-
-
About
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
Cleaning Up Finn – Sarah M. Chen
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Thirty-two-year-old restaurant manager Finn Roose will be the protagonist you love to hate. He over indulges in booze and women and even takes advantage of his closest friends. Needless to say, ethics and decency are not … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, mysogeny, short books, Southern California
1 Comment
My Neighbour Osama Bin Laden – Yslar Tatuky
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned What happens when one puts Osama bin Laden and Salman Rushdie at the same dinner table? Yslar Tatuky is such a person as he has grand, though idealistic, hopes for humanity in his novel, My … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Humor & Satire, Philosophical reads, Politics and Social Justice, Slavic Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged Georgia, Marx, Osama bin Laden, philosophy, Salman Rushdie, Soviet Union
Comments Off on My Neighbour Osama Bin Laden – Yslar Tatuky
Mr. Siegel Writes to Washington – Rich Siegel
(Reviewed by Don Jung) Mr. Siegel sends a weekly letter to various Republican politicians on what they are doing wrong. This collection of letters to each Republican senator (including multiple ones to speaker McConnell) is filled with a satirical look … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, Humor & Satire, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice
Tagged Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Senate
Comments Off on Mr. Siegel Writes to Washington – Rich Siegel
Arid – Anne Joyce
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Arid is a dystopian futuristic story and environmental cautionary tale where a group of moguls has created an unbearable living situation. Joshua, Xiomara, and others are all fighting to simply survive the situation and to provide … Continue reading
Posted in Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology
Tagged dystotpian, environmental fiction, futuristic, science fiction
Comments Off on Arid – Anne Joyce
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
Comments Off on The 6:41 to Paris – Jean-Philippe Blondel, (Translated from the French by Alison Anderson)
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
Comments Off on Dark Cure: Lifesaving medical research or dangerous genetic modification? – Cameron K. Moore
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
Comments Off on PREACHER AND CO – Brendon Boone
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
Comments Off on DART – Dale Renton
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
Comments Off on Golden Monkey- Lance Pototschnik
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
Comments Off on The Parlor Girl’s Guide – Steve McCondichie