Well, Lakewood truly and utterly compelled and disturbed me. What a book to happen to be published in 2020. Giddings is truly masterful at making you doubt, second guess, and feel so anxious, and if you are searching for something to challenge you in these ways please read!

The horror in this tale is that Lena "consents" to a medical experiment without actually knowing what she is consenting to. She does it to help her mother, who is disabled and needs health insurance and care more than anything. As part of the experiment Lena needs to move to "Lakewood" where she is given a fake job at a bland and nondescript corporate office. She has to pretend to work this cube job while also undergoing the various experiments, some of which she is aware of and some who knows! juxtaposing this fake job so many folks work at in real life and the medical experiments is a real ride.

Throughout the story you are with Lena's thoughts as she tries maintain a steady calm. Lena is a Black woman, and we see how her ever day life outside of this awful experience is also fraught and dangerous. All of the doctors/staff of Lakewood are white.

There is a lot of excellent work going on in this story, and I'm glad I read it even though it seriously creeped me out.

CW for violence, gruesome/gross physical violence and side effects described, gas lighting, anxiety