DNF at 70%

I'm deeply sorry for taking so long in reviewing the arc, and i want to thank to Netgalley and the publisher for gave me the opportunity of reading it.
Under the surface was a fun read, but unfortunately i was more invested in the story than the characters themselves, whom gave me a hard time.
The main female character wasn't likeable at all, and the male character POV was even harder to get pas throught. Maybe it wasn't for me, which is a shame :(

This fast paced ya thriller had me from the start the idea of getting lost in the catacombs is terrifying and the high school drama was full force. The characters were great in this book and I enjoyed Sean’s perspective above ground while we followed the others who were trapped. The plot in this book was action packed and did not slow down I was on the edge of my seat a few times in this book. This is my first book from this author but hope to read more in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH! I’ve never read a thriller with this kind of setting and it was so fun! I feel like I read this super fast. I also kind of had it figured out but it didn’t take away from the story at all! 5 stars!!

This book definitely hooks you in!! I loved the history about the catacombs.
Def some creepy elements to it and gets you on the edge of your seat! I flew through the ending.

Where I was a little stuck, it got a bit repetitive and I was like come on already in some points. Also these are teenagers which I am fine with but I either wanted them to act like real teenagers or be adults.

Overall good read!

So the premise of this book sounded SO intriguing.... I mean a horror/thriller in the catacombs of Paris. I've always heard stories of how this would make a great story and was looking forward to it in this read.

But.....

This book's structure was sort of a mess. The horror and creep factor of the book didn't happen until the last 20 mins of the book! WHAT? So many amazing concepts that just fell flat when it came to execution. Another thing... why did he get a perspective? It started out great, but when they actually went missing, his perspective took away from the catacombs and didn't add anything else.

Overall, the book was interesting, but not what I wanted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review! I wasn't expecting the way this storyline to play out the way it did, but I'm not mad about it. I'm a sucker for a YA romance mystery, and this is no exception! It wasn't a 5-star for me because it was still relatively predictable, and the pacing was weird at points, but overall I enjoyed it!

A group of teenagers gets stuck in the catacombs under Paris, where they're not just alone with thousands of bones but are being chased by members of a sinister cult.

Initially, I was a little hesitant about this book, wondering how an entire novel could take place underground, but before I reached the halfway point, I was hooked. Every time it seemed like things were calming down, another twist happened; I had to keep reading. I loved how Sean cared for Ruby and was determined to find out what happened to her, and it added a lot to the story that we got to see his perspective on top of hers as she was in the catacombs and he was on the surface. I was lowkey hoping this book would have some cult vibes when we were first introduced to all the odd things inside the setting, which we definitely got by the end. Although it took me a little bit to get into the book, this is certainly my favorite by the author, and it had some amazing plot twists that made me need to know how things would end!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Under the Surface by Diana Urban.

This book blew me away! It had me in the edge of my seat the entire time. I was so nervous and wasn’t sure who to trust. I loved getting to know everyone’s backstory and their strengths and weaknesses. I loved when the girls came together to survive even though they had problems in the past. I was pleasantly surprised at the depths of the plot and character development. Even though this was YA, the story held my attention and it never felt too young.

Highly recommend this thriller and romantic survival story!

This is a really solid thriller! I like the writing and I was wondering how it was going to end. This was a great immersive story! Special Thank You to Diana Urban, Penguin Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! There was SO MUCH tension and suspense, it felt like I was trapped down in the catacombs with them. The book had so many twists and turns and was truly violent in a way that I wasn't suspecting, but fits perfectly in the thriller-survival genre. I also liked how not everything is tied up neatly at them end.

The character development within this book was quite interesting. The characters were able to work off of each other and it sounded natural. If I was in that situation I could not handle more than five minutes. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thrilling and interesting adventure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with an eARC of Under the Surface in exchange for my honest review!

This YA thriller aims for an eye-catching hook by drawing us into Parisian catacombs for subterranean suspense, and that ends up being a gripping time. A creepy and claustrophobic mood hangs over me, making me feel like I'm confined underground with these misfortunate teenagers, and it helps that I find them to be engaging characters to hang around with. Some conflicts emerge between them that, despite the familiar cliches that they rely on, add tension to the narrative and further compel me to keep following their dynamics. There's especially a point in the second half of the plot that escalates the suspense once we gain more knowledge of what's unfolding beneath Paris. I do think that when this takes our POV and moves it aboveground, I'm not as interested in the events and I'm left itching to return belowground. But I still enjoy what I get out of this solid thriller.

Overall, I'm officially rating Under the Surface 3.75 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding up to 4 stars. The last time I read a Diana Urban book was All Your Twisted Secrets, which had riveted me even more than Under the Surface, so I'll continue to anticipate more of her writing.

