The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz is the sequel to the 2021 book The Plot. Confused already? Me too, but I am here to tell you where to get a recap of book one and help you decide whether you will like The Sequel! The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz: Review With Spoilers also contains a Plot Summary and Spoilers for The Sequel.
The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz: What You Need to Know
September 2024 was the worst time of my life to read a book like The Sequel. I had food poisoning and then, right after that, a terrible hacking cough. I’m much better, but my brain still is running at about 50% and these books are like Russian Dolls on the page. But I have rallied and stretched myself to the limit. I will rely on your comments so DO NOT HOLD BACK.
The most important thing you need to know about The Sequel:
If you read The Plot, did you HATE the ending? Many of you in the comments of my Spoiler Discussion Post of The Plot told me you did.
If yes, then you will hate The Sequel with the heat of a thousand fiery suns. Just saying. You can read my protected spoilers below and see that I’m right.
Can you read The Sequel without reading The Plot?
Sure, but I would NOT. I think The Plot is a slightly better book and the two books are deeply interconnected.
Should You Read a Plot Summary of the Plot before reading the sequel, The Sequel?
A thousand times yes. The Plot came out in 2021, which was a LONG time ago.
If you read a lot, reading years are like dog years, in which you multiply by seven. So if you read a book a month ago, it seems like seven months. So we all read The Plot decades ago.
Review of The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Sequel is a true sequel, picking up right where The Plot left off. This is the non-spoiler part of the review, so I can’t say where that is! (But I will tell you below.)
- The Sequel was published on October 1, 2024
- Like The Plot, The Sequel features a story-within-a-story element
- It’s also a Mystery-Thriller About Writers. If you love this trope as much as I do, check out my list of other titles.
- I thought The Sequel was much darker, with much more gory content, than The Plot (will explain under spoiler protection below)
Can You tell me ANYTHING about The Sequel?
Yes!
Without spoilers, the book is about Anna, a widow who writes her first novel, Afterword, which is about the lead-up to, and aftermath of, the tragic death of her husband Jake, who was a very successful author.
So in Afterword, Anna rewrites what happens in The Plot but eliminates all the parts about her murdering people. It’s “her truth,” am I right???
Do we get to read Afterword in The Sequel?
No. But we do get to read parts of Evan’s unpublished manuscript. Which, if you remember book one, is HIS version of Anna’s life. We got to read Jake’s version in the excerpts of The Crib (which were in The Plot.) Are you still with me? Leave a comment and ask for help if you need it. It’s a LOT.
So what happens in The Sequel then?
Anna gets anonymous messages (just like Jake!) and realizes that she has NOT tied up all her murder-y loose ends.
Like Yellowface, The Sequel is also a send-up of the publishing industry and writers. In the Acknowledgment to The Plot, the author says that the book “may seem a little hard on writers, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone; we’re hard on ourselves.”
Anna must not really be a writer then, because she looks down on pretty much everyone.
Like Yellowface, both The Plot and The Sequel also have interesting things to say about narratives and how they are constructed, who gets to tell stories and who they “belong” to.
Spoilers for The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz
SPOILERS BELOW! To protect readers who HATE being spoiled you will need to click on the blue “Show Me” box below and log in with a Grow account, Facebook, or Google. By doing so, you will be added to my email list and receive weekly updates about new books! For more information on why I protect my spoilers, please read this post! If you are having any issues check this tutorial OR leave a comment below as I want to help!
What’s Included in these Spoilers Below:
- 10 second recap of The Plot
- Anna’s new motive for her crimes in The Plot
- Is Anna lying about her motive?
- How Anna’s old (described in The Plot) and new (revealed in The Sequel) crimes fit together
Coming Soon: A more thorough reading guide to The Sequel, IF enough people request it. Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for this. I was struggling along, about 100 pages in and I’d rather read your reviews then the book. Thanks as always Jen!
Aw, thanks so much. I did enjoy this one, but between having to remember the first book and the frustrating (again!) ending, I was left a bit deflated. I do think the books are super-clever though and great for fans of The Kind Worth Killing!
I loved this book and you do a wonderful job summarizing and analyzing it. I am discussing it with my book club (in our 40th year!) this week, and with a plot this complicated, it is great to be able to get a quick summary. We all loved The Plot and have been looking forward to this.
Wow, that is amazing. I would love to know how you have kept a book club going that long. I am so happy my summary helped!
Sorry to be picayune here, but the name of Anna’s book is “The Afterword” and not “The Afterward”.
Don’t apologize! I was sick when I listened to this and “afterword” and “afterward” sounded the same. But of course, given the literary theme in the titles, Afterword makes so much more sense. Corrected it and much appreciated!