The BookBrowse Review

Published July 31, 2024

ISSN: 1930-0018

printable version
This is a free issue of our twice-monthly membership magazine, The BookBrowse Review.
Join | Renew | Give a Gift Membership | BookBrowse for Libraries
Back    Next

Contents

In This Edition of
The BookBrowse Review

Highlighting indicates debut books

Editor's Introduction
Reviews
Hardcovers Paperbacks
First Impressions
Latest Author Interviews
Recommended for Book Clubs
Book Discussions

Discussions are open to all members to read and post. Click to view the books currently being discussed.

Publishing Soon

Literary Fiction


Historical Fiction


Short Stories


Essays


Poetry & Novels in Verse


Thrillers


Romance


Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History


Graphic Novels


Biography/Memoir


History, Current Affairs and Religion


Science, Health and the Environment


True Crime


Travel & Adventure


Other


Young Adults

Mysteries


Thrillers


Romance


Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History


Graphic Novels


History, Current Affairs and Religion


Extras
  • Blog:
    The New York Times Best 100 Books of the 21st Century: How Does BookBrowse's Coverage Compare?
  • Wordplay:
    It's R C A D
  • Book Giveaway:
    Smothermoss by Alisa Alering
Book Jacket

Under the Surface
by Diana Urban
13 Aug 2024
368 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Thrillers
Critics:

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.

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.

"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 through an eerily claustrophobic setting." —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

Diana Urban is an award-winning author of dark, twisty thrillers, including All Your Twisted Secrets and her upcoming book Under the Surface. Her novels have been published internationally, and when she's not torturing her fictional characters, she freelances in video game narrative writing. She lives with her husband and cat in Boston and enjoys reading, playing video games, fawning over cute animals, and looking at the beach from a safe distance.

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.