As a person who loves Paris and horror movies I was intrigued by the premise's of Under the Surface. While reading I kept getting Lizzie McGuire movie vibes when she went to Rome, but instead Lizzie went to Paris and lived a horrible nightmare. Getting lost in the catacombs with a complete stranger and her girl friends.

While lost in the Paris Catacombs, Ruby and her friends are chased by masked people who are apart of a cult who prey on lost Cataphile. I will say I enjoyed Under the Surface because it was Duo POV and readers get to see what Ruby is going through in the Catacombs and how her friend/crush Sean figures out exactly where and what has happened to Ruby and his other classmates. I also enjoyed the eerie setting, descriptions and the pace of the book.

Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley.

This novel has one of the best spooky, atmospheric settings I’ve come across – you just can’t go wrong with the Paris catacombs. I felt the characters’ desperation and fear as they trudged through the winding tunnels with little food and no water left – while something is pursuing them. The setting adds to the story and ramps up the tension in a nice way.

Chapters rotate between Ruby and Sean’s perspectives, and I liked seeing what was going on above ground while Ruby and the others are missing. Shout out to Sean for all he does to help find Ruby – the teaches seem a little too laid back about losing a few students. One of the characters felt off to me early on, and my instincts were proven correct. A highly toxic relationship is revealed over the course of the story.

Ruby’s podcast has such a clever name – Ruby’s Hidden Gems. It’s perfect. I did have to suspend my disbelief over one aspect of the story. The characters are convinced they’ll die (some already have) while trapped in the catacombs, but there’s still teen drama involving a dispute over a boy. I think the story would have worked just as well without it. That being said, the teens are well-portrayed when it comes to not considering the tragic consequences of their actions and thinking they’re invincible.

Recommended for readers who enjoy claustrophobic thrillers, cult vibes, and creepy, confined settings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After reading this book, I immediately wanted to go down a rabbit hole about the Paris Catacombs. I had a little bit of knowledge about the Catacombs, but Diana Urban wrote this book in a way that made me want to learn everything there is to know.

Under the Surface is a story about students who are on a class trip to Paris. When a group of girls get lost underneath Paris in the Catacombs, it turns into a race of how to get out alive. When they figure out that there’s something (or someone) else down there murdering people, it raises the stakes even higher. While all of this is going on, we get the point-of-view of the classmates above ground that are trying to force Paris police to find them. It’s a test against time, who will survive?

Diana Urban has a way with her words that keep you entranced until the very end. I was guessing until the last few chapters. The way that Under the Surace was written really kept up my anticipation and I couldn’t recommend this book more!

This is a compelling and riveting YA book! Perfect thriller! Exactly what I would have loved in high school, but still immensely enjoyable all grown up! I would HIGHLY recommend this book for any young readers wanting to read a thrilling story that will keep them on the edge of their seats!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the chance to read this.

I must say this, when I first saw this cover I knew I needed to read this. And oh man I am so happy to have been able to. Reading this YA thriller, in the catacombs of Paris, because come on that is such a perfect place for a story to take place. Ruby, being the age she is, preparing to go to college, you can see why things happened the way they did. Not using your head when going to a destination, following a cute person and going deep down and then getting lost. It is very interesting and I recommend giving it a shot!

This book was like an addiction because once I started it and got into it I was not able to put it down!
Ruby is very cautious around Sean because she doesn't want to give him the chance to break her heart.
Sean is very excited to spend time with Ruby in Paris but, if things don't spark between him and Ruby he is going to wait. They are on their Senior trip with their class. So, when Ruby's best friend sneaks out she goes after her with another friend because she wants to get the footage for her channel and not get sent home on the first day of the trip. However, while everything seems to be going well and they are sneaking into the catacombs the guy they are following one of the girls falls, and then when they try to find a way to get around to the friend. Then, they get lost in the catacombs and slowly they find someone or something chasing them and they are trapped in the Catacombs. Sean is on the outside and he tries to help solve where Ruby and her friends went, and time is ticking will he figure it out or will Ruby be able to get out of the Catacombs with all her friends still alive? Check out this book for an amazing adventure with the catacombs under Paris and for a chilling thriller read!
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this one!

Holy heck, this was a WILD RIDE. Urban did a phenomenal job creating tension and keeping you, as the reader, on the edge of your seat. A perfect YA horror for spooky season - go give it a read! Thank you Netgalley!

A creepy, atmospheric read set in the catacombs of France's underground. This book didn't read as YA, as they spoke like and loved like adults. Strong premise and surreal plot, but it was not quite as gripping, edge of your seat thriller I hoped.

Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers