Top Ten Best Underrated/Unknown Books I've Ever Read

1. Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez. This book is so unknown it's ridiculous. I mean, 279 ratings on Goodreads? Seriously? It's crazy, and truly terrible because this was one of the best books I read in 2013--and in my entire life. It's beautifully tragic and completely memorable; Frenchie is an unforgettable, real character and it is a true gift to read a book from her perspective.


2. The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta. This is Marchetta's least known novel, and other than Jellicoe Road, it is undoubtably my favorite. Thomas Mackee is probably one of my favorite written characters of all time; so real and heartbreaking and lost. It's a novel about family and love and loss and it's a work of art.


3. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. This is one of my favorite books of all time. A.S. King knows how to write teenagers better than almost any other author currently writting. They are so true and real--and Vera is no exception. She's truly remarkable and tragic and beautiful. And I love that this novel has a little mystical element--a connection between the dead and the living that may not exist in contemporary life.


4. Staying Fat or Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher. This book is incredible. There's nothing else to say except for that. It's a story about a outcast girl who is burned on most of her body and her friend who is trying so hard to continue to be friends with her, even though he is starting to get more popular. Seriously, just read it. It will break you heart and leave you breathless.


5. Jane by April Linder. This an awesome retelling of Jane Eyre--which happens to be one of my favorite classics. Every aspect Linder flips to make it more modern is unique and fantastic. It's one you will read over and over again.


6. The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley. This is one of the first fantasy books that really got me hooked on the genre. And me and my cousins are fighting over who gets to use the name Landen for our future children because of the main character in this book. Just trust me, check this out. It's amazing--and it has a couple you will ship TO DEATH!


7. Taming the Star Runner by S.E. Hinton. If the only S.E. Hinton book you've read is The Outsiders, you should rectify that immediately--and I would start with this one. It's fun and Travis is a truly unforgettable character.


8. The Downside of Being Charlie by Jenny Torres Sanchez. I know I already chose a book by this author, but seriously, I cannot stress how incredible her novels are. This book is about a subject you don't hear or read a lot about, and that's male anorexia/bulimia. Charlie just wants to fit in and get the girl, and he sacrifices his health in the meantime. It's a spectacular novel.


9. Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick. This is a magnificent novel, written in broken English, based on true story about a young boy who survives the Khmer Rouge--the worst genocide ever inflicted on a country by its own people. I devoured this book in a day, and it broke my heart in a million pieces, but it's truly remarkable.


10. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell. A tragic mystery novel that takes places in the wake of WII, about a girl who will lie to protect her family, even if it means betraying the boy she believed to have loved. It's such an underrated National Book Award winner, and every one should read it. I recommended this book to my Education Professor Grandmother and she liked it so much she read it two times consecutively. It's that good.


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme by The Broke and the Boookish!