Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me to read an advance e-copy of The Sequel. I really enjoyed it!
I did have to go back and do a refresh of The Plot, which came out in 2021. I read a summary on Wikipedia and was up to date enough to head into The Sequel, the follow up to The Plot, without any issues or confusion.

In part two, we follow Anna Williams Bonner, the widow of Jake Bonner, the central character of The Plot. While traveling around the country promoting her dead husband's new book, she starts to think that maybe she has more potential than just being a cheerleading for Jake's legacy. Anna becomes interested in the idea of writing her own book. After all, if Jake could do it, how hard can it be? So, with confidence and effort she pens The Afterword, which becomes an immediate success. With this success comes attention, attention that signals that someone knows about Anna's brother and the true story of Anna.

The story, the writing, the humor, the setup, the plot had me guessing and going until my eyes were being held open with my fingers. I was ZERO for five on my list of suspects. I love it when I can not guess the end! This book is good, maybe even better than The Plot.

The Sequel is a solid 4 stars for me. It may get bumped up to as much as 4.5 as I bask in the book afterglow. I highly recommend, but I think a reader needs to have read The Plot first. The first book is very important to all the moving parts of The Sequel. I hope this review is helpful.

Thank you

More than a sequel to "The Plot", "The Sequel" is a great standalone thriller. Korelitz delivers another brilliant page turner. The pacing is brisk and the twists and turns will keep you guessing. I couldn't put it down.

The Sequel is the second book in The Book Series by Jean Hanff Korelitz, following The Plot, and dare I say... I liked this one SO much better! The Plot is told from Jake's perspective, and don't get me wrong, it's a very good read. The Sequel is told from Anna's perspective, Jacob's wife, what with Jake being unavailable and all. IYKYK! This book is the epitome of thrilling edge-of-your-seat story telling. I could not get enough. And although this could work as a stand alone, I would strongly urge you to read The Plot first so that you can connect all the evil and delicious dots The Sequel offers. And don't even get me started on Julia Whelan as the narrator. She was AMAZING as usual! A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Celadon Books for an ARC and an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've read some of Korelitz's earlier novels, as well as The Latecomer, but I didn't read The Plot, and despite it's title, The Sequel is very much a sequel and seems to rely on the reader having read the earlier one. When I realized that, I was more than halfway through and decided not to circle back. So I met Anna for the first time here, and if she is presented differently in the earlier novel, perhaps I would have had some good will towards her - but reading this book, without knowing anything, I found it insider-knowledge cynical, character-bleak and the story not particularly compelling. Apologies to publisher and author, but this really is not a standalone novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of The Sequel in exchange for an honest review.

The Sequel is the sequel to The Plot, so if you haven’t read that book, STOP reading this review or you’re going to get spoiled on that book.

Last chance …. 😄

The Sequel is told from Anna’s perspective, Jake being unavailable and all. The story pretty much picks up where The Plot left off. Anna decides to write a novel based on her experiences as the widow of a novelist who committed suicide after facing anonymous online attacks. Her novel is a critical and commercial success. But on her book tour, just like her husband Jake, Anna begins receiving messages referring to Evan Parker, and implying that Jake did not write his bestselling novel. Then she begins receiving pages from Evan’s draft novel, a novel that Anna thought she had wiped from the earth. So Anna begins a journey much like her late husband’s, sifting through his past to try to find who is sending out these pages, all the while trying to decide if this person knows Jake’s secrets, or hers ….

I loved The Plot—loved the characters, the twist, and the ending—but when I’d finished reading it, I did not expect a sequel. So I went into The Sequel uncertain what to expect and whether it would feel necessary and organic. I did not expect what I got here, but that’s not a bad thing at all. At the end of The Plot, Anna seemed like a perfect antihero, the monster hiding in plain sight, literally getting away with murder(s). In The Sequel, Anna is made human again, still a sociopath, but a vulnerable one. She’s uncertain. She makes mistakes. The story here takes everyone back through the events of The Plot, but we see them from Anna’s perspective, learn more of her backstory and what truly happened, and see how the choices she made then are impacting her now.

The Sequel deliberately leans into its status as a sequel. Every chapter title is the name of a literary sequel. But the story is an uncommon version of a sequel, going back through the events of The Plot, deconstructing them, and building a new suspense story on the bones of the original. And it was a very interesting choice by Ms. Korelitz to pull back the curtain on Anna, to strip her of her seeming invincibility and see if she can once again escape the consequences of her actions. Recommended for everyone who read The Plot.

This sequel, aptly titled The Sequel, was such a fun read! I was so impressed by how Korelitz made us root for Anna even as we knew right from the start that she was the villain. Bravo!

