Yours for the Taking

A Novel

By: Gabrielle Korn

Narrated by: Jasmin Savoy Brown

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

The year is 2050. Ava and her girlfriend live in what's left of Brooklyn, and though they love each other, it's hard to find happiness while the effects of climate change rapidly eclipse their world. Soon, it won't be safe outside at all. The only people guaranteed survival are the ones whose applications are accepted to The Inside Project, a series of weather-safe, city-sized structures around the world.

Jacqueline Millender is a reclusive billionaire/women’s rights advocate, and thanks to a generous donation, she’s just become the director of the Inside being built on the bones of Manhattan. Her ideas are unorthodox, yet alluring—she's built a whole brand around rethinking the very concept of empowerment.

Shelby, a business major from a working-class family, is drawn to Jacqueline’s promises of power and impact. When she lands her dream job as Jacqueline’s personal assistant, she's instantly swept up into the glamourous world of corporatized feminism. Also drawn into Jacqueline's orbit is Olympia, who is finishing up medical school when Jacqueline recruits her to run the health department Inside. The more Olympia learns about the project, though, the more she realizes there's something much larger at play.

When Ava is accepted to live Inside and her girlfriend isn’t, she’s forced to go alone. But her heartbreak is quickly replaced with a feeling of belonging: Inside seems like it’s the safe space she’s been searching for… most of the time. Other times she can’t shake the feeling that something is deeply off. As she, Olympia, and Shelby start to notice the cracks in Jacqueline's system, Jacqueline tightens her grip, becoming increasingly unhinged and dangerous in what she is willing to do—and who she is willing to sacrifice—to keep her dream alive.

At once a mesmerizing story of queer love, betrayal, and chosen family, and an unflinching indictment of cis, corporate feminism, Gabrielle Korn's Yours for the Taking holds a mirror to our own world, in all its beauty and horror.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2023 Gabrielle Korn (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Thoroughly Captivating

I enjoyed this book so much. So many twists and turns woven together beautifully. Climate change, queer characters, social issues, and more. Super creative. Highly recommend.

could have used more subtlety

This book was enjoyable, but cringe. It harshly (albeit necessarily) critiques what we now consider "dated" feminist politics of the mid-to-late aughts. But I was distracted by how the author's politics ALSO feel dated, even though they feel closer to our current time's understanding of gender. Overt political statements might have been better illustrated as concepts and shown via character development and plot. The characters were very thin. However, the queer representation was appreciated and beautifully rendered.

Characters to Care Deeply For

This book was incredibly and beautifully written. Walking beside these characters as they grew and evolved was magical. Waiting to read more about them and what happens next might actually be the end of me.

Great concept, disappointing development

I was really excited for this book and thought the core concept was interesting. I was hoping for another knockout of a novel from this author, however there are too many voices and not enough attention to detail, resulting in poor character development and a choppy timeline. The ending especially left me frustrated, and I feel like I wasted my time on a book I was really hoping shed a light on queer voices and feminist culture.

devoured this!!!

so excited for this to inevitably become a TV show. brought so many worst fears to life in the best way!!

haunting

This book is very detailed and you get to know the society. it is deep but never dull.

Awful

Couldn’t even finish. It is awful. Story line, characters, everything! I’ve never written a review before but I felt I had too it was that terrible.