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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.
Category Archives: Fiction
Lisette – Clare Castleberry
(Reviewed by JD Jung) I’ll be honest — erotic horror isn’t usually my genre. But after enjoying Clare Castleberry’s Bound by Blood, I gave Lisette a chance, and I’m glad I did. Set against the gritty backdrop of New Orleans … Continue reading
Posted in Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Horror
Tagged horror, murder, New Orleans, sex, short books
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Precious Friends: Murder in Sag Harbor – Frank Spinelli
(Reviewed by JD Jung) This suspenseful mystery pulls you into the glamorous world of New York’s gay elite. Forty-eight-year-old JB Pulaski, a Columbia professor, has been married to Mike for seventeen years, and together they are raising their adopted son, … Continue reading
Goodbye Chinatown – Kit Fan
(Reviewed by JD Jung) This emotionally layered novel blends food, family, politics, and identity into a powerful story. Set between London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, it follows Amber Fan, a talented young chef determined to build her dream London restaurant, … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged food, immigration, multiculture
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Final Transaction: Murder, Money & Real Estate – Diane Dickinson
(Reviewed by JD Jung) This fast-paced real estate murder mystery pulls readers deep into Houston’s world of wealth, ambition, and secrets. When successful realtor Todd Drake — co-owner of Drake Properties and one of Houston’s top boutique real estate agents … Continue reading
An UnderratedRead Revisited : Great Again – Bill Day
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Ex-Marine Jack O’Mally is divorced and estranged from his adult daughter. He just can’t accept that she is married to a black musician and living in California. Jack is captain of his New Jersey neighborhood watch, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction
Tagged immigration, racism, undocumented
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KOSTYA – Scott Zimmerman
(Reviewed by Don Jung) This powerful World War II novel delivers a deeply personal and harrowing account of survival, resilience, and the human spirit under unimaginable conditions. Based on a true story, it follows Kostya, a seventeen-year-old Ukrainian boy captured … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged WWII
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Good News – Alexa Yasemin Brahme
(Reviewed by JD Jung) If you enjoy character-driven fiction about identity, ambition, and messy personal growth, Good News delivers a captivating and relatable story. Maggie, a woman in her late twenties pursuing her MFA, feels caught between her artistic dreams … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, More fiction, Romance
Tagged artists., emotion, immigration
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The Shy Assassin – Clara Usón, translated by Lily Meyer
(Reviewed by JD Jung) I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading The Shy Assassin by Clara Usón, but it completely surprised me. What begins as a curiosity about the mysterious death of Spanish “erotic” actress Sandra Mozarowsky … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, More fiction, Spanish Literature
Tagged philosophy, suicide
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Another UnderratedRead Revisited: Affections: A Novel – Rodrigo Hasbún , Translated by Sophie Hughes
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Affections is an intriguing work of historical fiction based on true events following the once- close Ertl family. Hans, the patriarch, was a Nazi propaganda cinematographer, and the family fled Munich and arrived in La Paz, … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature
Tagged Historical fiction, Latin American Lit
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