While this book works as a standalone, I think it is so much better if you have read The Plot. I wish I had reread it before starting The Sequel so everything would have been fresh in my mind.

I really enjoyed all of the background info on the process of writing a book, getting it published, doing book tours, etc. Anna does not have many good qualities but for some reason I still found myself rooting for her.

Lots of twists, great writing and humor!
.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Damn lady! I wouldn't think that literary career would warrant this type of "sacrifice". I'm hoping that this is not the authors or their spouses are doing to cover plagiarism. Korelitz, please tell me that Anna is not the fictionalized version of some author's spouse. Because if that's the case, I'm gonna read sequels with a different attention after this.

Anna Williams-Bonner was now a widow. Her uber-successful husband passed away leaving a literary heritage behind him. But towards the end of his career, he was getting these threats about how he plagiarized on of his most successful stories. Anna was thinking that maybe stress of that lead his death too. Anna was a good author too and she wanted to take advantage of leaving her husband's lime light to find hers. When she published her own book, these threats started to surface again. Along with the face of Anna I don't think I was ready for

I liked the idea of having a series based on literary terms to show how it's actually done and how those terms play a critical roles in these book. I always liked Korelitz's storytelling, and I'm looking forward to more literary terms.

“The Sequel” by Jean Hanff Korelitz is the cleverly named follow up to “The Plot.” Anna is back scheming and now writing her own debut novel. Once again, Korelitz writes a twisty and clever thriller starring a compelling antiheroine.

In this sequel to Korelitz’s exceptional thriller The Plot, Anna Williams-Bonner returns in her unsettling pragmaticism and complex motivations to eliminate anything, and anyone, she views as threatening her. Anna’s husband, the bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, has committed suicide and she’s been traveling the country in his stead signing copies of his latest book. She still has a watchful eye out for the anonymous accusations of plagiarism that hounded him and seemed to lead to his depressive demise. She has befriended his literary agent and editor and keeps up monthly lunches with his grief-stricken parents.

Suddenly, Anna gets struck by the idea that perhaps she too can write a best-seller, while attending a forest writing retreat for uppity authors. She sequesters herself in her cabin and emerges with her novel called The Afterward, a fictionalized account of a widow coping with the suicide of her famous novelist husband. Of course, it helps that she has inherited the best agent and editor in the publishing business.
As Anna now tours the country for her own book, she starts receiving excerpts from her dead older brother’s novel which is a skewered take on Anna’s own growing up in Vermont – after she thought she had eliminated all copies out there. As Anna hunts down the threat, things spiral out of control.

Best of all, Korelitz brings her signature humor to this not-so-funny plot, and manages a hilarious send up of the current state of the publishing industry and all the resentful wanna-be authors out there.

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

This is a book full of twists...almost to the extreme. Having read The Plot I was familiar with the driving force of Anna however I do think this could be read as a standalone. I like that this is set, slightly, within the world of publishing. Makes for an interesting read for an avid reader.

I have a hard time with books when I find the main characters unlikable. I need to have someone to root for. The Sequel doesn't have one single likable character yet I still enjoyed it because the characters felt real in their unlikable qualities. I enjoyed this as but as I did The Plot, so if you've read that and liked it you will definetley want to give The Sequel a go.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Thank you netgalley and to the publishers for this arc. I gave it a 3 because there was a lot of parts in the book where mind just wandered then I was confused because I wasn’t paying attention to what I had just read . That’s how I was with the first one then I got the audio book and was able to pay attention better and loved it so i think when this book is released I’m going to have to reread with the audio and I’m sure my rating will probably change but for now it’s a 3

*Rounded up from 3.75 ⭐️'s*

I'm afraid I have to disagree with many of the other reviews. YES, YOU NEED TO READ THE PLOT FIRST!!!

The Sequel tells Anna's story. She is also a pivotal character in The Plot, so you need to read the first book to truly understand her circumstances. I had to look up a synopsis of The Plot as a refresher. The author doesn't really bridge the two books together until 50% in. So unless you read The Plot recently, I don't think the storyline of The Sequel is as engaging.

That said, I love Jean Hanff Korelitz's writing style and recommend you read The Plot and The Sequel! The narrative from Anna's perspective was excellent, and there were several unexpected twists.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Extending the world of The Plot in an intriguing way, The Sequel focuses on a flawed yet interesting  characters. It's a clever, skillfully written, thoroughly detailed book that realistically resolves some gaps and leaves some things unsolved from the first book! It's remarkable that seemingly trivial events and persons from The Plot have significance in The Sequel.

This character is convincing and realistically brought to life by the author. Despite being a complex and dark character, Anna manages to come across as less cruel than she actually is.

