A review by raygersh
Lakewood by Megan Giddings

4.0

Lakewood is a haunting and masterfully written debut from Megan Giddings. I am expecting fantastic things to come from her. In this fever dream of a novel, a strapped-for-cash Lena is invited to a mysterious research study promising unbelievable financial compensation – but at what cost? Lena’s journey is muddled and hard to follow, with the novel ebbing and flowing its way through climaxes while providing very few answers. But one thing is abundantly clear: Lena is a young Black woman completely at the mercy of the white authorities around her.

Lena’s experience worms its way under your skin. The whole novel forces the reader to be uncomfortable, to come face-to-face with some of the disturbing realities in the world. While it is primarily speculative fiction, Giddings’ tale is closer to the truth than many of us would like to admit. With parallels to Flint, MI and the Tuskegee syphilis study, we find ourselves disconcertedly aware of how the truth can be stranger than fiction. Lakewood highlights the many instances throughout America’s history in which Black bodies have been sacrificed in the name of science. It is eerie and compelling and leaves us to wonder when it will end.

Overall: a terrifying and creepy tale that leaves you unsettled in a good way.