Elena Nicolaou is a senior entertainment editor at TODAY.com, where she covers the latest in TV, pop culture, movies and all things streaming. Her superpower is matching people up with the perfect book. Previously, she covered culture at Refinery29 and Oprah Daily.
Six months after her debut novel 'Conform' was published, Ariel Sullivan is back with another novel. 'Beneath,' out March 24, is the start of a new trilogy that takes place 200 years before the stratified world of 'Conform' was created, laying the groundwork for how the dystopia came to be.
Both novels are published through Jenna Bush Hager's Thousand Voices x Random House Publishing Group imprint. 'It's a breathtaking dystopian romance that shows how love can grow even in the darkest places. It's about found family, resilience and what happens when people start to question the rules they've been living by,' Jenna said of 'Beneath' on TODAY March 23. 'Beneath' takes place about seven years after a world war causes the global order's collapse. Sasha, our main character, is living in an underground society with other survivors. It's a grittier world than Emeline's in 'Conform.' ''Conform' and 'Beneath' trilogies are the same coin, different sides. 'Conform' is that shiny side. 'Beneath' is hidden and corroded. It's emotional and character-driven. It's darker. It's grittier. So anything that you expected from 'Conform,' don't expect it in 'Beneath,'' Sullivan tells TODAY.com. The idea for 'Beneath' came when she was writing backstory for 'Conform.' 'I was working on world-building and writing about why things were the way they were. Sasha showed up. She just stomped into the picture and sat down,' she says. Sullivan says, in a creative burst, she burned the dinner she was making that night. 'We ordered pizza, and I drafted those three books, like, very roughly, but like, drafted them out. And I was like, 'This is what has to happen,'' she says. Keeping with the novel's 'darker' themes, Sullivan teases that the novel's core group of characters — Unit Seven, a squadron of elite soldiers that Sasha ends up joining for an Earth-saving mission — each represent one of the seven stages of grief. 'You've got shock and denial and anger and bargaining and acceptance. It'll be interesting if readers can find out which characters are what,' Sullivan says, adding that she'll eventually reveal who is who, but not yet. After 'Beneath,' Sullivan will release the sequel to 'Conform,' which will take place right where we left off with Emeline. There's also a third trilogy that Sullivan is waiting to share details about. But for now, we're diving 'Beneath.' Check out an excerpt below. Excerpt from Chapter 15 of 'Beneath' In the following excerpt, Sasha Cadell is about to step foot onto the Earth’s surface, now a nuclear wasteland, for the first time after living underground for six years. But she’s not alone. Unit Seven, a squadron of elite soldiers, are right behind her, performing one final check of their radiation-protective gear before embarking into unknown terrain in pursuit of Mission Hope — the key to humanity’s survival… “Audio, Cadell.” Sweat dripped down my back. “Check.” “Night vision,” Patrick called out. Everyone hit buttons on the left arm of their suits. I stared at the series of buttons Levi had given me a rundown on and hit mine. The shield of my helmet shifted to night vision. “Check.” I clicked it off. “Navigation systems.” I pressed the next button, and a map appeared with eight dots showing our location. “Check.” “Partner communication.” I hit another button, and Levi’s dry voice filled my head. “Last chance to run, Sasha.” “I’m not running,” I told him, even as my heart battered against the plates of my gear. He nodded at me, and we switched back to the unit channel. “Check.” “Oxygen level,” Patrick prompted. I hit the last button, and my oxygen level projected on the helmet shield. I didn’t know if I would adjust to the helmet. I responded, “Hundred percent.” “Mission is a go, repeat, mission is a go.” Patrick gave a thumbs-up to Jaxon and the other member of his unit who stood at the shack. I finally looked at the shack itself just once. I hadn’t seen the small hut in almost six years, when I had sprinted to it, demanding care for Lara, barely clinging to life in my arms. I closed my eyes at the memory. Jaxon hit a button, and the steel door began to close on the shack and all of Haven, the only home I had known since the war. My heart hit my throat as the man called out, “Door closing; Exploratory Unit Seven is in the holding box.” Levi tightened the straps of the med bag. Rumi and Patrick danced around each other; whether they talked or simply moved off muscle memory and deep recognition of each other, I didn’t know. Tristian and Ingrid both moved, but it wasn’t coordinated. Multiple times, Tristian’s helmet swiveled in the direction of Levi, his partner of seven years. Guilt settled in my gut at the partnership I had ended. Damien and Isla began executing an elaborate handshake—a fist-pounding, hip-bumping dance that ended in a bow. Levi’s voice filled my helmet. “Just us. You good?” “Would it matter if I said no?” I asked, my gloved hands sweaty. “Yes, it would matter to me,” Levi said, his helmet shield shifting to me until I saw my reflection. Surprise hit me at the formidable force I beheld in his shield. “Door’s shut. Switching communication to the group channel,” Levi told me. Tristian cleared his throat, and everyone fell silent. They drifted toward him, forming a circle of sorts. “There’s no one else I’d rather do this with. You know our mission.” Patrick shifted his weight between the balls of his feet, Rumi silent next to him. Isla and Damien bumped lightly into each other. Ingrid was stiff. Levi was a steady presence next to me, the arm of his suit resting against mine. For once I welcomed the contact. “You ready, Cadell?” Everyone’s helmets were directed at me, and my heart picked up its pace. Could they hear its frantic beating over the communication system? “Yes,” I said breathlessly. I had to be. Tristian’s helmet met mine. “Good.” I wondered what he hid behind his helmet. Did Tristian smile, or did he hear the fear in my voice? A hissing began behind us, large metal doors slowly peeling apart. I was going above. The realization slammed into me as the light started to peek through the growing crack. The temperature reading began to drop as cold air slithered in. Fresh air. The metal doors ground open. We’re almost there, Lara; hang on. We’re almost there. Lara’s pale, too thin form heavy in my hands, slowing me down as I attempted to sprint. The entrance coming into view. It’s okay, Sash. Go on without me. No, I will not leave you. You have to hang on. They’ll help you. They’ll save you. It’s okay. I’ll be with Mom, Dad, and Eli. I’m ready. I’m not scared. I’m ready. No, no. You have to stay with me. Her eyes closed. Lara, don’t leave me. Stay with me. I’m not ready. I’m not ready. Help me. Blinding lights forced my eyes closed, so all I saw was her pale face. She wouldn’t grow to be beautiful. “As long as there’s life,” Tristian called out to the group. “We defend it with our own,” Unit Seven answered. I opened my eyes. There was still life. Not my family, but there was life. I couldn’t fail again. “We go out as one,” Tristian continued. Time froze as the bright light framed his massive form. His back to the world above. His focus on his unit. A chill ran up my spine as Unit Seven answered: “We come back as one.” Excerpted from Beneath by Ariel Sullivan. Copyright © 2026 by Ariel Sullivan. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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