Jean Hanff Korelitz's The Plot was such a smart novel and I could not have been more excited to find out there was a sequel., The Sequel, in fact in the works. The Sequel picks up where The Plot left off with Anna Williams-Bonner, wife of the late Jacob Finch Bonner, living the life of a literary widow who has just published her own bestselling novel. Even with her husband and brother gone, Anna still senses there is someone out there who knows too much and she will do whatever it takes to make sure nobody can take her story from her. The twists of this book were just as great as in the The Plot and it was a quick and fun read. Make sure you've read The Plot before diving into The Sequel!

4.5
Thoroughly delicious! I liked the Sequel even more than the Plot, which should definitely be read first.

Before his passing, Anna Williams-Bonner's husband, an author, was plagued by rumors that he'd stolen the work that made him famous.

Now widowed, Anna has written her own novel. During her publicity tour, she begins to receive cryptic messages about her past, a past that nobody should know about.

I love that Korelitz went all in on Anna, who's clever and unlikeable and still SO much fun to root for.

Perfectly narrated by Julia Whelan, due out October 1.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The Sequel is an excellent followup to The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. This book follows Anna Williams-Bonner after the tragic death of her husband as she embarks on her own writing journey. First, she picks up the book tour for her late husband promoting his bestseller and then, after writing her own novel to process her grief, she goes on tour for her own book. Once she returns home, however, she begins to receive odd and threatening mail alluding to her husband having stolen the plot of his novel from another novelist. This novel revisited many of the characters and places that were in The Plot, but it's interesting to see them through Anna's eyes. It was also so fun to see how Anna's internal monologue compared to the actions that she took in the book. The writing was very witty and wry, which made it a fun listen. The narrator also did a great job with the audiobook.

This was a super fun and fast-paced sequel to The Plot. I re-listened to The Plot to prepare for this one and I was glad I did. I think it made for much easier understanding of what was happening since this one picks up right after the events of The Plot.

Anna published her own book which is supposed to be about how to cope with the death of a loved one who has taken their own lives. While on book tour, she starts to receive passages of the book that her dead husband took the idea from. She thought she had gotten rid of every copy so she investigates who might be sending them.

I really enjoyed this and think that most everyone would like this series.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an exciting thriller about authors and publishing. Our main protagonist is Anna, who is dealing with the aftermath of her husband's suicide. Her husband was an author and Anna is living off the proceeds of his book. Anna decides she is going to write a book and takes on the role of the grieving widow, which leads her down a dangerous path. As she begins to make appearances people start to recognize her and her past secrets come to light. Many people want her dead and Anna needs to get to them before they get to her.

This book reminded me of Peter Swanson’s The Kind Worth Killing series. Anna reminded me of Lily, so if you liked that series I would recommend this. You have a ruthless, manipulative and determined female lead character who is also a bit of a serial killer…

I heard about this book from an author I follow and thought it sounded good. I never read the first book, The Plot, and I kind of wish I did. There were some parts I was confused about, especially about Anna’s husband’s history. The audiobook narrator was excellent which made for an enjoyable listening experience.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Anna Williams-Bonner has gotten away with murder, actually several murders, and is now living off the benefits from one of them. Still, she isn't satisfied and decides to write a bestseller of her own and play the role of a grieving widow to the public. Her book becomes a runaway success, bringing her into the spotlight again. When that light starts shining, she discovers that there is no such thing as a perfect crime. Will she be able to get away with it again? This is for fans of Liv Constantine and Sophie Hannah. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance audio.

In this sequel to The Plot, the character of Anna continues the story of how her husbands very popular book came to be… and all of the destruction and death that follows! It is well written, and dare I say, well plotted with quite a few twists and turns that make this novel about a book a must. Thanks to NetGalley for the read. Love the narrator!

A Captivating Sequel that Exceeds Expectations

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz is nothing short of spectacular! This book kept me hooked from start to finish, with twists and turns that I never saw coming. Often, sequels fall short of the original, but that was not the case here. Korelitz has crafted a story that is both gripping and unexpected, leaving you craving more with every page. Her writing is as sharp and engaging as ever, making this a must-read for any thriller enthusiast. Highly recommended!

#TheSequel #JeanHanffKorelitz #BookReview #ThrillerBooks #MustRead #PlotTwists #BookLovers #ReadingCommunity #BingeWorthyReads #BookRecommendations

Thank you NetGalley and Jean Hanff Korelitz for the ARC.
***All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone****

The Sequel
By: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Pub date: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Macmillian Audio/Celadon Books

I was able to get the audio and the physical book This was the 2nd in a series. I LOVED the first one “The Plot.
Lots to take away from this sequel.
“Sequels can be very enticing when the initial book has done well. Readers want to know what happens to a character they’ve connected with. But they’re never as good as the first book, are they?”
-Jean Hanff Korelitz, THE SEQUEL.
I am on a Read Together journey with several bookstagrammers and will share more soon.
Looking forward to sharing with
@jennifromthebooks, @TreasuredBooksFromMars, @onemoreexclamation

Thank you Celadon Books for the gifted copy.

This is a strong 4.5 read for me. I wish I had read The Plot more recently though as there were a few things that I had to really call back to remember; however, I do think that readers could enjoy this book on its own without having read the prior book.

The Sequel tells the story of Anna Williams-Bonner, recent widow of Jacob Finch Bonner who was the protagonist in the previous novel. In her grief, Anna decides that she wants to carry on the literary legacy of her husband and write her own novel. Upon its publication and her book tour, Anna starts to experience some similar oddities to those of her husband - secret notes in books, manuscripts sent to family and friends with ominous notes - so he searches to discover who exactly is trying to contact her and why.

