Anna Williams-Bonner is attempting to move on with her life now that she has been able to not only lay to rest her husband, writer Jacob Finch Bonner, but has laid to rest the rumors concerning plagiarism that has been surrounding him and his best-selling novel. Living off the success of Jacob’s novel Anna decides to take a stab at writing herself, ultimately publishing her own bestseller, but her success brings its own set of problems; someone is sending her pages from a novel that should not exist, pages that suggest that this individual knows more about Anna, Jacob and Anna’s brother, knowledge that could threaten her own success, and maybe even more.

I was very excited to read The Sequel after reading The Plot last year, but sadly The Sequel was not all that I had hoped it would be. While it was nice to revisit some of the characters and events that occurred in The Plot, there were times when things did not make sense; they relied way too much on coincidences and circumstance, even for a piece of fiction. I was also disappointed in the fact that there were no new, substantial characters in The Sequel; this was almost a part two as opposed to a sequel. Some of the plot holes also took away from my enjoyment of the story as well as affecting my ability to relate to the story or the characters,

The audiobook neither added to nor took away from the story. I liked how Whelan gave many of the characters their own voices, but at times the pace was too slow and the narration, often lacking a change in pace or volume, was monotone. It was an audiobook that I could take or leave; it didn’t make me want to listen to it the way that some do.

What a fun sequel to the original book! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Was she going to get away with it?! I loved it.

I highly encourage you to read The Plot first to understand the premise behind this book. You are brought right into the story with Anna newly widowed from her famous author husband. As the story unravels you start to see the darker side of the book that made Jake famous and how she is handling being a writer and widow. Loved how in both books you see how blackmail plays a part and you just want to know who is behind it. If you choose to listen to this one, please know the lovely @justjuliawhelan will transport you.

A good sequel to The Plot! The continuation of the story from Anna's POV was a fun one to follow. She's ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes to keep her secret. There were some surprises along the way. Loved more excerpts of a book within the book. It likely helps if you read The Plot first for more context. Loved the narrator in this one!! Julia Whelan is amazing! Thanks to #macaudio2024 for the copy of this audiobook.

I decided to reread this author's first book The Plot before I started this book, and I'm glad I did. It had been so long since I had listened to it that it was helpful being reminded of the author's writing style. Sadly, her new book I did not enjoy nearly as much. It moved at a much slower pace and did not engage me nearly as well. I did not find myself connecting with the characters and wanting to find or make time to continue the story. I actually would've been fine if the story had wrapped up 100 pages or so before it actually did. While the author did a great job of tying loose ends and putting all the pieces into place, it didn't make the story anymore enjoyable...... more like reading an extended multi chapter epilogue when you feel like you could've been OK not knowing. I ended up giving this book 3 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and McMillan audio for the ARC of this audiobook..

I wasn’t sure if The Plot really needed a sequel, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Sequel. It picks up with the same suspenseful tone and twists that made the first book so memorable. The story takes some unexpected turns that kept me hooked, and the characters are developed in ways that felt fresh yet consistent with the original.

The writing style is just as sharp, and while the pacing starts off slower than I expected, it builds up to a satisfying and tense ending. I appreciated how the author didn’t just rehash the same ideas but expanded the world and themes.

It’s not perfect—some parts felt a little predictable—but overall, it’s a sequel worth picking up, especially if you were a fan of the first book. It adds a new layer to The Plot that I didn’t realize I wanted.

I reread THE PLOT in preparation for reading this and absolutely loved it again! 5 stars on the reread.

THE SEQUEL, on the other hand, never grabbed me. There is a lot of rehashing of the first book with very little action. And the new premise didn’t make sense to me. Why in the world would Anna publish a novel? And go on a national book tour afterwards no less? Wouldn’t she want to be more incognito? It felt like a convenient vehicle for another book, and an unrealistic one.

I was hoping for a big payoff after the extremely slow start. Instead I felt bogged down by detail after detail having to do with the original book’s plot. And I didn’t really care what happened to Anna in the end. I did love the audio narration. Julia Whelan consistently knocks it out of the park.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I really enjoyed this one! I went back and read The Plot first and I am very glad I did- I suppose you could read this as a standalone but it would be so much better reading that first. I was fascinated by the MC and really enjoyed all the twists. I would read more by this author. The narrator did a good job.

