The Sequel had great audio narration. The story was compelling enough to keep me glued to it, but as I was going back and forth between the ecopy and the audiobook, I found that the characters were hard for me to enjoy. I enjoyed the mystery of trying to figure out who was threatening to out the main character's past, but I didn't love the route to getting to the resolution. This is a book where the lead is not a hero and frankly most all the characters were either mercenary or evil in some way or another. I guess they had to be in order for the reader to tolerate how Anna resolved her problems. I am just not the right audience for that kind of protagonist lead. I found myself captivated with the story, but dreading what would always come next. I would recommend it to people who don't mind sociopaths as much as I do. Ha.

If you enjoyed The Plot, then you're going to love The Sequel! It's a wonderful follow-up to a unique story. I went into this one anticipating having all of my questions answered and got that and so much more. If you plan on reading The Sequel, then you seriously must read The Plot first. These are not books that you should read out of order.

Anna Williams-Bonner is an absolutely fascinating character. She's interesting, sarcastic, and a villain that you can't help but like. It was intriguing being in her head and learning her secrets and her side of the story. There were plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and overall, The Sequel is a gripping mystery that kept me entertained all the way through.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook narrated by the always amazing Julia Whelan. As usual, she was fantastic and brought Anna vividly to life. Honestly, though, Julia Whelan could read me my grocery list, and I would love listening to every word.

I'm very much hoping we haven't seen the last of Anna. A continuation of this series would make me immensely happy!

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley, for this ALC.

The Sequel is an excellent follow-up to The Plot. I gave The Plot 4 ⭐ and eagerly needed some unanswered questions addressed. I'm happy to report that they were indeed answered in The Sequel. I highly recommend reading these books in order to get the full experience.

I loved living in Anna Williams-Bonner head. She's sarcastic, has zero patience for people, and, ultimately, just wants to be left alone. However, Anna decides to pen her own novel, convinced that it can't be that difficult. And sure enough, her book, "The Afterword," becomes a massive hit. As Anna embarks on promoting her novel, a mysterious figure threatens to expose her long-buried skeletons. What follows is a gripping cat-and-mouse game as Anna sets out to uncover the identity of this individual and eliminate any incriminating evidence.

I thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns in The Sequel. While the pacing may have dipped slightly toward the middle, the ending was absolutely worth it. Additionally, I had the opportunity to participate in a Zoom chat with Jean Hanff Korelitz, where she revealed that she wasn’t quite done exploring Anna. 👏

I paired the audio and physical book. When Julia Whelan is listed as the narrator, you're definitely in for a treat! She completely embodied Anna's antiheroine spirit. If there's a book 3, I hope she's the narrator again!

I was not a huge fan of the over-hyped The Plot, but when I saw that Julia Whelan was narrating I thought I’d give it a go and am very pleased that I did.

Anna Williams Bonner, widow of plagiarist Jacob Finch Bonner, is living the life of a literary widow when she decides to write her own novel, loosely based on her life with Bonner. It turns out she’s got talent and it all goes swimmingly well, with doors opened for her by her connections, until someone starts sending sections of the novel that Bonner copied, which is a lightly fictionalized account of Anna’s own life, murders included.

Anna is not one for letting things get in the way of her perfect life and as someone has decided to threaten her she is not going to take it lying down. With some sleuthing and careful planning, Anna sets out to eradicate anyone who knew what she did in the past. She is a deeply unsympathetic character but I was rooting for her, as her opponents are not particularly pleasant either.

This is something of a meta novel with a discussion early on about how sequels never live up to their predecessors. It took me a while to cotton on (listening instead of reading) but the chapter titles are all sequels - some successful, some not so much. This one is a successful sequel, enough that it made me think about going back to The Plot and see if Julia Whelan could work her magic on that too.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the review copy.

I recently read The Plot because I saw this sequel was being released and found the premise intriguing. So if you already read and enjoyed The Plot, then I would definitely recommend The Sequel.

We catch up with Anna, who has become famous as her husband's widow. She has decided to follow in his footsteps and become a novelist herself, having released her debut, which is already a bestseller. Anna seems to have gotten everything she always wanted, until she begins to receive those past manuscript pages from an anonymous source. Much like her late husband, she must investigate who is behind this ploy to destroy her reputation.