To be honest, this author is brilliantly blending the original story into the complex structure that she has amazingly built. I was unable to put this book down. I was captivated by the story's mystery and held on until the stunning conclusion, which was chock-full of unexpected turns that paid off.

This book was also very well written. There is a lot of dark comedy regarding writers, the publishing industry, and sequels. I adored every reference and puns to the sequel book. There were times when I actually started laughing aloud.

I sincerely hope the author keeps this series going because I believe the finale may allow room for a third book!

This was a really fun read. The story is the sequel to The Plot. I highly recommend that one also. Widowed Anna is living off of her hubby's royalty checks until she decides to write her own novel. I mean, how hard can it be? All is going swimmingly until her book tour, where she receives a note from a fan. Someone knows something! Anna is not a likeable character, but you will root for her anyway. Oh, and those chapters names! Loved them!!! While it does add something to have read The Plot first, this can still be a standalone. While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, it is still a stellar sequel!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Jean Hanff Korelitz and Celadon Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon pub day of Oct 01.

Title: The Sequel
Series: Book Series #2
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Celadon Books
Pub Date: October 1, 2024
My Rating: 4.3 Stars
Pages: 304

I read and loved " The Plot" which was Book #1 in this series. This story is the sequel to “The Plot” – here is a quick background in case you didn’t read or perhaps forgotten some of Book #1.
In “The Plot” we are introduced to Jacob Finch Bonner, a struggling author teaching writing at a community college. He stumbles upon a student's story plot, a brilliant idea that may open up the doors of literary success. When he finds out that his student Evan Parker is dead, he decides to use this plot actually he does more than take the plot but the whole story and it becomes ‘his’ bestseller novel. As his success continues, Jake is curious about how Evan got the idea for his story and starts to do some investigating. The story does quote chapters from “The Crib” which also are revealed in this the sequel.

This story features Jake’s widow Anna Williams-Bonner. Yes she inherited his wealth, house, as well as the royalty checks from his bestseller. She considers this entitlement as she knows the main character in this story was inspired by her miserable real life. (Hmmm how does she know THAT? I know but am not going to spoiled it for you!)

Story kept me interested but Anna was Number One on unlikeable my list.
She did keep me curious so not sure how it is that I can like and dislike the same person.

I was fortunate in that I got both the galley as well as the audio.
Which did I like best?
Well Julia Whelan is one of my favorite narrators and she did a fantastic job performing the characters. BTW: I enjoying reading this, but I loved the audio!

There is a fun thing about the chapter titles. They are name after novels you may know and love. Such as - Chapter 1: It stared with us ~ Colleen Hoover’s “It Ends with us”
Chapter Two: Ready Player Two” - Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One”.
The different chapter titles and novels are listed for all thirty-one chapters.
I thought this was fun as well as unique!

Want to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 1, 2024.

Thank you to @netgalley and @CeladonBooks for this ARC. The first book in this series called The Plot was a thriller about an author who was a professor and heard about a book this student was writing. A few years later, he learns this student passed away and he stole his idea to become a best selling author. This book follows his wife after the tragic end of book 1. She writes a book all on her own but on the book tour, scary things start to happen. How does her book relate to her and her husband's past? As always, I liked book 1 better but this is still a solid read!
#TheSequel #JeanHanffKorelitz #CeladonBooks #Oct2024

I feel it’s a must to read “The Plot” before diving into this smart, well-executed sequel, aptly titled “The Sequel” where many questions from first story are answered, and is written in the same riveting manner.

This book follows the widow, Anna Williams-Boner after the death of her author husband Jacob. She inherits the wealth and rights to Jacob’s controversial novel based on her real life and decides to write her own novel - how hard can it be, Jacob did it she thinks - which receives unexpected success and notoriety. She goes on a book tour where she receives a suspicious note from a fan which begins her investigation into who is out to destroy her life and career.

In a cat-and-mouse game, Anna tries to uncover the tormentor by going back to where it all began: the town where her husband taught college and plagiarized a student’s novel idea as his own.

Anna is an anti-heroine whose only motivation is to save her own ass and destroy anyone who gets in her way which made this unconventional novel so much fun to read. Jean Hanff Korelitz has amazed me once again with this brilliant creative sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. A sequel that vastly improves on the original, not an easy feat to pull off

The Sequel is not just a page-turner but also a thought-provoking look at the power dynamics in the literary world. Korelitz's writing is confident and taut, pulling readers into a world where the stakes are as high as the tension. This novel is a great psychological thriller, one that is sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting more.

The Sequel is a gripping tale that explores the intersection of art, identity, and the sometimes perilous journey to literary success. It's a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone fascinated by the complex relationship between life and fiction.