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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
Brother’s Keeper – Richard Ryker
(reviewed by Ann Onymous ) Two types of Maple wood? Who knew? I figured maple is ‘quilted’ or ‘flamed’ and used to make fine musical instruments, guitars or violins: think pieces of a Stratocaster, Les Paul or Stradivarius. But ‘quilted’ … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, Pacific Nortwest
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Have Black Lives Ever Mattered? – Mumia Abu-Jamal
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The unity of the people is the greatest weapon against the silence, fear, and oppression imposed by the system.” “…organizing makes a difference, protest has impact; for without the pressure of protest, there would be no … Continue reading
Posted in History, Social Justice
Tagged Black lives matter, BLM, police, racism
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Pizza Girl: A Novel – Jean Kyoung Frazier
(reviewed by JD Jung) An eighteen-year-old pregnant pizza delivery girl is lost, with no idea where she is headed in life. Even though she has a loving boyfriend who is excited about the baby, that isn’t enough. She has never … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged coming-of-age, dark humor, Los Angeles
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Fire and Vengeance (Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Book 3) – Robert McCaw
(Reviewed by Don Jung) When I first started reading Fire and Vengeance, I didn’t know what I was in for. What I soon realized was that I was experiencing a thrilling murder mystery amidst the gorgeous Big Island in Hawaii. … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged crime fiction, Hawaii
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How Speleology Restored My Sex Drive – Michael Bernhart
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) A thrilling romp with twists and turns and more fun than should be legal. I’ll be honest when I say that I didn’t expect much when I read the description of this book and agreed … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Humor & Satire
Tagged humor, thrillers
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An UnderratedRead Revisited – We Are Taking Only What We Need: Stories – Stephanie Powell Watts
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “What was I thinking? The restaurant was a fishbowl full of floor-to-ceiling windows. Just beyond the parking lot Highway 18 looked like a runway, a straight shot, launching me anywhere…until my eyes settled on the across-the-street … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged African-American, North Carolina, rural America
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Ivy is a Weed- Robert Morse Roseth
(Reviewed by Don Jung) A public relations director for a university, Mike Woodsen, is called by the campus police to the scene of the dead Information Technology department head. This popular professor, Jeremy Ronson, apparently fell from a four-story campus … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, university politics
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There Has to Be a Knife – Adnan Khan
(reviewed by JD Jung) < “Those pleasures that I always had access to with her—the tactile, her body, food, her laugh—I knew I would have to keep her away from my darkness to preserve them. I wanted too many shallow, … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged Canada, class conflict, grief, Islam, mysogeny, Toronto
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Sins in Blue – Brian Kaufman
(Reviewed by Don Jung) “Audiences like their blues singers to be miserable,” said Janis Joplin. Sins in Blue is a story of an unhappy bluesman who is rediscovered by a young college student trying to revive his career. Willie Johnson … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Historical Fiction, Music inspired
Tagged blues, depression-era, music
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