Reviews

Lakewood by Megan Giddings

megmoore123's review

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

redrumreads's review

3.25

 What an unnerving read. I have yet to read anything like it.
Government medical experiments, NDAs, so many secrets - and many fever dreams

I LOVED how we were viewing the story through the eyes of of the FMC and her letters to her bestfriend. Although it allowed for a confusing narrative, it made it so much more engrossing and suspenseful.

I wish we would have maybe gotten the POV of one of the doctors or observers as well. I wanted MORE. A lot of questions go unanswered in this one. I have my theories though.

Still a real good thought-provoking story. 

joyceheinen's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 After Lena’s grandmother has passed, she realizes that her mother’s illness is worsening. They are also dealing with a huge family debt. Lena is forced to quit school and a find a job to support her family. In an add, she reads about Lakewood. A secluded town. There is a jo that pays highly and provides a place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a series of medical tests. When it sounds too good to be true, it most often is.
 
Even though Lena knows she is a part of medical research, she has no clue what to expect. And it doesn’t take long for her to see that something is very wrong in Lakewood. Why are (almost) all of the participants people of color, while the observers are all white? What are these tests for and why can’t they talk about it with their families? When at first the tests are pretty innocent, they quickly turn into something more dark, painful and terrifying.
 
“Lakewood” is provocative and thrilling. A breathtaking novel that takes un unflinching look at the moral dilemmas faced by many working-glass families and the horror imposed on Black people in the name of science.
 
It’s a disconcerting, surrealistic story. Very though-provoking and creepy. It’s so horrific because it feels so realistic. I felt the ending was a bit rushed for my liking, but overall I really loved “Lakewood”. 

mlynn2004's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

sike_chick's review against another edition

3.0

An interesting read

This was an interesting read, but I wanted a little more. The ending seemed a little anticlimactic. At the least it has inspired me to read about real-life stories on human experimentation.

lexieryan's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

katorres's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

evajmorrow's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

jenhurst's review

4.0

I loved the atmosphere of this book and the feeling of being left in the dark. What was real, what were they actually doing to Lena? I think if you read this you should read the immortal life of Henrietta Lacks before reading this to get a better understanding of the testing done on black people without their knowledge. It brought up many moral questions and I was genuinely unsettled at times. The ending was the weakest part IMO

mxunsmiley's review

3.0

I flounder between giving Lakewood 3 or 4 stars. What really brought it down to 3 was the ending, I'd say, because it didn't give me a proper sense of resolution with the events prior. In addition, I think the switch to the first person, the letters to Tanya, pulled me out of the story in a way.

I think that the author also tended to be too heavy-handed with her delivery, where subtlety or simply letting the events speak for themselves might've been more appropriate and impactful.

It's a horrifying novel and quite a few scenes unsettled me, the reality of some I'm still unsure of.