The Sequel is such a dark and twisty adventure! While it was a little bit hard on audio to keep track of the different names and storylines as it bounces from reality to pieces of the novel that keep showing up, it was quite a ride following Anna and her quest for vengeance and to cover her own tracks. I would definitely recommend reading The Plot before diving in to this one. I really loved that the title of every chapter is a sequel novel, too. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed The Plot so when I was offered the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of The Sequel I was excited to download the listen! But....The Sequel started slow. I almost stopped listening to the audiobook after the first 30-45 minutes, but I am SO GLAD I didn't. The widow of Jacob Finch Bonner is living a life of leisure now that her husband is out of the picture. Anna thought she was done worrying about the accusations of plagiarism, in fact, she has her debut novel to promote! She's off on a tour of book signings until she starts receiving threats related to Jacob's book. Who's responsible and what will Anna do to stop this person or people before it goes too far?

According to one of the characters in the book, the sequel is never as good as the first book. This is definitely not the case with this sequel. You will dislike Anna, as you are supposed to, but you will rapidly turn pages to see what she does next. I loved all of the references to books, authors (be sure and notice the chapter titles) and the publishing industry. If you haven’t read The Plot yet and want to, you should definitely read it first. The Sequel can be read as a stand-alone because the back story is very well explained, but it would then spoil your enjoyment of The Plot.

It is not often when the second book in a series is better than the first, but "The Sequel" is one of those rare exceptions. This book was a so good. I love where this story went with all of it's twists and turns. It could be read as a stand-alone, but I would highly recommend reading the first book in the series "The Plot" first. Having the background makes "The Sequel" storyline so much easier to pick up on and much more enjoyable.

My recommendation - if you haven't read "The Plot" already - read it and then grab this one next. If you have read "The Plot" - even if you didn't love it, pick this one up because it is better! If you loved the first book, then this one is a definite can't miss!

The audio narration was excellent, the characters were well developed. This was a super enjoyable, sucked me right in book. I couldn't wait to see how it all played out and I can't wait for the hopefully, third book in this series?!?!

Just as captivating as The Plot, The Sequel hooks you in and doesn't let you go. Great buildup and misdirection with satisfying exposition. Our main character is wonderfully vicious, keeping the reader on their toes about the fine line between revenge.

I really enjoyed this sequel, especially with its focus on Anna's perspective. Delving into her psyche and exploring her reactions to past events and her current circumstances was both fascinating and intense. Truly appalled at how much she has done in her past. The way the narrative unravels, revealing how she continuously hides from her past, is so intriguing. The intricate plot and numerous twists kept me on edge, and I was genuinely surprised by the ending. The end came as a shock to me, and I was uncertain about who would ultimately prevail. Such a fun read trying to figure out who was messing with her and what truly happened all those years ago. Can she truly be this evil?

Thank you to NetGalley, Jean Hanff Korelitz, and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

I loved The Plot, even though the narrator was less than stellar, because the story was so engrossing, I was excited to see The Sequel, and I knew the narrator wouldn’t be an issue, because Julia Whelan is one of the absolute best audiobook narrators. However, even Whelan’s superb narration couldn’t save the weakness of this story line. Jean Hanff Korelitz is an amazing writer, and I will always read her work, but in this instance, I would skip the sequel and just read The Plot.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A sequel with a far less stellar plot...

“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?”

"The Sequel" is the follow-up novel to the 2021 standout book "The Plot", which I very much enjoyed and which you should definitely read first. But like the above-mentioned quote from this follow-up correctly states, the sequel is never as good. Sadly, this is also the case here.

While there are still some snarky cultural references and fun, snide remarks that contributed so much to the previous installment's enjoyment, "The Sequel"'s focus on Anna - widow of "The Plot"'s main protagonist, Jacob Finch Bonner - just didn't really work for me. She seemed so much more interesting in the first book, and giving her her own book just cheapened the character. As an anti-heroine/villain, her POV might have been interesting, but it felt like her character was all over the place; on the one hand, we learn more of her backstory, which seemed as though it was added solely to humanize her / make the reader feel sorry for her, but on the other hand, she is just so unlikeable (and, let's face it, such a cold-blooded killer) that it is really hard to care for her at all. Either approach would have worked on its own; both don't.

