Oh, Jean Hanff Korelitz, I love your metafictional satire so, so much. I'm here to say that, although The Sequel wasn't quite as good as The Plot, it came so, so close.

The Sequel follows Anna Williams-Bonner in the wake of the death of her husband, bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner. Anna decides to write a bestseller of her own -- how hard can it be, after all? -- and finds herself thoroughly enjoying all facets of her subsequent grieving widow/literary darling status. (Well, except for all those annoying, clingy fans who want their books signed, that is.) But then her past intrudes, in the form of excerpts of a novel that should no longer exist: a novel that threatens to upend the life she's so meticulously constructed. And Anna will stop at nothing to protect her story.

Technically, The Sequel could work as a standalone, but you'll be missing some important context if you haven't already read The Plot. And although the same can't be said for all sequels, this particular sequel feels completely necessary. The Plot was satisfying in and of itself, but The Sequel gave me what I didn't even realize I desperately wanted: a villain origin story.

And make no mistake, Anna is definitely a villain...or an anti-heroine, if you prefer. And yet, I found myself rooting for her -- buying into her justifications for her actions, hoping she'd outwit the next person intent on destroying her. I do love a well-written sociopath, and Anna is so psychologically interesting, narcissistic, and unashamedly self-interested that I couldn't help but be on her side. There's a sense, as things go along, that Anna has lost sight of why she is even doing the things she does; she's so focused on self-preservation, but it's no longer clear what she is trying so hard to preserve. I was left with the feeling that Anna will never be satisfied -- but I was satisfied with that, if that makes sense.

I paired my reading with the audiobook read by Julia Whelan, who voiced Anna impeccably and who, as always, gave a flawless performance overall. She is the perfect narrator to give voice to Jean Hanff Korelitz's writing -- which is astoundingly good, conversational but so incisive, and full of sly insights about the inner workings of writing and publishing. The Sequel is smart and riveting and darkly funny -- and pay close attention to the chapter titles, which are absolutely brilliant. Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the early copies.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful sequel to The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, with the audio perfectly narrated by the wonderful Julia Whelan. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars rounded up!

After the death of her husband, bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, Anna Williams-Bonner has calmed the waters about his possible plagiarism. Then she writes her own novel, The Afterword, which starts to receive much success. But then she begins to receive excerpts of a novel that should not exist. Someone knows too much.

I loved The Plot and this book is just as fabulous. Jean Hanff Korelitz is a master at giving us twisted but realistic characters and spreading breadcrumbs throughout the book. Just like The Plot, this is so creative and will have you chasing your tail! Anna is definitely not likable but, just like a train wreck, you won’t be able to look away. It’s been a while since I read The Plot and I’m sure it would be even better to read these two back to back, but the author gives enough information to enjoy it as a standalone as well. Julia Whelan made the audiobook a masterpiece, as she always does, and I enjoyed being able to switch between the two formats. I also loved the names of the chapters being sequels, with a helpful list in the back of the book. More creativity points! A must read!

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked The Plot and was excited to see what was next from this author. But I read the first several chapters of this and all I could think was, “did that book really need a sequel?” While I ended up DNFing so I can’t say 100% for sure, my impression is no. The plot was confusing and I just felt that the first book wrapped up so well that I didn’t need more from that storyline

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a gripping follow-up to her bestseller, The Plot. This novel dives into the life of Anna Williams-Bonner, who is now living comfortably off the royalties of her late husband, Jacob Finch Bonner, a renowned novelist. However, Anna’s peace is shattered when she publishes her own debut novel, The Afterword, and begins receiving mysterious excerpts from a novel that should no longer exist.

Korelitz masterfully blends suspense and satire, creating a narrative that is both thrilling and darkly humorous. The story is told from Anna’s perspective, offering a chilling glimpse into the mind of a character who is far from what she seems. The plot twists are cleverly woven, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Anna confronts her past and the secrets she has tried to bury.

The novel is a wickedly entertaining exploration of the literary world, filled with barbed characterizations and ironic twists. Korelitz’s sharp writing and keen observations make The Sequel a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers and literary fiction.

I loved The Plot by this author so I was excited to read this follow up novel. It picks up with the main character Anna Williams-Bonner, who is recently widowed and living off of her late husband’s money from his famous novel. When Anna decides to write her own novel, “The Afterword”, she is surprised by its reception as a literary bestseller. While on tour for her book, Anna starts receiving threatening letters from someone who claims to know her secrets. Who could it possibly be..as she has eliminated all those she had considered a threat in the past. But this person is persistent and Anna finds that she must find out who is behind the threats before her true past is revealed and she loses everything. A great read that I gave 4 stars!

