Anna has spent her life taking care of business. Her husband and her brother who wrote about her life and shared it with the world. Her former lawyer who is trying to extort money. The women who bought her childhood home and came across her brother's book, the one her husband stole. Her daughter who was going to get to escape by going to college the way Anna never could. All dead because Anna saw them as against her. In the end she does not get what she deserves.

This story is the follow up to The Plot. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Do not read the summary for this book if you haven’t read The Plot. You really can’t know what the follow up book is about without spoiling the first book. So, forgive my ambiguity.

I recently listened to The Plot and was excited to receive a copy of the audiobook for this one. It is narrated by Julia Whelan. I’ve heard wonderful things about this narrator and since I am fairly new to audiobooks, this was my first listen by her. As expected, I loved her voice from difficult personalities to drama and suspense. She did a great job with them all and I was especially impressed with her male voices. If you’re an audiobook listener I recommend both of these books on audio.

If you haven’t read the first book recently, brush up a little on the happenings. This book picks up shortly after the events of the first with mostly the same characters though a different point of view. I found it to be a very entertaining read. I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as the first. At times it felt a little repetitive. There were some interesting twists but nothing that truly surprised me. I felt like I knew where it was going and yet I still enjoyed the ride.

Limited recommendations to readers who enjoyed The Plot

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz was a wild ride and such a compelling follow up to her book, The Plot. If you haven't read The Plot, I highly encourage you to do so. This review will contain some spoilers for that book as this is a sequel... joke intended!

So as this book starts, we have a perspective shift and I loved the character building that this opened up. The main character, Anna Williams-Bonner, is going to get her life in order- even if that means ending others. Determined to protect herself and achieve literary acclaim, Anna is frustrated with the realities of the publishing world. As she manages those waters, other problems come back to haunt her.

With a similarly unsettling tone, The Sequel hit many of the same notes for me as The Plot and I loved it from beginning to end. As with all of my thriller/mystery reviews, I am keeping this one short so I don't ruin any of the fun along the way for you as a reader. Go get yourself this one!

The Sequel is never as good as the original. Right? Eh wrong. Especially when you’re talking about *The Sequel* :) I’ve read The Plot and I thought it was “ok”. This one though? Kept me engaged the whole time! Filled with so many twists! If you haven’t read The Plot, you can still enjoy this one as a standalone and not feel completely lost as enough backstory is included. Narration was fantastic!

This one didn't resonate with me as much as the first. It is less of a plot-driven book and instead has LOTS of stream-of-consciousness about "Anna" from the previous book. I think it just went on and on about being a writer and the world of book publishing, which is probably why other writers and publishers liked it so much. Yes, things happen, but they are not that interesting. For me, it was just OK.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 10/1
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What a follow up! This is the second in the series and you must read The Plot for everything to make sense. This story is told from the POV of Jacob’s wife Anna.
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I absolutely loved where Korelitz went wit this story. It was seriously the perfect installation. This is also a slow to steady burn with some pretty intense and suspense induced parts. I once again had some suspicions about where the ending was going to lead but I didn’t exactly know how the story would get there, and once again loved every second of each twist and turn on this wild ride.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and Julia Whelan, as per usual, was phenomenal in this role. I loved everything about her performance. If you want to read this sone pick up the audio. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Jean Hanff Korelitz for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
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Highly recommend these books!!

The Sequel 3.5 stars - When a novel is written with such a clever and unique plot, it is often hard to duplicate. That is mentioned a few times throughout this book. While this story kept me entertained and interested, it did not wow me like The Plot. Like The Plot, there was someone I was suspicious of throughout but just couldn't figure out the motive. The reveal and motive really surprised me. I just found this installment to land a little flat and it was quite farfetched. With the way it ended, it is possible there could be a third book in the series, but I have no idea who is left "to know". I was hoping this was just a duology and there would be an epilogue to wrap it up. I would still recommend the series. Even though I did not love this one, it is still entertaining and has a few blindsiding moments.

The sequel to The Plot, I'm not sure if it could get any more meta than this (I mean a sequel called The Sequel with the cover being a book with The Plot also on it!!) I'd definitely classify this firmly in the thriller category rather than a mystery, for though it had some mystery elements to it, nothing was super surprising, but I couldn't put it down. If you loved The Plot, I'd definitely recommend this one because it is definitely the same vibe!

THE SEQUEL
Jean Hanff Korelitz

Let me just spoil the whole thing for you…THE SEQUEL is not as good as THE PLOT, it’s not as good as everyone is saying it is, and it’s not as good as you want it to be. It is, however, good.

Anna is now a widow. Her late husband was a notorious author whose fame was tarnished by talk of plagiarism. But Anna ended all the rumors when she buried her husband last year. She doesn’t have much to prove to anyone but herself. She decides to publish her own book one day, because how hard can it be?

When the book is published with overwhelming success, she find herself in a curious situation that goes beyond what her next book should be about. She again has a situation to take care of. She again has a rumor to bury, and again she must prove to herself that she is the writer of her own story.

The reason why you are seeing it on everyone’s Fall to read list is because it is about the publishing industry and people in the publishing industry love nothing more than a self-indulgent bookish book.

Now I didn’t say that the book was bad, I gave it four stars. I listened to the audiobook, and it’s narrated by Julia Whelan. Whelan is nothing if not superb and she handles the material like the professional narrator she is.

I thought THE PLOT was more imaginative and that might be because it was to me. I had not read a book like it. It felt original but assuredly it was inspired by something that had come before it, I simply had not read it yet.

Jordan Harper said, and Jean Hanff Korelitz seconded “Everything is a sequel…” Essentially there are no “new” ideas. It’s the best line in the book and it is parroted itself. It is a sequel.

