I was not expecting THE PLOT to get a sequel, but I'm so glad it did. It's hard to write a sequel that lives up to the popularity of the first book (the characters in THE SEQUEL even acknowledge this at the beginning of this book), but Korelitz does a great job of creating a totally new story with new twists without making it feel forced.

My advice would be to read THE PLOT first--you'll be missing some key elements if you jump in with THE SEQUEL first. It'll completely change the reading experience, although not necessarily in a bad way.

Our main character Anna is a true antihero. It's a fun reading experience to decide whether you want to root for or against her, and the author does a good job of compelling us to like someone we know is reprehensible. Some of Anna's actions reminded me a bit of Lily's in The Kind Worth Killing, which is one of my favorite thriller novels.

If you already read THE PLOT, you may have been left with some questions at the end. THE SEQUEL does a great job of plugging many of these plot holes and giving the reader a few more answers regarding the events of the first book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and how all of the reveals came together. I'm very curious to know whether Korelitz planned to write THE SEQUEL from the start, or if it was an afterthought due to the popularity of THE PLOT. Will there be a third book in this series?

There is just something about Jean Hanff Korelitz's writing. Her books are so phenomenally written. The Sequel picks up after the Plot ends. I had no idea there would be a sequel to The Plot, so I was very excited when I read the blurb. The story centers on Jacob Finch Bonner’s wife, Anna. We learned briefly about her background in The Plot. Jacob was a writer whose last book was finally successful, but at a cost. He plagiarized the story from a deceased student and was tormented by a stalker who threatened to expose him.

This story’s focus is on his wife, Anna Williams-Bonner. She is not exactly a likeable protagonist but is fascinating with a wry sense of humor. She has written her first novel, based on her life and it is received with fanfare. Her literary journey is going in a similar direction as Jacob’s. Though she is experiencing literary success, she is being plagued by someone who knows about her unsavory past. The book is paced so well, and I had no idea where the plot would go. I was immediately sucked in to the story and had to know what would happen. I listened to the audiobook which was masterfully narrated by Julia Whelan.

Thank you Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a writer to acquire an agent and then a publisher. Unless, of course, your best-selling husband was a plagiarist and his book was inspired by you.

Anna Williams-Bonner has been a student, a striver, a survivor, a victim, a victimizer, just trying to live an unrestricted life. Now, she has transformed into something new: a first-time novelist, the literary widow who is everywhere. Just because one member of a literary pair happens to be deceased, doesn't mean she shouldn't be considered one of the two, with all the benefits that it encompasses. He was gifted, successful, and dead—the ideal literary match made in heaven.

In attempt to exact literary revenge for her husband’s novel, Anna plans a sequel. Sequels can be very appealing when the Plot of their predecessor has been successful; readers are curious about the fate of the characters they have come to love. Anna’s main character is a woman whose writer-husband commits suicide, ironically coincidental as the Anna’s real-life spouse was also a well-known writer who allegedly took his own life.

Oftentimes, authors recount their own experiences and reimagine them as fiction. Writing fiction requires a certain amount of risk, independence, and unwavering ownership. Anna had been living fiction for far longer than she’d been writing it; she could scarcely stop now. Fiction had carried Anna far from where she had started and enriched her life by connecting with individuals who appreciated her just as completely–if not as comprehensively–as she did. And if they did not, she simply eliminated them. At the end of the day, this would be a terminal sequel on several accounts. The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz is unputdownable, unsettling, and unmatched.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Korelitz has done it again - another banger. I'm not sure if she enjoys writing this character, or she needed to get her publisher off her back and would much prefer to be writing books like "The Latecomer," but give me Anna Williams-Bonner any day. When we left her, she had just <spoiler> dispatched her short-term husband, Jacob Finch Bonner, who had stolen her brother's plot, which HE had stolen from Anna/Diana's LIFE (at least, that's her take, and she is pretty salty about it.</spoiler>

Following that, Anna goes through a "grieving" process that culminates with her writing a first novel, loosely based on her experiences, then becoming a touchstone for everyone who has attempted suicide or been left in the wake of the act by a loved one. Her book is a hit, and she does the book tour circuit, dealing with people sucking all her energy and goodwill, until she gets a request for a copy of her book to be signed to her late brother. Hmmm!

