Under the Surface

by Diana Urban Narrated by Rebecca Soler, Max Meyers

Overview

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.

"Tense and fast-moving, with a unique setting and compelling characters, Under the Surface is Diana Urban's best yet."-Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying


Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.

Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he'll wait however long until she's ready to take things further.

But when Ruby's best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy's exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.

Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs.....and each other. And if they can't find a way out, they'll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.

Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.

From award-winning author and rising YA star Diana Urban comes a twisty tale of four teens lost in the dark beneath the City of Light and the race to find them.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 06/03/2024

In an exhilarating thriller reminiscent of The Descent, Urban (Lying in the Deep) follows four teens who find themselves fighting for their lives in the catacombs of Paris while on a class trip abroad. When Ruby arrives in the city, her best friend Val quickly befriends a mysterious French boy who invites Val to a party deep within the catacombs. Believing that this exclusive view of the underground site will provide great content for her burgeoning YouTube channel, Ruby—as well as friends Selena and Olivia—tags along. But they soon become lost and stranded—and a group of skull-masked, knife-wielding strangers starts pursuing them. As media attention surrounding the girls’ disappearance unfolds topside, classmate Sean, who’s in love with Ruby, struggles to piece together information to help exhume her from the vast necropolis before it’s too late. Without sacrificing nuanced character relationships, Urban utilizes propulsive prose to imbue the fascinating setting with haunting atmosphere. Punchy dialogue, drum-tight pacing, and tense stakes permeate this nail-biting adventure, a delight from start to finish. Protagonists read as white. Ages 14–up. (Aug.)

From the Publisher

★ "Punchy dialogue, drum-tight pacing, and tense stakes permeate this nail-biting adventure, a delight from start to finish." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A nonstop thrill ride."—Kirkus Reviews

"Tense and fast-moving, with a unique setting and compelling characters, Under the Surface is Diana Urban’s best yet." —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

"A riveting read full of cagey twists and turns and featuring a spectacular setting, readers will devour this delicious story." —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and The Agathas series

"Under the Surface is a nail-biting thriller with a paranormal edge, a high-stakes romance, and can’t-put-it-down pacing. It transported me to the Paris catacombs right alongside Ruby, where the twists and turns kept me glued to the pages until the very end." —C. L. Herman, New York Times bestselling author of All of Us Villains

"A nightmare we’ve all had: in a place we don’t know well, innocent spontaneity gone awry. Yet, a heart beats fierce throughout this book, from Diana Urban’s brilliantly rendered characters to the City of Light itself. It’s survival, yes, but more than merely physical: Under the Surface explores the survival of friendship, optimism, romance, and hope. All in the horrifying presence of the innumerable dead. Urban is magnificent." —Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Incidents Around the House

"Under the Surface is a wild, twisty, romantic adventure that will leave you feeling afraid of the dark, and putting this book down before you reach the end is almost as impossible as escaping the winding catacombs of Paris." —Ginny Myers Sain, New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies

"Fast-paced and thrilling, Under the Surface has as many dangerous turns and secrets as the catacombs below Paris. Urban’s writing and use of alternating narrators keeps the tension high and the pages turning. At the heart of this dark and creepy (in the best way!) survival story is love, friendship, and hope." —Krystal Marquis, New York Times bestselling author of The Davenports

"An exhilarating adventure filled with twists, secrets, and nonstop tension, Under the Surface keeps you guessing—and on the edge of your seat—until the very end. Diana Urban has crafted a page-turning survival thriller that grips you from the very first page." —Alex Aster, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lightlark

"Under the Surface is a claustrophobic, terrifying, jump-scare of a novel that will leave you breathless. Urban perfectly weaves the longing and angst of the love story with an absolutely terrifying adventure through the catacombs. Truly her most terrifying work yet."  —Megan Lally, New York Times bestselling author of That's Not My Name
 
"Urban's sharp banter and engaging voice pull you in, then send you through a maze of frankly terrifying twists that get darker the deeper you go. Under the Surface is a thrilling heartbreak of a journey, from start to finish." —Eva V. Gibson, Edgar-nominated author of Frightmares and Where Secrets Lie

