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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
Dangerous Conjectures – Brian Finney
(reviewed by JD Jung) “She couldn’t decide which was deteriorating faster—her life or the country. They were all in the hands of a president who was spreading misinformation as fast as the virus was spreading infection across the world.” “Even … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Political fiction, Romance
Tagged adultery, COVID-19, disinformation, drug addiction, emotion, facts, family, misinformation, QAnon, San Francisco
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Arsène Lupin, gentleman-burglar – Maurice LeBlanc, Edgar Jepson (Translator)
(reviewed by JD Jung) “You don’t know who Lupin is? The most whimsical, the most audacious, and the most genial thief in France. For the last ten years he has kept the police at bay….In fact, he’s our national robber.” … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Lost and almost forgotten
Tagged class, Crime, Lupin, social justice
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We Are Bridges: A Memoir – Cassandra Lane
(reviewed by Ann Onymous ) “We are bridges made of blood and water, soil and skin.” Yes, we are bridges: connecting our present to our past and to our future. Cassandra Lane’s great-grandfather was named Burt Bridges. He was lynched … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged book reviews, family, police brutality, racism, social justice
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The Man Who Lived Underground – Richard Wright, Afterward by Malcolm Wright
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…even though his entire body was drenched in what seemed to him a cloud of hot vapor, even though his throat gagged at the reeking odors, he felt that he was safe for the first time … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Lost and almost forgotten, Reviewers' Top Picks, Social Justice
Tagged ethics, police brutality, racism, Religion, violence
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Shackles of the Storm – D. Kardenal & L. Kardenal
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Shackles of the Storm is the first book in the Spirits of Seiran series. The story is set in the seaside port city of Kahlaran. The story begins with Zaira, the adopted daughter of a perfumer … Continue reading
Posted in Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology
Tagged fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Death in a Bookstore: An Inspector De Vincenzi Mystery – Augusto De Angelis
(reviewed by JD Jung) Inspector Carlo De Vincenzi is faced with one of his toughest assignments yet. Senator Prof. Ugo Magni was found shot to death in a Milan antiquarian bookstore. On the shelf just above the body, a book … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Italian Literature, Lost and almost forgotten, World Literature
Tagged golden age, Italian literature, Milan
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Hour of the Jackals: A fast paced, gripping thriller full of action and suspense – Emil Eugensen
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Hour of the Jackals is a postmodern paranormal story that takes place over a sequence of seven days during which an international conspiracy tries to destroy the European Union and take power over the US, China, … Continue reading
Posted in Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology
Tagged book reviews. fiction, paranormal
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Poison in the Pills – August Raine
(reviewed by JD Jung) A devastating illness, referred to as the “Itch”, has been infecting hundreds of thousands in Britain. Unlike Covid-19, citizens are taking this seriously. Paranoia has set in, as people aren’t touching each other and are adamant … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged British crime, medical thrillers
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The Gardener: A socially conscious page-turner – Michael Shainsky
(reviewed by JD Jung) “…truth is a bitter enemy of those who profit from lies.” Jose Gonzales is a fifty-seven-year-old widower and gardener who lives in Bakersfield, a large city in the California central valley. He loves books, his flowers … Continue reading
Posted in More fiction
Tagged philosophy, short books
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