Moreover, the fact that Anna - without even trying very hard, unlike her late husband - becomes a successful writer in her own right who then, too, is blackmailed using a copy of Evan Parker's manuscript felt very much like a repetition of the plot in the first book. Not only was it therefore no longer very original, but the book also took way too long to get there. Finally, the reveal of the blackmailer also seemed... almost random? In fact, not much really happened until the very end, and then everything happened all at once in a very excessive way, except by then I had stopped caring.

In the plus side, the writing was just as great and enjoyable as in the first book, and I would gladly read any other book by Jean Hanff Korelitz (and judging by the reviews so far, I might be an outlier with my lukewarm reception of this sequel). In addition, the narration of the audiobook was outstanding. All in all, this had all the makings of a great book, but the plot itself would have been better left alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"The Sequel" is slated to be released on October 1, 2024.

What a fitting title for a book that is exactly what it claims, a sequel. Jacob Finch Bonner is dead, the result of suicide. His wife, Anna Williams-Bonner is overseeing his estate, especially his last book, Crib, which was a success. Then, she writes her own book, The Afterword, which also becomes a success.
The book is a slow burn at the start. Anna is forced out onto a book tour, which is as tedious for the reader as the writer. On her stop in Denver, there’s a book to be signed with a post-it note “For Evan Parker, not forgotten”. Then when she gets home, in her mail is a copy of a chapter from a manuscript she thought she’d never see again. Her dead brother’s. And additional chapters keep showing up.
Anna is not a nice person and as the story goes along, we see exactly how unlikeable she is. Still, she is engaging. It’s a fine art for a writer to create an unlikeable character that you still want to spend time with. I was really torn over whether I wanted there to be justice.
I enjoyed the back and forth between Anna’s take on things and the manuscript’s. Korelitz slowly ramps up the tension with each new chapter sent. Anna is not going to let anyone disrupt the life she’s worked so hard to obtain.
This should not be read as a stand-alone. It will make much better sense if you have read The Plot beforehand. In fact, I had to go back and refresh my memory of The Plot.
I was lucky to have both the e-book and the audio for this story. Julia Whelan did a great job as the narrator. But I appreciated having the book to go back over some key points in the book.
Also, I wouldn’t have cottoned to the use of other sequels as chapter headings if not for the e-book (and the list in the back). I never knew there was a sequel to Catch-22.
My thanks to Netgalley, Celadon Book and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies.

What is good and what is bad? What is fiction? When do the ends justify the means? In The Sequel, which continues to follow Anna Williams-Bonner, whom we met in The Plot, Korelitz confronts those questions and more in this twisty and totally captivating sequel. Finding herself at writing colony, arranged by her late husband's editor and agent, Anna experiences a rare burst of inspiration and energy and writes what becomes a best-selling book, But her past continues to haunt her and she sets out to right what she perceives are the wrongs she is experiencing. Most readers will not anticipate all that happens but they will find the book hard to put down. the audio version is enhanced by Julia Whelan's expert narration. Korelitz has another winner on her hands.

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a wild ride of a thriller, packed with twists and turns that keep you guessing. The main character, Anna Williams-Bonner, with her murderous past, is someone you love to hate. Even without having read the first book, The Plot, this was still a fantastic read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free advance copy of The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz in exchange for an honest review.

The Sequel picks up where its precursor, The Plot, left off, with Anna Williams Bonner, widow of writer Jacob Finch Bonner, touring the country representing her late husband’s literary estate, turning his runaway bestseller into a film, and writing her own book to boot. Unfortunately for Anna, the charges of plagiarism that dogged Jacob haven’t gone away - and now, she’s at risk of being exposed for past misdeeds as well.

Korelitz’ second book in this series is as witty and cutting as the first, and I couldn’t help but root for Anna, despite her villainous persona. And the audiobook, narrated by the incomparable Julia Whelan, is terrific.

Four stars for the book; five for the audio narration.

Anne’s husband of just a year had passed unexpectedly, that is to say he “unalived himself”. At least that’s what the world knows of it. She does her duty as a literary widow and continues his book tour, with so many asking what’s next for you, Anne? The natural answer is “I’m thinking of writing my own novel.” Her response came so often that she had to make it true. She was able to skip the journey of most writers and publish her first book quickly. It was well received. She had made her own success out of her tragedy.