After a lackluster reading experience with The Plot- I opted to reread and relisten to the book. My experience was a different one. My initial meh reaction truly had more to due with the Covid19 situation and my inability to truly focus on reading. Happily, after the reread, I could not wait to dive into The Sequel. I absolutely loved it.
Anna Williams-Bonner may be one of my most favorite characters. An antihero only parallel to Amazing Amy from Gone Girl. I do not want to gone away any of the plot points, but suffice it to say that Anna’s demons come back to haunt her in a big big way. There was less of a shock factor than The Plot, but the impact of Anna’s actions did not disappoint. Highly recommend this one!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion of the book.

I enjoyed The Plot, so I was excited to get a copy of The Sequel. Although the book was well-written and attractively "twisty," I confess that I found the main character to be so deeply unlikable that I just skimmed the end of the story, wanting to be done with it (sorry!). Many thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley.

It's somewhat possible to read this without reading the prequel, but I'd highly recommend reading it. I almost wish I had reread The Plot before reading this one.

Fresh off a successful book run (and getting away with murdering her author husband) Anna starts getting portions of a book sent to her that shouldn't exist. Meaning someone knows her secret, and she can't have that.

It read a little too close to what I remember from The Plot. It was still good, and I read a majority of it in one day, which is either a sign that it was a good book, or that I have no motivation to do anything else.

Thanks, NetGalley!

Hard to say much about this without spoilers since it’s book two in a series (book one is about a college professor stealing an idea for a novel from one of his students and the subsequent fallout) but it was a fun time. This will only work for people who enjoy unlikeable characters and an inside look at the publishing industry. I think reading them closer together would have upped my enjoyment, but I’d still recommend if you liked the first installment.

I loved this book! Expertly plotted, with wonderful characters, and full of surprises. It drove me back to Korelitz's earlier novels which I just reread. She is a gifted novelist, and I know THE SEQUEL will receive major attention.

I was super excited to receive an ARC for The Sequel from Net Galley. I had loved The Plot (as I have loved most everything that the author Jean Hanff Korelitz has written!) which I had devoured within the first week of its release. Since it had been a while since I’d read The Plot, I perused a summary just to refresh my mind on the details. The Sequel does indeed take up where The Plot left off, with the protagonist Anna Williams-Bonner upholding her husband Jake’s legacy by attending signings/readings of his book. When asked what will be next for her, Anna off-handedly remarks that she might write her own book. She is offered a slot in a prestigious writers’ retreat where she begins to write what becomes a best-seller, and is now represented by her husband’s illustrious editor and agent. While attending a book reading/signing of her own, Anna is presented with a threatening message that evokes her dark past and the secrets she has been so meticulously guarding for years. What follows is a harrowing cat and mouse game that kept me reading well past my bedtime! I am not usually a reader of suspenseful thrillers, but I enjoyed The Sequel very much; Anna is delightfully intelligent and sarcastic, with a dry wit. I’ve never loved an anti-hero so much, and hope another sequel might be planned?! Another great novel from a master storyteller.

“Sometimes when she was in bookstores…she would stop in front of the New Fiction section and just gape at all of them, that week’s new publications enjoying their brief moment in the limelight. Each of them was a work which had been completed, revised, submitted, sold, edited, designed, produced as a finished book, and brought to the reading public….”

The Sequel was a fun read and exactly what I was hoping it would be. It had been a few years since I read The Plot so I reread it right before diving in. I really enjoyed The Plot so it wasn’t a sacrifice and I’m glad I had it fresh in my mind as I went into this one.

To keep this spoiler free - I won’t get into the plot but I really enjoyed the chance to see what happened next. There were a few moments that bordered on a little too over the top for me but really it was a fun read! Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the free ebook and audiobook. The audio was excellent and perfect to be able to stay with the story while on the move - these books would also be perfect road trip listens!!

I was excited to read this as I really loved The Plot! As always the writing was witty and sarcastic but I felt that the story was a little less thrilling and the ending was a bit far fetched for me and it felt like the story was trying to connect too many things. I enjoyed reading it as it was well written but didn’t like the story was as interesting as the first one.

Anna Williams-Bonner is a fascinating protagonist. She is a terrible person, when you come right down to it, but I couldn’t help but admire her unfaltering determination throughout this book. She steamrolls over every obstacle to what she sees as her right to simply be left alone. Alas, the world is filled with obligations of all sorts—including the book tour she endures for the novel that she (so easily!!) wrote—and there are so many people who are in her way. Then, just when she thinks she is in the clear, she is made aware that her own backstory may still be known to someone out there. The Sequel is the story of how Anna becomes a “literary widow” and how she discovers, and obliterates, every challenge to her own very self-centered happiness. This is a fabulously twisty tale that will delight readers who love stories centered around writing and publishing. You definitely need to have read The Plot to get the most out of this book. I had the privilege of reading this book and listening to the audiobook; while both forms are excellent, if you are a fan of master narrator Julia Whelan you will want to get the audiobook. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review of The Sequel.

