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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: World Issues
Who is bombing Kyiv?! – Marina Alova
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “It was disheartening and revolting to witness the country repeating the same mistakes and going around in circles. Slava believed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it would be impossible to make the … Continue reading
Posted in Slavic Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged propaganda, Putin, Russia, Russian literature, Ukraine, war
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Sweet Undoings – Yanick Lahens (translated by Kaiama L. Glover)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Nowadays, in the cities, you’ve got to drink it all in, the honey and the bile. All in the same cup.” Judge Raymond Berthier has just been murdered, and his nineteen-year-old daughter, Brune, is grieving … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Culture, World Issues
Tagged corruption, Crime, culture, Haiti, Haitian literature, murder
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The Lord’s Tusks – Jeffery Ulin
(Reviewed by Ann Onymous ) #CommissionsEarned “…Michael nodded, climbing into his car and silently steering back toward camp. He passed by the troop of baboons, still frolicking in the savanna, slowly making their way back home, oblivious to the powers … Continue reading
Posted in Environmental, World Issues
Tagged Africa, environmental fiction, Kenya, poaching
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American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience – Diya Abdo
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “When refugees leave, it is rarely, if ever, happy. And it is never something they choose to do. Their bodies, finding no other way to survive, split themselves from their souls, wave goodbye to them, on … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Reviewers' Top Picks, World Issues
Tagged immigration, Interviews, refugees, resettlement
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The Lisbon Syndrome – Eduardo Sánchez Rugeles (Translated from the Spanish by Paul Filev)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “I feel a deep regret for encouraging them to dream, for reinforcing illusions that will lead nowhere, because they’re unattainable, because this county is finished. It stopped existing a long time ago. We are the … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Latin American Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged corruption, Lisbon, political activism, Portugal, Venezuela
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Here, Right Matters: An American Story – Alexander Vindman
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Regardless of any impact on the president, the domestic and foreign policy consequences, or personal costs, I had no choice but to report what I’d heard. That duty to report is a critical component of U.S. … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, Bios and Memoirs, History, Immigration, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Reviewers' Top Picks, World Issues
Tagged Donald Trump, ethics, immigration, impeachment, military, Russia, Soviet Union
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Antiman: A Hybrid Memoir – Rajiv Mohabir
(reviewed by JD Jung) “I wanted to stop hiding. I wanted to tell them that I was queer. Queer sexually, queer religiously, queer by caste, and queer countried.” Rajiv Mohabir never felt that he belonged. As a resident of Central … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction, World Issues
Tagged class, culture, Guyanese, immigration, India, LGBTQ, multiculture, political activism, race, sexuality
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Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon – Mia Bloom and Sophia Moskalenko
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “In a short four years, QAnon metastasized from a fringe movement on anonymous message boards into a cultlike movement, with millions of followers around the world…and practically seized control of the Republican Party.” What actually is … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Reviewers' Top Picks, World Issues
Tagged conspiracy theories, psychology, QAnon, terrorism
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