I've been a huge fan of Diana Urban's books ever since I read These Deadly Games back in 2021. Since then, I've devoured everything she's published, and I consider her one of my favorite authors. When I heard about Under the Surface, I was so excited. The blurb, cover, and premise all screamed exactly what I love about YA thrillers. Suffice it to say, the book lived up to my high expectations.

I visited Paris in 2022, and my husband and I toured the underground catacombs, so I have firsthand experience to relate to this story. I felt Ruby's fear and claustrophobia while being trapped in the catacombs. I could vividly imagine what she was going through and how terrifying it would be, especially once she and her friends realize they aren't alone in the catacombs...

At its heart, this book is a survival story, but it also has mystery, love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and hope. It's an atmospheric story that makes you feel as if you're trapped in the catacombs with Ruby and her friends. Plus, I'm a sucker for books with teenage drama!

I also adored the romance between Ruby and Sean. It wasn't a major plot point, but it raises the stakes of the story because they wanted to reunite.

Under the Surface is full of twists and turns that any YA reader will appreciate. Diana Urban is a masterful writer of young adult thrillers. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Although I received an eBook ARC, I HAD to buy the gorgeous hardcover edition.

*Thank you to Diana Urban, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the eBook ARC!

Give me more Parisian lore, and secret tunnels. Based on this cover I hoped for Dystopian, but this more - a bit of mystery a bit of horror, lots of darkness and creepy people in the tunnels. Heart pounding, quick paced story about survivals in the Parisian tunnels. It was more than I hoped and everything for the spooky season to come.

I enjoyed this! It helps that ive been in a cave mood lately with movies too! This reminded me of like a mix between as above so below and pyramid. I was weary at first because i felt it may be boring to read a book in a cave with so little scenery and stuff but this was gripping and creepy and kept me on the edge of my sear!

I'm a sucker for anything with the catacombs. I loved the movie As Above So Below. Take that movie, make it YA and cultish rather than supernatural you have Under the Surface. So tense and full of complicated relationships. Lot of twists and turns I didn't expect and it even made me cry a little bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!

This new YA suspense story should please teen readers but is not really intended for readers past their teens. Which is FINE!

Under the Surface has a cool Paris catacombs setting and a school trip gone wrong premise. But the character POVs were hard to distinguish and the plot was pretty outlandish. Only teens could be self-centered enough to focus on their YouTube channels and petty friend drama when they are trapped underground and no one knows where they are. And are the French police this trés blasé? lol

As I said, should be a fun read for actual teens who are willing to go with the flow.

Under the Surface is the latest Thriller from one of my go-to YA authors, Diana Urban. I have been soooooo freaking excited about this one. I love Urban's stories and synopsis for this sounded hella fun. Teens trapped in the Paris Catacombs, yes, please!

This story follows Ruby and Sean, two teens enjoying Paris on a class trip. Ruby and Sean are good friends, but lately their feelings for each other have started to lean in a more romantic direction. They're both excited to escape from their regular lives for a bit and experience the City of Light together. It doesn't get any more romantic than that.

Their romantic aspirations are derailed, however, when Ruby's best friend, Val, sneaks away on the first night to meet up with a French boy she had met earlier in the day. Not wanting Val to get in trouble, Ruby goes after her, hoping to bring her back before getting caught. In an unfortunate set of events, Ruby ends up reining other classmates, Selena and Olivia, into her endeavor.

When they find Val, she's with the mystery boy and he has an enticing offer; the chance to attend an exclusive party underground in the infamous catacombs of Paris. This intricate maze of galleries and tunnels were once used by the city as a way to house their dead, due to serious health concerns regarding overflowing cemeteries. It's believed that over 6-million bodies were stored there. As you can imagine, these catacombs are fascinating to many people. The girls weren't immune. They were dying to explore this underground tunnel system.

Unable to find the party and feeling like they are being watched, and worse, possibly chased, the crew of teens end up hopelessly lost under the surface. Up above, Sean is the first to suspect that something may be seriously wrong. It's not like Ruby to disappear without telling anyone. Certainly not overnight. He won't rest until the adults start to him seriously and begin a search. And if they won't, he'll find her himself.

This book sucked me in pretty quickly. I loved the idea of these teens being in Paris on a Senior Trip and then having the ultimate misadventure. I had no idea how stressful it would become though. Originally, I rated this 3.5-stars and rounded up to 4, mainly because it did slow down a bit for me in the 2nd-half; that being my only critique, that it's a tiny bit too long. With this being said, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, so decided a straight 4-star rating was more true to my experience.

I feel like Urban did a sensational job building the tension in this story. The level of claustrophobia and panic I started to feel, it was real. Even considering being in the place of Ruby, Val, Olivia, or Selena, OMG, I can't even imagine how horrifying it would be. Sometimes when I was reading, I had to get up and walk around, to stretch and take a break. It got that stressful, all whilst remaining entertaining.

