Whilst writing a successful novel is a hard enough feat to achieve, what’s even more difficult is following it up with another, hugely readable and enjoyable literary masterpiece. Here we look at our top 10 sequel novels where an author has followed up a best-seller by knocking it out of the park for a second time. So, sit back and relax while we look at some super sequels!
Who can forget Alice in Wonderland with the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts? Well, in Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, we see Alice return to Underland and reunite with all of the characters that featured in the first book. However, upon her return, she finds that the Hatter is not himself – even by his own standards – due to the loss of his family. What follows is an amazing adventure through fantasy and time as she fights to get his family back and it’s well worth a read!
Following on from the amazingly entertaining book that is the Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams’ sequel The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is an equally funny and riveting read. The story describes the continuing galactic adventures of earthling Arthur Dent, Marvin the depressed android and the mercurial, three-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox. This off-the-wall tale will have you giggling out loud, just like the first one did and that’s why it had to be on our list.
To Kill a Mockingbird was a deeply emotive novel tackling racial tensions during a high-profile trial in 1950’s deep South of America. The sequel – Go Set a Watchman – was actually written before the book it followed and it features all of the same characters, with a complex father-daughter relationship taking center stage. Jean Finch returns to the place she grew up and reunites with Atticus her lawyer father, where the levels of bigotry that exist in the town shock her. Want a real page-turner that you won’t want to put down? Then this sequel certainly fits the bill.
Roald Dahl is a prolific writer of children’s fantasy books and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator is a wonderful follow-up to the world-famous Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Featuring the glass elevator, this sequel picks the story up with Willy Wonka, Charlie and his grandfather flying into space. What follows is a momentous, captivating and compelling tale including monstrous aliens and lots and lots of fun. A sequel that’s well worth its salt.
After the traumatic events at the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, Stephen King brings us the next installment of the story in Doctor Sleep. Dan Torrence was a child in the first novel as his father became possessed by evil spirits and tried to kill him and his mother. Doctor Sleep sees Dan all grown up and encountering Abra – someone else who also share his ‘shining’ gift. What follows will grip you, but you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out why.
In the second episode of the Bourne Saga, The Bourne Supremacy picks up where The Bourne Identity left off and with Jason Bourne living in India. Subsequently framed for the theft of millions by a Russian agent, Bourne is pursued feverishly by the CIA with an intention of killing him. Bourne is made of stern stuff, however, and he won’t go down lightly. In a fight to clear his name and bring the guilty parties to justice, readers will remain on the edge of their seat until the final page.
Katniss Everdeen was triumphant in The Hunger Games and returned home with the belief that she could live out her life in peace. However, she is soon back in a life-or-death struggle of the Hunger Games Victors’ Tour in Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Fearing that Katniss will spark a revolution amongst the masses, the powers that be do everything they can to stop her from triggering a rebellion. To tell you more at this point would spoil it, so we suggest you read it for yourself, as it’s an amazing sequel novel.
A change of pace and time now, as we look at Nautilus by Jules Verne, the epic sequel to 20,000 leagues under the sea. Set in the mid 19th century, the US Navy is tracking what they believe is a giant sea monster, whereas in truth, it is Captain Nemo in his Nautilus submersible. Written from the perspective of marine biologist Prof Pierre Aronnax, the story details their pursuit of the submarine, it’s a sequel we highly recommend – especially for fans of sci-fi.
We continue the fantasy theme with a sequel to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis in the form of Prince Caspian. Returning to Narnia just one year after their first adventure, Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan find that over 1,300 years have passed and that war is again afoot. Joining forces with Prince Caspian, they endeavour to defeat evil King Miraz in an epic sequel that most certainly gets our approval.
Those of you who’ve read Forrest Gump by Winston Gump will be delighted to know that there is a sequel going by the title of Gump and Co. Despite being a millionaire at the end of the first book, Forrest endures financial hard times in the sequel and ends up working as a janitor in a strip club. However, Forrest is no ordinary chap and he doesn’t stay there for long before going on to play in the NFL, crash the Exxon Valdez and fight in Operation Desert Storm. His is a life like no other and readers of this amazing sequel will get to find out all about it.
So, there you have it. 10 super sequels to keep you busy during the first months of Spring and beyond. We hope you have a fantastic time working your way through the pages of these wonderful literary creations.
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