Books like Under the Surface
Looking for books like Under the Surface by Diana Urban (Mystery · grades 7–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of survival, mystery, and friendship. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.
These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 7–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to Under the Surface
How to Survive Your MurderDanielle Valentine
That's Not My NameMegan Lally
The AgathasKathleen Glasgow
Not Quite Dead YetHolly Jackson
The Lost LibraryRebecca Stead & Wendy Mass
The Reappearance of Rachel PriceHolly Jackson
Cryptid HuntersRoland Smith
Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead HouseR.L. Stine- The Dollhouse MurdersBetty Ren WrightThe Dollhouse MurdersBetty Ren Wright
The Maze RunnerJames Dashner
Get the whole similar-books list in one click
Adds the 10 books with Amazon listings to your cart — keep what you need, remove the rest. Prime shipping where available.
🎧 Prefer audiobooks? Listen free for 30 days with an Audible trial.
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Prices + availability shown on Amazon.
Why each is a match
- How to Survive Your Murdergrades 9–12
- Shares themes of survival and mystery, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12).
- That's Not My Namegrades 9–12
- Shares themes of survival and mystery, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12).
- The Agathasgrades 9–12
- Shares themes of mystery and friendship, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (9–12).
- Not Quite Dead Yetgrades 7–12
- Shares themes of mystery, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (7–12).
- The Lost Librarygrades 4–8
- Shares themes of mystery and friendship and overlapping grades (4–8).
- The Reappearance of Rachel Pricegrades 7–12
- Shares themes of mystery, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (7–12).
- Cryptid Huntersgrades 5–8
- Shares themes of survival and mystery and overlapping grades (5–8).
- Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead Housegrades 3–7
- Shares themes of mystery and friendship and overlapping grades (3–7).
- The Dollhouse Murdersgrades 4–7
- Shares themes of mystery, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–7).
- The Maze Runnergrades 7–12
- Shares themes of survival and friendship and overlapping grades (7–12).