Judges in this round read all four novels in their assigned group, then rank those titles.
Group A
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil — V. E. Schwab The Road to Tender Hearts — Annie Harnett The Heart of Winter — Jonathan Evison Audition — Katie Kitamura
Group B
All This & More — Peng Shepherd The Mighty Red — Louise Erdrich Isola — Allegra Goodman Rental House — Weike Wang
Group C
Homeseeking — Karissa Chen The Cliffs — J. Courtney Sullivan Tartufo — Kira Jane Buxton Tilt — Emma Pattee
Group D
The God of the Woods — Liz Moore Aftertaste — Daria Lavelle The Girls Who Grew Big — Leila Mottley A Reason to See You Again — Jami Attenberg
Group E
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls — Grady Hendrix The Dark Maestro — Brendan Slocumb Endling — Maria Reva Run for the Hills — Kevin Wilson
Group F
There Are Rivers in the Sky — Elif Shafak Old School Indian — Aaron John Curtis The Bog Wife — Kay Chronister Deep Cuts — Holly Brickley
Group G
Intermezzo — Sally Rooney Creation Lake — Rachel Kushner When the Moon Hits Your Eye — John Scalzi Entitlement — Rumaan Alam
Group H
Dream State — Eric Puchner The Antidote — Karen Russell Wild Dark Shore — Carlotte McConaghy All the Water in the World — Eiren Caffall