This is a weekly list meme hosted by the wonderful bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish.
Max here! This week's top ten Tuesday is an interesting one. Today, we're discussing some of our favorite hidden gems--specifically, books that have under 2,000 ratings on Goodreads. This week's topic really provides an opportunity to discuss some books that are just as great as those that receive tons of hype, but don't really get much attention when they're published.
1. This Ordinary Life by Jennifer Walkup
This Ordinary Life by Jennifer Walkup is about high school senior Jasmine Torres's eventful year, watching out for her epileptic younger brother and navigating her way through high school romance, all the while attempting to secure the radio internship of her dreams. Somehow, this cute contemporary that also includes a surprisingly deep look into family life dealing with seizures only has 220 ratings on Goodreads!
2. Steering the Stars by Erica Cope
Similarly, Steering the Stars is an adorable contemporary that also deals with teenagers discovering what they want to do with their future, but this novel tells the story of two best friends who are temporarily separated. Hannah's moved to London to study in a prestigious young writer's program while her best friend Caroline remains home and discovers a new talent that involves her being in the spotlight.
3. Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
Yet another contemporary, Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes only has 828 ratings on Goodreads even though I heard plenty of hype about it before its May 17th release. This novel again deals with the rare issue of illnesses except in this case, main character Maguire learns to deal with psychological issues while adjusting to a new school. Also, it has tennis in it, my favorite sport!
4. Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
Kill the Boy Band is another book that I was surprised to find had under 2,000 Goodreads ratings--I thought I had seen so much hype around this book around when it first came out! Regardless of how much hype this book received, however, it was definitely a great read--darkly humorous and completely different from what is typically found in today's YA novels.
5. Joyride by Anna Banks
Lastly, Joyride by Anna Banks is yet another contemporary (shocker). I think this one is the most serious out of all I've listed (although it certainly does have its cute moments) because it deals with a difficult, extremely relevant topic--illegal immigration. Anna Banks has written a bunch of other books, including the Of Poseidon series and Nemesis, which has just recently been released.
I wrote a review of this amazing and unique sci-fi/space novella last year. The characters were really well developed, especially for a shorter sci-fi story. The quick action and taunting suspense rounded out the story. It is hard to believe that this novella only has 16 ratings on Goodreads when it deserves so many more.
2. Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke
This book was perfect for those who enjoy diverse novels (especially involving LGBT+ and mental illness). There were a lot of things touched upon during this novels, including sexuality, family issues, and most of all, depression. I have read many novels where a character has depression, but I think that Macke does the condition the most justice with Gen's story. This wonderful and heartbreaking story only has 810 ratings on Goodreads.
3. The Midnight Sea by Kat Ross
2016 has really been a fantasy year for me, and The Midnight Sea certainly did not disappoint. My raving 5-star review says everything about this unique and fascinating book. In short, I HIGHLY recommend you read this novel if you like alternate history with a twist of magic, Persian culture, a hint of romance, and high stakes predicaments. This novel only has 94 ratings on Goodreads.
4. Beyond the Red by Ava Jae
This debut novel was one of my first 5-star novels of 2016. The novel follows the story of an alien queen and her half-breed cohort (in the loosest of terms) as they try save their separate peoples. I wrote another gushing 5-star review trying to convey the awesomeness that is hidden between its pages. This epic sci-fi only has 348 ratings on Goodreads.
5. Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey
Even though this novel is the least underrated on my list with 799 ratings on Goodreads, it still deserves more hype than it is getting. I am very picky with my historical fiction and period pieces, so I was surprised when I fell in love with Love, Lies and Spies. But in hindsight, how could I not with a title like that? I highly recommend it to readers who love dashing English spies, brave women scientists, and a dash of adventure. You can learn more in my previous review of the novel.
How would you define and underrated book? Do you read a lot of underrated books? Or do you prefer to read more established and popular novels? What underrated books are your favorites?
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