Under Pressure

By C.K. Slorra

Under Pressure

Content Meters

Sex, romance, and nudity:
30%
Violence and gore:
0%
Language:
0%
Substance use:
0%
Negative messages:
0%
Positive messages:
70%
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Recommended:
Ages 12+
Read time:
15 minutes
Reviewed on:

Spoiler-Free Overview

Review by Thirzah!

 Unlike her father and brother, Amethyst (Amy) Thorndike dreams of far more than working in the dust and soot of a diamond factory for the rest of her life. Her dream is to go to the prestigious Landel University and become an inventor. But in order to become an inventor, she’ll need an invention. One that actually works…

 Under Pressure is a sweet, coming-of-age short story set in a gempunk fantasy world. If you like stories with compelling characters, rock-solid worldbuilding (pun intended), and light romance, be sure to check it out!

https://ckslorraauthor.com/downloads

Spoiler Alert

Venture beyond this point at your own risk!

Detailed Content Meters

30%
Sex, romance, and nudity:
rating: 30%
  • Amy has a crush on her friend Coal, which becomes more and more obvious throughout the story. At one point she describes warmth building throughout her body as the two of them incidentally hold hands.
  • Amy’s dad mentions that Coal shouldn’t be with Amy so late because “people will start talking.”
0%
Violence and gore:
rating: 0%

None present

0%
Language:
rating: 0%

No explicit language

  • There is a mention that Amy “could have sworn” and a mention of Amy cursing while working on her invention.
0%
Substance use:
rating: 0%

No substance use

  • Mentions of Amy’s father sounding like a smoker (though he’s never actually used a cigarette).
0%
Negative messages:
rating: 0%

None present

70%
Positive messages:
rating: 70%
  • At the beginning of the story Amy believes that getting into Landel University is the most important thing in the world to her. But by the end of the story she realizes that what she’s doing and who she’s doing it with matters far more than where she is.
  • When Amy realizes that Coal was rejected and would not be participating in the entrance contest, she decides to acknowledge his pivotal part in her success instead of claiming all the credit for herself, subsequently risking disqualification from the contest by calling him onstage to join her.
  • Amy’s father is less encouraging, not out of malice or anger, but out of genuine concern for Amy’s future. But despite his doubts, he still recognizes Amy’s talent and allows her to participate in Landel’s entrance contest.

Detailed Overview

 From the start of the story we learn that Amy is a dreamer. She loves inventing and dreams not only of changing the world, but of making life easier for factory workers like her father—who remains unconvinced by the practicality of her dreams, and wants her to face reality. 

 With time running out before Landel University’s entrance contest, Amy fears that she won’t finish in time and will truly have to spend the rest of her life working in a diamond factory like her father. 

 Luckily, thanks to a well-timed suggestion from Coal, Amy is able to get her invention working. But at the entrance contest she learns that Coal had been rejected from competing, and Amy realizes that even if she makes it into Landel University, he wouldn’t be joining her like they had originally planned.

 After getting onstage, Amy derails her own presentation by calling Coal up to the stage and naming him as her partner due to his vital contribution to her invention. 

 Coal worries that Amy is ruining her chances of becoming an inventor and changing the world, but Amy reveals that she’s decided that she doesn’t just want to change the world. She wants to change the world with Coal, no matter where they are. And the two of them continue with the presentation—together this time.

https://ckslorraauthor.com/downloads

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