I did not enjoy this book. I found the main character annoying and very hard to connect with. I will still recommend to readers at my library because I know everyone has different likes.

The Sequel wasn’t nearly as jaw dropping as The Plot, but Anna is a fascinating character who readers only fully glimpsed at the very end of the first book, and The Sequel hooked me immediately by letting me read an entire story from Anna’s brilliant but dark perspective. It was an added bonus that one of my favorite audible narrators read the story, and her performance made the story even more enjoyable. Highly recommend!

Ｔｈｅ Ｓｅｑｕｅｌ

| Thank you @celadonbooks for the #Gifted copy and for the Readalong opportunity! |

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📖: 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 • 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 • 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙝 • 𝙪𝙣𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 • 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 • 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 • 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 • 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮• 𝙘𝙖𝙩 & 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 • 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 • 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 •

💭:
I’m so thankful to Celadon Books for including me in this read along.

Someone from our group suggested that we read The Plot first, and I’m so glad that he did. If you plan on reading The Sequel, it is my recommendation that you read The Plot first too!

I had a hard time putting this one down, I was captivated from the beginning. This was another example of “books that took me by surprise.”

The pacing of The Sequel was just right, there were layers to the book that were “nuanced” at times.

There really wasn’t much about this book that I didn’t like. I’d recommend reading this to anyone wanting a book with great detail and appeal.

📝:
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

🎵:
𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯 👑 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭.

I am an idiot because I read THE SEQUEL without reading THE PLOT. But even so... I LOVED this book. It was SO twisty and wild and clever and satisfying and the protagonist had every quality I love: she was unstoppable, sarcastic, smart, and driven to succeed at all costs. She does so much wrong and I love every bit of it. Great author.

I found THE SEQUEL by Jean Hanff Korelitz to be an outstanding follow-up to THE PLOT. This psychological thriller exceeded my expectations with its sharp writing, clever twists, and tight pacing. Anna Williams-Bonner takes center stage in a story that’s both suspenseful and wickedly satirical, as her newfound literary fame is threatened by the resurfacing of secrets she thought were long buried. Korelitz masterfully builds tension, blending dark humor with razor-sharp insights into the publishing world. If you enjoyed the first book, I think you’ll find THE SEQUEL even more compelling.

I listened to the audiobook, and Julia Whelan’s narration is incredible—she truly brings the characters and drama to life. Her performance adds another layer of brilliance to an already gripping story. She’s the master! This is a must-listen for fans of well-crafted suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Sequel is an extremely well-written and well-paced novel, and listening to it was a blast. If you haven't read The Plot, I recommend starting with it first, but honestly this is one of the best sequels I've ever seen. I especially loved all of the self-reflexive writing, and the deep look into the dysfuntion of the literary world. Julia Whelan is a fantastic narrator - one of the best in the biz!

I loved The Plot and was worried this book would not be able to come close to being as good as it was. I was pleasantly surprised.

This is the story of Anna, the widow of Jacob Bonner the main character from The Plot. She is trying to navigate her new life as a widow and finds herself writing her own novel that becomes a success. Once again secrets begin to surface and someone begins sending her excerpts from another novel that could destroy her.

I am not sure how Jean Haniff Korelitz comes up with her stories. They are well thought out and well crafted and full of surprising twists. I am left surprised every time. I would love to know her process, how does she do it??!! This is definitely not a stand alone story and must be read after The Plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 ⭐️

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.

After reading the plot and the sequel back to back I have to say I enjoyed way more The plot mystery aspect. I’m not sure what I was expecting plot wise here with the wife, maybe that’s is exactly why I ended up not enjoyed as much. I was hoping it was going to be more? That It needed letting me down. However, reading about the writing world and how texhinically a plot/idea can’t be stolen was very interesting to learn about.

For some reason this author's way of writing just does nor ell with me. In this continuation of The Plot, we have Anna, a most despicable character indeed who has lost her husband, an acclaimed writer, and does then endeavor to come into her own with her literary sills.

It's a twisty winded road, Anna travels on with quite a few surprises for the reader.

It's a slow read and I will admit I often got bogged down in it. Suffice to say, it was complex and although I am not a fan, I know many who enjoyed this story.

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!

The audiobook narration by Julia Whelan was excellent, as one would expect from my favorite narrator.

She did it again! A great continuation of The Plot and anything read by Julia Whelan is an auto enjoy for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!