Under Pressure

Written by Cory McCarthy

Book #2 in the B.E.S.T. World series

Lost at sea, kids uncover a hidden underwater world while searching for their missing friend.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 32 ratings

208 pages

$16.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Leo and Jayla, stranded at sea, are desperate to find their missing friend, Grayson. With their hoverpod broken and hope dwindling, a mysterious vessel offers unexpected salvation. They discover a secret underwater realm, hidden from prying eyes, bringing them closer to Grayson. As they navigate this vibrant world, they confront the dangers of bionic enhancements and unravel a secret with global stakes. Will they save their friend and themselves from a future they never imagined? Dive into a thrilling adventure where friendship and truth are tested beneath the waves.

From the publisher

In the second book of this inclusive near-future adventure trilogy, the kids from box #242 take a deep dive into a secret underwater world in hopes of finding their missing best friend and saving another from a life-altering bionic augmentation.Told through the alternating perspectives of Leo (they/them) and Jayla (she/her), the boxmates from the B.E.S.T. Academy are lost at sea and their best friend, Grayson Bix, is missing. Their hoverpod is busted, their stomachs are empty, and their hopes are crushed. When a mysterious vessel approaches, Ace, Leo, and Jayla are certain they’ll be carted back to the Tower of Power, with their punishments for escaping awaiting. But a twist: The crew is rescued and introduced to a vibrant and thriving underwater world that is off the grid and out of Bixonics’s eye…and one step closer to finding Grayson.From the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the heights of the stratosphere, hijinks, adventure, and emotional challenges ensue as the gritty kids meet a whole new cast of characters, weigh out the costs of life-changing bionic enhancements, and blow the top off of an earth-shattering secret that has global implications.In book two of this action-packed near-future adventure, Cory McCarthy crafts an incredible world with high-stakes storytelling, magnetic characters, and thematic undercurrents that spotlight the complexities of family and friendship, self-empowerment, and the magnitude of truth.

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