I didn't enjoy The Sequel as much as the Plot, but it was still a good thriller. The author did a good job of making the audience understand and have some empathy for Anna. Even though she is clearly a sociopath, I found myself stuck between rooting for her and hoping she gets caught, once and for all!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audiobook to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

While not quite as memorable as the first book, I enjoyed this foray into another character's twisted mind in this sequel to The Plot. The voice of the main character grabbed me right away (probably in part because the audiobook narration was such a great fit), and I loved that so much of the story took place within the world of publishing. There was some great tongue-in-cheek commentary on the writing life that made me laugh, and it was really interesting to see the inner workings of Anna's mind, and though she was deplorable in many ways, I found her highly entertaining. This author has a talent for writing compelling, readable stories, and I devoured this one.

I'll be honest, I didn't realize until after finishing this book that it was actually a sequel and not just called The Sequel. That may explain why I couldn't fully connect to this book and why some things felt a bit unexplained. I did think the plot of this was pretty intricate and kept my mind entertained but the ending was lacking a bit in dramatics. I really liked the main character and found her very interesting but thought her character arc kind of fizzled out towards the end. The ending was... Fine. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it but it also didn't do anything for me. Otherwise, I thought this was well done and enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks, Celadon Books and Macmillian Audio, for the arc and ALC!

After reading THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz, I was curious about what could happen in THE SEQUEL, the book that follows it. But Jean Hanff Korelitz is quite the mastermind of making a suspense mystery book work, especially when you think there is no possible way it could.

Just like THE PLOT, THE SEQUEL is a very slow-building suspense mystery. If you want something quick where you are always on your toes, this book is not for you. But if you enjoy getting to know characters, their thought process, and the places they are at and coming and going to, this is the suspense mystery for you. It builds as it pulls you into an ending that is nothing you could have ever guessed.

I read and listened to the book. The consistently exceptional Julia Whelan narrated the audiobook. I enjoyed listening to this book more than I did reading it. Was it because of Julia Whelan? There’s always that chance because she’s an excellent narrator. I genuinely think it was just a better listen than read.

I would love to say you can read this without reading THE PLOT, as that book does get spoiled, but if you want my honest opinion, I wouldn’t. I would read THE PLOT first—do the audiobook for that one, too; it was great! Then, I would listen to THE SEQUEL to give you a well-rounded story.

Content warnings: gun violence, blackmail, kidnapping, drugging, discussion of suicide, sexual assault, abandonment, child death

Anna Williams-Bonner has taken care of her late husband’s plagiarism scandal and now enjoys life as a literary widow, living off his royalties. She finally writes her own debut novel, The Afterword, and basks in the literary spotlight. But soon, she begins receiving mysterious excerpts from a novel she thought was long gone, bringing to light dark secrets about her husband, her brother, and herself. As someone out there knows far too much, Anna will do whatever it takes to protect her story.

The Sequel is full of suspense and twists, and it kept me hooked from the start. The storyline did feel a bit too similar to the first book, making it feel more like an extension of The Plot than a completely fresh story, but the female perspective and seeing how an antihero’s mind works in real time was really interesting. Anna’s character is intriguing, complex, flawed, and determined, which made her unraveling fascinating to follow.

I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by the amazing Julia Whelan, and her narration was wonderful, making everything better, as always. If you enjoyed The Plot, this one is definitely worth a read or listen!

The Sequel is out tomorrow! Thank you @celadonbooks and @macmillan.audio for the gifted copies.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an ALC and Celadon Books for a paperback and allowing me to be a part of this readalong.

Enjoyed The Plot and was interested to see what Anna was up to in the sequel, interestingly titled as it is. She did not disappoint. Twisty as can be!

Julia Wheelan as always was fabulous with narration!

The Sequel is literally the sequel to The Plot. The first book features a writer who's pretty sure he did something unethical (even if he's trying to convince himself otherwise). The Sequel features a main character who knows she's doing bad things, but feels totally justified in doing them.

Antiheroes don't always work - or even work at all - for me in romances, but the do work really well for me in thrillers. Anna's snarky commentary on writing, her appropriation of new age language, and even her depressing backstory all make her someone you love to root for even though she's literally the worst.

If you like women behaving badly, a plot that just doesn't slow down, and snarky inner thoughts, this is a thriller for you.

I listened to the audio of this one, and I really appreciated the female narrator. She really understood the assignment when it comes to Anna!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the audiobook.

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…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️