I’ve been reading books my whole life, and to be honest, there are some books in my “read” list that do not have a lot of ratings on Goodreads nor have I heard a lot people on Booktube or book bloggers talk about them. With that, I decided to make a blog post on the 10 underrated books (some you might probably never heard of).

I listed them by genre, but most of the books on my list are under the category YA Contemporary Romance because, yes, I love the romance genre and I am not ashamed of it. Anyway, so here goes:

Romance (YA, Contemporary):

A Date In Your Diary by Jules Stanbridge

How far would you go to find the perfect date?

Harriet Peel knows what’s hot and what’s definitely not. As the ‘what’s on’ writer for her local magazine, it’s her job. Her own social life, however, is teetering on the verge of non-existence. With the last of her friends tying the knot and the threat of being replaced at work by some annoying London ‘it’ girl, it’s time for drastic action. Determined to find the ideal partner to take to the wedding, Harriet decides to register on a dating website. And when the resulting liaisons turn into experiences worth writing about, she suddenly finds herself the unwitting star of a hugely popular new column. Will her newly acquired social status as a minor celebrity help in her quest or is she destined to go to the wedding alone… again?

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Audrey Cutler is a normal Southern California girl. OK, her cat is overweight, but her best friend is awesome, and her parents might be hippies, but they adore her – because Audrey is funny, charming, and she likes her music loud.

So she struggles with dumping her musician boyfriend, Evan. She loves his band, but he’s just too self-involved. Audrey needs to move on.

Then at one of Evan’s gigs, Audrey gets to hear their brand new single and moving on doesn’t seem so easy now: the song is called Audrey, Wait and it’s all about her, and not in a good way… The song storms quickly up the charts and reaches the top. Suddenly everyone wants to know: who is Audrey? The media is all over her like a rash, and what started out as annoying is becoming a nightmare!

On top of this, it is ruining her chances with James, her colleague at Scooper Dooper ice cream parlour. Audrey’s life is veering out of control and there’s only one thing for it. She’s going to have to stand up and tell the world her side of the story…

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs. So she convinces her best friend, Harvey, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge as it is about hope.

But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission, and now she must face the consequences of all she’s said and done.

Charade by Nyrae Dawn

Nineteen-year-old Cheyenne tries to portray the perfect life to mask the memories of her past. Walking in on her boyfriend with another woman her freshman year in college threatens that picture of perfection.

Twenty-one-year-old Colt never wanted college and never expected to amount to anything, but when his mom’s dying wish is for him to get his degree, he has no choice but to pretend it’s what he wants too.

Cheyenne needs a fake boyfriend to get back at her ex and Colt needs cash to take care of his mom, so they strike a deal that helps them both. But what if Cheyenne’s past isn’t what she thought? Soon they’re trading one charade for another—losing themselves in each other to forget about their pain. The more they play their game, the more it becomes the only thing they have that feels real.

Both Cheyenne and Colt know life is never easy, but neither of them expect the tragedy that threatens to end their charade and rip them apart forever.

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

Mia just wanted a summer away to forget it all.

After Mia is unexpectedly dumped by Jake, a summer having relaxing fun with her family in the Hamptons sounds like the perfect beach escape. But her cousin Corinne’s new elitist attitude is definitely not what Mia was expecting, and neither is all the family drama. Mia starts to feel more like an outsider than ever before.

Enter Simon, the boy staying next door. He’s adventurous, quirky, smart, and seems to want to get to know Mia. And he’s definitely not part of Corinne’s “cool” crowd. Simon starts to rub off on Mia, and she finally begins to open up-including sneaking out, taking late-night walks on the beach, and maybe even falling in love. The summer might just turn out better than she had originally planned.

But coming out of her shell could mean losing everything Mia has gained.

Fantasy:

The Dark Elements Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE

Romance was not part of Nora Grey’s plan. She’s never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora’s not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can’t decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen – and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

Historical Fiction:

Plagues and Federation: The Diary of Kitty Barnes by Vashti Farrer

You’d hardly know our street anymore… it looks like some place in Africa where there’s been fighting, not like Sydney. I know they had to pull down houses that you couldn’t live in no more and they’ll put up new ones instead only they’ll be different so The Rocks’ll really never look the same again, will it? The year 1900 was a momentous one for Kitty Barnes. Bubonic plague, the Black Death, was killing large numbers of people; the country was on the verge of becoming a federation; Kitty’s brother was in Africa fighting in the Boer War; and Kitty was finding herself somewhat attracted to Reggie, the boy down the road.

Graphic Novels:

Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot—and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

Manga:

Gyo by Junji Ito

Something is rotten in Okinawa…

The floating smell of death hangs over the island. What is it? A strange, legged fish appears on the scene… So begins Tadashi and Kaori’s spiral into the horror and stench of the sea. Here is the creepiest masterpiece of horror manga ever from the creator of Uzumaki, Junji Ito. Hold your breath until all is revealed.

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I think you’ve probably heard some of the books or series that I’ve listed, but I don’t think I’ve heard as much buzz about it than other books and all the books in my list are pretty good reads. Have you ready any of them?