4.5 stars. I liked The Sequel just about as much as I did The Plot. Anna is a fantastic character. This novel makes you rethink some assumptions you may have had after reading The Plot. I'm not going to say much more, because I think the summary below is all you should know before you read this book (read The Plot first).

"Anna Williams-Bonner has taken care of business—that is to say, she’s taken care of her husband, bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, and laid to rest those anonymous accusations of plagiarism that so tormented him. Now she is living the contented life of a literary widow, enjoying her husband’s royalty checks in perpetuity, but for the second time in her life, a work of fiction intercedes, and this time it’s her own debut novel, The Afterword. After all, how hard can it really be to write a universally lauded bestseller?

But when Anna publishes her book and indulges in her own literary acclaim, she begins to receive excerpts of a novel she never expected to see again, a novel that should no longer exist. Something has gone wrong, and someone out there knows far too much: about her late brother, her late husband, and just possibly... about Anna herself. What does this person want, and what are they prepared to do? She has come too far, and worked too hard, to lose what she values most: the sole and uncontested right to her own story—and she is, by any standard, a master storyteller."

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

"Anna Williams-Bonner watched...the writers, as they...offered up laughably shallow praise to the man who'd just read to them. Then, before her eyes, the group defaulted to their eternal topics: the shortcomings of their former teachers, the inadequacies of the publishing world, and inevitably the writers they knew who happened not to be present...And she thought: If those idiots can do it, how f$cking hard can it be?"

So begins our journey with Anna, the debut author, widow to a renowned writer, and the catalyst for the bestselling The Plot by clever plotting author Jean Hanff Korelitz. Now this brilliant writer gives us The Sequel, where Anna is truly the entitled star.

Though the author does a seamless job explaining what happened in The Plot so you understand Anna's determination to keep her deadly secrets, reading or listening to it before The Sequel will only enhance your enjoyment of this twisty WTF thriller.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Reading how Anna so easily dismisses, and just ends, those who may try to end the life she has meticulously created is a fascinating study of entitlement. She believes in her right to live at the cost of everyone else. Yet I often rooted for her despite her murderous ways. My reaction is a testament to the creative brilliance of this masterful storyteller.

Having the award winning voice actress Julia Whelan, a favorite actress, performing the words of a favorite author, is pure joy. There's no one better to bring Anna to her full potential as a classic villain.

I haven't really told you The Plot because The Sequel deserves to be experienced with all its surprising twists. Just know you will be entertained, shocked, and impressed by this perfectly crafted, brilliantly plotted sequel.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A fun and twisty sequel to The Plot. I feel like it could be read as a standalone novel, but the reading experience will be enhanced by reading The Plot. It is hard to give any details about The Sequel without revealing key elements of The Plot. Our unlikeable narrator/villain Anne is the widow of a novelist that had a hit book prior to his death by suicide. She then herself wrote a novel loosely based on her life as a widow of a novelist with a hit book who then died by suicide. Then Anne at a book signing signs a book with a post-it note that indicates someone may know that things are not all as Anne has presented them and she sets off to take care of loose ends from her past. A real page-turner!

Jean Hanff Korelitz is out here writing a follow-up sequel to one of my favorite books of 2021, and I'm here for it. While I didn't give The Sequel 5 stars like I did The Plot, it's still a very good novel and follow-up. It just didn't hold the unique factor that I thought The Plot had. What it did have was some fantastic character development. Anne Williams-Bonner is back in action, moving on after tying up some loose ends and even writing her own novel. Someone out there knows her secrets, and as Anne enjoys her new found success, the past is starting to catch up to her.
A slow burn of a novel that was devious and dark, I didn't feel the thrills or suspense, but I did feel the creeps. Anne is an anti-hero that we find ourselves rooting for to win, along in the same breath wishing for her to face the consequences. Intriguing character, well developed plot. Highly recommend first reading The Plot and then get your hands on The Sequel. You won't be disappointed.

I read and reviewed an advanced digital copy. Opinions and thoughts are my own.