The interpersonal drama is very YA, but it is a book for Teens, so what else would we expect. It fits the target audience. Also, that never bothers me. If it did, I wouldn't gravitate towards YA books so often. I do feel Urban did a great job making these characters relatable as well. They're all going through different struggles common to the Teen experience. If anything, that should only help to connect Readers more with this story and the nail-biting events contained herein.

The things that happened in the catacombs, it got wild. Urban took it in a direction I wasn't expecting. For me, I wouldn't say I disliked the direction it took, but once certain things were revealed, I was slightly disappointed. In saying this, I am not really critiquing the book, it's not my story to tell and it's 100% personal taste, but I just wish it hadn't gone down certain paths, if you will. Because of this, the first half was stronger for me than the second, however, I do think overall this is still an exciting YA Thriller, toeing the line into Horror. It succeeded in making me feel claustrophobic almost the whole way through!

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for YR, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I feel like this is Urban's most adventurous work to date. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!!

An entertaining yet somewhat predictable read. This book follows two intertwined but separate storylines and to be honest I could've done without Shawn's POV. I just couldn't possibly care any less about his side of the story. The story of the teens lost/trapped within the labyrinth of the Paris catacombs with a stranger as their guide and being pursued by the creepy masked, knife weilding bad guys all while running low on supplies and power for lights was entertainment enough.

I found Ruby's guilt about her mother's death during her birth and the drama between Ruby/Selena/Val exhausting. I just very much hate drama- I could see where other's love what this adds to the story. I found the ending/explanation really disappointing. The fade to black quick recap was just such a let-down for me. I was also annoyed by how long it actually took Ruby to put the pieces together about what was actually going on- c'mon it was glaringly obvious! But, also, I say that while sitting comfortably snuggled up on my couch with coffee and kitty snuggles and not trapped underground in pitch black darkness surrounded by bones of the dead and a deranged killer hunting me.

I know I just listed off a lot of things that I didn't like about this book, I do want to make it clear that I really did enjoy this story. It was fast paced and spooky. The catacombs have always been a morbid curiosity of mine and I love that the book took place there. It's easy to get swept up in this story and feel the anxiety and fears of being trapped and hunted. There's plenty of action and ambiance. I've seen a few other reviews mention that they think this would make a great film adaptation and I whole heartedly agree! I would be among the first to go see it.

Under the Surface is an action-packed YA survival thriller that is worth the hype. In this novel, Ruby, Sean, and their classmates are in France for a senior trip. When one of Ruby’s friends sneaks out to meet up with a guy for a party, she follows with a few others, which becomes a deadly mistake. They end up lost in the extensive tunnels of the Paris catacombs. While Ruby fights to survive underground, Sean is trying to piece together the mystery of her disappearance. Ultimately, this was a rather stressful read (imagine being lost in the catacombs for days…that’s inherently stressful), which makes for a good thriller premise. The last half of the book flew by very quickly.

Holy cow. This book was a highly anticipated read for me and it was everything I was wanting and more. I loved Ruby so much; she’s a typical teen with a lot of feelings and wasn’t perfect, but she cared about her friends with her whole heart and she was so quick thinking under stress. Being in her head throughout the book literally had me wanting to look over my shoulder as if I was there with her. Then there is Sean who was an absolute gem of a boy who was so smart in his part of the investigation; I loved getting his POV and seeing how dedicated he was to finding Ruby.

Also, all of the characters were between 17-18 years old. I visited the Paris catacombs my second year at university when I was 19 years old (almost 20)— just a smidge older than them. There was something extraordinarily unnerving about imagining myself in their shoes when I visited a decade ago.

Overall I think this was an incredibly spooky story with many twists and unexpected elements. If you look hard enough the clues are all there, but you’ll get goosebumps (and maybe tear up) more than once.

I RECOMMEND IF:
If you’re looking for a YA thriller with mild romance that takes place in the Paris catacombs that will have you on edge from the start, then this is the book for you. Also perhaps if you’re looking for a YA, less terrifying version of the Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
• YA thriller with some mild romance elements
• Lost in the Paris catacombs
• Betrayals
• Dealing with grief & death
• Stuck with your ex bestie and your new bestie
• The dark feels alive
• Conserving flashlight battery & rations
• I will stop at nothing to find you

This book had such a great premise and setting. I don’t really know much about the Paris catacombs, so this was such a unique read and I enjoyed learning about the history. I felt like each character had their own separate personality, something that authors often miss when writing about many different people. Under the Surface was so engaging and I’d definitely encourage anyone interested to read this.