Following Anna as she tracks down her tormentor is not unlike reading a Tom Ripley book: she is a narcissistic and vile individual, a total sociopath who will push anyone out of her way (and into the path of an oncoming vehicle) while smiling, but you really can't look away, and in some of the scenes I was waiting for her to get her comeuppance, but I also a little bit rooted for her. Ick!

Korelitz could have toned down some of the interior monologues/rants of her MC, but I'd like to think she had fun writing them. Anna's sense of what constitutes injustice is certainly perverse, and it can be tricky to see things from her POV (thankfully). Now that she has a second novel in this series under her belt, is it too much to hope for 1) another Sequel, and 2) a multi-season series? I know I'd watch it (as long as they don't cast Nicole Kidman). More creepy Anna Williams-Bonner, please!

Oh, and Julia Whelan is a great narrator!

4.5⭐️
Listen to this and it was narrated by my favorite, Julia Whelan. No one compares to her and she was amazing. I thought this one was even better than the first book and that’s saying a lot for me. It had all the build of a crazy good murder suspense and The MFC was definitely a skilled sociopath. The writing was good in a way that I was second guessing all of the events. Replaying things in my mind trying to see it again as I thought about the event. And then there was the giant twists at the end. Yes! There were more than one.
I highly recommend listening to this and you’re welcome.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

The Sequel is the perfect novel for people who love to write or have aspirations to write their own novel. The Sequel is the second book to The Plot and while I remember enjoying The Plot and the very basic premise, I recalled almost zero details. Hanff Korelitz was good about providing enough context and detail when necessary to make this moot point. That being said, I do think this works best in tandem and not as a standalone.

The writing in this novel is great. It's a unique premise, building off The Plot and focusing on Anna and life after Jake. I thought much of the book would be focused on her trying to write her own novel and while the plot certainly focuses on her book, the actual writing of it seemed to come easily. I love the dichotomy of Anna's character and how well she played into each role she adopted. It was hard to know her true colors or motivations so I loved when the inner monologues became more prevalent.

For a short book, there were parts that felt verbose. I think this was done intentionally to give the literary effect and it worked. It also took me a bit to get into it. I really started to get invested once The Afterward was written and Anna started her tour.

I listened to this novel on audio and always love Julia Whelan's delivery. She was great in this role and it was an excellent casting choice.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a superb sequel and because I still don't recall a whole lot of details from The Plot, dare I say better than the first book!

Thank you to Celadon and MacMillan Audio for the copy.

My thanks to Net Galley, Mac Millan Audio, and the personal invitation I received to review this advanced audio copy.

"Grieving widow" and write Anna Finch Bonner is back in this follow up to The Plot to carry out revenge and murder! Anna receives a manuscript that is a little bit close to her past life and sets out to see who sent it to her because if she doesn't, an event from her past will come out that she definitely doesn't want known.

Good narration. Twisty . Stick around for the ending!

Anna is the "grieving widow" after her husband Jacob "commits suicide" at the end of the first book The Plot. But Anna really killed him, and Jacob really did steal his bestselling novel idea from a dead student. A student who was Anna's brother and who wrote about how Anna had killer her daughter and parents. In this Sequel, Anna goes on a quest to write her own best seller about her grief and her dead husband and to silence all of those who might know her origin story or that Jacob plagiarized and fictionized it.

I really liked the first book The Plot and really, really like Korelitz's other books. Her writing is smart, sharp, and snarky and a good balance of literary and propulsive fiction. I liked this sequel as well, at least mostly. I found the plot a bit of a rehash of the same and so twisty that it sometimes became circular. If you were a fan of The Plot, you will likely like this, but it is one that you have to have read the first book to even understand the second one (or if you're like me and read it so long ago, you had to seek out a spoilery review to even get started with this one.)

I did a combination of Kindle and Audio, and the audiobook is narrated by Julia Whelan. She is great with the snarky and does indignation so well. If you like her on audio, you'll like this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I loved the first book and was excited for thus book. It was very enjoyable and I really loved the characters and the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

This book took a long time to get through but was interesting. It didn't hold my attention until the very end, and I forgot most of the ending of the previous book to fully follow the beginning of this book. It likely would work better to read both books back-to-back.

