Markus is fifteen years old, and he has everything under control. He has good friends, good grades, and a cute girl he texts with all day.
At home, however, things are starting to fall apart. And nobody can find out. Not his friends. Not his classmates. No one can know about his mother’s hidden beer cans and wine bottles. And least of all, no one can know what happened last year.

His younger sister hasn’t noticed the change. His father insists everything is fine and that their mother is doing much better. According to everyone around him, Markus has nothing to worry about.
But they don’t know the truth.

Markus is convinced that if he doesn’t take responsibility, everything will collapse once again. As he struggles to keep his family together, he must also navigate his friends» expectations about partying and drinking, while doing his best to protect both his family and himself.

With Under Pressure, Tone E. Solheim has written a warm and insightful novel about responsibility, peer pressure, alcoholism, and the fear of losing control. Under Pressure is a stand-alone sequel to I Am V-Vida (2024). Under Pressure is her third novel for young people.