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!

Go grab this one. Totally hooked me from beginning to end.
Narrator is one of my all time favs. So happy to have had the opportunity to listen to this one.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I've been getting more into audiobooks for my commute to work. I had read the first book and was excited to listen to this second one. I loved it.

Jean Hanff Korelitz returns following her explosive first in the series, The Plot, with #2 in The Book series, THE SEQUEL — a darkly funny, razor-sharp, and suspenseful literary/psychological thriller that will keep you glued to the pages (in my case, glued to my iPhone for the exceptional audiobook).

About...

Jacob Finch Bonner was a struggling author and a writing teacher at a community college. When he stumbles upon a student's story, the plot and idea he thought could open doors for him. When he finds out the student is dead, he uses THE PLOT idea and steals it to write his bestseller. It turned into considerable success, but someone knew what he did. And they will make him pay. The suspense builds as the unknown threat looms over him.

Now he is dead, ruled as a suicide. Anna Williams-Bonner inherited his house, money, and royalty checks from the bestseller and movie rights to CRIB—inspired by her real life.

Anna decides to write her novel, which is a big success. On book tours, she is milking the sympathy of readers and fans by playing the poor widow in her late husband's shadow. After what happened, he just could not take it and committed suicide.

Now, she receives a suspicious note. Another manuscript is similar to her life story. What is going on? She returns to the scene of the crime, Ripley College, where her dead brother and husband path's crossed.

Who will win this wickedly delicious game of cat and mouse? Let the games begin. The thrill of the chase and the unknown outcome will keep you on the edge of your seat.

My thoughts...

Oh my, I loved THE SEQUEL!

I had not read THE PLOT first, so I stopped in the middle of THE SEQUEL to buy and finish the audiobook. The audiobook was just as good, but THE SEQUEL was even better. If you enjoyed the first, you MUST read the second.

TWISTY, SMART, and CREATIVE!

Jean Hanff Korelitz is a master storyteller, and THE SEQUEL is brilliantly written against the backdrop of the first book, with clever literary chapter titles.

It was fascinating to see a sociopath transform from a monster to a widow in disguise. Anna is an unreliable narrator, and I enjoyed watching her become unhinged. I love thrillers with dark humor—well done!

INTENSE and IMPRESSIVE! When dark secrets of the past are unraveling, there is no way to stop as you enter the mind of this devious literary couple! Highly entertaining and wicked fun.

Audiobook...

I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by the dazzling Julia Whalen (a favorite narrator). She delivers a stellar performance, bringing the characters to life and adding a new dimension to the story.

Recs...

This is for fans of The Plot and the author and those who enjoy dark humor, satires, and well-written, twisty psychological thrillers with a literary twist. Those who enjoy Kaira Rouda, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Jeneva Rose's work will devour THE SEQUEL.

Thanks...

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and #MacAudio2024 for a gifted, advanced listening copy via NetGalley and Google Play in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 1, 2024
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4/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

I listened to this immediately after finishing THE PLOT, which was good and bad! Everything was fresh in my mind, which definitely added to the dimensional experience I had with this story, but these books were so different that it took me a minute to settle into this new structure. Anna was a super fun character to follow -- she's so clever and, at times, infuriating. There were moments where I wanted to yell "girl, what are you even thinking right now?!?!" but, alas, I did not. And, despite that, the story wrapped up really nicely, with fantastic and unexpected twists until the end. I would definitely read more in this series, if we get so lucky!

I wish I had read these two a little closer together (The Plot and The Sequel), but still this book was fast paced and bingeable. I finished the audio in a day. The audio didn’t have the same aesthetic that I remember from the first book physical copy with clearly delineating a book within a book, but I knew what to expect enough that I could still follow along with where the narration was going. I enjoyed how the book picked up from the first one and carried the story on in an engaging way.

I was fascinated with the usage of POV to move the narrative along, but also put the reader inside the FMC's head. And the twists kept coming, just when I wasn't sure where the book could go - there was another direction introduced that really made for a fun ride.

And of course I love Julia Whelan as a audiobook narrator!! She did a great job with this one. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio version of this book!

Let me start by saying that if you haven't read THE PLOT, you really should read it before you dive into THE SEQUEL. I've seen some reviews saying that it is not necessary, but I think to really understand the beginning (okay middle and end too) of this installment, it is best that you do. Heck, I even recommend rereading a summary of THE PLOT if it has been awhile because while this book covers some backstory. it would be helpful to have the plot of THE PLOT (har har) fresh in your mind.

Next thing, I LOVED the narration of this audiobook. Major hats off to Julia Whelan who is basically a narration queen. If you dabble between both modes of reading, I think the audio is the way to go here. I feel like Julia captured Anna perfectly.. Now for the book itself, THE SEQUEL included one of my favorite tropes which is about (unhinged) authors and the publishing industry. Add that in with the unhinged, perhaps, unreliable narrator and the mystery of who knows what Anna knows, and this was a real winner for me.

Thank you NetGally and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for a review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was so engrossing! It’s about a widow of a famous author who has just published her own book. However, when she and others begin to receive items sent in the mail from an anonymous sender, Anna is forced to reckon with her past, and its string of bodies. I found it deliciously entertaining and I so enjoyed it!

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The Sequel is literally a sequel so read The Plot first. I have seen some reviews say this can be read as a stand alone, and it can, but I think the story is more enjoyable having the background knowledge from The Plot. I listened to this and it is read by the phenomenal Julia Whelan so if you like audiobooks, I would go with that format. There is not much I can say about this book with spoiling it, but if you liked The Plot I recommend this one. Even if you didn't like The Plot, give this one a try...I liked it better than The Plot.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Sequel (The Book, Book 2) by Jean Hanff Korelitz
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 293 / Genre: Psychological Thriller
Audiobook Narrator: Julia Whelan
Duration: 10 hours
Release Date: October 1, 2024

A professor steals a book idea from a student who died before he had a chance to publish his book. The problem is it’s a true story that involves murder and shocking truths. And the very real people in that story are out for vengeance.

First, I will say that I enjoyed both The Plot and The Sequel. Both were well-written with interesting characters. But I am confused about the point of The Sequel. It’s basically the same story as The Plot but from a different point of view. There’s a little more info given about what happens after but it’s almost the same book. I would say just listen to The Sequel if you haven’t read The Plot because Julia Whelan narrates it so I enjoyed it more than The Plot, which was narrated by Kirby Heyborne, who did a fine job but you can’t get better than Julia.

Thank you, @Macmillan.Audio and @NetGalley for my gifted copy.

I enjoyed the first book in the series, and I wasn't exactly sure how the author was going to write a second book but I wanted to read it to see what would happen next. I was pleasantly surprised where the story went. I don't think it was as good as the first one, but it was still a really enjoyable reading experience and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next. Even though the main character isn't a good person, she was so relatable, and at the same time unhinged. I can't wait to see what the author will write next.