About the book: 2020 / Candace Chen is a typical millennial from an office building in Manhattan. She is obsessed with routine: work, late-night movie nights, and trying not to think about her recently deceased parents, immigrants from China. Behind all this, she practically does not notice the epidemic that has swept the world: people affected by the disease, losing their minds and control over themselves, continue to non-stop perform their usual actions. Candace joins a small group of survivors and goes with them to the Complex, where, as their leader Bob promises, there is everything they need to rebuild the world. But Candace has a secret that Bob will try to use for his own purposes. The novel “Severance Pay” is about the routine and missed opportunities of modern life. It is at once a ruthless satire, a touching family story, and a heartfelt tribute to the connections that make us live rather than survive..