Book Review: The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

New York Times bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz is a writer whose works are acclaimed as much for their literary merits as their canny adherence to the conventions of the crime story—a welcome example of transcendence beyond the long-running (and tiresome) debate over what constitutes “mainstream” vs. “genre” fiction. Her meta-masterpiece, The Plot (2021), bridged that (perceived) gap by focusing on a novelist whose ascension to fame is tempered by allegations of intellectual theft; that book brought Korelitz a new level of visibility and is currently in development as a limited series. This October, Korelitz returns with an eagerly anticipated (and aptly titled) follow-up, The Sequel. 

Anna Williams-Bonner, widow of the celebrated novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, has stepped out of her late husband’s shadow and into her own spotlight. After having traveled extensively to preserve his literary legacy (not to mention the payout that comes with it), she has now asserted her own authorial voice with The Afterword, an autobiographical novel about navigating life following the suicide of a loved one. Despite feelings of impostorism and inadequacy by comparison, critics and readers take note, heralding the arrival of a new talent to carry the Bonner mantle. But with this attention comes a level of scrutiny that promises to dredge up a painful history that is perhaps best left in the past.

Before his untimely demise, Jacob reached international bestsellerdom with Crib, a novel about a woman who murdered her daughter and then assumed said daughter’s identity as her own. Plagued by online harassment and assertions of plagiarism, Jacob seemingly buckled under the pressure, which put an end to the onslaught. But those claims resurface with a vengeance as Anna’s star rises, threatening to disrupt the shaky peace she has finally found after a lifetime of hard work and hardship. And not only is this anonymous person targeting Anna, but also Jacob’s bereaved parents and publisher, who have received manuscript pages that bear remarkable similarity to Crib accompanied by short taunts hinting at future intent. In the age of cancel culture, Anna feels she has no choice but to identify her provocateur(s) and neutralize them before they succeed in neutralizing her.

The story is told through Anna’s point of view, which is occasionally augmented by the aforementioned manuscript extracts. This makes the reader complicit in a delicate dance, as Ana-the-public-figure and Ana-the-private-citizen are not entirely one and the same. The lengths she goes to minimize awareness of this chasm are…extreme—because protecting Jacob’s secrets means protecting her own. Korelitz offers incisive commentary on what it means to be a writer, the divisive nature of The Sequel, and the cultural discourse over (mis)appropriation. These meditations are cleverly self-referential and provide a more cerebral counterpoint to the action-oriented components of the crime story. Consequently, the book straddles the line between “literary” and “genre” fiction, which has become increasingly (and appropriately) fluid.

Jean Hanff Korelitz delivers an often thrilling and always thought-provoking reading experience in The Sequel, which maintains the spirit of The Plot while daring to revel in the nuanced complexities of its flawed but fascinating lead. The book, then, manages to exist in a space of its own despite the inevitability of its existence (and comparisons to its predecessor). It should be noted that, while the story can be read as a standalone, its intricacies may be better appreciated by those who are familiar with the characters and events of the original. Regardless, one guaranteed takeaway is an ever-important reminder that “truth” has many sides and is often dictated by the teller and the telling.

Read Our Review of The Plot