Happy pub day to The Sequel! What a great surprise this novel was! Not sure why I picked it up in the first place, as I didn't love The Plot, but I am so glad I did read this follow up, as I liked it much more than the first one.

We follow Anna from The Plot as her secrets are threatened to be revealed in the midst of her writing and publication of her own based-on-real-life novel. While not super twisty, we get plenty of intrigue, snark, and action as we see what happens after the conclusion of The Plot. I really enjoyed this sequel and would definitely recommend it to anyone who like The Plot!

"(Sequels)...they're never as good as the first book, are they?"

They certainly can be, and this book is no exception. A lot depends on how the reader perceived the first book. "The Sequel" can be read as a standalone, but I would highly recommend reading the first book in the series, "The Plot", first.

This isn't the type of book to hurry through or skim. To truly appreciate this book, readers need to pay close attention as they wade through the many different characters, as well as a maze of deceit and murder.

Bodies begin to pile up quickly and lies are waist deep. I think that Anna Williams-Bonner ranks near the top with other sociopathic killer characters, such as Hannibal Lecter and a few others from Stephen King novels. She is cool, calm, collected, and surprisingly somewhat easy to like, yet merciless and deadly. Where does all of it lead? Could there possibly be an actual "Afterword" or "Epilogue"? I will be on pins and needles waiting to find out.

I will recommend this to all readers who enjoyed "The Plot" and highly recommend this to fans of psychological suspense thrillers. The only reason that I did not give this book five stars is because it just couldn't match the shock value of "The Plot" and Anna's actions became slightly repetitive and predictable.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

“The Sequel,” by Jean Hanff Korelitz, Celadon Books, 304 pages, October 1, 2024.

In the first book in this series, “The Plot,” Jacob Finch Bonner, a novelist, is teaching a class when student Evan Parker boasts he has a great plot for his first novel. After a few years without Parker’s novel being published, Bonner learns that Parker died before finishing the book.

Bonner uses that plot for his novel, to great success. But he gets threatening emails about stealing the book and kills himself. His widow, Anna Williams-Bonner, is touring book events, talking about her husband. And enjoying royalty checks and the movie adaption rights. Then she tells an interviewer that she is writing her own novel, “The Afterword.” After all, how hard can it really be to write a bestseller?

But when Anna publishes her book and indulges in her own literary acclaim, she begins to receive excerpts of a novel she never expected to see again, a novel that should not exist. Then during a book signing, someone slips her a note that makes her aware that someone knows of her past. She decides to find out who is behind this harassment.

This is a series that should be read in order. The great thing about “The Plot” was that the underlying story driving the novel was a bombshell. Now that readers know the secret, “The Sequel” isn’t as stunning. But the plot is intricate and the reveal of the person behind the harassment comes as a complete surprise. Anna is a dark, brilliant character. The ending has several twists which I never saw coming.

I rate it five out of five stars.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The Sequel is book two in The Book Series by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
I loved book one The Plot and was so eager to jump into the second title in this amazing series.
The writing as usual is what drew me in immediately. It's sharp and clever.
This book was so well-written, it was so fast paced and intriguing. I didn’t want it to end.
The story is a compelling blend of suspense and intrigue that kept me hooked from start to finish.
The characters are well-drawn and the plot twists are genuinely surprising.

Thank You NetGalley and Celadon Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Now that Anna is a literary widow she has to figure out what to do with her notoriety. Anna could easily live off royalties but she wants more, and she decides that she too can be a writer and so she writes her own novel. When her novel is released to the same acclaim as her husband’s, she also receives the same type of disturbing notes that he did making her have to delve back into a past that she never wanted to revisit.


