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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
The 6:41 to Paris – Jean-Philippe Blondel, (Translated from the French by Alison Anderson)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “What I feel now is pure hatred. And that surprises me—because I’m not like that, particularly toward someone I haven’t seen in what must be at least twentyfive years…I can’t help but sneak looks at him.” … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature, Modern Literary Fiction, World Literature
Tagged French literature
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Revisited-Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment – Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The militias referred to in the Second Amendment were intended as a means for white people to eliminate Indigenous communities in order take their land, and for slave patrols to control Black people.” American historian Roxanne … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged Dayton, Donald Trump, El Paso, Gilroy, gun control, gun violence, mass murders
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Secrets To Being Amazing: What confident people don’t do – Denise Wijayaratne
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Self- awareness is the first step to change, and to a better world.” “Find the good things you like about yourself and focus all your time on that. If somebody says something unpleasant about you, ask … Continue reading
Posted in Your Best Self
Tagged self-awareness, self-help
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Dark Cure: Lifesaving medical research or dangerous genetic modification? – Cameron K. Moore
(Reviewed by Matt McAvoy) Dark Cure is not really what I was expecting, but the surprise was a rather welcome one. Whilst I was anticipating some sort of medical-corporate legal thriller, this is actually a fully-fledged actioner, somewhere between “Die … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged Action thriller
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PREACHER AND CO – Brendon Boone
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) There’s an old saying in writing, ‘Readers don’t care about stories, they care about people.’ And that’s exactly what author Brendon Boone does; he makes us care about his characters from the very first page. … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged American Civil War, Historical fiction
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Sleepless Night – Margriet de Moor (Translated from the Dutch by David Doherty)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The love, the hatred, the fascination with everything he had or had not done, fascination that spiraled into fervid curiosity. Into obsession. Into madness.” A teacher combats her insomnia by baking cakes in the middle of … Continue reading
Posted in World Literature
Tagged death, Dutch literature, marriage, short books
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DART – Dale Renton
(Reviewed by Matt McAvoy) At first sight this sci-fi action fantasy hybrid seems to be similar to many others, but in reality, it is quite better than the average. Set on a terraformed planet, 600 years from now, Dart has … Continue reading
Posted in Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology
Tagged Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Torn from the World: A Guerrilla’s Escape from a Secret Prison in Mexico – John Gibler
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “This word: disappeared. They have so many ways of erasing you, “of trying to make you doubt the truth of your own life.” After five days, after every two hours, after only having felt a world … Continue reading
Posted in History, World Issues
Tagged dissent, freedom fighters, guerrilla warfare, Mexico, poverty, sociology
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Golden Monkey- Lance Pototschnik
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Nathan was meant to be the last batch, to use the last of the family dough. All the remaining chocolate chips were dumped into him—he was large, muscular, handsome, and had a charming inexplicable southern drawl. … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Humor & Satire
Tagged humor, memoirs
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The Parlor Girl’s Guide – Steve McCondichie
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “They probably hauled him to the city lockup for the weekend. He ain’t the first busted-ass sharecropper in Scots Station to get run on a rail for stealing and owing money.” November 1926, Central Alabama – … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged Alabama, American South, farming, jazz age, Ty Cobb
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