Now that Anna is a literary widow she has to figure out what to do with her notoriety. Anna could easily live off royalties but she wants more, and she decides that she too can be a writer and so she writes her own novel. When her novel is released to the same acclaim as her husband’s, she also receives the same type of disturbing notes that he did making her have to delve back into a past that she never wanted to revisit.


I didn’t know that The Plot needed a sequel, but @jeanhanff created it and I am all in! I wasn’t sure how I would feel to be in the mind of a sociopath/psychopath for an entire book but somehow it worked and I enjoyed the entire ride. While I would absolutely recommend reading The Plot first, The Sequel has its own mystery built in as well and I loved the twists and turns that it took (and I actually found it less predictable than the Plot). There were also a bunch of meta moments in the novel that made me laugh (making fun of writers, sequels, the publishing industry, etc.) Plus when you have Julia Whelen as a narrator - listening to the audiobook is just amazing.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC to review

THE SEQUEL is indeed the sequel to THE PLOT, Jean Hanff Korelitz's outstanding story of a man who writes a best seller based on an idea that was not his. THE PLOT was an excellent read, if you haven't read it yet, you're missing out on one of the best revenge plots I've read in a long time. The Sequel finds Anna Bonner publishing her own runaway hit bestseller. Thinking herself safe from having her crimes discovered, she will put away the loving wife character she played and start to live her way. When she starts receiving texts, notes, letters, etc, she will hunt down anyone she thinks might know her real history. But actions have consequences, and Anna will learn this the hard way. This was an excellent book, in fact both books are skillfully written to keep readers guessing. Even when the reveals come......you just can't believe it went this far.

This is my second book by this author, and now I'm ready to dive into the rest of her catalog. This book, The Sequel, is a sequel to The Plot. While it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading The Plot because it is a clever and genius novel!

The Sequel is the more of the same. This book is masterfully crafted. The plot is unique and very well written. We continue to find characters that are well developed and twists that are brilliant and jaw dropping. Anna is deliciously evil, but I found myself still rooting for her in some way. She was such a well developed character that I felt as though I knew her personally. This story is something that could happen in real life, and I loved that it was so realistic. I don't want this series to end, so hopefully the author finds a way to continue it.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jean Hanff Korelitz skewers writers and the publishing industry in her engaging follow-up to her 2021 bestseller “The Plot.” Anna Williams-Bonner is the widow of Jacob Finch Bonner, the successful author who came to a swift demise in “The Plot.” This novel opens with Anna annoyed with writers who went on “so incessantly, so dramatically” about “the mere act of sitting down at a desk.” She contrasts the task of writing with “going down the mine on all fours with a plastic spoon clenched between their teeth to loosen the diamond” or “running into burning buildings with forty-five pounds of equipment on their backs” and concludes that typing is “[n]ot hard at all, actually.”

Although Anna, a former radio producer in Seattle, had longed to be left alone, during a media blitz where she appeared as a literary widow promoting her celebrated husband’s posthumous novel, she blurted out that she was attempting to write a novel of her own. Because of her late husband’s acclaim, and his prestigious representation and publisher, Anna did not need to “supplicate herself at the alter of the Literary Market Place!” Nor did she have to publish to be invited to a renowned artists’ colony where she half-heartedly began writing between languorous naps.

Naturally, Anna writes a novel, “The Afterward,” a tribute to Jake, and the literary widow becomes a literary phenomenon, receiving a glowing profile in the New York Times and a national book tour. But, just as Jacob had been the victim of anonymous campaign accusing him of appropriating someone else’s work, Anna begins to be tormented by an unidentified antagonist who seems to be acutely aware that Anna is not the grieving widow that she appears. It is not surprising that Korelitz would dub the defunct college where Jacob taught a low residency program “Ripley College” as Anna, who is determined to shut down the person or persons responsible for tormenting her, is very much a Tom Ripley antihero.

