#HypeYour5 – Top 5 Underrated 2018 Releases

I have such a fun post for you today! Recently Mackenzi Lee (author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue) put on her Instagram her top 5 underrated or underhyped books that were released in 2018, and it has completely taken off! I think this is such a fantastic tag and challenge, to talk about some amazing books which just didn’t get the recognition they deserved this year! So here I go, I am excited to share with you my love for these books!

‘White Rabbit Red Wolf’ – Tom Pollock

Release Date: 3rd May 2018
Rating: 5 stars

I am obsessed with this book! I read this book in May and it instantly became one of my absolute favourite books of the year. It is a YA contemporary/thriller which follows a 16-year-old boy called Peter who struggles with severe OCD and anxiety, and when his mother is the victim of an assassination attempt he is thrown into a completely different world and has to cope with everything as it comes at him!

This was a fast-paced and action-packed novel with amazing characters and an utterly fascinating plot, and I genuinely feel it did not get the recognition it deserved! It is also extremely witty and such a true representation of someone with severe mental illness and how they both manage their mental illness and use some aspects of it to their advantage. I could not recommend this book enough, to everyone, and I really hope some of you give this hidden gem a chance!

Full Review

‘In Paris With You’ – Clémentine Beauvais

Release Date: 7th June 2018
Rating: 5 stars

This book came out previously in French but the English translation (translated by Sam Taylor) was released this year in the UK (for those of you in the US it is being released early 2019). This is a book written in verse and is a re-imagining of ‘Eugene Onegin‘ by Alexander Pushkin, and honestly it is one of the most stunning and heart-wrenching books I have ever read! I read it a couple of months ago and am absolutely dying to read it again!

It is a gorgeous romance, and just being in these characters heads and looking back at their pasts is enchanting and gorgeous to read about. It was so immersive and beautiful in the story and characters, and then the presentation of the text itself was amazing! As it was written in verse there was quite a lot of opportunity for shaping the text, so often on the page, the text would form a relevant image to what you were reading about, and I could not have loved it more!

Full Review (Coming Soon)

‘Black Wings Beating’ – Alex London

Release Date: 1st November 2018
Rating: 5 stars

Another amazing 2018 release that didn’t get enough hype? This glorious YA high fantasy all about falconry! Twins, cute queer romances, MAGICAL BIRDS! What more could you possibly want in a book?! Okay, seriously though this is such an epic start to a new high fantasy series and I loved it so much. It is set in a world where falconry is very important and causes a large rift between different groups, some who believe in falconry and those who disagree with it. With the threat of a war between these groups looming, the twins Brysen and Kylee set off to try and find the mythical Ghost Eagle.

This fantasy, in my opinion, is the perfect wintery read as something about it was just chilling and so amazingly atmospheric. There are definitely high action moments throughout the book but the setting and relationships between characters really carried this book. I loved it so much and absolutely cannot wait for the rest of the books in this series!

Full Review

‘Jack of Hearts’ – L. C. Rosen

Release Date: E-book: 30th October 2018, Paperback: 7th February 2019
Rating: 4.5 stars

This book is kind of a cheat I guess as it is only out in digital format in the UK but I read it this year and it is out in the US so I am counting it! This is a YA contemporary book about a gay teen, Jack, who is extremely sex-positive and actually starts a column talking about sex and relationships. However this leads to a lot of attention, and not all of it is positive. I adored this book for so many reasons, most importantly that it follows an extremely sex-positive character who has no shame in enjoying sex and also is very strict on practising safe, consensual sex. This is the sort of message that should be spread far more often and I love that there is a whole book focussed on this story being written for the young adult community.

This was a fascinating story with a fantastic diverse cast of characters and I fell in love with every single one of them. I strongly recommend this book to everyone because as well as being interesting and a fast-paced plot it is also very informative as to what a gay teen could experience throughout time at high school and so much else surrounding queer culture. I loved this book and am just so happy that books like this are now being published and made available to young people.

Full Review (Coming Soon)

‘The Monsters We Deserve’ – Marcus Sedgwick

Release Date: 6th September 2018
Rating: 4.5 stars

The first thing I need to say about this book is that is it physically stunning both inside and out! Even if you don’t ever read this book please pick it up and take a moment to enjoy its beauty, because it is really gorgeous! This is a YA horror I think but (coming from a real scaredy-cat) it really isn’t that scary. It is a bit eerie and unsettling but that really just adds to the atmosphere. This book follows a writer who is secluded in a cabin trying to work on his next book, and it is just his internal monologue talking about the psycology and philosophy of what makes a monster. The content discussed is fascinating and the writing is also so beautiful. This book isn’t written in verse but it also isn’t just normal prose, it is a little different but fascinating to read.

I don’t really know what else I can say to describe this book, it is very difficult to explain to somebody who hasn’t read it, but I can honestly say it was extraordinary and definitely worth picking up. It is very different from anything else I have ever read, in the best possible way!

Full Review (Coming Soon… ish)

 

So that is this tag! As I said, I love this idea and I highly recommend you all go out and tell people about your favourite books that are underhyped! This community is amazing but the more exposure your favourite books get, the more recognition that author will get and then they will be able to write more books! SO hype your favourites! Plus I am sure everyone wants to know about amazing books, I am always looking for recommendations.

– Maddie Browse