This little YA Survival Thiller packed a punch! I did not expect it to be so dark. It had me uneasy from start to finish—i had to put this book down a few times lol. Im talking arachnophobia, claustrophobia, fear of drowning—it was unsettling! Also, as an asthmatic, i was STRESSED! This was so immersive and brought out so many emotions. I highly recommend.

I was given an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
I had been wanting to read this book ever since I saw Diana reveal the cover on Tiktok and then read a brief synopsis of the plot. And let me tell you, this book did NOT disappoint. I have already pre-ordered the audio version for my hubby and the hardcover version for myself, I loved this book that much.
It's got a great amount of suspense, a little bit of romance, and the perfect amount of twists and moments that will make you go 😱

Under the Surface was a gripping page turner of a novel. Set in the macabre Paris Catacombs, this dark, claustrophobic thriller had me invested from the very beginning. One of those novels that make you forget that you’re reading, you blink, and you’re halfway through the book. I will say that I saw the revelation at the end coming early on –but won’t say what it is because of spoilers. For that I will give it 4 stars. Had I been blindsided by the twist, I would have rated this EASILY 5 stars. It was a genuine joy to read, and if you enjoy thrillers – read this one.

Tremendous thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Will definitely be picking up a finished copy on release!

First I would like to thank the publisher, Penguin Young Readers group and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A YA book set in Paris in which a group of teens are stuck in the Catacombs? You had me at Paris! I was very excited to read Under the Surface from a cursory glance at the description alone.

When Ruby's newish best friend Val sneaks off from their class trip to Paris to meet a strange Parisian boy who promises her a good time at an exclusive party in the Catacombs, Ruby and two other classmates Olivia and Serena tag along for safety. However, once they climb into the gates and shimmy down into the Catacombs, they quickly realize there is no party as promised, something/one keeps chasing them and they are lost, without a signal or hope.

Things are not all as they seem down in the Catacombs and with each other as secrets are revealed and life or death situations occur. Will the girls ever get rescued and make it out alive?

Meanwhile, the other pov comes from Sean, Ruby's crush who likes her back and is determined to find Ruby and the other girls however he can.

Urban's writing style made me disoriented as if I were there with the four girls. It was a fast paced, no holds barred thriller with shocking twists and turns I did not see coming.

This is a must read for all those who enjoy YA thrillers!

Absolutely fantastic read! As a huge fan of the Paris catacombs, Under the Surface more than delivered! Ruby, Sean, and Val have the instant Trio dynamic that draws the reader in from the very beginning. The spooky shadows of underground Paris and the undeniable spark between Ruby and Sean are balanced beautifully by the narrative and witty banter. I'll definitely be buying a physical copy when it comes out so I can enjoy an inevitable reread!

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

Phew! What a ride. If you like thrillers and Parisian history with a large focus on the famous catacombs, this is right up your alley. However, if you hate teenagers making horrible decisions or are triggered by violent deaths and cults, I think you should probably pass on this one.

Ultimately this is a story about love, friendship, and repairing relationships of all kinds while also standing up for yourself and confronting issues head-on. The four girls who get trapped in the Paris catacombs are classmates and our main character, Ruby, is best friends with the quite frankly awful Val, and ex-best friends with Selena. Poor Olivia got into this mess by complete circumstance and I hated that for her. The only one who hardly grew as a person or worked towards fixing their relationship with Ruby was Val, who was the absolute worst right up to the end, though she had a tiny moment of self-awareness and responsibility by at least apologizing for her messes and recognizing why she's, well, the way she is. A shame it happened so late, but I appreciate how realistic that is.

In fact, I appreciate the realistic subversion in a lot of areas in this book. It genuinely kept me guessing and unsure of where things were going to go, as there were no holds barred when it came to many of the situations the girls found themselves in (oof). And even though they weren't subversive, the above-ground search and rescue sequences were also quite realistic and had a lot of commentary on how and when the world mobilizes to find the missing. There was nothing out of the realm of possibility in this book and I greatly appreciated that, because it's a story that acts as a warning for those who are prone to doing foolish things like following a guy into the Paris catacombs to get exclusive footage for your YouTube channel at a cataphile party. There are even morally grey characters, something so deeply human to reckon with. Ruby even points out at the end that nothing good that happened just happened by a miracle--it was due to skills, wisdom, and solid relationships that they happened.

There is some cheese in this story, however, in the form of Ruby constantly blaming herself for things going wrong because her mom died when she gave birth to her and her dad has been grieving that for her whole life--ergo anything bad that happens to Ruby is something she "deserves". It gave her attachment issues and also romantic relationship issues and it's the messier side of the story, but hey, she and Sean are cute so I'll give it some pass. The messages about life and love are worth that bit of cheese.

Also shout-out for the character of Selena being bi and even being called "bi"--and not dying. No burying your gays in these catacombs! Thank you, Diana Urban!

A thrilling adventure set in the Paris catacombs, Urban delivers teen drama and chilling suspense in hefty doses.

Ruby is thrilled to be on her class's field trip to Paris. As a travel vlogger, she's excited to share hidden gems from Paris. So when the opportunity to go to a secret party in the catacombs arises, she can't turn it down - even though every instinct tells her not to go. Soon, Ruby, her three other classmates, and their French guide are lost. And something is chasing after them. On the surface, Ruby's crush Sean is desperate to find where she's gone, and works with the police to track her down.

Ruby's chapters are fast-paced and exciting; full of adventure, danger, and introspection. As the group becomes more lost, truths about each of them come to light - and not all of them are good. Unfortunately, Sean's chapters were distracting compared to Ruby's. I found myself rushing through them to get back to the group lost in the catacombs. Overall, a good purchase for libraries looking to bolster their thriller and adventure collections.

I loved the setting in this one. The catacombs is the perfect place for a horror and the setting was perfectly used. This is my favorite Diana Urban book yet. It is definitely a mystery thriller but it has more horror elements than her previous books. The cast of characters all having different motivations and getting ready to move into different stages of life added some wonderful character interactions.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC of this book.

Tropes/Themes: Lost in the Catacombs, School Field Trip, Friend Drama, Cult

This was a wild ride, from the first line I was hooked. I was creeped out, and I NEVER want to go into the catacombs after this one.

Ruby wants to explore and learn about the history of Paris while she and her classmates are across the ocean in Paris. Val likes a little more adventure than what might be considered safe when you are in a different country, and a teenager. Sean just wants Ruby and to not do what his father has planned for his life.

When Val meets a stranger near the Eiffel Tower, everything is thrown into a tailspin. Ruby feels the need to go get Val and bring her back to the hotel, but in doing that ... well lets just say no one saw these consequences happening.

I was so creeped out for most of this book, I didn't know when something was going to pop-up, if everyone was going to make it out, or if Sean would be stupid and go look for the missing girls himself.

There were some very intense parts of this book that were emotional and I am not sure how the girls will ever be the same after their experiences, but a book that keeps me on the edge of my seat is always enjoyable.

I think Diana Urban might become one of my favorite YA thriller authors- she definitely knows how to make you not want to put a book down.

Such a fun, creepy book to read!

Ruby and her classmates and friends are on a school trip to Paris. This trip is just the boost Ruby needs to really rocket her YouTube channel to the top. When presented with the chance to secretly go underground to visit the catacombs, Ruby knows this is her chance to get the footage she needs. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned and her and her friends find themselves lost under Paris in the twisting and winding tunnels of the catacombs. If that wasn’t bad enough, someone else seems to following them and wants them out now! Ruby and her friends must quickly navigate their way through the tunnels in hips of finding a way out before the strangers catch up with them.

First off I 100% chose this book because I have a fear of small spaces especially things like being buried under ground or stuck in a cave system and yet I always find myself drawn to these types of books.
Under The Surface by Diana Urban follows of group of teenagers on a school trip to Paris.Ruby longs to become a well known youtuber who travels and reviews onknown things about the places she is traveling too and is thrilled to be in Paris where she will hopefully get fantastic footage to boost her subscribers. It helps that her best friend Sean and hopeful boyfriend helps her with her videos. Now if she could get over her fear of abandonement and let him know how she really feels but alas that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. It doesn't help that her friend Val keeps pushing her to get over Sean since he plans on joining the military.
While they are out sight seeing Val meets a man by the name of Julien who mentions an underground party. There begins the next couple of devastating nights.
Ruby sets out to stop Val from going with this strange person to an underground party and in the procecss ends up dragging her best friend turned nemesis Selena, and Olivia along with. She almost convinces Val to leave until Julien throws out the juiciest carrot, parts of the Catacombs no one other than the Cataphiles have ever seen as they are blocked off from general public.
Olivia always the rule follower decides she is going to break the rules this time and Selena finds herself wanting to protect her old friend. So they all decend through a sewer grate into the depths of The Catacombs and disappear for days. Not everyone makes it out alive as deep within these Catacombs a society lurks who believe the bones have magical powers to protect Paris and are worried that the magic is fading and so sacrifice is needed.
Ruby, Selena, Val, Olivia and Julien are in for the fight of their lives as they get lost in The Catacombs and find themselves running from people in skeleton masks. With flooding and cave ins will they be able to find their way out and will Sean with the help of Rubys left behind laptop be able to figure out where they have vanished too before no one comes home?

I want to thank #Netgalley and #PENGUINGROUP, #PenguinYoungReadersGroup/G.P. #PutnamsSonsBooksforYoungReaders for the chance to read a digital copy of #UnderTheSurface by #DianaUrban in exchange for a fair and honest review

“In these halls, those who are forgotten protect those who have forgotten.”
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Ruby has one goal after graduation: become a popular YouTube travel vlogger and the first step to that is exploring out-of-the-way places on her French class trip to Paris. Her crush, Sean, is more of the cautious type, trying to warn her against dangerous situations she seems to be jumping into more and more lately due to her new BFF, Val. When Val gets Ruby, a friend and Ruby’s ex BFF into danger by accepting an invite to a catacombs party, the group gets stuck underneath ground with no way out.
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What a wild YA adventure thriller by @dianaurban In addition to the mystery part of the book readers will also learn a lot about the French catacombs. This was what we’ve come to expect from Urban: a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. Thanks to the author for this ARC. Happy pub day!

CW: death, body horror, injury, hospitalization, violence, blood, toxic friendship, death of a parent (recounted), murder

A bit hard to get into 3.75 ⭐️

I really loved this one! The concept was so cool, and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat!

I absolutely loved this book. All the twists and turns, I couldn't stop reading. I can't wait to see what else Diana has up her sleeve.

“I thought I was doing you a favor.” 😟

I saw this book in its pre-publisher form from the author on Instagram reels. I am incredibly grateful to have received an arc of this book I knew for months would exceed readers expectations. So I will do everybody who reads this a favor and recommend this book. You looking for a romance where she’s lost in the Paris catacombs on a school trip with a few friends and an ex-bestie, and her love interest would do whatever it takes to find her? You no longer need to look, you’ve found it.

There are a few darker themes that I did not anticipate, which include cults and cultish…. behaviors, death, and intense claustrophobic descriptions. Reader discretion is advised.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin House Publishing, and Ms. Urban for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not usually a mystery/thriller person but this one really caught my eye. I absolutely love the setting of the catacombs and the tension of if the girls will escape. There are many hard hitting moments in the story that I also really enjoyed. All the characters had quirks that made them unique and helped with the story. I feel like there could have been a bit more to the ending, especially since the kids lost friends, but that's really one of my only notes.

Under the Surface is a wonderfully written YA thriller that explores themes of hope, strength, love, forgiveness, and the social dynamics of life as a teenager.

I had such an enjoyable time reading Under the Surface. It was well-written, well-paced, and perfectly anxiety-inducing. The story flows beautifully with its perfect mix of solvable reveals and shocking twists, while the dual POV will keep you asking "but what happens next?!"

Diana Urban perfectly walks the line between not shying away from dark content and not being overly explicit for shock value. She also wonderfully balances the story between a gripping thriller and a heartfelt story of love, hope, and second chances that relates so well to the YA audience.

I loved (most of) the characters and really enjoyed seeing their growth as they navigated terrifying situations, had epiphanies about themselves and those that they love, and learned to take ownership of themselves and their futures. There's very little, if any, black and white when it comes to the actions and values of these characters, adding a beautiful layer of depth and reality to this novel.

An honorable mention to this absolutely stunning cover that perfectly encapsulates the story.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun concept! A teen on a school trip to Paris finds herself lost underground in the Paris catacombs with group of friends. This read wasn’t what I was expecting and some of the dialogue and slang took me out but overall a fun and spooky expedition underneath the streets of the city of love

You just don’t know what is going on under the surface!
The story is full of a foreboding feeling of claustrophobia as what starts as a (fairly) innocent desire to experience a party in the catacombs morphs into something much more scary when Ruby and her friends get lost in 200 miles of tunnels under Paris.
I will absolutely be purchasing this fast-paced horror thriller for my library.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

When I say I picked up this book and could not put it down, I mean it, it genuinely took me a couple of hours to sit down and just speed through the book. The writing was fantastic and the plot twists? Insane! I definitely thought I was kinda on par with guessing where the plot was going and what the ending was going to turn into, and each time I thought I had it figured out, we were worlds away from what I could have anticipated. This was my most anticipated book of 2024 and I am so beyond thankful to have received an ARC of this book. I can not wait to get my hands on a physical copy and sit down and do another reread of what has quickly turned into one of my favorite books in the last several years!