NPR Book of the Year 2020Electric Literature: One of 55 Books by Women and Nonbinary Writers of Color to Read in 2020 | Lit Hub & The Millions: Most Anticipated Books of 2020 | Ms. Magazine: Anticipated 2020 Feminist Books | Refinery29: Books by Black Women We are Looking Forward To Reading | One of The Millions&; Most Anticipated Reads of 2020 | Amazon Book of the Month Pick | Audible Editor&;s Pick | Essence&;s Pick| Glamour&;s Must Read | Ms. Magazine&;s Anticipated Read of 2020 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.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.