"The most propulsive book I’ve read in recent memory, Under the Surface manages to be at once nail-bitingly terrifying and potently emotional." —M. K. Lobb, Sunday Times bestselling author of Seven Faceless Saints

"Your heart will race as you dodge and travel through the story's surprising twists and turns. Horror, fear and relationships take center stage, in a story that thrills and chills." —Aurora Dominguez, reviewer at Booklist & BookTrib

Praise for Diana Urban books:
"Talk about frightening page-turners!" —R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps and Fear Street

Kirkus Reviews

2024-05-04
A secret party in the Paris catacombs sounds like the experience of a lifetime—until you’re lost in the tunnels of the dead.

Ruby has been looking forward to her French class trip to Paris for ages; she’s especially excited to explore locations for her YouTube channel, “Ruby’s Hidden Gems.” When her adventurous bestie, Val, sneaks off to meet up with a handsome stranger, Ruby follows, accompanied by former BFF Selena and class valedictorian Olivia. The four girls trustingly follow the mysterious Julien into the Paris catacombs for an illegal cataphile party, but they all end up lost. Aboveground, Ruby’s other best friend (and crush) Sean and Selena’s girlfriend, Aliyah, help the police search for the missing teens. Underground, Ruby, Val, Selena, and Olivia confront the fractures in their friendships and struggle to find their way out. But wait—did some of the bones just come to life? From teen drama to suffocating nightmares, this book takes readers through twists and turns in the maze of tunnels beneath Paris. Urban’s prose is absorbing, leading readers through frightening scenes at a breakneck pace. Ruby’s narration of her harrowing journey is fast-paced and exciting. Sean’s chapters, which focus on his attempts to assist with the rescue, unfortunately distract from the far more compelling story playing out underground. The lead characters are white; Selena reads Latine, and Aliyah is cued Black.

A nonstop thrill ride through an eerily claustrophobic setting. (Thriller. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160276885
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	08/13/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

I never thought I’d die alone in the dark under the City of Light.
That’s what they call Paris. The City of Light. Makes sense when you think of the Eiffel Tower glinting in the sun or sparkling at night over the Seine. Or the vibrant paintings bedecking the palatial Louvre Museum. Or the glittering fashionistas strolling the ­Champs-​­Élysées. Or the dazzling boulevards with whitewashed buildings gleaming like pearls against the blue sky.
God, I’d kill for some of that light right now.
As I hurtle through the dark, cramped corridor deep underground, my phone’s flashlight makes elongated shadows bounce and bob across the craggy walls like a chaotic, ghostly dance, and I have to stoop to keep my skull from slamming into the low, jagged ceiling.
There’s no sign of the others.
Terror claws up my chest, and I try not to think of the crunching noises under my boots, try not to think how it’s only a matter of time until my phone runs out of power, until my mouth parches, my stomach shrivels, and my legs give out beneath me. Then there’ll be nothing to do but curl into a ball and wait for the darkness to become infinite.
Unless they get to me first.
No. That can’t happen. I won’t let it.
I turn a corner and slam my back against the wall, then toggle off my flashlight, plunging the corridor into pitch blackness. But hiding in the dark means my friends won’t find me, either. I breathe hard, feeling like I could choke on the dank, humid air, and a sob scrapes my throat. I’m screwed. Undeniably, irrevocably screwed. But I can’t spiral. Panicking got me into this mess to begin with.
Keeping my spirits up among six million corpses isn’t exactly an easy feat. That’s how many are entombed down here in the catacombs, their skeletal remains intricately arranged throughout this ancient labyrinth that stretches under the bustling streets of Paris like layers of rotted casserole squished under a decadent crust. My chest constricts, and it’s like I can feel the crushing weight of all six million dead.
And that number’s high enough, thank you very much.
A low, rasping growl echoes through the passageway. My heart jolts, and I clamp a shaking hand over my mouth to mask my heavy breathing.
But it’s too late.
They found me.
Maybe there are worse things than dying alone.

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