
Lakewood
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Adenrele Ojo
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By:
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Megan Giddings
A startling debut about class and race, Lakewood evokes a terrifying world of medical experimentation - part The Handmaid’s Tale, part The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
One of The Millions’ Most Anticipated Reads (The Great First Half 2020 Books)
When Lena Johnson’s beloved grandmother dies, and the full extent of the family debt is revealed, the Black millennial drops out of college to support her family and takes a job in the mysterious and remote town of Lakewood, Michigan.
On paper, her new job is too good to be true. High-paying. No out-of-pocket medical expenses. A free place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a secret program - and lie to her friends and family about the research being done in Lakewood. An eye drop that makes brown eyes blue, a medication that could be a cure for dementia, golden pills promised to make all bad thoughts go away.
The discoveries made in Lakewood, Lena is told, will change the world - but the consequences for the subjects involved could be devastating. As the truths of the program reveal themselves, Lena learns how much she’s willing to sacrifice for the sake of her family.
Provocative and thrilling, Lakewood is a breathtaking novel that takes an unflinching look at the moral dilemmas many working-class families face, and the horror that has been forced on Black bodies in the name of science.
©2020 Megan Giddings (P)2020 HarperAudioListeners also enjoyed...





















Editor's Pick
What if there was a reason to fear doctors?
"Megan Giddings’s debuts into the audiobook world with a terrifying debut, Lakewood. As a person, I have always been a tad unsettled by doctors. Learning the history of medical experimentation and watching pharmaceutical commercials can usually trigger that response. From the Tuskegee syphilis experiment to death as a medicinal side effect, it can get pretty eerie. However, since I love to scare myself, the plot intrigued me immediately. Megan Giddings writes the thrilling tale of Lena Johnson, who overcome by the responsibility of familial debt, takes a job doing medical trials in Lakewood, Michigan. With great benefits, no expenses, and nice pay, it all seems like a dream come true. The one catch is she must lie about the job…so what’s the true cost? Performed by the powerful voice of Adenrele Ojo, who also brought to life the Audible Original The Queen, prepare yourself to have your morals twisted as the story unfolds."—Nicole R., Audible Editor
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As a Black female reader, I thought it was a really good dog whistle approach to Black identity, cultural responsibility, classist intersections, How science uses Blackness and Poverty for the “greater good” without really looking at the toll on humanity. I also enjoyed the unreliable narrator aspect of the novel and how it mimics sooooo much of the gaslighting BIPOC identities endure daily in this nation.
Whoa..LOVED this twisted nuanced read!
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Fact or Fiction
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You had to WANT to know
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Horror wrapped in Black History
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I need to discuss
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Thought provoking, unique and beautiful story
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Anti Climatic
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Excellent!!
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Ok..
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The overacting
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