9 Underrated Books (and Series)

*6-Minute Read*

Disclaimer: Some moments in the plot are written in my explanations. So, like I did in this post, I'm going to start this by providing a quick list of the nine books for those who are curious as to which books I've chosen but don't want to read any spoilers:

1) Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

2) Divergent series by Veronica Roth

3) Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park

4) Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler                        

5) The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish 

6) The Maze Runner by James Dashner 

7) The Mediator series by Meg Cabot

8) The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson

9) The Witches by Roald Dahl 

Now, why did I choose them?

1) Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
It's so much better than My Sister's Keeper, but what the two have in common is a mother who will do anything to save her dying daughter's life. However, you feel a lot more sorry for this mother, June. She doesn't have another child whose opinion she ignores. She's lost her daughter, Elizabeth, and two husbands. So, it's no surprise that she would accept Shay's, the man on death row for killing Elizabeth and her second husband, request to donate his heart to her living daughter, Claire. You read the story from several perspectives: June, Shay, an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney representing Shay, a priest who counsels Shay even though he was on the jury who convicted him, a fellow inmate who murdered his lover... yeah, it's definitely interesting. There's a change of heart, both literally and emotionally, and I don't know how this isn't a movie. 

2) Divergent series by Veronica Roth
I know, I know. You're probably thinking, Liv, there's a movie series and a fan base and everything. That's true. It just wasn't at the same level as, per say, The Hunger Games or Twilight. I just thought that the whole faction system and the factionless people were fascinating. You're born into one faction, yet you can opt into another later on... It was just more thought-provoking than a contest of children killing each other or a paranormal romance. Which faction would I have chosen? What would I do in the fear simulations? How would I live pre- and post-factionless takeover? I'd probably opt for Candor, but would reveal my cowardice in the simulations. The last question? Idk.

3) Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
It's funny as a kid, but hilarious as an adult. You know how we keep some words to ourselves and restrain ourselves from doing some actions because it's socially unacceptable? Junie doesn't. She's a reminder of all those cringy moments we had as children, but on steroids. She calls her kindergarten teacher "just Mrs., and that's all." She volunteers in the cafeteria and manages to gross her whole class out of eating the food. She even called 911 after hiding inside her school; she had heard the (obviously fake) horror stories about the bus. She's a riot. If you feel like your kid is two handfuls, just pick up one of these books. You'll probably feel better. 

4) Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler
I'm not typically drawn to romances, but I loved this one. It begins typically, but becomes paranormal after the boyfriend Tristan dies in a car accident. So, we've got an angel-human romantic relationship going on, but that's not it. We're also waiting to discover who cut the brake line of Tristan's car and killed three other people. I think that mystery/tragic romance combo is what pulled me in. This book is the beginning of a series. The ending of that is CRAZY, although kinda frustrating. Elizabeth Chandler (a pseudonym) has other books that spooked and entertained me. She's such an underrated author.

5) The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
This is my favorite celebrity memoir thus far. She is relatable not only when talking about her difficult upbringing, but also when talking about her fame. It's refreshing (and funny) to read about her shock when someone told her that she couldn't wear the same outfit more than once. She proudly wears that expensive white dress over and over. She basically advertises for Groupon (so when I saw her on one of their commercials, I instantly knew why) for about a page. And she had me in stitches when recapping the time she took Will and Jada Smith on a swamp tour. Will told her he wanted to buy a bayou, and her thought was This man wants to buy a whole ecosystem. Lol. 

6) The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Dashner is a genius for coming up with this story. How did he make all of this up? It's just so weird, yet intriguing. To all of a sudden find yourself in this strange, limbo-ish world, knowing nothing but your first name (which may not even be your birthname) must be nothing short of terrifying. Yet, that's the reality for a bunch of young men... and one young girl. "Maze runner" is a job title for those who risk their lives trying to find the end of the maze (if there is one). For the entire book, you're curious if there is another world beyond the one they're in. 

7) The Mediator series by Meg Cabot
This is a series I loved to read in middle school, and I've never heard anyone else talk about it. Unsurprisingly, it's about a girl named Suze who can communicate with ghosts. There's one consistently present (Jesse, who she falls in love with), but the others are minor characters. The first book is deep, as the guest ghost is a young girl who regrets committing suicide. There's also a group of teens who were killed in a car crash, a young boy who was killed in a catamaran accident, Jesse's ex-fiancee, and more. It's interesting to hear all these angry ghosts' stories while also reading about how being a mediator complicates Suze's life. 

8) The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson
Admittingly, I've only read the first two books. But they're so good, I couldn't not include this series in my list. The two main characters are a well-known journalist (Mikael Blomkvist) and an expert hacker (Lizbeth Salander) who, basically, have to differentiate the good people from the bad. They've also been wrongly punished, which leaves one going about things in the normal way and the other going about things in an atypical fashion. It's the suspense that makes this book riveting. Who kidnapped Harriet? Who is Zala? What happened in Lizbeth's past? 

9) The Witches by Roald Dahl
Some people favor Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Most seem to favor Matilda. I, on the other hand, view The Witches as Dahl's best work (that I've read). It legitimately frightened me as a child. The fact that an ordinary-looking woman with a few abnormalities (like large nostrils and no toes) can trap a little girl in a painting or turn boys into mice is enough to induce nightmares. It's also a dark reminder that appearances aren't everything. There are wolves in sheeps' clothing. 


If you'd like me to list the most overrated books next, comment down below or like this post on social media!


- Liv