The Sequel (to The Plot)

Pretty much any discussion of The Sequel is going to have spoilers for the first book, The Plot, so if you haven’t read that one yet, stop reading this review!

First, I really liked The Sequel, by Jean Hanff Korelitz, it’s an absolute pageturner, a gore-free thriller with a ruthless lead, and the book offers solid satisfying resolutions to the questions left in the dramatic ending of the first book, but it still wasn’t The Plot. Part of this reaction is just me: in The Plot I was intrigued and compelled by Jacob’s overall goal to be a successful author. His fears that his best work is behind him, that he’s undertalented,  that it’s all downhill from here, and that he’s gonna spend his life teaching in decreasingly prestigious programs made such a compelling motivation. Plus, the real creator of that perfect plot is the worst Guy in Your MFA type, and he’s already dead, anyway, when Jacob decides to steal it, so…

In The Sequel, I didn’t fully connect with Anna’s overall goals. I was delighted to see more of her, of course! What a strange and ruthless character! At first, it seemed like Anna just wanted Jacob’s money from what was, after all, her story.  But then, I didn’t understand why she even wanted to write her own book, and I didn’t understand why she was interested in the book tours and TV appearances. She never seemed to have a desire for fame, and surely that would increase the chances that someone from Rutland or Athens would recognize her? Jacob took that risk because Famous Author was always his goal, but Anna? I wasn’t sure why she wanted to be reckless.  And even if she was sure no one would make the connection, it didn’t match her stated goal of being left alone, with, presumably, all the Crib money. 

Female serial murderer, all in non-gory ways, still makes a pretty fascinating thriller, but it wasn’t quite as compelling as a hack writer, who wants desperately to be a success. 

Just to be clear, I still read The Sequel in 3 days, it was still a fascinating suspense story. The book opens after Jacob’s “suicide” with Anna explaining how she found herself writing her own book, and then touring as a celebrated literary widow and secret talent. We knew from the first novel that Anna once excelled in school, and was great at inventing stories, so it’s not an impossible stretch. There’s also a little foreshadowing in that “secret writer” stuff from their first date back in The Plot, which I thought was just manipulative Anna flattering a self-centered author, but maybe it’s a hint of her real ambitions. In The Sequel, when we readers finally get Anna’s perspective, Anna keeps insisting she wants to be left alone and that she plans to move somewhere no one knows her, and it seems to me that with loads of money and no ties, she could easily do that. Instead, the book tour pulls her back into the web of lies that started when she was growing up in Rutland, Vermont.

I liked that Anna was so completely ruthless, it added suspense and tension to the story because I thought she’d do just about anything, so I had no idea what would unfold. Like in the first book, Anna’s on her book tour when she starts getting creepy anon messages implying that someone knows her real story. This idea blends the relatable imposter syndrome at work (What if I got hired by mistake? What if everyone figures out I’m not even very good at my job?) with the intense dark secret of a thriller, and it’s so tense.  Unlike Jacob, though, Anna’s not going to just hope they go away… This book has a pretty wild body count.

I’d enjoyed the comments on third-rate teaching jobs and pay-to-play writing workshops found in The Plot. The Sequel had some commentary on the publishing industry, but I don’t really have any feelings about publishing or much knowledge about it, so for me, those parts were just Anna and her agent talking about work. It didn’t pop like Jacob’s teaching woes did. But I did really enjoy one of the publishing world themes — there’s an undercurrent of opinion that Anna wasn’t really a talented writer, that she got the breaks and interest from being a literary widow. I found this theme hilarious because Anna put a lot of effort into becoming a literary widow, emphasis on widow, so it was funny when people like Martin thought she hadn’t put in enough work to really deserve her success. Poor Martin was feeling shortchanged because he didn’t that the serial murderer had spent enough time in workshops or sitting in craft seminars to earn it. A really funny note in a tense, twisty thriller.

The Sequel, by Jean Hanff Korelitz, will be published by Celadon Books on October 1, 2024. I received an advance copy of this book to review. Opinions and reactions on my book blog are my own, as always.