15 Sophomore Novels Being Published in 2019
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After getting so much buzz for a debut novel, there can be a lot of pressure on the second one. We’ve all heard of the “sophomore slump” and I have all the faith in the world that these books will not fall into that trap.
The City of Brass introduced us to Nahri, Dara, and Daevabad—the eponymous City of Brass. Nahri becomes entangled in a political web when she befriends Alizayd, the prince of Daevabad who is looking to overthrow his tyrannical father. The Kingdom of Copper returns us to Daevabad, with Prince Ali exiled for defying his father, Nahri reeling (and me, too) after THAT death, and the djinn searching for the aid of a warrior.
In The Poppy War we met, Rin, an outlier, peasant girl who defied the odds to enter Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan. When we return to the story, it’s the end of the third Poppy War and Rin is forced to flee, all the while ignoring the commands from her Phoenix. Without any other options, Rin partners with the Dragon Warlord to conquer Nikan and remove the Empress from power. I cannot WAIT.
If you haven’t read The Kiss Quotient yet, I’m going to need you to reassess your life. To say I’m excited for Hoang’s second novel is the biggest understatement. This time our couple is Khai Diep, whose family takes matters into their own hands after he steadfastly avoids relationships (he’s the character with autism this time!), and Esme Tran, a mixed race girl, who arrives in America with the hopes of finding a husband. I’m already smiling in anticipation.
Thomas hit gold with The Hate U Give, and her second book has been highly anticipated. This time our protagonist is Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Her plans to make it big are foiled when her mother loses her job, throwing the family into financial difficulty. Even as the odds continue to stack against her, Bri remains determined not to lose her dream.
Fiona Skinner is a renown poet and when she is asked about her inspiration for her latest work, she launches into a story about family and their life in a small, Connecticut town. The four siblings—Renee, Caroline, Joe, and Fiona—find themselves connected after an unexpected betrayal that will come back to haunt them for the years, testing their familial ties, and love for one another.
On top of being a normal high schooler, Emoni is also caring for her daughter and supporting her abuela. Her escape is the kitchen, where her cooking takes a life of its own. Soon she has no choice but to explore her great talent and look to the future, no matter what. Acevedo’s The Poet X, an accomplishment in poetry and contemporary, was a huge surprise me for me this year, and this looks amazing.
“Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.” (GR synopsis) Ahmed’s second book feels frighteningly real and this time this subject is covered by an #ownvoices author. Love, Hate, and Other Filters packed an emotional punch and I have no doubt that Interment will do the same.
After the events of Markswoman, our friendly warrior, Kyra, returns to Kali to a completely different world. Her teacher is dead, her best friend is missing—and also missing in action is Rustan, the marksman who taught her. Rustan’s quest for answers leads him to the descendent of an ancient sect, the Ones.
