About the Book

Under the Surface by Diana Urban

Genre: YA Thriller

Publication Date: August 13, 2024

Book Review

What a uniquely spooky and atmospheric YA thriller! It added another spot to my bucket list. (But I’ll definitely do the legal tour!)

When Ruby sneaks out to attend an illegal party in the catacombs, she and her classmates are hoping for a thrill and to get some content for Ruby’s social media channel. It doesn’t hurt that their tour guide is a hot teenage boy, either. But a wrong turn and an accident soon turn their outing from thrilling to terrifying. When they begin to be chased by menacing figures in skeleton masks with knives, it’s not long before Ruby begins to wonder if any of them will make it out alive.

I can’t think of a better location to add the creepy factor in spades. Illegal hidden tunnels below Paris built out of bones? Coming across numerous skulls and trapped deep below ground? When one character says, “Sometimes you have to go down a level to go up,” I got chills. This book’s deep sense of place will make you feel like you’re crawling through the catacombs alongside these characters.

There’s a slight romantic subplot, as Ruby’s crush works on the surface to find clues as to how she could have disappeared so thoroughly.

A nailbiter of a thriller with a satisfying conclusion, this is a must-read for YA fans!

Thank you to BookishFirst and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Want more to read? Find all my thriller recommendations here.