Top Ten Tuesday: Books for readers who like under hyped books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a topic, and you choose ten book related things to answer the topic. This week was a fairly open topic, allowing us to choose ten books for readers who like something. I’ve chosen under hyped books, as I feel like there are so many great books out there that really do not get the attention that they should!

1. Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Perfect Ruin is one of my all-time favourite books, and Lauren DeStefano is one of my all-time favourite authors. It is a beautifully written, adorable story, and I feel like it is a book that does not have that much hype surrounding it.

The book is set in the floating city of Internment, a city where you can be anything you dream, unless you approach the edge. The edge can be dangerous, as evidenced by the Jumpers, the people who have survived the lure of the edge. Morgan should know better than most that thoughts of the edge are dangerous, especially since her older brother Lex lost his eyesight when attempting to jump, and yet Morgan can’t keep her thoughts away from the edge and what life would be like on the ground. When a murder occurs on Internment, the first in a generation, the lure of the edge intensifies for Morgan, as life on Internment completely changes, thrusting Morgan and her family right into the middle of the chaos.

My plot summary of the book doesn’t make it sound that good, but it truly is magically beautiful! Definitely go and give it a try if it sounds like something you could be interested in!

“Every star has been set in the sky. We mistakenly think they were put there for us”

2. The Archived and The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

These are the first two books in what I believe is going to be a trilogy (I don’t think the third book has been confirmed yet, but believe me, you will want a third book on completion of The Unbound) .

The Archived tells the tale of Mackenzie Bishop (Mac), a 16-year-old girl who has inherited the role of a keeper from her grandfather Da. A keeper is someone who stops violent Histories (kind of like ghosts but in this world they are called Histories) from getting back into the real world. This job takes a hard toll on Mac, especially since she gets physically hurt and must lie to everyone she knows. Mac is also struggling with the death of her younger brother, and she spends hours in the Archive (a library that keeps histories as opposed to books) just sitting by the cabinet that holds the history of her brother. By accident, Mac discovers that someone is erasing certain histories from the archive, histories that are linked to the building she lives in, and as Mac delves deeper into these secrets, the whole Archive is compromised, as greater amounts of Histories are erased. Mac needs to solve the mystery before there is no Archive left.

I’ll only give a plot summary of the first book because I don’t want to spoil you on this series, but know that this is another beautifully written and captivating book that will leave you yearning for more. Also, one word: Wesley. He and Mac just need to get together, because I ship that! If you want to know more about The Archived, I wrote a review on it!

“It becomes a game, whispered and breathless. I hide who I am. I fight with the dead. I lie to the living. I am alone.”

3. Even In Paradise by Chelsey Philpot

This is a book that came out towards the end of 2014, and I feel like it is one not many people knew about. I had added it to my TBR list on Goodreads sometime throughout the year, based purely on the cover. I fell in love with the cover. When I ordered it in early January, no one I knew had read it, and barely anyone was posting it in the Bookstagram photos.

I’m not going to tell you about the plot, because I went into this book not knowing anything about it, and I think I enjoyed it more because of that. This is another book with beautiful and captivating writing, and it ended up being a book I struggled to put down because I just wanted to devour it. I will share with you the two quotes on the front and back cover of the book that had me intrigued to read this book. I’ll be posting a full review on this book later this week, so keep an eye out for that if you want to know more!

“They were brilliant, beautiful, and broken.”

“Knowing what I do now, I would do it all again.

Beginning with the night I met her, then him, then the rest.

I would do it all again just to know that for a moment I was one of the Great Buchanans.”

4. The Study Series by Maria V. Snyder

This is one of the more well-read series I’ve included on this list, but I still feel as if it is a series that is under hyped. I had probably seen these books in shops for years without ever thinking twice about picking them up, and if it wasn’t for a friend lending them to me based on how much she enjoyed them, they probably would be a series I never read. But I am so happy that I have read these books, because they are so incredibly amazing, and are quite possibly some of my favourite books ever.

The first book, Poison Study follows Yelena, a girl who is about to be executed for murder. She is provided with an ultimatum, be executed for her sins, or become the food taster for the King of Ixia, tasting every meal for the King to ensure there is no poison. Yelena becomes the King’s food taster, and from there the adventure begins.

I know, that plot summary kind of sucks (you should know by now that I am awful at summarising plots), but in my defence I haven’t read the books since 2013. This was originally a trilogy, but another three books have been announced, with the fourth book Shadow Study being released within the last few weeks. I am planning on rereading the entire series this month, and I will be posting reviews for them, so keep an eye out for those!

“Everyone makes choices in life. Some bad, some good. It’s called living, and if you want to bow out, then go right ahead. But don’t do it halfway. Don’t linger in whiner’s limbo.”

5. Alienated by Melissa Landers

I read Alienated in January, and it was such a fun read that left me yearning for the sequel Invaded (I am starting the sequel tomorrow and I am so incredibly excited to read it). It does not have the most beautiful writing ever, nor does it have the depth that I feel I am attracted to in the books I read, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book, and how much I actually cared about the characters.

I’ve tried writing my own plot summary for this book for nearly thirty minutes now, and I still ended up deleting everything I had written, so here is the plot from Goodreads:

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket. Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking. But when Cara’s classmates get swept up by anti-L’eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn’t safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara’s locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she’s fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

I took notes to write a review on this book when I read it, but never got around to writing the review. I may write a series review once I finish the sequel Invaded, but it depends on how I’m feeling I guess. I have seen that there is the potential for this series to have a third book, and that will entirely depend on the sales of the second book. Hopefully the third book gets written because I really do enjoy Cara and Aelyx and would love to read more about them.

“How can we understand what we’ve never experienced and adapt without making mistakes?”

6. Corruption and Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

This is a duology by an Australian author that I read last year and fell in love with! It is a dystopian/sci-fi, and it is incredibly fast-paced, and it is written well, and it has interesting characters, and I just loved it. I often struggle with Australian young adult fiction – I never really find any books that I can rave about, but I’ve had a good streak lately, and I can most definitely rave about how much I enjoyed this duology.

I’m using the Goodreads plot because it’s been a little bit since I read these and I can’t quite remember the plot. Oops!

What if a microchip could identify your perfect match? What if it could be used against you and the ones you love? Eight years ago, Mercer Corporation’s M-Bands became mandatory. An evolution of the smartphone, the bracelets promised an easier life. Instead, they have come to control it. Two years ago, Maggie Stevens watched helplessly as one of the people she loves most was taken from her, shattering her world as she knew it. Now, Maggie is ready. And Quentin Mercer – heir to the M-Corp empire – has become key to Maggie’s plan. But as the pieces of her dangerous design fall into place, could Quentin’s involvement destroy everything she’s fought for? In a world full of broken promises, the ones Maggie must keep could be the most heartbreaking.

I am planning on rereading this series later this year, and when I do I’ll post a review for it! This series may also only currently be published in Australia, but I’m not entirely sure. If it is, I really hope it gets published internationally because it really is great!

“But people should have the right to become whatever they’re going to be before they are judged and sentenced.”

7. If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

This was one of my biggest surprises last year. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Sometimes I feel like there is a division in the contemporary genre. There are the cute, adorable, romancey books, and then there are the emotionally-powered deep and thoughtful books that make you think deeply about life. If You Find Me is in the latter, and it has some of the most developed characters I have ever read about in a contemporary. This book also made me ball my eyes out – it was so tragic but beautiful all in one.

For as long as she can remember, Carey has lived in the woods with her mother and younger sister Jenessa. Her mother is addicted to drugs, and it is up to Carey to be responsible for her sister and herself, even though she is only a teenager. Her mother told her that they escaped to the woods because her father used to hit them, and that the woods would protect them from him. One day, Carey and Jenessa are rescued from the woods, and sent to live with her father. Only once they are back in the real world and are learning to readjust to society does Carey learn the truth, that her mother kidnapped Carey from her father’s custody. Now, with a bright future ahead of her, Carey struggles with the secret of the woods, a secret so big it made her sister decide to stop talking, and a secret that could ruin everything.

I wrote a review on this book, so read that if you want more of my thoughts about it.

“I just answer her with my silence, understanding the full power of it for the first time. Words are weapons. Weapons are powerful. So are unsaid words. So are unused weapons.”

8. Every Breath by Ellie Marney

This is the first book in an Australian mystery trilogy, and it was another Australian book that surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. It was truly unique, and just the kind of book I was wanting to read when I read it, which definitely added to my overall feelings towards it.

This book is under hyped because currently it is only available in Australia (and maybe Canada?). But it really is unique, and good, and a book that I believe could be enjoyed by international readers.

Rachel Watts is an unwilling new arrival to Melbourne from the country. James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old genius with a passion for forensics. Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder. And when Watts and Mycroft follow a trail to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion’s den – literally. A night at the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again…

I am planning on posting a review for this shortly, and I am also planning on continuing with the series within the next few days, and I really hope the second and third books are as great as the first book was.

“If you looked inside his brain at this moment you’d see all the little synapses, Catherine wheels and penny bangers and skyrockets, all firing off into space in some sparkling display of gathering momentum. I don’t want to look into his brain. Looking into his eyes is bad enough

9. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Morgan Matson is a fairly well-known young adult contemporary author, and although this book has some hype, I feel like it has less compared to her other two books Since You’ve Been Gone and Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. I’m not sure if it’s because it was the first Matson book I read, but I personally think Second Chance Summer is her strongest of the three, and it makes me disappointed to never see people raving about it like they rave about her other books (I see a lot of hype for Since You’ve Been Gone, but I actually have the unpopular opinion of not liking that book very much).

I’m going to use the Goodreads plot instead of writing my own because it’s been awhile since I read this book and can’t quite remember the specifics.

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains. Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve. As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

I think I really enjoyed this book because it made me appreciate life, and all the beautiful people in it. It made me want to be a better daughter, sister, and friend, and it made me want to have better relationships with all the people I care about. This was also another book that had me in tears, but they were both tears of joy and sadness. I really loved this book, and I believe it deserves more attention against Matson’s other titles.

“A thousand moments that I had just taken for granted- mostly because I had assumed that there would be a thousand more.”

10. Masquerade by Kylie Fornasier

This book is by an Australian author, and currently I believe this is only published in Australia, meaning that there is less hype for it as it is not available internationally. I really enjoyed this book, and it is another one with some of the most beautiful writing I have ever seen.

What makes me really love it though is how the author is able to get her passion for Venice across, and write so vividly that it makes you feel as if you are in the scene as it occurs. Safe to say that my want to visit Venice has increased a lot since reading this book.

Masquerade is set in 1750’s Venice, and follows seven teenagers whose lives intercross with one another. All seven characters are hiding something, whether this deals with their loves, desires, loyalties, or beliefs, and the Venice setting of ballrooms, theatres, palazzos, and promenades mean that the drama is intensified with gossip, games, and schemes threatening to have it all come crashing down. Everyone is being played by someone who knows more than they do, and coincidentally they too are being played. This is everything you could want in a novel – mystery, scandal, drama, and romance. If you want to know more about my opinions on it, read my review here.

“That was not all the gondolas carried. Their cargo were the rich and richer, the young and old, the moral and immoral, all heading towards a night of masked fun and frivolity.”

So that was my Top Ten Tuesday for the week. What was yours? I would love to know!