The sequel is a great continuation of Jean Hanff Korelitz’ the plot. The Sequel follows Anna (the widow of Jake from the Plot) who decides to write a book following her husband’s death. Multiple twists and turns and I highly recommend for someone who was a big fan of the plot.

Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for an ARC of the Sequel releasing in October 2024.

It seems like a lot of people who got this via arc are already loving this so I may end up being the outlier.

Pros: writing is superb, I was never bored, and the commentary throughout about writers and the publishing industry was very funny.
Cons: no matter what, I couldn't root for the antihero. She felt very two dimensional who basically sleepwalked through all the bad things she did. Everything just seemed too easy for her to overcome.

Overall this book is entertaining and a little humorous but it's a 2 star for me.

The Sequel follows The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz’ bestselling novel about hapless plagiarist Jacob Finch Bonner. His widow Anna Williams-Bonner has polished his reputation and written her own novel, The Afterword, to much fanfare. History repeats itself, however, when Anna receives very familiar pages and threats from an unknown source, possibly linked to her own brother and Jacob’s novel. While she deals with her new found fame, she searches for her tormenter and identifies a few likely suspects. Anna is not as easily cowed as Jacob. Whoever is implying she has stolen her novel is in for a surprise for Anna is not just a writer. She has other hidden talents.

Although The Sequel can be read as a standalone, it helps to have read The Plot. The “plots” are similar although Jacob’s reaction to threats is desperation while Anna goes on attack. Dialogue shines and characters are so well described, especially Matilda, Wendy and Arthur Pickens) that you would recognize them if you saw them on the street. The Sequel will follow The Plot onto the bestseller list.

Thank you to NetGallet, Celadon Books and Jean Hanff Korelitz for this ARC.

I really enjoyed The Plot so I was looking forward to The Sequel, but unfortunately it's true what they say about sequels never living up to the original.
The first 1/3rd of this book basically just rehashes what happened in The Plot and nothing happens. Part Two and Part Three finally pick up, but it's so out there, even for a thriller. Anna has to be the luckiest person in the world to get away with everything she does.
I really wanted to love this but it just fell flat for me.

The title, “The Sequel” doesn’t give anything away. It’s simply tells a reader it’s a book that follows “The Plot.” And yet, the reader has to wonder what’s going on. It can’t be that simple.

Those that have read Jean Hanff Korelitz’s books, know there’s so much that revolves around her stories with a lot of depth in her characters. They make you sink into someone else’s footprints with details of their movements where it’s complex, messy and gripping at times.

In “The Plot,” Jacob Finch Bonner was a best-selling author. Now, we learn that he tragically died just before getting his next book released. His grieving widow, Anna Williams Bonner, was heartbroken and said he was struggling from someone accusing him of plagiarism. Sadly, Jake ended his life.

Could Anna also become an author? It didn’t take her long to develop a story. Jake’s agent and publisher were thrilled and agreed her book would be a great success and it was. I found it to be an interesting part when Anna went through the steps working with an agent, sending rewrites to an editor, and then showing up at book tours. Anna was fortunate to get a profile in The New York Times which increased book sales.

Here was a woman that you wanted to like. She was super talented as a best-selling author when so many others were struggling. And yet, at the same time, there was a dark, creepy side of her that kept showing up. I kept picturing Anna in a movie with the mysterious actress, Anya Taylor-Joy.

I found some of the comments fascinating such as if you want to write, then it’s best to read Stephen King’s book, “On Writing.” And even though people say to write what you know, it’s better to create an original story that hasn’t been done before. Is this It? I’d say…yes. The author has a way with words that is worth reading.

My thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of October 1, 2024.

I loved the Plot and was so happy to see it get a sequel (ie this book). Yes, you should definitely read "The Plot" before picking up this one. I couldn't wait to solve the mystery and read this in a couple days! Pacing was good after the first 50%, felt like we were saying the same thing over and over again, so I did start skimming at some points.

I did not know this was the sequel to The Plot. I did not read that but now I must! This was a great book! I will say I was in a the dark about a few things though. I liked Anna a lot and the writing of this book is amazing. I read it in two days.

This is another page-turner from Korelitz, a follow-up to "The Plot". I liked this book a lot, with my only criticism being a bit too repetitive in the first 40% of the book. Couldn't wait to find out who the mystery person was!

I can honestly say, Jean Hanff Korelitz never ceases to amaze me with her brilliant mind and creative storytelling skills. I loved her preceding novel “The Plot,” and I enjoyed its sequel even more, even though the characters in the beginning admit that most sequels are not as successful as the first books. But this book exceeded my expectations.

I advise you to read “The Plot” first, which introduces us 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 for him. When he finds out his student is dead, he decides to use this plot idea to write his own bestseller novel. As expected, this novel turns into a big success, but with a horrible cost—someone anonymous knows his big secret and is determined to make him pay. If you read the first book, you'll learn the big twist of how Jacob and his tormentor's cat-and-mouse game concludes.

Yes, Jacob is dead, his death ruled as suicide, and his poor widow Anna Williams-Bonner just inherited his wealth, house, and royalty checks from his bestseller, including the movie adaptation rights of “Crib.” But it might be a fair agreement according to her, considering the book’s main story was inspired by her real life.

Our villain/anti-heroine does something unexpected. Instead of grieving or spending her late husband's hard-earned plagiarism money, she decides to write her own novel. In her opinion, it wasn't even that hard! (I know all the authors reading this are booing the character, fictionally throwing tomatoes at her face.) The interesting part is she wrote the novel, and it turned into a huge success! Now she's playing the role of her late husband, attending a book tour, meeting fans, and signing their copies. But when she receives a suspicious post-it note about her late brother, she realizes someone has connected the skeletons in her closet to the dead people she left behind.

When she gets another manuscript eerily similar to her real-life story, she decides to return to Ripley College, the place where her dead brother's and her dead husband's paths crossed, to question people in their inner circle and catch her anonymous tormentor. Will she catch the person and destroy the evidence, or will she lose her cat-and-mouse game this time?

When a person has nine lives like Anna, she doesn't risk anything to destroy the perfect life she's built. So let the game begin!

Overall, it’s a smart, well-executed, meticulously written novel that wraps up some holes and unanswered questions from the first book in a realistic way! It’s an unconventional perspective on an anti-heroine and her riveting survival story. If you enjoyed the first book, you shouldn’t miss the sequel!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sharing this marvelous book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

In this sequel to THE PLOT, in the previous book professor Jacob Finch Bonner was accused of plagiarizing his hit book. He has died and his widow, Anna Williams-Bonner is on a publicity tour for his final book.

Then she tries her hand at writing and publishing (and, because of Jacob’s renown, sidesteps any difficulties with getting an agent or publisher) and she is thrilled to receive acclaim for her own book. Then she begins to receive portions of a novel which shouldn’t exist that show that someone has knowledge about her late brother, her husband and likely her.

“First of all, it wasn’t even that hard,” a great first line that is a lovely slap at her late husband and at writers in general…and so reflective of the character that is Anna Williams-Bonner, a woman with interesting motivations. This is a fun read, with lots of good name dropping, and I loved the chapter names. I always enjoy this author when I read her and this is no exception….definitely a worthy sequel. Recommended.