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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.
Tag Archives: short books
She Shits Bricks and Other Short Stories – Samson Tonauac
(reviewed by JD Jung) We’ve all been through a lot this past year and a half. Not just with COVID-19, but with social unrest, political chaos, and dealing with people who won’t accept basic facts as reality. Everyday life has … Continue reading
Posted in Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology
Tagged compulsion, corruption, dark humor, futuristic, greed, money, reality, science fiction, sex, short books
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Torment – H.D. Hunter
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I wish I could tell them how hard it was. How hard it still is. I wish I could tell them that just because a person doesn’t understand what it means to be broken doesn’t mean … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged mental illness, modern literary fiction, short books
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A Sunday in Ville-d’Avray – Dominique Barbéris (Author), John Cullen (Translator)
(reviewed by JD Jung) “My sister had always been incapable of choosing. She was also incapable of breaking off the relationship…She was yielding little by little—I see that now, and something in me understood her—to the novel-like element he imported … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature
Tagged Paris, short books, suburbs
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The Last Twist of the Knife – João Almino (Author), Elizabeth Lowe (Translator)
(reviewed by JD Jung) “Pieces of the past arrive that either frighten me or invite me to a reunion. It’s what I see, what I hear. The rest I imagine…” A seventy-year-old lawyer decides to abandon his current life in … Continue reading
Posted in Latin American Literature
Tagged Brazil, Crime, jealousy, revenge, short books, translated world literature
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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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You Can Keep That to Yourself: A Comprehensive List of What Not to Say to Black People, for Well-Intentioned People of Pallor – Adam Smyer
(reviewed by JD Jung) “Your good intentions used to be enough. But in these diverse and divisive times, some people would hold you accountable for your actions. You were not raised for such unfairness. You need help.”Your black co-worker Daquan, … Continue reading
Posted in Politics and Social Justice
Tagged humor, race relations, short books
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SAY SOMETHING – Jeremy Clarke
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Say Something is a short book of poetry providing an autobiographical window into the author’s life. Jeremy Clarke believes that every person’s journey in life should be heard and told. The inspiration comes from within his … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Poetry
Tagged autobiography, poetry, short books
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Torment: A Novella – H.D. Hunter
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I wish I could tell them how hard it was. How hard it still is. I wish I could tell them that just because a person doesn’t understand what it means to be broken doesn’t mean … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged mental illness, modern literary fiction, short books
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Tales of Adventure With Nap Lapkin – Lance Manion
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “There was only one place to be if you were a vampire, the Marriott Marquis Times Square. It was time to dispatch Dick Clark once and for all.” Why would secret agent/ “super-spy” Nap Lapkin dub … Continue reading
Posted in More fiction
Tagged dark humor, short books
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