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UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Author Archives: J D Jung
Stay This Day and Night With Me – Belén Gopegui, (translated by Mark Schafer)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Don’t think, Google, that the value of human acts can be measured in visits or by keeping track of how much information or money they generate.” Mateo, a twenty-two-year-old Spanish college student wants to apply … Continue reading
Posted in Spanish Literature, World Literature
Tagged artificial intellegence, Google, privilege, Spain
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PRIMO—a stageplay: Auschwitz through the lens of time – Ed Davidson
(Reviewed by Heidi A. Swan) #CommissionsEarned Primo Levi was a writer, chemist, and a survivor of the Holocaust. This tightly written one act play is a fictional account of the last day of his life. As he goes through his … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged audio book, Auschwitz, Holocaust, stage play
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The Dish Dog – Peter Davidson
(Reviewed by Don Jung) #CommissionsEarned Kimberly King turned down a golden opportunity to work at her father’s highly successful investment fund company. Instead, she wanted to make her own mark in the world. She now works as a forensic accountant … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, FBI, insider trading, New York, Wall Street
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Trash – Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny, (translated by JD Pluecker)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Who is the person who makes a life out of our leftovers? And, more specifically, what makes us who we are?” Griselda, a researcher, studies those who inhabit the Juárez city dump. She balances that … Continue reading
Posted in Latin American Literature
Tagged aging, dementia, family dysfunction, gender, love, Mexican literature, transgender, violence
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An UnderratedRead Revisited – Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World’s Largest Sex Trafficker – Maggy Krell
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “While a commercial sex transaction may seem consensual on the surface, the lopsided power dynamic, the history of trauma and abuse, and the lack of options often make the consent illusory. And sex without consent … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged autobiography, human trafficking, rape, sex trafficking, Sexual abuse
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The Flowers of Buffoonery – Os Amu Dazai, (translated by Sam Bett)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “A man crushed by reality puts on a show of endurance.” This is exactly the case with twenty-five-year-old Yozo Oba, who is sent to a seaside sanitarium to recover from injuries due to failed suicide … Continue reading
Posted in Far Eastern Literature, Lost and almost forgotten
Tagged Japan, mental illness, short books, suicide
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The Lord’s Tusks – Jeffery Ulin
(Reviewed by Ann Onymous ) #CommissionsEarned “…Michael nodded, climbing into his car and silently steering back toward camp. He passed by the troop of baboons, still frolicking in the savanna, slowly making their way back home, oblivious to the powers … Continue reading
Posted in Environmental, World Issues
Tagged Africa, environmental fiction, Kenya, poaching
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Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You – Keir Giles
(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You, I thought “I know all of this.”, as I considered myself relatively informed on the subject. However, I am so glad that … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice
Tagged cyber-crime, disinformation, espionage, media, military, murder, Putin, Russia, Soviet Union, war
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A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe – Mark Dawidziak
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Edgar Allan Poe’s death continues to be one of the great mysteries, as there are multiple theories on the actual cause. However, we tend to lose sight of an even a greater mystery, his life. … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction
Tagged biography, Edgar Allan Poe, Poe
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