You know that Korelitz is having a ball when she relates a conversation between Anna and her editor where they discuss whether sequels can be as good as the first book. She also throws in references that will thrill any avid reader, including “Read with Jenna,” “Instagram Stories by Sarah Jessica Parker,” Shelf Awareness, the Brooklyn Bookstore Festival, Books Are Magic, Tattered Cover, and Jodi Picoult. Korelitz has written a fun, twisty and compulsively readable tale. Thank you Celadon and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this wildly entertaining book.

“That was the thing about a private experience. You could speculate all you wanted. You could fictionalize. You could assume…But you couldn’t know for sure.”

I read The Plot, the first book in The Book Series, in 2021 and I loved it! The Sequel, quite literally a sequel, follows Anna Williams-Bonner, wife of The Plot’s protagonist Jacob Finch-Bonner, as she discovers her own literary success. I went back and read my review for The Plot and that really helped me reconnect with these characters and the storyline. So can you read this as a stand alone? Yes. Would it be much more enjoyable, though, if you’ve read The Plot? Also yes.

4.5 stars! This book was so compulsively readable! It is full of wicked games, twisty twists, very messed up family dynamics, and a whole lot of drama. I loved it!

The audiobook is narrated by the fantastic Julia Whelan so it is obviously flawlessly perfect. I would expect nothing less from her. Honestly I could listen to it again even though I know how it ends.

Thank you to a Netgalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the gifted book and ALC.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

I read this both via audio and physical copy, and I really enjoyed it this way. I did not expect it to go where it did. I will say I was glad I did a re-read of The Plot via audio first, and as such you will really benefit from reading these in order. The Sequel has a slow build at the start, but then it gets crazy, and just as you think you understand what is going on, it gets really twisty and intense! I loved this one and all the crazy turns it took. It is worth noting that Julia Whelan narrates the audio, so you know she does this one justice!

The Sequel Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Plot was so awesome. Now we get The Sequel.
Anna cleverly takes care of her brother and husband amidst all the curiosity spinning around the facts of the novel. But this time someone else knows too much and Anna has to elude the hunter. Another thrilling tale from Jean Hanff Korelitz.

How does an author follow up a breakout hit? The answer is quite simple: they write a sequel. It’s no surprise that Jean Hanff Korelitz has released a follow-up to her 2021 thriller The Plot, aptly titled The Sequel. I was utterly captivated by the original story of a struggling author who lifted a novel idea from a deceased former student, catapulting him to an enviable fame that most writers can only dream of. However, I must admit I was initially hesitant about The Sequel, especially considering how conclusive the first book's ending felt. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy from the publisher and eager to discover whether The Sequel could stand up to the brilliance of The Plot.

Anna Williams-Bonner’s life has taken a tumultuous turn in recent years. Her husband, Jacob Finch Bonner, enjoyed remarkable success with his novel, but that triumph was overshadowed by his personal struggles, particularly the plagiarism accusations that plagued him. Their marriage was brief, as Jacob succumbed to his demons and took his own life, leaving Anna to manage the aftermath. Now, she lives a comfortable life as a literary widow, benefiting from her husband’s royalty checks, with the plagiarism controversies finally fading away with his passing.

As Anna travels the country to keep her husband's memory and bestselling work alive, an innocent question from the audience sends her life spiraling back into familiar territory. When asked about her future plans, Anna panics and impulsively states that she wants to write a novel of her own. What begins as a spontaneous response quickly turns into an obsession for her. Surely, writing a bestseller can't be that difficult. Before long, Anna is immersed in crafting her own book, and The Afterword lands with her husband's agency, becoming yet another breakout success.

Just as Anna revels in her newfound fame, she receives a package containing excerpts from a book she believed she would never see again. Secrets from her husband’s past have resurfaced, threatening her life just as they once threatened his. With these revelations comes the risk of everything Anna has built crumbling around her. Who is behind this unsettling revival of the past? What do they want from her? She has no choice but to follow a trail of clues back into her past to safeguard her future.