The Plot was one of my favorite books I have ever read. The twist at the end totally took me by surprise, and I was very happy to hear that a sequel was coming out. Korelitz has done it again, though not quite as shocking as the first. It was good to hear to the conclusion and explanation of the depths of Anna. She's truly wicked! How on Earth did Korelitz keep up with all the intertwining plots and connections?? I was put off a bit by the name dropping that happened towards the beginning, but it didn't really hamper my enjoyment of the book. Great sequel, and of course, I love the narrator Julia Whelan!

The Sequel picks up right where The Plot left off, with Anna Williams Bonner publishing her first book, a fictionalized telling of her author husband's suicide. Just as her late husband, Jacob Finch Bonner received private threats about his novel, Crib, being stolen from one of his students, Anna Williams Bonner, is now receiving similar threats about Crib being a little to close to her own life story, a story that she has worked hard to erase. While she was the one anonymously harassing her own late husband before his "suicide", in The Sequel, Anna Williams Bonner isn't in control of who is harassing her, but that doesn't mean she gives up the power in this book; it just takes several guesses (i.e. murders) before she gets the whole story.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one kept me guessing more than the original , “The Plot.” WOWZA! “Anna”’s story was a wild ride.

I loved The Plot and definitely recommend reading that before this sequel. It's been over two years since finishing that, so some details were a little hazy. This is told from Anna's perspective, unlike the first book being told by Jake. Other reviews have said this filled in some plot holes left from The Plot, but since I didn't exactly remember those holes, this felt more like a rehash of the same story to me. Although captivating, it felt lacking, and thus the 4 stars.

I am grateful I had a NetGalley audiobook to listen to. Read by Julia Whelan, it added much to my enjoyment.

"The Sequel" by Jean Hanff Korelitz seamlessly continues the gripping narrative initiated in "The Plot," exploring the aftermath of literary deception through a new lens: Anna Williams-Bonner's rise as a successful writer following the murder of her husband, Jacob Finch Bonner.

The novel excels in its storytelling prowess, with Korelitz leaving no narrative thread unexamined. The transitions between the two books are seamless, offering readers a compelling continuation that builds upon established themes while introducing new layers of intrigue.

"The Sequel" satisfies with its intricate plot, and Korelitz's writing is as sharp and engaging as ever.

There were so many reasons I was excited for The Sequel. I’ve already loved The Plot and The Latecomer (both 5-star reads for me!), and I’m a big fan of Korelitz’s style. Plus, I buddy-read this with four other friends from Bookstagram, which made the whole experience even better. And to top it off, I listened to the ALC through NetGalley, which was the cherry on top.

The story follows Anna Williams-Bonner, who, after dealing with plagiarism accusations against her late husband, starts her own literary career with her debut novel, The Afterword. But just as her success is taking off, strange excerpts from a novel that shouldn’t exist start surfacing, threatening to expose secrets from her past. The tension builds, and Anna is forced to confront someone who knows far more about her life than they should.

Reading The Sequel is intriguing because it gives us a protagonist like Anna, who's deliciously morally gray. As flawed and even awful as she can be, I rooted for her the entire time. There's something addictive about wanting her to succeed despite all the questionable choices she makes—it’s part of what makes the novel so compelling. Jean Hanff Korelitz captures the excitement of following a character who walks the line between right and wrong while still evoking sympathy and investment in her success, which can’t be easy as an author.

The insider view of the publishing world Korelitz provides is fascinating, and the suspense is perfect. I was so wrong with every prediction I made while reading The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz! Seriously, it’s pointless to even try when Korelitz is masterfully spinning a thriller like this. She has a way of throwing curveballs that leave you completely off balance, and I absolutely loved it. Whenever I thought I had the story figured out, I was way off. Like in The Plot, Korelitz works her magic by including pieces of a book within a book, which is such a clever and immersive technique. It adds another layer to the story that keeps you deeply engaged and enriches the whole experience. I have to give a shout-out to the clever chapter titles—each one is the title of a sequel, which was such a fun and thoughtful touch.

And, of course, Julia Whelan’s narration is flawless, as always. Her performance here is a symphony of voices—each character uniquely brought to life with her skillful touch. Whelan doesn’t just read the story; she pulls you into it, making you feel like you’re living every moment. Her ability to bring authenticity to the dialogue makes the characters feel so real, and it’s like I’m right there with them. Whelan absolutely nails Anna’s obnoxious confidence, and the sarcasm is spot on—it feels like a friend telling me this story with all the passion and intensity of someone who’s lived it.

