Are you the type of person to break the rules? 

 

Under certain circumstances Ruby is, but her friend Val is definitely the type to break the rules. Flaunt them, even. Val’s an attention-seeker and a risk-taker. When on a school trip to Paris, Val nabs them an invite to a party down in the catacombs, but that’s a bridge too far for Ruby. When Val decides to risk it and go by herself, Ruby chases her down to try and stop a possible disaster before it happens; however, her ex-bestie and the class valedictorian insist on coming with to make sure both girls return. Val is excited, Ruby is reluctantly intrigued, and their escort is promising they’ll only be gone for a few hours and when else will they get this kind of adventure? Doesn’t a lack of fully-formed impulse-control centers suck? 

 

I was never a person that felt a need to conform when I was a teenager, but I’m familiar with the feeling of chafing at the bit, of wanting to be let loose from the restraints that are holding you back and explore the world without constant supervision over your shoulder. That’s what this book reminded me of: The rush of adrenaline that comes from being out in the world for the first time but also the feeling that follows soon after once the adrenaline wears off resounding throughout your psyche telling you it’s too much too soon and you still need your support systems. At your age you shouldn’t have to be alone. You weren’t meant to be. 

 

Diana Urban never lets me down in writing perfectly-paced and well-plotted YA thrillers. My favorite of hers still remains These Deadly Games for the sheer mind-screwiness, but the pacing and suspense in this book absolutely thrums with intensity. Part of the genius behind this book I guarantee is due to Urban’s love of the subject in conjunction with her dedicated research to the topic. The other part of the credit I feel can only be due to her insane dedication to atmospheric detail: the darkness, the claustrophobic nature of the catacombs, humanity’s inherent fear of being trapped underground, our collective beliefs surrounding the dead and death, and engagement of the senses in such foreign spaces. 

 

This book is definitely more plot-forward than character, but that doesn’t mean the characters are flat. They’re not fully-realized, adult humans, but no teenager is. I liked that they’re not completely cynical, world-weary, or sexualized. They’re not without their trauma at the start of this book, but it’s the manageable kind. Which is good, because they’re not leaving this book in that shape. 

 

It’s another really solid read from Diana Urban, and now I’m going to have to sit here and wait until she delivers another great thriller. 

 

I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. I was also provided a finished copy by the publisher and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. 

 

File Under: YA Fiction/YA Suspense/YA Thriller