⭐️⭐️⭐️ | It’s Okay. Still Recommend.
Read Beneath if you like post-apocalyptic survival, underground bunker societies, intense character journeys, and dystopian worlds full of secrets.
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📖 What’s Inside:
- Single POV
- 💝 Forced proximity
- On-page intimacy 🔴
- Military style training
- Found family 🫂
- 🌈 Inclusive
- Secrets and lies 🤫
- Explicit language
Book Boyfriend Meter: 💛
Hot. But not for me.
✨ Vibes:
Picture this mashup:
🏹 Mockingjay bunker survival energy
🔥 Emotional healing journey like A Court of Silver Flames
Underground societies. Traumatized characters trying to rebuild themselves. And a dystopian world that’s clearly hiding a lot more than it’s telling you.
💭 My Thoughts:
First things first — I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books, which was incredibly exciting because it was actually my first NetGalley approval ever.
But let’s get one thing straight real quick:
Getting a free book does not buy a glowing review around here.
If you’ve been following my reviews for any length of time, you know I keep it honest. Always. If a book is amazing, I will shout it from the rooftops. And if something doesn’t quite hit the mark? I’ll say that too.
Because the whole point of this blog is helping you decide what’s worth adding to your TBR.
All that said — I went into Beneath with pretty high expectations after devouring Conform, and I was really excited to dive deeper into this world.
And what I got was… a slightly different experience than I expected.
Right away, the book pulls you into this post-apocalyptic underground society, and I actually loved the worldbuilding setup. Yes, there’s a fair bit of exposition in the beginning, but it didn’t feel overwhelming to me. It felt necessary to understand the bunker lifestyle and the relationships shaping the story.
Where things slowed down a bit was the character development.
The FMC enters the story carrying a lot of emotional baggage — and not the distant “this happened in childhood” kind. We’re talking recent trauma that heavily impacts her decisions from page one.
Because of that, the first chunk of the book leans heavily into backstory and emotional processing.
It almost reads like a third-act emotional arc, except it’s happening in the first act.
Since we’re meeting these characters after so much history has already happened, it took me a while to feel fully invested in their dynamics.
For me, the story didn’t really take off until about 37% in.
From there, the middle section gets exciting… but then things slow down again around the 60% mark before ramping up hard in the final stretch.
By 80%, the story is firing on all cylinders and the ending definitely pulled me back in.
So did I enjoy it?
Yes.
But was it Conform levels of gripping from start to finish?
Not quite.
That said, the worldbuilding revelations were fascinating. Learning more about the history behind the Conform universe answered some questions while also opening the door to about a hundred new theories.
And as for the romance…
Let’s just say I typically gravitate toward morally gray men and enemies-to-lovers chaos.
This MMC? Total cinnamon roll.
Objectively great guy. Just not my personal type.
Which honestly surprised me, because for once I found myself more invested in the worldbuilding and overarching plot than the romance.
Shocking behavior for someone who runs a book boyfriend leaderboard, I know.
Overall, this story feels like laying the groundwork for the bigger Conform world, and I’m very curious to see where the series goes next.
📚Read Alikes:
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic survival and emotional character arcs, try:
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — rebellion, survival, and a society built on control.
• A Court of Silver Flames — intense emotional healing mixed with high-stakes stakes. (But start with the first book in the series: A Court of Thorns and Roses)
• Divergent — high-tech society mashed with a post-apocalyptic setting.
Should you add Beneath to your TBR?
Maybe.
If you’re already invested in the Conform universe, this prequel is absolutely worth reading for the deeper worldbuilding.
But if you haven’t read Conform yet?
Start there first.
And once you finish it, ask yourself:
Do you want more answers about this world… or were you just there for the vibes?
If it’s vibes, you might be fine stopping there.
(That said… I reserve the right to change this opinion later if future books prove this setup was secretly essential.)
Explore More
Want more dystopian fantasy, twisty worlds, and high-stakes survival stories? Good news! I’ve got other dystopian and fantasy book recs on the blog!📚🔥
✨ Loved this review? Don’t lose track of it! Pin this post for later so you’ll always have your next fantasy escape ready. ⬇️
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