If you loved The Plot, The Sequel is an absolute must-read. Between Korelitz’s brilliant writing and Whelan’s spot-on narration, this audiobook is worth every second. Highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed this book much more than the first. It’s crazy to think of the thought process that goes into writing a book like this where there is so much that intertwines.

“The Sequel” follows Jakob’s wife/widow Anna Williams-Bonner. As soon as she becomes a successful author (repped by the same team as Jakob) she also starts to receive unwanted anonymous mail eluding to Crib being a stolen story.

I highly recommend reading “The Plot” first. Julia Whelan was an amazing narrator, once again!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Jean Hanff Korelitz for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I remember when The Plot came out, and it blew my mind. The idea of the story and the way it was written captivated my attention and stayed with me all this time. There’s just something about a book with an ethical dilemma at the center of the story, well-developed characters who are all at least a bit morally gray, and a story within a story that made the first book a really enjoyable read for me. So I couldn’t wait to dive into this one.

The audiobook is narrated by one of my favorite narrators in the entire world, Julia Whelan. She has the type of voice that makes me want to listen to her narrate all day long, and I partially credit her for my finishing this audiobook in such a short period of time. I love how she embodies her characters and breathes life into the story in her own unique way.

The other factor that kept me listening to this book around the clock was the plot, no pun intended. After the shocking events of the last book, now we get to see more of what is going on in Anna’s life, and her thoughts as well. This story really dives into her backstory, and while she can easily be viewed as a villain, it was also really hard to read this entire book in her voice and not empathize with her. Reading a story in her voice put me in her shoes, and made it really easy to understand what and why she did what she did.

Learning more about Anna herself was fascinating. We hear fictionalized accounts of her backstory in The Plot, but this book gives Anna agency to tell her own story, and to show what the fictionalized account got right and what it got wrong. But as she writes her own book, a threat comes in the form of an anonymous Post-It note, followed by a manuscript of a story that is nearly the same as her own life story. Throughout the book, she plays a dangerous cat and mouse game with the mysterious sender of the note and manuscript. It was a constantly tense story after Anna receives the note, with the tension ratcheting up towards the end of the book, even as she is living the busy life of a hyped debut author.

Overall, this is a fantastic story. It was tightly plotted, with a surprise ending that I didn’t see coming. This book keeps the story introduced in book one moving forward, without feeling drawn out, overdone, or boring. I really enjoyed the mystery of the story, both finding out the real story of Anna’s life, where the threat was coming from, and who the bigger threat really is: Anna or the anonymous sender? Korelitz remains a fresh, innovative, and distinctive voice in the genre. I recommend this if you liked The Plot, mysteries featuring anti-heroes or morally gray characters, stories within stories, and high tension plot lines.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Ok, first, I would like to apologize to the author because, despite the fact that I loved her first novel, when I saw this (aptly named) sequel, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t think The Plot needed a sequel and would have preferred something original. Obviously, the author anticipated this, as there are plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments debating the merits of sequels. But I would like to readily admit that I was totally wrong.

My main concern with a sequel is always that it has the potential to ruin the original (at least for me). But learning more about Anna, her past and her motivations, only adds to the original story. It is no easy feat to get the reader to want to spend time with such a morally gray character, and even at times feel sympathy for her (maybe even root for her?), but the author manages to achieve that here.

I loved how meta this book was with plenty of literary references that every book lover will enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the chapter titles as sequel titles to well-known novels.

This was an excellent audiobook that I raced through in less than two days. I highly recommend for anyone who loves literary thrillers like The Plot (duh), Yellowface, Ladder to the Sky, and Who is Maude Dixon?.

Narrated by one of my favorites, Julia Whelan, “The Sequel” is a solid sequel to “The Plot”. Anna is not a good person but she’s just short of being an unsympathetic character because here earlier life seems not to have been a good one. Of course, it’s hard to say if her own recollection is truer than Evan’s story because she’s not to be trusted. The ending clearly left room for a third installment (which might be a good working title) and I look forward to reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy