In this book, a group of American teenagers go on a French class trip to Paris. One of the girls has a travel YouTube channel and wants to get great videos of interesting places ro visit, like the catacombs under the city. But then she and some friends get stuck down there after going with a French boy who says he will take them to an underground party.

Okay. It was like these teens have never watched the movie "Taken" and the main character didn't have Liam Neeson as a father, so once the girls are lost, they are LOST.

A good thriller. I thought there were too many characters to keep track of, but I enjoyed rhe story.

This heart-pounding book is a mix of survival thriller, tense teen drama, and twisty mystery, with an overarching romantic theme. I’m in awe of Urban’s skill in crafting a suspenseful, incredibly creepy and emotional story that does not let up until the very end. Five heartfelt shivers for this amazing book!

Thank you Penguin Teen for a free advanced e-copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Diana Urban for my early copy of Under the Surface.

I enjoyed this YA thriller mixed with a bit of romance. A group of teens get trapped in the catacombs in Paris.
It’s def a locked in vibe and a bit creepy. It was dark and I’ve always thought the catacombs would be a great atmospheric setting for a locked in.

“I never thought I’d die alone in the dark under the City of Light.”

Ruby is trapped and her crush Sean is doing all he can to find her and save her. Alternating POVs so we get both sides here.

Down in the catacombs teenage gossip, secrets and tested friendships steal the show. Add in a secret society of sorts that operates there, and you get a fun creepy read. I enjoy this author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.5/5 STARS

Genre: YA Thriller

Synopsis: A group of American teenagers on a school trip in Paris, get trapped in the catacombs after they agree to go to a secret underground party.

I recently went to Paris and toured the catacombs and thought it would be cool to make it a setting for a thriller. The description of the catacombs was very accurate and I enjoyed the tidbits of history sprinkled in!
As for the plot, the beginning wasn’t entirely believable that they would willingly go with a random guy in another country to a secret underground party. I would have preferred them being kidnapped or something more sinister. Other than that, it was very suspenseful and I had no idea what was going to happen. If you have been in the catacombs, you can easily see how someone could get lost or trapped there and she did a great job of showing that. With any YA book, there is some teen drama, but it wasn’t overly done.
This is the second book by this author that I have read and I enjoy her writing style.

If you like trapped/survival YA thrillers, check this one out! Thank you Penguin Teen for the ARC! ☠️💀

Okay, this was amazing. A claustrophobic YA thriller…I couldn’t resist.

I cried, I grinned, I got a little scared, I read so fast I accidentally skipped sentences and had to tell myself to slow down…😂

There was the perfect amount of going back and forth between POVs that kept me super engaged. The eerie factor was SPOT ON throughout many different parts of the book. The description of the catacombs and what the characters’ were going through physically, made me feel like I was right there with them. I had to remind myself to take a breath…because I was not stuck underground. 🥲

Thank you to the author and publisher for this book. All opinions are my own.

Whew! This book was intense for a YA book. I was enraptured from the first page, and this book had a hold on me the whole time I was reading it.

This was a unique twist on a locked room type mystery. It was so cool to me to set a book in the French catacombs, something that I didn't even know was a thing until this book. Not only that, the fact that the characters were trapped and running for their lives in this dark, confusing, and terrifying below-ground maze.

I have read Diana Urban before and loved her work, but I think this has been my favorite so far. I found myself second-guessing all of the decisions all of the characters were making throughout the story, and I liked that I couldn't guess all the twists and turns. I thought the characters were all unreliable/had ulterior motives, and overall just genuinely enjoyed this book.

5 stars!

This is a rollercoaster of a thriller/romance book. Ruby, the main character leaves the hotel when her friends Val goes to meet up with a random guy in Paris to go to a party. She goes to try to stop her and on the way grabs to other girls from their class so as not to get caught. They end up getting lost in the catacombs of Paris with people out to kill them. Up on the surface Seth, a boy from their class sounds the alarm and does everything he can in his power to try and find the girls. This book kept me turning the pages and I enjoyed it

What was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime ended up being a torturous filled disaster for Ruby, Olivia, Val, and Selena. When ruby notices Val is missing, she goes in search of her, but runs into both Selena and Olivia. They end up sneaking out, intending to bring Val back to the hotel. Only they end up in the catacombs instead. This was a fantastic thriller mystery. It kept me hooked from page 1 until the end. Highly recommend for fans of intense mystery thrillers.

This book was so good! After a chapter or two it picks up, like A LOT. It was gripping and had me trying to figure out what was going on, and what would happen. Firstly, I thought this was a romance thriller but really it was just a straight-up YA thriller with a romance in the background. Like miniscule. Like something to look forward to at the end. This also was really more about friendship and facing your own insecurities. So much growth for Ruby and her friends. Let me just say, at like 30% I was confused about how this book would continue because so much had already happened. This book had no dull moments for me. If you thought Ruby was alone in the catacombs, she isn't! She's lost with a group. And Sean does what he can on the surface but he isn't like leading the mission so to speak. The romance aspect seemed so cheesy. But because they were just seniors in High School and it was a first love situation I didn't mind it! I also loved seeing the perspective of someone who wasn't lost. There were a few moments that hit me like "What did I just read" and "That can't be right" mostly because I went in thinking it was a love thriller with a HEA. There's a happy ending but also there are a lot of twists and turns I didn't expect but kind of expected but then I was thrown off but then ..... well you get it. I won't spoil it but some moments I just did not expect from this. Anyway, this book was great and you should read it!

Obsessed! I knew I was going to love this one from the second I saw the title! Paris Catacombs, Mystery, Suspense, and even a little bit of romance! I have loved Diana Urban's books so far and this one is no exception! If you want a fast-paced book with a little bit of everything this is your book!

I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one. The cover is one of my favorite from this year.

A group of high schoolers travel to Paris on a class trip. Ruby is building her social media based on travel, and this is her first real trip with a chance to do so. So when she has a chance to enter the catacombs after dark with 3 of her classmates to attend a party, she jumps at the chance. Except they get lost in the dark tunnels and never make it to the party. And it seems like something sinister is chasing them. The story starts out with a bang and only gets better from there.

This is a young adult novel and the characters were definitely portrayed very age appropriate. I would say not to let that turn you off because even though the characters are high schoolers- this book is still very creepy and suspenseful. I loved the setting of the catacombs and I'm glad I have already visited them, because after reading this book I don't know if I would have the courage to do so. The love story between Sean and Ruby is sweet and innocent. I was totally engulfed in this story that I didn't even realize I had stayed up into the early hours of the morning to finish. The creepy and atmospheric setting had me jumping at any little noise. This was a very enjoyable read and I definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read the first 60 pages of this book months ago and was immediately hooked. It's about an unlikely group of classmates getting lost in the infamous Paris catacombs. This book has elements of YA, mystery, and horror. With danger lurking around all dark corners, the events and happenings deep underground in Paris are stressful and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I personally was not too interested in Sean's POV, but it did give me a good understanding of what was happening above.

I love the setting of this YA horror novel being the catacombs below Paris. This is also inspired by true events, but the setting/plot feels unique compared to other YA thrillers out there right now. We also have a split POV between Ruby whose lost trying to survive down there and Sean, aboveground trying to find her with the not so helpful help of the police. There were a few scenes I found unrealistic, such as the police not demanding her laptop from Sean/being able to trace her location and the whole thing with the inhaler. I've never tested this with my own obviously because they're expensive, but I'm pretty sure submerging the whole thing in deep water will affect how it works. Overall this book did a good job keeping my attention, and there was one scene where I felt truly terrified by spiders that were actually crickets.

I saw a TikTok about the cover of this book from the author a few month ago and was immediately intrigued because of it!! I love the details and colors and the overall look of it. When I saw it on Netgalley I just had to request it and I'm so grateful that I got to read the arc of this!! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!

Let me tell you, I read this book in one sitting!! Once I got into the story I couldn't put it down! I was so invested and I desperately wanted to know what the hell is happening!!
I think I loved everything about this, the story taking place in Paris I absolutely loved the descriptions, not the catacombs!!!!!, the characters and that there was depth to each one of them, the little mysteries you wanted to figure out about them, the way this was written, the pov changes were perfectly timed and made me want to continue reading!!

The actual time the 4 girls and Julien spent underground was so creepy and scary! The descriptions and the things that happened made me gasp audibly a few times!! I also didn't expect this book to get so dark but I really enjoyed it and it only added depth to the story. The ending felt kinda rushed but I loved this nonetheless! Im excited to get my hands on a physical copy once this is published!

Only kinda negative thing I want to add is the way this is marketed. The catch phrases on the cover talk about a love story and even though there is a love story in this book it's definitely not the main plot really and I feel like it's misleading.

What would you do if a good looking guy invited your friend to a party in the catacombs under Paris?

When I first saw the cover for this book and read the synopsis I immediately added it to my TBR of upcoming releases. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Penguin Group, Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this eBook in exchange for my review.

Once I started reading this YA thriller it was hard to put down. It's centered around four high school girls on a school trip who end up lost in the dark and dangerous catacombs beneath Paris on their first night in the city of lights. As they try to find their way out in the days that follow we are taken on a terrifying, harrowing, and at times, heartbreaking emotional rollercoaster.

The story quickly drew us into Ruby's life, her friendships, her hopes, her dreams and where Sean fits into all of this. The story is narrated in alternating chapters from the perspective of Ruby and Sean. I liked the short and concise chapters. As the story progressed Ruby's were tense, suspenseful and at times anxiety inducing. Sean's chapters were also tense as his view provided us with the on-going efforts to locate and find the girls.

It didn't take me long to become invested in these characters. And with each chapter that passed I just wanted all of the girls to make it out of the catacombs in relatively one piece. The descriptions of the tunnels as the group tried to find their way out was so detailed I could picture how overwhelmingly dark it was, the twists and turns, how claustrophobic it felt at times, how horrifying and devastating it was whenever they had a setback, and their terror when they realized they were not the only ones in the tunnels. Did I mention it was hard to stop reading?

I had a few issues with this story at times, but most of them stemmed from how the characters reacted to incidents that occurred. A few times I had to ask myself if I would have done this when I was in high school.

When something jaw-dropping happened, and I was so stunned, I actually had to take a pause. When a few things I suspected while reading were confirmed I wanted to throw my kindle across the room in frustration for Olivia, for Ruby and Serena, for Sean, and for Val.

The last few chapters felt a little rushed. I wished there had been a few more. And I would have liked a bit more closure for Olivia, Val, Serena and Julien, and not just between Ruby and Sean. I get why that didn't happen since the story was focused on Ruby and Sean. I really liked the inclusion of when girls go missing which ones tend to get the most attention in mainstream media. Especially since there are so many missing girls who are never talked about or found.

Overall, Under the Surface is a great fast-paced YA mystery/thriller/horror that keeps you guessing what is going to happen next. I think it's best described by one of the characters in the story - Indiana Jones, but without the treasure.

This was the perfect summer thriller read. Albeit a little predictable in the character department, the plot was constantly twisting and always had me guessing. The main character, Ruby, is the creator of a travel YouTube channel, which she struggles to maintain because she has a hard time being able to...travel. Other characters include Val - Ruby's current best friend, Selena - Ruby's former best friend, and Sean - Ruby's crush and classmate. When Val meets a mysterious French boy on the streets of Paris, she brings Ruby and two other classmates along with her to the catacombs beneath the city. Disaster quickly strikes, and the four girls find themselves lost in the catacombs alongside a French boy with dubious intentions.
The characters were fairly shallow and lacked complexity, but I liked Ruby's bravery and willingness to stand up for the people she cared about. I also loved Sean's dedication to getting help for Ruby and his classmates, even when it meant stepping out of his comfort zone. I also really liked Selena's character, and Julien was a really interesting guy to figure out.
The plot was constantly shifting. Thanks to with Urban's masterful language, I genuinely felt like I was trapped in the catacombs along with the characters. Certain parts of the book were genuinely creepy, and made me question my desire to visit the catacombs at some point. The ending seemed a bit rushed, and I wish we had gotten a first-person account of Ruby being found and rescued.
Overall, Under the Surface was a really fun and fast-paced summer thriller with secret societies, lost friendships, and just a touch of romance.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the digital ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I think the characters were written like actual high schoolers with all the petty dramas. I think anything with the Paris Catacombs immediately has an elevated creepy factor and this book definitely hit all the best creepy and suspenseful moments! I would definitely recommend this book.

