Plot ended. Anna Williams-Bonner wrote a book and is off on a national tour promoting and meeting with fans of hers and Jake when things start popping up about her past. Does someone else know what she knows? But who and how?

I enjoyed reading more about Anna's childhood and her traumas. Her motivation for doing what she did and what she is doing.

Thank you Jean Hanff Korelitz, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm always hesitant to pick up a sequel (no pun intended) to a book that I enjoyed. Same as movies, ya know? But, this one was not a disappointment. I mean, Anna is a total narcissist, but we knew that going in - just maybe not to what degree. I can see where this may go with book 3, but I may be done with 2. Good place to stop IMO.

Disappointing read for me. I love The Plot and was sorely disappointed in The Sequel. The writing is slow and the scenes are repetitive and boring.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC which I read in exchange for my honest review.

The sequel to THE PLOT, Anna is back and crazy as ever. Starting where THE PLOT leaves off (no spoilers!) she’s published her own book, THE AFTERWARD. She’s living a dream, until she begins to receive excerpts in the mail of a novel that isn’t supposed to exist. Whoever is sending the excerpts appears to know enough about Anna that can blow her perfect world apart. She has a LOT of skeletons.

What follows is a fun cat-and-mouse game. It’s no secret that I love living inside the mind of a psychopath, and Anna is no exception. The wry humor added to my enjoyment.

Smart, intelligent, and well-written, don’t miss this series!

But do read book one in the series first!