New Waves

　　我們如何在這個科技導向的時代，建立起人與人之間的親密連結？
　　網路世代中，面對親友的死亡和哀悼，又該是怎樣的形式？

　　Margo受夠了身為一位唯一的黑人工程師而飽受歧視，她羨慕身為客服代表的Lucas，身為公司眾多亞洲臉孔之一，完全不會受到特別注目。當Margo因為對上司提出一些意見，而遭解雇時，兩個好友在酒吧裡，一邊灌下一杯杯啤酒，一邊大肆地指責那位不人道的上司。酒醉狀態下，Margo突然心生一計，決定報復前公司，竊取所有使用者們的帳號跟密碼，並慫恿Lucas一同加入。

　　資料剛順利拿到手，同時兩人都順利進到一間被前公司視為對手的新創企業，Margo卻意外在一場車禍中身亡，留下這個燙手山芋給唯一的共犯Lucas。他開始懷疑這場車禍的案情不單純，決定駭進Margo電腦找出事發原因，卻意外地流連於好友在網路論壇、SNS上，一篇篇過去的貼文，彷彿Margo還在這世上。Lucas要如何處理偷竊行為後的爛攤子，以及摯友死亡後的孤獨和傷痛？

　　作者運用自己在業界裡的經歷，精確轉述出科技業中那些關於新創的小事，同時穿插那些關於隱私、網路媒體、友誼以及人性最深層的描繪，完成這部優異的處女作。

A wry and edgy debut novel about a heist gone wrong, a secret online life exposed, and a young man's search for true connection

Lucas and Margo are fed up. Margo is a brilliant programmer tired of being talked over as the company's sole black employee, and while Lucas is one of many Asians at the firm, he's nearly invisible as a low-paid customer service rep. Together, they decide to steal their tech startup's user database in an attempt at revenge. The heist takes a sudden turn when Margo dies in a car accident, and Lucas is left reeling, wondering what to do with their secret--and wondering whether her death really was an accident. When Lucas hacks into Margo's computer looking for answers, he is drawn into her private online life and realizes just how little he knew about his best friend.

With a fresh voice, biting humor, and piercing observations about human nature, Kevin Nguyen brings an insider's knowledge of the tech industry to this imaginative novel. A pitch-perfect exploration of race and startup culture, secrecy and surveillance, social media and friendship, New Waves asks: How well do we really know one another? And how do we form true intimacy and connection in a tech-obsessed world?

Advance praise for New Waves

"Nguyen's stellar debut is a piercing assessment of young adulthood, the tech industry, and racism. . . . Nguyen impressively holds together his overlapping plot threads while providing incisive criticism of privilege and a dose of sharp humor. The story is fast-paced and fascinating, but also deeply felt; the effect is a page-turner with some serious bite."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A blistering sendup of startup culture and a sprawling, ambitious, tender debut."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)