I should never have doubted Jean Hanff Korelitz. She takes the themes introduced in The Plot and expands them in thrilling new directions. While The Sequel is indeed a follow-up, and readers will benefit most from reading the first book, even those who dive straight into this one will find plenty to appreciate. The novel operates on two levels. At first glance, it's a gripping thriller with moral ambiguity and a compelling mystery that drives the narrative. On a deeper level, The Sequel delves into themes of celebrity, creativity, and our insatiable desire for more.

The Sequel is remarkably self-aware. The author candidly acknowledges the literary hypocrisy of crafting a sequel to a bestselling novel while using that premise to critique the very nature of such efforts. This self-awareness makes the book feel genuine rather than preachy. While I don’t think The Sequel possesses the same irresistible hook that made The Plot so addictive, Korelitz doesn’t seem to be attempting to recreate that magic. Instead, she confidently delivers another clever page-turner that more than justifies its own existence. While sequels rarely match the original, I had no complaints about this one.

After reading The Plot, I kind of admired the detail that Anna paid attention to in wiping out the origins and truth of The Crib, along with finally taking care of her husband and author of said book. The Sequel delves in deeper (after the death of Jake and the publishing of a book that Anna wrote) of how she got rid of her brother and his copies of the true story. All to no avail though because now someone else has popped up knowing the sordid truth. So, while I did like the twist with Anna, it is also fun to see her in the same situation as she had put her husband in. Though her answer to finding out the leaks and stopping them are with her trademark accidents and she ends up nicely creative with that (even just coming up with it spur of the moment). With all the leaks, I am not sure she will ever be able to completely keep the past squarely in the past. It was fun to read and see her try though.

With the past and background that Anna had, I am impressed with her cleverness and it makes me curious to how she would have turned out if her parents had let her give Rose up for adoption. Would she still have turned out to be a serial killer? And I was not surprised that she was able to whip out a novel of her own that people really liked. This book did a great job in answering several questions from the first book and added more details about Anna's dark but strangely intriguing history into how she became the woman she is today.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book and enjoy Anna keeping her head and hard earned lifestyle.

2021's The Plot was a cleverly constructed twisty thriller about a washed up novelist who found success with a 'borrowed' plot from one of his students. The narrative unfolded bouncing between the author, Jacob Finch Bonner's, life with newfound success, and the actual chapters of his borrowed book Crib.

The Sequel picks up shortly after the conclusion of The Plot. Like any successful second entry in a serious, The Sequel follows up on loose threads from part 1, while telling a similar story with different risks. This time, the book is narrated by Anna Williams-Bonner who had married Bonner in book one, but tragedy struck and to overcome the emotional fall out of a changed life, Anna writes a 'fictional' work heavily influenced by her recent life.

And much like Jacob Bonner, it is highly successful. But, much like in book 1, that success has some costs. And one of those costs is that someone knows about more than they should. Book 1 saw Jacob Bonner play detective. Anna has far more skills and much more to lose, her resourcefulness is fully apparent. As William Faulkner is oft quoted: "The past is never dead. It's not even past."

Readers of the first book will find much to enjoy, re-entering this world that at first pass seems more of a critique of the publishing world, and it is that, but has grown into more of the journey of an anti-hero desperate for a life of their own. Though there are lots of nods to other books, especially as each chapter title links to a specific book (listed in an afterword).

Recommend reading for fans of twisty thrillers like Gone Girl, books about books, how not to succeed in social interactions.

This sequel to The Plot is another propulsive thriller that I enjoyed even more than the original. The Sequel starts with another published book, although many skeletons from the last book's closet continue to be revealed and to haunt. I loved the continued roasting of the literary publishing world, which was already present in The Plot. And the author's writing of what is going through the main protagonist's head as if it were completely normal is a highlight.

I would say that this book could be read without reading the first book since the author provides enough backstory without feeling like a retelling. So, a new reader will get the gist of what has already happened. However, to get the most bang for the buck, I do recommend reading The Plot and then continuing with The Sequel immediately.

Thanks #Celadon for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I will be recommending this to my book club, which read and loved The Plot last year. Readers who love thrillers, books within the book, and a look into the publishing world will also enjoy it! 4.25*

If you haven't read The Plot, I suggest starting with it. It will surely enhance your enjoyment of this terrific sequel. In her 2021 novel, Jean Hanff Korelitz tells the tale of Jacob Finch Bonner, a writer who plagiarizes a thriller's plot from a deceased student and claims it as his own, turning it into a best-seller. However, Jacob's success is threatened when rumors of his plagiarism emerge. In The Sequel, Jacob's widow Anna Williams-Bonner carries on his legacy and manages his estate, even hinting at writing her own book. Her own novel, The Afterword, quickly becomes a hit. But when Anna begins receiving mysterious excerpts from a manuscript, it becomes apparent that the sender is privy to her true past and hidden secrets.

Kudos to Korelitz for writing such a worthwhile follow-up. After enjoying the first book, I was very excited to find out what was coming next for Anna, a compelling antihero. The Sequel offers a welcome female perspective with some excellent twists. Part thriller, part satire, this book is another winner.

4.5 stars.

You will enjoy this a lot more if you've read the Plot (and even more if you remember the details of that twisty twisty tale). This continues the story of Anna-her current name-whose husband Jacob took a book written by her brother and turned it into a massive best seller. And then died. Anna has now written her own novel but her brother's work, a novel that's really about her life, continues to haunt her because someone is sending notes and pieces of the book to her, her agent, and her in-laws. Anna, a woman who will do whatever she deems necessary, sets out to stop this. She's not a nice person, not nice at all, but she's very clever and devious. No spoilers from me. This does a bit of skewering of the publishing industry-not just the publishers but also agents and booksellers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a real page turner.

I was a big fan of Jean Hanff Korelitz's first novel in this series, "The Plot," so I had high expectations for "The Sequel." I am pleased that this book lived up to those expectations! Korelitz brings the reader back to the world of Anna Williams-Bonner, who is fresh off of the book tour of her late husband's final novel when she finds literary inspirations of her own. Anna is an unexpected (to everyone else at least) success. However, she soon begins to receive anonymous letters in the mail that threaten to unveil her buried secrets.

While the plot of "The Sequel" shares many similarities with its predecessor, Korelitz manages to make the story feel fresh by exploring it through Anna's perspective. Anna could have easily been a pretentious narrator who makes the book unbearable. Yet, Korelitz crafts an antihero that I found myself rooting for no matter how terrible she gets. The story also featured a share of twists making it difficult to put the book down.

The writing of this book was also excellent, with plenty of excellent quips about sequels, the publishing industry, and writers in particular. I found myself genuinely laughing out loud at a few points. I would also be remiss if I did not mention my appreciation for the clever chapter titles!

Whether you love writers or hate writers, this book was a darkly funny journey into the past of Anna Williams-Bonner, and I appreciated the chance to learn more about her history. Jean Hanff Korelitz is a fantastic writer, and I highly recommend picking up a copy of "The Sequel."

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book, scheduled for publication in October 2024.

Read The Plot, even reread it, before diving into The Sequel!

Thank you to Celadon for the review copy of The Sequel, and to MacMillan Audio for the audio review copy, narrated by the incredible Julia Whelan.

I’m a huge fan of Jean Hanff Korelitz. Her voice and writing style pull readers deep into the thoughts and mindsets of her characters—whether they’re heroes or villains—exploring their darker, sometimes snarkier, sides.

What really works in The Sequel is the intriguing exploration of what happens when someone starts taunting Anna, the murderous wife from The Plot. I loved the cat-and-mouse, chess-like game that unfolds once again. Though it serves as an extension of The Plot, The Sequel firmly stands on its own, giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at the book publishing world.

The pacing is excellent, seamlessly weaving in parts of that original manuscript that refuses to stay buried, while following Anna on her present-day book tour. As she becomes increasingly unsettled, the tension builds as she tries to figure out who is taunting her and what truths they know—truths she desperately wants to keep hidden. As always, Julia Whelan's narration is pitch perfect, bringing in just the right tone to Anna's darker edgier thoughts and attitudes and keeping me engrossed in the twists and turns as the plot unfolds.

From the very first page you feel like you're on the road to another winner by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It'sliterally the sequel to The Plot. Remember the main character from The Plot Jacob Finch Bonner. A very fragile writer who commits suicide at the end of the book (sorry for the spoiler) Anyways, he left a wife behind and she decides to write a book. Nobody expects it except everyone. She publishes the novel and has great success with until she gets a note and that's when the novel kicks in. It's all about her pat which I'm not about to tell you about because that would be a true spoiler for someone who is deciding to read the novel. I would definetly recommend taht your read The Plot before you pick up The Sequel. The reaon why is that both novel are very well executed and readable so you wont get bored. It's playful fun and yet super smart. The main character in this novel is obviously the wife and Ms. Korelitz isn't making her likable which is fine. You can tell from the first few pages that woman has issues. I loved not liking her and see where the story would take me. I highly recommend this book. It's nice when a follow up book is written and not because the first one was so successful so author just writes it to cash in on it. She definetly had something more to say about the publishing world and what makes us tick as humans. READ IT!!! Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon books for the read.

Anna, widow of the plagiarizing writer who became a literary sensation only to meet his untimely end in Jean Hanff Korelitz’s suspenseful page-turner, THE PLOT, is now a literary sensation in her own right. However, as she glories in telling her own story and enjoying the literary success her husband once had, strange packages and messages begin to turn up–revealing that someone knows more about her husband’s death–and Anna’s own secret past–than Anna would like. And so begins a suspenseful cat-and-mouse hunt for the truth, threaded with sharp, spot-on (and funny) observations about the literary and publishing worlds.

THE SEQUEL is a good sequel. It has a very similar feel to THE PLOT: suspenseful hunt, layered revelations, unexpected twists, and human stories of wrongdoing and revenge. It falls just a hair short of THE PLOT’s suspense and story, but that still makes it a wonderful novel: a smart, suspenseful, page-turning read.

Merry Widow Anna knows a thing or two about stumbling onto a great story, and is soon facing long living in the same limelight as the poor dear departed, until the tale starts to become a bit too familiar. . .
You could enjoy this book even if you hadn’t read the first one, it works as a standalone easily, but if you enjoyed “The Plot” as much as I did, you will love this second volume.

An amazing follow-up to The Plot with a new voice telling her own story at last.

I loved the totally deplorable bad girl protagonist that was Anna Williams-Bonner (to use one of her many names). I feel a little guilty rooting for a woman who has gone from one murder to another, all to possess and protect her very shocking life story.

Although it would help if you have read the first book, the basics of that plot are used in this narrative as Anna comes into her own after writing her first novel as a sort of companion to her husband's bestseller. On tour, living on the proceeds of his success, and reveling in her well-earned new fame, Anna is suddenly beset with anonymous taunts and excerpts of a work in progress that she thought she had eradicated from existence. Does someone know? Well, that can't be allowed.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style and her word choices. The way she describes Anna's thought processes and actions as well as the quirky descriptions fit the storyline and narrative so well. Defintiely told with wit and satire, the author also gives a nod to the cutthroat world of publishing.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC - both formats provided by the publisher. The narrator did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and her voice brought so much quality to the production.

Definitely recommend. And I wonder, is this the end of the tale?

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read.

The Sequel was an amazing sequel to the Plot. If book interested you at all, you have to read this book!!