This book had my heart racing when I read this will follow ruby and her friends trapped in the Paris catacombs. As someone who doesn’t enjoy small spaces I could feel my anxiety rising with each description. I loved the images that Diana painted it’s like you were there trapped alongside. This book is a fast paced thriller with a love story tied in. Overall I enjoyed rubys sections better than Sean; I feel like we didn’t even need Sean. It’s a great quick read that will have your blood pumping.

This claustrophobic thriller was so fast-paced and gripping! As some others reviewers mentioned, it did take be just a bit to really get into the plot and hooked, but around the 20% mark, I was hooked and by the 40% mark, I had decided I was going to finish the rest of the book in the same sitting.

This thriller centers around a group of four teens on their high school trip to France who end up lost in the catacombs in Paris. This book was so claustrophobic and stressful, but so so good! I had to take little breaks from reading and remind myself that I wasn't actually trapped down in the catacombs with these characters. As someone who is very claustrophobic, I did ask myself multiple times why I was continuing to read this, but ultimately, I just could not put this book down. I would advise potential readers to look up content warnings are there are some aspects that could be potentially triggering for some readers.

While this thriller is YA due to the age of the main characters, the plot, characters, and events in the novel felt more mature and closer to the new adult genre. If you usually stray away from the young adult genre, but are interested in the plot, do not let the YA label deter you.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a VERY hard time getting into this book. I honestly would have given up on it in the first five chapters if I hadn’t been reading an ARC, because (for me) the beginning basically consisted of characters making bad decisions over and over again, and the writing and characters weren’t compelling enough to make their poor decisions bearable. But I wanted to wait until I was 20-25% through to give it a fair chance, and by then, I was a lot more interested in the characters and situation. It was like the author found her voice, and Ruby finally settled into her skin. Like, truly, I never absolutely loved the writing style, but I have a hard time believing the person who wrote Sean's first chapter wrote his other chapters. The story just became more genuine. There also weren’t as many "cringey" writing moments, which helped too. The characters still made a lot of stupid choices, yes, but it wasn’t awkward, it was the characters doing what they could to survive. The writing style is still not the book’s strongest point, but I do think it improved once we left all the exposition and (kind of farfetched) set up behind.

By about 40%, I was wholly invested. The themes and character dynamics eventually came together with the plot, and everything that had been building up made a lot more sense. The atmosphere of the catacombs was also well done, to the point that it made me uncomfortable a few times, just imagining being in these settings and dire circumstances. Once I got to this point, I finished the book in basically one sitting.

I did have a hard time with the way all of the religion "is there a God?" discussions were wrapped up. Miracles were one of the themes of the book, but at the end, Urban kind of pushed it all aside and had Ruby decide it was humans and their capabilities and determination that made wondrous things happen. She decided miracles weren't real. Not everyone has to share my faith, obviously, and I never really expected this book to, but for me personally, this cheapened the ending.

Even with all of the negative things I've put into this review while I fail to organize my thoughts, I am glad I finished Under The Surface! It's not one of my favorite books ever and I have a lot of issues with how it was written, but it was worth my time and I would recommend it. I liked the setting and a lot of things the story was doing. It made me cry. 3 stars isn't a bad rating, I promise.