I didn’t know that The Plot needed a sequel, but @jeanhanff created it and I am all in! I wasn’t sure how I would feel to be in the mind of a sociopath/psychopath for an entire book but somehow it worked and I enjoyed the entire ride. While I would absolutely recommend reading The Plot first, The Sequel has its own mystery built in as well and I loved the twists and turns that it took (and I actually found it less predictable than the Plot). There were also a bunch of meta moments in the novel that made me laugh (making fun of writers, sequels, the publishing industry, etc.) Plus when you have Julia Whelen as a narrator - listening to the audiobook is just amazing.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC to review

THE SEQUEL is indeed the sequel to THE PLOT, Jean Hanff Korelitz's outstanding story of a man who writes a best seller based on an idea that was not his. THE PLOT was an excellent read, if you haven't read it yet, you're missing out on one of the best revenge plots I've read in a long time. The Sequel finds Anna Bonner publishing her own runaway hit bestseller. Thinking herself safe from having her crimes discovered, she will put away the loving wife character she played and start to live her way. When she starts receiving texts, notes, letters, etc, she will hunt down anyone she thinks might know her real history. But actions have consequences, and Anna will learn this the hard way. This was an excellent book, in fact both books are skillfully written to keep readers guessing. Even when the reveals come......you just can't believe it went this far.

Jean Hanff Korelitz skewers writers and the publishing industry in her engaging follow-up to her 2021 bestseller “The Plot.” Anna Williams-Bonner is the widow of Jacob Finch Bonner, the successful author who came to a swift demise in “The Plot.” This novel opens with Anna annoyed with writers who went on “so incessantly, so dramatically” about “the mere act of sitting down at a desk.” She contrasts the task of writing with “going down the mine on all fours with a plastic spoon clenched between their teeth to loosen the diamond” or “running into burning buildings with forty-five pounds of equipment on their backs” and concludes that typing is “[n]ot hard at all, actually.”

Although Anna, a former radio producer in Seattle, had longed to be left alone, during a media blitz where she appeared as a literary widow promoting her celebrated husband’s posthumous novel, she blurted out that she was attempting to write a novel of her own. Because of her late husband’s acclaim, and his prestigious representation and publisher, Anna did not need to “supplicate herself at the alter of the Literary Market Place!” Nor did she have to publish to be invited to a renowned artists’ colony where she half-heartedly began writing between languorous naps.

Naturally, Anna writes a novel, “The Afterward,” a tribute to Jake, and the literary widow becomes a literary phenomenon, receiving a glowing profile in the New York Times and a national book tour. But, just as Jacob had been the victim of anonymous campaign accusing him of appropriating someone else’s work, Anna begins to be tormented by an unidentified antagonist who seems to be acutely aware that Anna is not the grieving widow that she appears. It is not surprising that Korelitz would dub the defunct college where Jacob taught a low residency program “Ripley College” as Anna, who is determined to shut down the person or persons responsible for tormenting her, is very much a Tom Ripley antihero.

You know that Korelitz is having a ball when she relates a conversation between Anna and her editor where they discuss whether sequels can be as good as the first book. She also throws in references that will thrill any avid reader, including “Read with Jenna,” “Instagram Stories by Sarah Jessica Parker,” Shelf Awareness, the Brooklyn Bookstore Festival, Books Are Magic, Tattered Cover, and Jodi Picoult. Korelitz has written a fun, twisty and compulsively readable tale. Thank you Celadon and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this wildly entertaining book.

“That was the thing about a private experience. You could speculate all you wanted. You could fictionalize. You could assume…But you couldn’t know for sure.”

I read The Plot, the first book in The Book Series, in 2021 and I loved it! The Sequel, quite literally a sequel, follows Anna Williams-Bonner, wife of The Plot’s protagonist Jacob Finch-Bonner, as she discovers her own literary success. I went back and read my review for The Plot and that really helped me reconnect with these characters and the storyline. So can you read this as a stand alone? Yes. Would it be much more enjoyable, though, if you’ve read The Plot? Also yes.

4.5 stars! This book was so compulsively readable! It is full of wicked games, twisty twists, very messed up family dynamics, and a whole lot of drama. I loved it!

The audiobook is narrated by the fantastic Julia Whelan so it is obviously flawlessly perfect. I would expect nothing less from her. Honestly I could listen to it again even though I know how it ends.

Thank you to a Netgalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the gifted book and ALC.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

I read this both via audio and physical copy, and I really enjoyed it this way. I did not expect it to go where it did. I will say I was glad I did a re-read of The Plot via audio first, and as such you will really benefit from reading these in order. The Sequel has a slow build at the start, but then it gets crazy, and just as you think you understand what is going on, it gets really twisty and intense! I loved this one and all the crazy turns it took. It is worth noting that Julia Whelan narrates the audio, so you know she does this one justice!

