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.

♡ Teen Drama
♡ Pairs Catacombs
♡ R.L. Stine Horror Novel Vibes

I had such high hopes for this and was so excited that I got approved for the eARC but now I just feel bad that I didn’t like it as much as I had hoped.

This book felt like reading one of R.L. Stines YA novels. Marketed with thriller theme in mind but that doesn’t really feel like anything other than immature characters doing something stupid. It felt like it was meant for a younger audience, some of the characters seemed way more juvenile and childish for their age. I was annoyed by the characters. It felt way too much like the “I’m not like other girls” or how “quirky” the characters were. Ruby was so toxic towards Selena. Also being over the age of five and calling your father “daddy” still is such a massive ick. Going into the pairs catacombs while laughably unprepared felt like it was setting up the vibe for the rest of the book.

I will say the actual setting was really cool. While it might not have been scary it did have some tension and some good old horror vibes.

I think I've read all of Diana Urban's novels, and despite saying never again after her last one (which I really didn't care for at all) I once again found myself reading one because this one just sounded too good to pass up. And while it was much better than the last one I think I can finally say she's just not for me. I think what it really boils down to is that her characters just bug me because they're so immature. I understand that they're teenagers but good lord I don't remember teenagers being so dumb. The whole plot in this book only happened because the main character(s) decided to go down into the catacombs with some guy they just met without informing anyone of where they are going. It's like they never saw any of the Taken movies or any crime show ever. Putting all of that aside there were some elements of this book that I think worked really well. Urban nailed the atmosphere, and the claustrophobia and general sense of unease was spot-on. I also appreciated the fact that we got some character development, even though the whole thing only takes place over a handful of days. As for the things I didn't love as much. I'm not sure why we needed two POV's for this book. The guy's POV seemed unnecessary. Sure, it was nice to be able to see what was happening above ground with the instigation/rescue effort but it could have just been a random omnipotent POV and worked just as well. My other issue was the ending/big reveal. Without being too spoiler-y for a novel that is so grounded in reality the whole explanation just didn't work for me. It was just a little too ridiculous. I suppose it's POSSIBLE that it could have happened, and it added a terrifying element or two, but I feel like it wasn't necessary for a book about a group of people trapped in the catacombs. You already have everything you need for a thrilling suspense novel right there. Either lean into the absurd or don't, but it just felt too in the middle for my tastes. So in the end a step up from her previous book, and I certainly wouldn't dissuade teens from picking up this title (I think they would be more likely to find fewer flaws with it than I did) I don't think I'll be going out of my way to recommend it, and I think it's the last Diana Urban book for me.

An epic survival-thriller about four teens who get lost in the Paris catacombs for days—a gripping and propulsive story of love, danger, betrayal, and hope… even when all seems lost. I could not put this book down! I've always been fascinated by the Paris catacombs and its reputation as one of the scariest places on Earth. This book brought me down into the mazes of tunnels below the City of Lights and scared me completely. The characters were so well written, capturing all the highs and lows of teenage angst, the horror of their situation and terror of the unknown monsters stalking them. A fast-paced thriller that will keep you up late with all the lights on!

Under the Surface is perfect for anyone looking for creepy adventure-like thriller or if you liked the movie As Above So Below. It follows a group of students who become lost in the Paris catacombs during a school trip to France - a pair of best friends, a reluctant classmate and an ex-best friend, plus the guy that lured them there. As they become more lost, hunted by a gang of cult of catacomb-worshippers, and desperate to return to the surface, they fight for their lives. As lives are lost and hope dwindles, each have to dig deep within themselves to survive. Fast paced with twists and turns galore, I found this to be a compelling, fast read.

What a thrilling ride! I loved the setting of the Paris catacombs and have always been fascinated by them, particularly since despite how long they’ve been around, it hasn’t been mapped and people can still get lost in there. This definitely adds to the excitement of the story. Being a YA novel, there is a little angsty teen drama that pops up and takes away from the amazing setting and story but otherwise, this was the perfect read to keep your heart racing the whole time.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book didn't really grab my attention until around the halfway mark, but it was worth it in the end. This is the kind of twisty, dark story I could see being made into a horror movie/thriller.

The characters were a bit flat to me and it took me awhile to get them straight, but I did end up caring what happened to them. The story definitely kept me guessing and wondering how/if things were going to work out.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Officially crossing off 'Visit the Catacombs' from my If I Ever Visit France list! This book was intense, and I loved it!

First, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It immediately draws your attention and does a good job at hinting at the story. The characters and their accompanying teenage drama seemed like a pretty accurate depiction of the teenage experience.

The author did a great job with the world building, as well as keeping the pace going. I have been in a bit of a reading rut lately, and I finished this book in one day. It kept me on the edge of my seat and made me anxious to know what was going to happen next.