All he wants to do is skate. But they have other plans for him. Michael Daniels is seventeen and dreams of entering professional skateboarding contests. But beneath New Manhattan, a city under the oppressive shadow of climate change, exists another world altogether—secret laboratories which threaten society as he knows it. Those with power will get what they want. No price is too high, even if it means making someone special or robbing them of their dignity, freedom . . . or worse. The price is too high for Michael, though. He has endured his stepfather’s abuse and mind games for as long as he remembers. Until one day he takes matters into his own hands, ruining the lives of those he loves most. With disaster looming, his skateboarding friends, Alien and Victor, are his only hope for freedom. But will Michael’s attempts to earn his freedom cost him his life? When there is no hope left, friendship is what remains. If you like emotional stories, authoritarian dystopias, and fearless friendships, you’ll love Bernard Jan’s gripping young adult drama. Buy Cruel Summer to enter this chilling world now.