The Sequel Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Plot was so awesome. Now we get The Sequel.
Anna cleverly takes care of her brother and husband amidst all the curiosity spinning around the facts of the novel. But this time someone else knows too much and Anna has to elude the hunter. Another thrilling tale from Jean Hanff Korelitz.

How does an author follow up a breakout hit? The answer is quite simple: they write a sequel. It’s no surprise that Jean Hanff Korelitz has released a follow-up to her 2021 thriller The Plot, aptly titled The Sequel. I was utterly captivated by the original story of a struggling author who lifted a novel idea from a deceased former student, catapulting him to an enviable fame that most writers can only dream of. However, I must admit I was initially hesitant about The Sequel, especially considering how conclusive the first book's ending felt. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy from the publisher and eager to discover whether The Sequel could stand up to the brilliance of The Plot.

Anna Williams-Bonner’s life has taken a tumultuous turn in recent years. Her husband, Jacob Finch Bonner, enjoyed remarkable success with his novel, but that triumph was overshadowed by his personal struggles, particularly the plagiarism accusations that plagued him. Their marriage was brief, as Jacob succumbed to his demons and took his own life, leaving Anna to manage the aftermath. Now, she lives a comfortable life as a literary widow, benefiting from her husband’s royalty checks, with the plagiarism controversies finally fading away with his passing.

As Anna travels the country to keep her husband's memory and bestselling work alive, an innocent question from the audience sends her life spiraling back into familiar territory. When asked about her future plans, Anna panics and impulsively states that she wants to write a novel of her own. What begins as a spontaneous response quickly turns into an obsession for her. Surely, writing a bestseller can't be that difficult. Before long, Anna is immersed in crafting her own book, and The Afterword lands with her husband's agency, becoming yet another breakout success.

Just as Anna revels in her newfound fame, she receives a package containing excerpts from a book she believed she would never see again. Secrets from her husband’s past have resurfaced, threatening her life just as they once threatened his. With these revelations comes the risk of everything Anna has built crumbling around her. Who is behind this unsettling revival of the past? What do they want from her? She has no choice but to follow a trail of clues back into her past to safeguard her future.

I should never have doubted Jean Hanff Korelitz. She takes the themes introduced in The Plot and expands them in thrilling new directions. While The Sequel is indeed a follow-up, and readers will benefit most from reading the first book, even those who dive straight into this one will find plenty to appreciate. The novel operates on two levels. At first glance, it's a gripping thriller with moral ambiguity and a compelling mystery that drives the narrative. On a deeper level, The Sequel delves into themes of celebrity, creativity, and our insatiable desire for more.

The Sequel is remarkably self-aware. The author candidly acknowledges the literary hypocrisy of crafting a sequel to a bestselling novel while using that premise to critique the very nature of such efforts. This self-awareness makes the book feel genuine rather than preachy. While I don’t think The Sequel possesses the same irresistible hook that made The Plot so addictive, Korelitz doesn’t seem to be attempting to recreate that magic. Instead, she confidently delivers another clever page-turner that more than justifies its own existence. While sequels rarely match the original, I had no complaints about this one.

After reading The Plot, I kind of admired the detail that Anna paid attention to in wiping out the origins and truth of The Crib, along with finally taking care of her husband and author of said book. The Sequel delves in deeper (after the death of Jake and the publishing of a book that Anna wrote) of how she got rid of her brother and his copies of the true story. All to no avail though because now someone else has popped up knowing the sordid truth. So, while I did like the twist with Anna, it is also fun to see her in the same situation as she had put her husband in. Though her answer to finding out the leaks and stopping them are with her trademark accidents and she ends up nicely creative with that (even just coming up with it spur of the moment). With all the leaks, I am not sure she will ever be able to completely keep the past squarely in the past. It was fun to read and see her try though.