After finishing The Plot I had no idea where the author was going to go with The Sequel. I found this book to be more of a character study more than anything. The first half of the book, not a whole lot happened, but I wasn’t upset or annoyed. The pacing was nice, and like I said, I wanted to see where the book went, so I have that invested interest in mind. But the author skillfully laid a few breadcrumbs as to what was to come. Once we got past the halfway mark there were enough clues that the story finally started to have some legs, and it felt like more plot was present versus just learning about the main character. I was so thankful that I had read the first book in the series, because you absolutely need to in order to understand this book and I would not have enjoyed it as much if I hadn’t. I really enjoyed getting to know Anna, she was delightfully unhinged, and I’m not sure what it says about me, but it was fun watching her unravel after what I read in the first book. After reading the two in short succession, I do think that I enjoyed The Sequel more than The Plot. I found this book harder to put down, and I had a deeper desire to understand what was happening and going on than I did in the first.

I highly recommend you read The Plot shortly before reading this book, so it is fresh in your mind. You will need the plot details to fully understand this book!

This was a little slow until the very end, which mirrored my experience with The Plot as well. I really disliked Anna, so I had a hard time connecting with her and becoming invested in her story. I hadn’t expected her to redeem herself, so this was a bit predictable for me. Also, I think I am a bit too rules-bound to accept that she gets away with so many murders! Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for this early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the first book in this duology (longer series?) and this one lived up to my expectations. It was narrated by the marvelous Julia Whelan, my favorite audiobook narrator.. This makes it an automatic listen for me. I literally seek out anything Whelan narrates. I don’t want to say too much of the story because it is a mystery and follow-up to The Plot. But, I will say that both of these books center around the idea of taking another writer’s work and rebranding it as your own. The twists and turns and tracks being covered and uncovered keep the reader guessing. In addition to the story itself, there is the question of what is ethical and how far are you willing to go in order to advance your own career, lifestyle, etc.
I flew through this and loved it. Definitely recommend but read or listen to The Plot first to not be spoiled and for understanding of some of the characters and story here.
One of the features of this story that was a nice touch, as an homage to authors and literature, is the naming of the chapters. As you read the book, each chapter is named for a piece of literature that will be recognizable to most readers. I loved this touch and then the explanation of it at the end.
#TheSequel #NetGalley #CeladonBooks

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon for an ARC of this title.

I gave the previous book in this series 3 stars for the same reasons I gave this one three stars - it absolutely nails the page-turning, can-you-believe-this-is-happening thriller model, but that's a question worth asking: <i>can</i> you believe this is happening? It's all a little too smooth for our main character constantly getting out of the corner they're repeatedly backed into, and it really drives over a bridge of believability as the twists (and the bodies) pile up towards the end. I don't ask for full verisimilitude from this sort of book, but it was just absurd at a certain point.

There is just something about Jean Hanff Korelitz's writing. Her books are so phenomenally written. The Sequel picks up after the Plot ends. I had no idea there would be a sequel to The Plot, so I was very excited when I read the blurb. The story centers on Jacob Finch Bonner’s wife, Anna. We learned briefly about her background in The Plot. Jacob was a writer whose last book was finally successful, but at a cost. He plagiarized the story from a deceased student and was tormented by a stalker who threatened to expose him.

This story’s focus is on his wife, Anna Williams-Bonner. She is not exactly a likeable protagonist but is fascinating with a wry sense of humor. She has written her first novel, based on her life and it is received with fanfare. Her literary journey is going in a similar direction as Jacob’s. Though she is experiencing literary success, she is being plagued by someone who knows about her unsavory past. The book is paced so well, and I had no idea where the plot would go. I was immediately sucked in to the story and had to know what would happen. I listened to the audiobook which was masterfully narrated by Julia Whelan.

Thank you Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC.

The Sequel is the perfect novel for people who love to write or have aspirations to write their own novel. The Sequel is the second book to The Plot and while I remember enjoying The Plot and the very basic premise, I recalled almost zero details. Hanff Korelitz was good about providing enough context and detail when necessary to make this moot point. That being said, I do think this works best in tandem and not as a standalone.

The writing in this novel is great. It's a unique premise, building off The Plot and focusing on Anna and life after Jake. I thought much of the book would be focused on her trying to write her own novel and while the plot certainly focuses on her book, the actual writing of it seemed to come easily. I love the dichotomy of Anna's character and how well she played into each role she adopted. It was hard to know her true colors or motivations so I loved when the inner monologues became more prevalent.

For a short book, there were parts that felt verbose. I think this was done intentionally to give the literary effect and it worked. It also took me a bit to get into it. I really started to get invested once The Afterward was written and Anna started her tour.

I listened to this novel on audio and always love Julia Whelan's delivery. She was great in this role and it was an excellent casting choice.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a superb sequel and because I still don't recall a whole lot of details from The Plot, dare I say better than the first book!

Thank you to Celadon and MacMillan Audio for the copy.