But every few months, pieces of the novel her brother had been writing before his (also untimely) passing start arriving in the mail. She thought she had eradicated all of the copies of his book about her. Should this come to light, it would ruin her. She must find who is sending these bits of her past before it’s too late.
As always, Julia Whalen keeps her listeners engaged and on the edge of their seats.
I can’t help but wonder if there will be an epilogue next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jean Hanff Korelitz, MacMillan Audio and Julia Whalen for the arc of this novel!

I liked this book. It was twisty and interesting. I read it so fast. If you like psychological thrillers/women's fiction, this is a good mix of both.

Oh my goodness I absolutely loved this.

Anna is the definition of a psychopath that has zero remorse.

This is so twisty and thrilling

So well written

Like a lot of people, I enjoyed The Plot. When I saw that there would be a sequel and that the audiobook was narrated by Julia Whelan, I was excited but nervous. I wasn't sure that the original story necessarily called for a follow-up, but I think many will be interested in seeing what happens to Anna Williams-Bonner. Ultimately, this was a quick read but failed to be as engaging or entertaining as the original.

Frankly, I would listen to Julia Whelan read the phonebook (do those still exist?), so it's no wonder I finished this in about a day and a half. Whelan does a great job, even if the source material felt a little thin.

Overall, this is a bit of a mixed review. The book itself is a serviceable thriller but lacks the bite and fun of the original. A great performance elevates the audiobook, and I recommend it to anyone curious about what happens after the events of The Plot.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Another hilarious biting satire from Jean Hanff Korelitz? And in audiobook form with an outstanding narrator? Sign me up!

Anna is back as a "lachrymose widow" who decides to take a crack at writing a book of her own. After all, how hard could it be? She has some experience... in her own way.

The book is really fun and funny when you read it as being semi-autobiographical (although, one certainly hopes, not TOO much) about the author writing a sequel herself. There are many fun winks to this throughout the book.

I loved the many inside jokes about the writing and publishing world (there's a particularly hilarious sequence when Anna goes to a writers retreat). I loved Anna's charming straightforward unlikability. I loved the audiobook narrator, who absolutely nailed the satire and sarcasm. And I REALLY loved the ending.

In short, another hit for Jean Hanff Korelitz. And I can't wait to read another one from her.

Surprised the rating is so high on this. I thought it was fine as a sequel. Seemed like some of the plot points seemed implausible, and there were no redeeming characters to root for. I felt like the book ended abruptly.

THE SEQUEL is...well...the 'sequel' to the book THE PLOT, released 3 years ago. This time, we follow Jake's widow Anna, who has now written and published her first novel about a story with a character based on her own life and grief. That book turns out to be a massive hit (also because she carries Jake's lastname). And while Anna is living her best time since her husband's death, she soon starts to receive messages, notes and excerpts of another book from an annonymous person claiming to know all Anna's dark and hidden secrets, and threatening to expose her for who she really is - or isn't.
Anna turns out to be the antihero of this story, a somewhat villain that we, the readers, learn little by little all the connections she has with not only Jake's background but also what was her part in the book that Jake was accused of plagiarism.
In this book we learn that Anna has always had some connection to Jake's history even before they met.

In my opinion, Anna is supposed to be an unlikable character in this story, but I honestly didn't dislike her at all. Maybe because the author writes her so well and in such a realistic way that I actually empathised with her. I really enjoyed all the connections this book has with The Plot and how dark this sequel turns out to be.
I'd say it is better to have read The Plot before getting to this new one.

Personally, I had more fun with the previous book, but I do prefer The Sequel's conclusion.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who has read The Plot and enjoyed it.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, which was narrated by the one-and-only Julia Whelan. You can never go wrong with her, so if you're into audiobooks, please do yourselves a favour and pick this one up.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for allowing me to listen to a free advanced audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

After her husband, bestselling author, took his like, Anna decides to write her own novel, The Afterword. But as her book gains traction, she starts to receive excerpts of a book she never thought she'd see again, one that she thought has been destroyed, and that is divulging way too much information about her brother, her husband and herself.
This is the second book in the Book Series, and I really enjoyed it (despite all the unlikable characters). It was fun to read two stories in one (the main story and the one from the manuscript), so kudos to the author for cooking up two whole stories (even if we only got snippets from the manuscript, it was still a fully rounded story). I loved that the chapter were named after famous sequels (The Testaments, Doctor Sleep, etc.). It was maybe a bit over the top at times, but it was certainly highly entertaining, and the narrator of the audio book did a great job.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.