Top Ten Tuesday: Five Underrated Books in Two Genres

This week's theme is the top underrated books in a genre of your choice. I thought I would split this up between my two favorite genres that I read, Young Adult and Classics. Now I'm not using a real professional or specific definition of the word underrated. If I haven't seen the book around in the bookosphere, then I'm counting it as underrated. I've also included the number Goodreads ratings so you can see how many times the book has been rated there.

Hosted by: The Broke and The Bookish 

YOUNG ADULT and MIDDLE GRADE 

 

1. Death Cloud, Andrew Lane 3,448 ratings on Goodreads
This is the first book in the Young Sherlock Holmes series. These books are about a teenage Sherlock and how he first got into sleuthing. These books are really fun because they line up so well with the original Sherlock stories, and Lane provides possible origins for Holmes' interests and methods. There are four books out in this series so far. I talk a little more about this book in my Sherlock filled post.  

2. The Boyfriend List, e. Lockhart  16,263 ratings on Goodreads 

I have been hearing lots of buzz about e. Lockhart's newest novel We Were Liars but I haven't heard a lot of about this book, which is one of her older works. This is the first book in a four book series about Ruby Oliver. I read this book a long time ago, I'm pretty sure I was in middle school actually, but I remember thinking it was really funny. I have only read the first one, but have been considering reading the rest in the series sometime soon. 

3. The Shadow Club, Neal Shusterman 1,073 ratings on Goodreads

Shusterman is well known for his Unwind series, but I haven't heard much about this book which is part of a dualology. One of my teachers read us the two books in sixth grade, though I would consider it young adult and not middle grade, and I loved both of them. The second book is The Shadow Club Rising.

 

4. Peter and the Star Catchers, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson  61,000 ratings on Goodreads

I know a lot of people enjoy middle grade series, and I highly recommend this one. This is a spin off of Peter Pan written by the grandson of Peter Pan's original author J.M. Barrie. How cool is that?! There are five books out in the series, and although I have not finished the series yet, I'm very eager too. The first book presents the origin story of Peter Pan, Neverland, Captain Hook, Tinker Belle, and the Lost Boys.   

5. Time Stops for no Mouse , Micheal Hoeye 2,022 ratings on Goodreads

I would consider this book to be middle grade as well. I read this while I was in middle school and it was one of the first times I remember being impressed by a book. It is a bit of a mystery story with a mouse for the main character, and he is a very clever mouse indeed. This is the first in a four book series. I have read the first two, and were unaware that there was more in the series. I may have to revisit these books.The last book in this series only has 312 ratings on Goodreads! 

CLASSICS 

 

6. Passing, Nella Larson 350 ratings on Goodreads

Will I ever stop mentioning this book? Probably not! I love this book, and I want everyone to read it. Written during the Harlem Renaissance this is the story of two black women who are friends, one is living in the black community, the other is passing as a white women with a white husband unaware of her heritage. The ending of this book is so great!  Passing review

7. In Our Time, Ernest Hemingway 11,856 ratings on Goodreads 

While I don't necessarily approve of Hemingway's treatment of women, both in and out of fiction, the man can write a great short story. This is a collection of short pieces of fiction that all connect to each other through vignettes that appear at the start of each story. More on this work here. 

8. Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald 56,006 rating on Goodreads

Now I know there is nothing underrated about Fitzgerald, but a lot of people read Gatsby and then quit. While Gatsby is his masterpiece, this book is excellent as well. I read this after reading Gatsby and this book is what cemented Fitzgerald as one of my favorite authors. The man can write messed up and miserable characters like no one's business. 

 

9. Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw 53,442 ratings on Goodreads

This is probably the most well-known book on my list, but I still feel that it is underrated, This is the play that the movie My Fair Lady was based off of. If you liked the movie read this. George Bernard Shaw would have been furious with the ending of My Fair Lady, This play is a great piece of feminist literature and Eliza Doolittle is a much stronger character in the play then she is in the movie. 

10. The Fox, D.H. Lawrence  1,032 ratings on Goodreads

This is the only work I have read by Lawrence, but I am eager to read more. Lawrence claimed to understand women more than women understood themselves, which makes me very eager to read his works and find out if I agree with him or not, which I'm pretty sure I already don't agree with his outrageous statement. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this novella by him. It had really powerful symbols and really powerful writing.