With the past and background that Anna had, I am impressed with her cleverness and it makes me curious to how she would have turned out if her parents had let her give Rose up for adoption. Would she still have turned out to be a serial killer? And I was not surprised that she was able to whip out a novel of her own that people really liked. This book did a great job in answering several questions from the first book and added more details about Anna's dark but strangely intriguing history into how she became the woman she is today.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book and enjoy Anna keeping her head and hard earned lifestyle.

2021's The Plot was a cleverly constructed twisty thriller about a washed up novelist who found success with a 'borrowed' plot from one of his students. The narrative unfolded bouncing between the author, Jacob Finch Bonner's, life with newfound success, and the actual chapters of his borrowed book Crib.

The Sequel picks up shortly after the conclusion of The Plot. Like any successful second entry in a serious, The Sequel follows up on loose threads from part 1, while telling a similar story with different risks. This time, the book is narrated by Anna Williams-Bonner who had married Bonner in book one, but tragedy struck and to overcome the emotional fall out of a changed life, Anna writes a 'fictional' work heavily influenced by her recent life.

And much like Jacob Bonner, it is highly successful. But, much like in book 1, that success has some costs. And one of those costs is that someone knows about more than they should. Book 1 saw Jacob Bonner play detective. Anna has far more skills and much more to lose, her resourcefulness is fully apparent. As William Faulkner is oft quoted: "The past is never dead. It's not even past."

Readers of the first book will find much to enjoy, re-entering this world that at first pass seems more of a critique of the publishing world, and it is that, but has grown into more of the journey of an anti-hero desperate for a life of their own. Though there are lots of nods to other books, especially as each chapter title links to a specific book (listed in an afterword).

Recommend reading for fans of twisty thrillers like Gone Girl, books about books, how not to succeed in social interactions.

This sequel to The Plot is another propulsive thriller that I enjoyed even more than the original. The Sequel starts with another published book, although many skeletons from the last book's closet continue to be revealed and to haunt. I loved the continued roasting of the literary publishing world, which was already present in The Plot. And the author's writing of what is going through the main protagonist's head as if it were completely normal is a highlight.

I would say that this book could be read without reading the first book since the author provides enough backstory without feeling like a retelling. So, a new reader will get the gist of what has already happened. However, to get the most bang for the buck, I do recommend reading The Plot and then continuing with The Sequel immediately.

Thanks #Celadon for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I will be recommending this to my book club, which read and loved The Plot last year. Readers who love thrillers, books within the book, and a look into the publishing world will also enjoy it! 4.25*

If you haven't read The Plot, I suggest starting with it. It will surely enhance your enjoyment of this terrific sequel. In her 2021 novel, Jean Hanff Korelitz tells the tale of Jacob Finch Bonner, a writer who plagiarizes a thriller's plot from a deceased student and claims it as his own, turning it into a best-seller. However, Jacob's success is threatened when rumors of his plagiarism emerge. In The Sequel, Jacob's widow Anna Williams-Bonner carries on his legacy and manages his estate, even hinting at writing her own book. Her own novel, The Afterword, quickly becomes a hit. But when Anna begins receiving mysterious excerpts from a manuscript, it becomes apparent that the sender is privy to her true past and hidden secrets.

Kudos to Korelitz for writing such a worthwhile follow-up. After enjoying the first book, I was very excited to find out what was coming next for Anna, a compelling antihero. The Sequel offers a welcome female perspective with some excellent twists. Part thriller, part satire, this book is another winner.

4.5 stars.

You will enjoy this a lot more if you've read the Plot (and even more if you remember the details of that twisty twisty tale). This continues the story of Anna-her current name-whose husband Jacob took a book written by her brother and turned it into a massive best seller. And then died. Anna has now written her own novel but her brother's work, a novel that's really about her life, continues to haunt her because someone is sending notes and pieces of the book to her, her agent, and her in-laws. Anna, a woman who will do whatever she deems necessary, sets out to stop this. She's not a nice person, not nice at all, but she's very clever and devious. No spoilers from me. This does a bit of skewering of the publishing industry-not just the publishers but also agents and booksellers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a real page turner.