“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.”
The Sequel, Jean Hanff Korelitz
To retell a book you’ve already written, you need to have the most compelling character as your narrator. Using Anna, Jake’s wife, Hanff Korelitz is able to turn The Plot on its head and give us an even more fascinating chain of events.
I will admit, I am severely biased towards women doing highly illegal and questionable things, but Anna is also a more compelling character than Jake for lots of reasons. She’s self-assured, determined, and isn’t whiny. Anna gets shit done and moves on.
Surprisingly, what I liked most about this second book was the matter-of-factness and the lack of justice. Anna is a terrible person who will do anything to get what she wants, and she never lies to herself about it. She did have me gasping and clutching my pearls in a few moments, but she successfully got everything she wanted. It does veer into unbelievable a few times, but it’s so fast-paced and calculated that I barely had time to notice.
Obviously, as the second in a duology, I’d mainly recommend this if you read The Plot and need to know more! But this could also be read as a standalone, with every major plot point from The Plot getting a recap at some point in The Sequel.
If you’re looking for a murder mystery vibe to get you moving into the spooky season, this needs to be on your list. There’s blackmail, gothic old towns, highly suspicious deaths, and a sense of vengeance.
Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
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