YOU’RE SAFE…UNTIL YOU’RE NEXT

Blood pools into the tips of Lenna’s ears and cheeks, but her tears provide temporary relief.  The fire pit spits up hot embers that fall onto her shoulders, marking her.  She looks over her shoulder at Gunnar, saddled with bags of supplies.  His cheekbones are daggers, his brow scrunched.  Is he infected? Lenna shakes the thought out of her head, her long blonde hair swishing and mixing with the ashy air.  When Gunnar looks her way, his features soften.  He points to the abandoned hotel and she follows, glass and gravel crunching under each step.  Reaching the massive glass door, Lenna’s mind takes off.  What if it’s a setup?  What if I become infected?  What if we get caught? Will they eliminate me too?  Gunner knocks on the door in quick bursts and before she could shake off her intrusive thoughts, the door creaks open.

For Lenna, Feebs pose no risk to her lavish lifestyle. The closest she gets to them is on the Gateway Clipper where she shines, her almond eyes glistening with each sip of champagne in the ship’s massive ballroom.  Lenna stands as tall as men with help from her five inch heels hiding under her satin gown, the chandelier’s light chooses her, placing her on display. No one would guess that she’s seventeen, and knowing this forces the corners of her scarlet lips into a secret smirk. 

Growing up with her father Dr. Daven Port, Lenna understands the dangers of being infected by Feebs. He savors every moment of performing forced sterilizations on them and shares the gory details with his fellow doctors on the ship. Lenna can’t stand to hear another long-winded recap, so when she locks eyes with a mysterious waiter with shiny dark hair and icicle eyes, her curiosity quickly pulls her in.

While Lenna and Gunnar are exchanging numbers, the Human Advancement Movement is making progress thanks to Sera, a high-ranking member of the New Government.  All business and no pleasure, Sera preps her flawless dark skin and crunches numbers for the Upper Cabinet.  The Feeb population in the Pitts isn’t dropping quickly enough, and she needs to come up with a solution, fast.

Lenna’s fascination with Gunnar and his new hobby – creating sophisticated disguises and sneaking into The Pitts to deliver supplies – grows more dangerous by the day.  Should she retreat into her wonderfully comfortable life?  Or will leading a coup against New America land her in the hospital, strapped down, thrashing and screaming while awaiting her own Elimination?

FEEBS is a character-driven, 79,500 word dystopian novel filled with forbidden romance, conflict, and personal evolution.  It blends the speculative social critique of Severance with the moral intensity of Chain-Gang All-Stars through the legacy of American eugenics.  In New America, you’re safe…until you’re next.