The Sequel

A Novel

By: Jean Hanff Korelitz

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

"Fans of The Plot, and they were legion, will rejoice at this sequel, performed with mesmerizing skill by the wonderful Julia Whelan...Whelan's achievement here seems like a little miracle, relentlessly compelling and wonderfully satisfying."—AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)

After the “insanely readable” (Stephen King) and “perfectly told” (Malcolm Gladwell) New York Times bestseller The Plot comes Jean Hanff Korelitz’s equally captivating new novel: The Sequel.

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. That it does means something has gone very wrong, and someone out there knows far too much: about her late brother, her late husband, and—just possibly—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.

With her signature wit and sardonic humor, Jean Hanff Korelitz gives listeners an antihero to root for while illuminating and satirizing the world of publishing in this deliciously fun and suspenseful read.

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books.

Critic reviews

<p>“Wicked entertainment.”<br><b>—<i>Kirkus, S</i>TARRED</b><br><br>"It’s another taut and compulsively readable spellbinder from Korelitz."<br><b>—<i>Publishers Weekly</i>, STARRED</b><br><br>“This book will fly off the shelves.”<br><b><i>—Library Journal</i></b><br><br>“Fans of Korelitz’s literary thriller<i> The Plot </i>will (manuscript theft! identity theft! murder most foul! soup!) get excited for the sequel:<i> The Sequel</i>, in which a certain author’s widow decides to write her own book—and discovers that she’s not the only one who knows a few secrets after all. Fun.”<br><b>—<i>LitHub</i>, Most Anticipated Books of 2024<br></b><br>"[A] hilariously snippy and deliciously mean satire of the publishing world in addition to a nail-biting suspense novel."<br><b>—<i>BookPage</i><i>, </i>STARRED<br><br></b></p>

Great follow-up book!

Wow! So excited to get this book I binge read it! So makes you wonder if Jean “plotted” this while writing “The Plot,” as it so seamlessly expands the known universe of it! Absolutely appreciated the narrator this time out - the prior one was so awful I physically read the book instead. Also makes me wonder (and hope) if there this will become a trilogy (no spoiler alerts here).

Similarities of the story to the plot!

I didn’t like that it championed a murderer and justified her as if her murdering anybody and everybody
Who hurt or disagreed with her in anyway, and that her evil deeds went unchecked or brought to account.

Great sequel!

Enjoyed this one! Anna is so diabolical lol. Love how things come together. Definitely enjoyed this series!

Fantastic

Well written. Well narrated.
The sequel may just be better than its predecessor!!
Top notch character development and plots great novel.

Page turner - flew through it

Wish I could read another from this author. Super pacey. I liked the concept of hearing from another characters perspective in this one. Want more

Compelling story masterfully narrated

I was fully engrossed as the story revealed one twist after another. The story is multi-layered and it’s true you needn’t read The Plot to understand The Sequel.

Involvement with protagonists mind stands out.

Involvement with protagonists mind stands out. A sequel to the plot which I had read a few months ago. Still I discovered I needed to refresh the details of that book. It makes a deeper and more interesting story. In the end the protagonist isn’t likable. The ending seems to leave room for another sequel. “Postscript” perhaps. Perhaps an insight into writing but more an insight into an unhappy and unfulfilled mind. At least the author doesn’t claim it is autobiographical.

Great narration!

I really enjoyed The Sequel. It was a wash and repeat of Book 1 but I didn’t mind.

Lots of twists and turns

Sequel is a respectable follow up to The Plot. Very engaging. You definitely don’t want to be driving while listening as you’ll find yourself pulling over to replay parts you might’ve missed.

The Sequel is as great as The Plot

Intelligently written, more like literature than chick lit. Non shop suspense. I can’t wait for the sequel. Hope the author is working on it.