The story within the story here though is that Anna is not who people think she is. She is someone else, or multiple someone else's, entirely. Through flashbacks and memories, readers learn who Anna is and how she came to be in her current position.

While readers knew Anna's characters if they read the previous novel, this story brings in so many new facets of her and really establishes her role as the anti-hero.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this book. The narration by Julia Whelan was amazing - I especially enjoyed her voicing the southern lawyer!

Thanks to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the advance audiobook.
I enjoyed this even more than The Plot. The main character is so unlikeable, but I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Sigh. I really enjoyed The Plot and I love Julia Whelan’s narrations. But The Sequel didn’t work for me. I’m not sure if that was the point?

“The Sequel” by Jean Hanff Korelitz, a gripping follow-up to “The Plot,” lives up to its indicative title. For the full experience, it’s essential to read “The Plot” first, as much of the depth and nuance in this new novel will resonate more strongly with familiarity of the preceding events.

The protagonist of “The Sequel,” Anna, steps into her late husband’s shoes by penning her own bestseller. However, her journey is fraught with challenges to her authenticity, and she navigates these obstacles in her own distinct way. With a nod to Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels, “The Sequel” delivers an engaging, page-turning thriller.

The audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan, perfectly complements Korelitz’s writing, making it easy to empathize with the protagonist despite the darker aspects of her character. Whelan’s performance enhances the story, drawing listeners deeper into Anna’s world.

Fans of thrillers, publishing, and writing will find much to enjoy in “The Sequel.” Not only is it an excellent continuation of the story, but it also stands out as one of those rare sequels that surpasses the original. It’s a fun and engaging read on multiple levels.

I received a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review, and I have endeavored to provide just that.

I enjoyed The Sequel a lot! I originally listened to The Plot on audiobook, so was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to Julia Whelan perform The Sequel. I think the plot details were great, definitely need to read the first book to understand but very much an "anti-hero" to root for.

One thing I think was lacking was how the main character wrote the book they talk about in this story. It jumps from a literary writers' camp to "oh the book is written! and it's great!" which is awesome but it was a little unclear how the main character was able to achieve that with their background (keeping it vague to not ruin anything!).

All that aside, I think this is a very worthwhile sequel to The Plot, and would very much recommend to those who enjoyed the first book!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC audiobook!

I really enjoyed this book! I listened to this audio book right after listening to "The Plot". I highly recommend doing it this way if possible. Julia Whelan is one of my favorite narrators and she did an excellent job with this one! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys twisty mystery books!

Thank you to NetGally and McMillon Audio for the arc!

To Start, I think it would have been better to read, The Plot by the same author prior to reading The Sequel. It is not necessary to do this, but I feel it would give more depth and information to the story. After Anna's husband (a bestselling novelist) dies, she writes her own book. She lives off the pay cheques of her dead husband's best selling books, while writing her book. I found the audio book to be excellent recorded and read, but I felt the story didn't catch me like I wanted it to. 2/5

I've read other books by Jean Haniff Korelitz, but I didn't read The Plot before reading The Sequel, and I really wish I had; not because it was entirely necessary, but because I missed out on reading it with a clear head, not knowing how it ends. I will definitely go back and read or listen to The Plot after some time passes.

I loved The Sequel. I don't know that I've read a book like this ever before. The protagonist/antagonist is so dislikeable and at the same time, the reader can't help but hope for the best for her. The writing is skillful and the story is fresh and gripping. I listened to the book and that made it even better because it is narrated by Julia Whelan, the very best narrator out there. I will listen to almost anything that she records.

I recommend this book without reservation. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

This book felt redundant. The whole first half of the book was the same as what happened in The Plot even though it was told from a different perspective. This is ironic since The Plot spent so much time focusing on author pit falls in the book industry. I did love Julia Whelan as the narrator and that is probably why I stuck with the book until it picked up in the second half.

The Plot was one of the most interesting and unique plot lines. When I heard there was a sequel to the book, I was flabbergast. Without spoilers, how? Why?
I will say, while I don't think I loved it quite as much as the first book, this was still a plot driven, subversive suspense novel. But, I don't know how to write a review without giving away the thing. Also, it's not a stand alone--it's truly a sequel. The Plot must be read first.
As a whole, I don't love thrillers. But, this series has such a fresh and unique experience, I definitely wholeheartedly recommend the series.

Anna Williams-Bonner, a successful literary widow, is living a contented life until her own debut novel, "The Afterword," is published. Unexpectedly, she receives excerpts of a novel that shouldn't exist, revealing personal secrets. Someone seems to know too much about her past and is determined to take control of her story. Anna must fight to protect her own narrative and uncover the truth behind the mysterious novel.

I typically avoid reading series because it can be challenging to acquire all the books at once. However, I recently had the fortunate opportunity to read book one yesterday and complete book two today.

Creating a series can be a daunting task as it requires maintaining the reader's interest without becoming repetitive or overly verbose. It is crucial to keep the storyline engaging and fresh to captivate the audience.

This series is an exciting project brimming with intricate storylines, twisted plots, and a deep appreciation for literature and book culture. The deliberate chapter titles and innovative writing techniques used by the author make it a heartfelt tribute to readers and book enthusiasts alike. Although this is the second book in a series, it can be enjoyed on its own, but readers may miss out on connections to the first story. It is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that will have you eagerly turning pages well into the night. I highly recommend it for all book lovers out there!

I absolutely loved how each book had a different narrator! It really allowed me to immerse myself in the story and follow along with ease. The narrator did an excellent job of keeping me engaged and eager to learn more about the events unfolding.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for audio ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.