Anna K Away

As an author, I always find it harder to write a sequel than the first of a series, though this seems illogical: the characters are old friends by now; they shouldn’t still cause trouble! As a reader, of course, I love sequels for this exact reason. Reading a follow-up novel is comforting in the best way, the book equivalent of a gooey chocolate chip cookie.

If you’ve read Anna K, a modern twist on Anna Karenina, then you won’t be surprised that its sequel has all the opulent detail, trenchant social commentary, and tangled drama of the first. And as in all good sequels, the stakes are higher than ever for all the characters. Beatrice, who’s always guarded her heart behind careless party-girl ways, discovers what a terrifying and thrilling rush it is to finally give your heart away. Lolly wrestles with feelings for someone new and wonders if it’s possible to love two people at once. And then, of course, there’s Anna K herself, trying to put the shattered pieces of her life back together after an unimaginable loss.

Anna K Away spans more territory than its predecessor—literally, from the pulsing world of K-Pop, to the beaches of Mexico, to the gossip-soaked bubble of competitive theater camp—and also emotionally. If Anna K was a book about the intoxicating rush of first love, Anna K Away deals with the aftermath of that love, and with heartache and grief. In the end, Anna discovers the truth we all eventually learn about growing up (which were all reminded of, over the past year)—that it’s okay if you don’t always know what comes next.

How the mighty have fallen. Anna K, once the golden girl of Greenwich, CT, and New York City, has been brought low by a scandalous sex tape and the tragic death of her first love, Alexia Vronsky. At the beginning of the summer, her father takes her to the other side of the world, to connect with his family in South Korea and hide her away. Is Anna in exile? Or could this be her chance to figure out who she really is?

Back in the U.S., Lolly has forgiven Steven for cheating on her, and their relationship feels stronger than ever. But when Lolly meets a boy at her beloved theater camp, she has to ask herself how well Steven will ever really know her. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, everything between Kimmie and her new boyfriend, Dustin, is easy—except when it comes to finally having sex. And Bea escapes to LA, running away from her grief at her beloved cousin’s death, until a beautiful stranger steals her heart. Is Bea ready to finally forgive Anna, and let herself truly fall in love for the very first time?

Set over the course of one unforgettable summer, Jenny Lee's Anna K Away is full of the risk, joy, heartbreak, and adventure that mark the three months between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next.