Underrated Books
A lot of books these days, if they are well received, get thrown all over social media such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram and because of the hype that pushes these books to the forefront of everyone’s eyes and sometimes they just aren’t as good as you expect. So here are some books that may have gone under your radar.
The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas (translated by Frank Wynne): An inspiring story of two different women coming together under the opposite circumstances to the other. In 1885 Paris there is a place called ‘The Salpetriere Asylym’ where women who have been deemed mad or hysterical are sent to recover. However these women are usually just inconvenient, unwanted or strong-willed. Once a year a ball is held for the Parisian elite. This ball is a rare moment of hope for the mad women, especially for new arrival, Eugenie Clery.
Wranglestone by Darren Charlton: A post apocalyptic gay romance that kicks off with our main character Peter puttting the whole community in danger by letting in a stranger. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he's always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over. During the blossoming of the feelings between Peter and Cooper they discover a dark secret about the sanctuary leading them to question everything they know about the apocalypse and the community they live in.
Crossbones by Kimberly Vale: A fast paced, pirate adventure featuring two rival captains, a stowaway and a competition for the pirate throne. The Pirate King is dead, the trials for the bone crown, to deteremine the new pirate king, begin. Only one can claim the crown. Our main contenders: Captain Csilla Abado, who dreams of becoming the first pirate queen, Captain Kane Blackwater, who wants a new beginning, leaving the dirty past his father left him behind and finally we have the stowaway with a secret she herself is unaware of and obliviously throwing herself into more danger as she escapes to avenge her mothers death.
Wilder Girls by Rory Power: A weird, one of a kind story about survival and the power of female friendships. The Raxter School for Girls was put into quarantine eighteen months ago, since the Tox hit. It started slow, the teachers began to die, then the students became infected and their bodies started to change. The girls were left to look after themselves on the Island and didn’t dare go beyond the school fence. Then one of the girls goes missing and Hetty is determined to find out what happened to her friend, regardless of what she will discover about the Tox, the quarantine and the island.
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chobsky: A truly chilling tale about Kate and her 7 year old son have just moved into a small, sleepy, quiet town. The perfect place for them after escaping from Kate’s abusive relationship. Everything is going great in their new home until Christopher goes missing in the woods for 6 days, coming back unharmed but not unchanged. Christopher starts to hear a voice, giving him a mission to complete or forsake the lives of everyone in the town. Be wary when reading this at night, you might just hear that voice calling out for you too.