Should you pre-order it, reserve it at the library, put a hold on it on Libby…yes!
Should you tell your friends about it…you’ll have to let me know!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

Out next Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

Let’s talk about it in the comments!

THE SEQUEL…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The audiobook was narrated by the incredible Julia Whelan, who never disappoints—she's probably my favorite narrator, and her performance here was spot on, as usual.🎧
✨
If you enjoy thought-provoking, character-driven stories with a blend of suspense and literary depth, I highly recommend giving this one a listen! It’s the perfect mix of plot twists and complex characters that will keep you thinking long after the final chapter.

The Sequel is book two in the The Book Series by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
I loved The Plot! So I was eager to jump into the second book.
The story is interesting and I found myself glued to the pages.
This book became quite addictive, unexpected and a delicious mystery at the same time!
A fascinating, unputdownable read I highly recommend.
The narrator Julia Whelan did a fantastic job!

Thank You NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a pleasant surprise…I actually liked “The Sequel” far better than the first book in this series. The first book, “The Plot” was about struggling author Jacob Finch Bonner who appropriates the idea/plot for his latest bestseller from one of his students who tragically passed away before publishing his own version of the book.

Jacob was a despicable character, a liar and a whiner. His book, I think it was called “Crib”, was wildly successful and on his book tour he ends up meeting Anna Williams, who ropes him into appearing on a radio show she that works for. They end up dating, and eventually marrying. If you haven’t read The Plot, I’d recommend you read that first, even though I really didn’t like it, because it sets up the background for The Sequel.

The Sequel takes place after Jacob has apparently committed suicide, and follows the life of his widow, Anna Williams Bonner, as she deals with everything that comes next. Without revealing too much, there’s a lot more to love about this book, and even though Anna is the true villain in both books, I was oddly rooting for her not to get caught as she met every obstacle in her life by eliminating everyone who crossed her path and threatened her in any way. It’s so dark and so funny, and although Anna is a total sociopath, I found the book far more entertaining than the first in the series.

I was so happy to get this egalley because I loved The Plot. The Sequel is even better! I love how there is always a twist with this series and I loved the main character Rose. I would read or listen to a third book if one was to be released.

If you’re looking for a light, easygoing listen for your next road trip or your morning walk through the neighborhood, that’s not The Sequel. Instead, it’s a dark and haunting thriller that’s full of surprises.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

Over the weekend I finished THE SEQUEL by Jean Hanff Korelitz and really enjoyed it! If you read and liked the first in the series, THE PLOT, then I highly recommend you pick this up. I actually liked this one a little more than the first one. I might be crazy but I loved the story told from the POV of the villain, and I felt some sympathy towards her despite her murderous ways.

With multiple twists, The Sequel will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just when I thought she couldn’t get crazier…Anna just kept finding others that were threatening to expose her. She’s not out to kill everyone but people can’t let her be. I think my favorite part of this book was the chapter titles, each one being the name of a sequel from another series. The titles fit so well and braced you for what was coming that chapter. It was brilliant!

I did most of The Sequel in audio because the narrator is THE @justjuliawhelan, and I love her narration in everything she’s done! She gives a rich voice for Anna and no one could’ve done it better.

Many thanks to @celadonbooks for the physical copy and @macmillan.audio for the audio!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC!

First of all, my favorite thing about this book was that the chapter titles were all the titles of novels that were sequels. I know, I'm a book nerd. But that's not to say that I didn't love the book for other reasons also. I really can't remember the last time I've encountered a literary character so cold and brutal, but also so compelling and likable-despite-it-all as the protagonist of The Plot and The Sequel. By whatever name you want to call her, she is formidable! The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Julia Whelan, and was a delight to listen to, from start to finish.

I love the back side of publishing tell all fiction novels. The MC has an agenda to clear her deceased husband of plagiarism. She writes her own novel to high acclaim which leads to her finding out more about her late husband's and late brother's involvement. If you enjoyed Yellowface or Who Is Maud Dixon? grab this one. While it would be best to read the first book, The Plot, you might find it enjoyable as the author does take some time to touch back while moving forward. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC audiobook where the reader does a wonderful job capturing the tone of the novel.

“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?”

In this case, I think the sequel is just as good as the first book. I liked that this picked up right where we left off. It's great that this book is very similar to the first, in that we follow the main character as they are harassed by an unknown person. I really liked the perspective of our protagonist and the background it gives to the entire series. She was kinda evil but I love that for her.

The narration was great (Julia Whelan is my fave).

This was a great follow up to the plot! I thought the events of this book and the pacing were done very well. The narrator is so unlikable but at the same time I was rooting for her to get the justices she felt she deserved. The ending felt a little crazy to me but overall really enjoyed this one!

A huge Thank You to @celadonbooks for the invitation to participate in the #CeladonReadsTogether for #TheSequelBook by Jean Hanff Korelitz!

In a word, Brilliant!

I absolutely loved The Plot and was thrilled to see that we get to keep following Anna! I had no idea where it would go, but I was buckled in and ready. Getting to see more of her story, from her perspective, was enlightening and added depth to her character and her actions. It gave a weird level of empathy for an otherwise unsavory character!

The publishing world satire felt sharp and a bit fun to read! I am always amazed at how many people are involved in traditional publishing, and it helps to know how much is poured into one while anxiously awaiting.

I was fortunate to be able to read and chat with a fun group, @debs_shelves @neverwithoutmybook @novelsnlatte & @thethumbedpage which we all agreed it was tough or impossible to quit reading once we started! Also a thanks to @macmillan.audio who provided me with the audio via @NetGalley before I even got the book!

I must say the audio was fantastic and if you are a Julia Whelan fan, it will be predictably perfect. I was entirely brought inside Anna's mind.