THE LOCKUP PERIOD

In Thompson’s novel, set in Silicon Valley, a young man chases a life-changing payout that just might cost him everything.

It’s 2014, and 25-year-old Mario Kennedy just wants to put his past behind him and build a new life for himself—preferably as a rich tech company executive. For now, he runs a pizza shop called Prospector’s. When a restaurant-focused tech startup called MenuAi declares that they’ll soon be having an initial public offering, he remembers giving the founders advice a few years before—and that, as payment, they offered him a chance to buy 2% of the company at a discounted price. He consults a lawyer, who tells him that all he has to do is make it past the 90-day “lockup period” after the IPO, and then he can sell his stock for millions—and all his dreams might come true. (“I feel like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I’ve got the Golden Ticket.”) During this period, Mario runs into a diverse cast of characters, all with their own agendas: Noah Stern, the CEO of MenuAi, is a reclusive, slightly unhinged genius; his partner, Ravi Singh, is a venture capitalist who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get his money. There’s also Jamie Villanueva, a young tech reporter who’s determined to take the new company down—but she finds it hard to follow through when she starts to fall for Mario. As he navigates the tech world, and the exorbitant wealth within it, he’s suddenly faced with an unthinkable task, which will force him to decide between his dream future and the values that drive him. Over the course of this novel, Thompson crafts a smart, satirical take on the world of technology and Silicon Valley. The characters are well developed, with distinct personalities and motivations, and the cast feels cohesive rather than chaotic. The prose is engaging throughout, enlivened by dialogue that feels authentic. Readers who enjoy a quick-paced tale with complex characters and unexpected twists will find this novel appealing, whether they have an interest in the tech world or not.

A fast-paced thriller with a protagonist worth rooting for.