“Under the Surface” is a must-read YA thriller, and let me tell ya, it’s a true gem! From the very start, I was completely hooked. The premise is so unique – unlike any thriller you’ve read before. And the Paris catacombs? Well, they’ve always intrigued me, and this book brings them to life in the most chillingly perfect way! 😱🕯️ The author captures that eerie, claustrophobic vibe so well, you’ll feel like you’re right there with the characters. I hear that the book was based on true life events. I CANT EVEN IMAGINE!

I loved the multiple POVs highlighting both below ground in those creepy catacombs and above on the surface. If you’re into YA thrillers, this one’s a must-read. Highly recommend! 5 stars!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Y’all this was such a good YA thriller! From the very beginning I was engrossed in the story. I have always found the Paris catacombs to be so creepy and the way that the author portrays them in this book captures the eeriness and terror of being stuck there perfectly. I loved the back and forth POVs that allowed us to see both what was happening below and above the surface, and Sean and Ruby’s relationship was so cute. I will say that this one got a little darker and more intense than I was expecting, especially at the end. It turns into a real page turner and I was eating it up by the end. Overall I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend for YA thriller fans!

Big thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the ARC!

I once saw a horror movie about people lost in the Paris catacombs and ever since then, it's been on my creepy list. The setting of this is perfect for a thriller and add to it there's someone or something down there chasing the characters, I thoroughly enjoyed this!

The pacing was pretty good, with Ruby's tense scenes broken up with Sean's investigation into her disappearance. Besides navigating the catacomb maze, there's also some personal drama among the girls and their histories with each other. I thought this helped fill in the plot and there are no boring moments here.

Great read and perfect for the upcoming spooky season!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy.

I loved Under the Surface. Diana’s writing style improves with each book and this is definitely one of my favorites. I love mysteries where I don’t guess the entire plot twist and there’s something left to decode.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC
I think this would be a nice story for younger readers that are dabbling with spooky stuff. It wasn't great for me, but I can appreciate the effort.

Rating: 4.5 stars!

The entire premise of the book is wildly fascinating to me. A school field trip to the catacombs gone wrong. Adventure, twisty turns (literally) and even murder. The dual POVs was a nice tie in to reality above ground as the quest to survive was taking place.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This books had a really intriguing concept and brought many things I really like to see in books to the table. It had a teenage influencer who was destined to look into something dark or dangerous, in this case the unexplored catacombs in Paris which brought an evening more fascinating twist with it. Through looking into this a few classmates get stranded down there. That brings one of my other favorite things to the table which is a friend or other teen ends up trying to investigate or help the investigation. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. The only thing that didn’t hit for me was at times it felt like the pacing of some scenes were off so it seemed to drag a bit.

A thrilling survival story about 4 teenagers in the Paris catacombs. I truly felt like I was there how the author described it. It was creepy but kept me intrigued to figure out if they’d get out! I’d recommend, even though the main character got on my nerves a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Check out my full thoughts on this book and more here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh_0TdEd1i8G4HOCgnl0FvA">booktube reviews :)</a>

Title: Under the Surface by Diana Urban
Publication Date- 08/13/24
Publisher- Penguin Group
Overall Rating- 4 out of 5 stars

Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: First off, did yall know this is inspired by a true story?? I did not, I am going to do some research and read about it because that sounds so interesting. I’m sure it’s loosely based but I’m curious now.

Under the Surface is YA survival thriller like nothing I’ve read before. I really enjoyed the dual perspective being between one trapped under ground and one above looking. This gave me vibes of the movie Taken, people traveling in a new city go missing and someone in desperate pursuit to locate them. The pacing was well done, I was never really bored and always wanted to know how it was going to end.

Before I get so some mild complaints, this is a YA book and I feel like was appropriately written for the audience. Some things I struggled with made sense for the target audience. Some of the drama between characters, grudges held, etc were very appropriate for the age group. So, though it annoyed me at times, I am an adult with a developed relationships and emotional capabilities. I actually feel like this is a good story about forgiveness and giving people second chances.

One thing that did slightly annoy me was the repeating theme of her trauma. I’ll let you read it to discover that but it was mentioned an unnecessary amount. The twist was okay, it was exciting enough but not really shocking. There were some interesting elements to it and others felt predictable.

In conclusion, I am glad I read this and I really enjoyed it. Though I have some mild complaints, I would still recommend this for those of you who enjoy YA thrillers, the premise was unique and I had a good time while reading. Considering that I DNF a lot of YA thrillers, and just thrillers in general the fact I finished it and gave it 4 stars is a win from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I enjoyed this one and found it to be a page turner. Four girls on a school trip get lost in the catacombs of Paris. Will they be rescued in time? I will say that I wasn't necessarily surprised by any of the twists in this book, but it was fun seeing how the author got to where she was going.