I really enjoyed the premise for this book and all the social commentary that followed in the plot. The characters were interesting and the structure, even though the POV shifted a little bit roughly, totally worked. I binged this one in just a couple of days and I will be reading the follow up novel The Shutouts as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Not quite a 5-star due to some minor issues with plot and some unexplored explanations of some of the logic, but I still had a really good time with this concept. It was one of those situations where I got a good story, but I just wanted to know more. I wanted a bigger exploration of the "world" created. I'm hoping to get a little bit of satisfaction to that regard by reading the follow-up. Fingers crossed.

Regardless, totally worth the read and one I would consider putting on the shelf for a reread sometime soon.

As someone always on the lookout for queer fiction, I was looking forward to this one. While I appreciated its representation, the story itself left me underwhelmed. While marketed as adult fiction, this read young. The characters felt immature. The story felt too simple for being an end of the world story. It felt like a relationship story written with an apocalyptic backdrop. The story, the motivations and the relationship were just too undeveloped and it left me wanting more.

Unique and captivating - Yours for the Taking is unlike anything I've read before. I highly recommend it to fans of dystopian sci-fi.

I started to read this one but by ~25% of the way through I simply could not get into it, unfortunately.

Thank you Storygraph & NetGalley for gifting me this arc.

I found this book to be really thought provoking and imaginative. I think it had a lot of potential to be great, however I think the world building could be fleshed out. I constantly found the plot left me wanting more. It jumbled between POVs and timelines so quickly it gave me a bit of whiplash. And I also feel like we needed more to connect with the characters, everything was moving so quickly it was hard to care.

I think it was a brilliant idea and gave me enough 1984 vibes to get me through.

Tense, atmospheric and dystopian. This story examines the extremes of our political climate, drawing a long line into the future from our inaction on climate change to our men's rights / women's rights struggles and how society views trans people and gender essentialism. What if all of these issues reach their natural conclusions, and are paired with an ego maniac billionaire who can shape the world to her liking?

I found this to be highly compelling dystopian fiction. The world Korn builds feels highly familiar and also entirely brand new. I loved the issues explored and also the wide variety of characters (this is a multi POV novel) who play a key role in the tale.

However I found the character development to be slow and shallow. All the characters felt like one dimensional caricatures - serving a role in the narrative but not having much personal development or depth. This is probably due to the fact that we only see them in quick snapshots over many years.

The ending felt like a soft sigh instead of a climax. The whole book felt like it was building towards some big dramatic explosion which never happened.

The audiobook narration was clinical and felt detached from the text, lending very little emotional weight to the events. I think this book had a lot of big and interesting ideas that ultimately were not realized in the actual narrative. That said, I am looking forward to more stories in this compelling universe.

3.75/5✨

Sci-Fi. Dystopian. LGBTQIA+. Multi POV. 2023 Release.

Your for the Taking follows the perspectives of several women as they navigate different societies in a post-apocalyptic world.

This book surprised me. I was initially excited about it but found my interest waning as I hesitated to start it. However, once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. The characters were fully fleshed and complex, and even the characters I didn’t like, I understood their motivations. My favorite thing about this book was its nuanced exploration of various forms of feminism and their flaws. It was fascinating to follow the various experimental societies, especially Jacqueline’s Inside, over several years and see the reasoning behind the decisions that shaped them. I also appreciated the diversity in POV’s and how, woven together, they created a thorough discussion. A lot of times, stories like this have a clear theme; I liked that this book doesn’t preach from one perspective, but provides a discussion on a myriad of perspectives about feminism, gender, and sexuality allowing the reader to form their own views.

That said, the book is probably longer than necessary. It waxes poetic at times, especially in Jacqueline’s POV, vomiting her beliefs and manifestos. At times, the narrative also leans too heavily on telling rather than showing the characters’ ideologies.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It offers something for everyone with its varied cast and thought-provoking themes, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys highly experimental dystopian fiction.

[Note: Check Trigger Warnings]

Thank you for the opportunity to review this advanced reader's edition. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give it the time required to write a thorough review and will be unable to read it for this purpose.

It took me a long time to read this one. I would pick it up, get sucked into the story, loving the interactions between the characters, then get distracted enough to put it down. I would continue to come back to it, and eventually grabbed a hard copy to see if that would help me stay engaged. I was determined to see it through to the end.

Overall, I have recommended the book, but there was something in it that didn't resonate with me.

Earth is in the midst of a climate disaster. There’s more hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding and people are trying to figure out where they go next. Then comes the “Inside” a building that will house selected people and all that they’ll need to survive. The people of the North American Inside are selected by a rich woman named Jacqueline and her team and the goal is to eventually house 3 million people on the Inside. However, ethical issues ensue leading characters to determine what to do next.

Like many, one of my biggest issues with this one is that the characters really fell flat until near the end. They seemed one dimensional with not much personality.

There’s not much build as to what the Inside is nor why there are multiple Insides around the world.

While the climate disaster could’ve been explained a bit better, I think Korn perfectly blend the idea of what happens when someone wants to create a perfect world in one building, but also has a secret agenda.

I recommend this for people who like:
- climate fiction
- dystopian fiction
- sci-fi
- queer fiction
- fiction that expands on ethical dilemmas

Gabrielle Korn's Yours for the Taking is a thought-provoking and suspenseful novel that blends elements of dystopian fiction, romance, and social commentary. The novel follows a group of young women as they navigate a future ravaged by climate change and corporate greed, which feels all too real at present.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The concept and ideas in Yours for the Taking, of how humanity might respond once Earth became (largely) inhabitable is well done here. The set-up and political intrigue of a purely feminine (identifying as or born as female) community is intriguing. In Yours for the Taking we span 20+ years to see how things might develop and what it might be like for a new generation to grow up in an indoor only environment.

The issues crop up when it comes to the set-up of the Inside (as it’s called) construction. While the plot, societal commentary, and characters are solid; the actual set-up of the Inside seems quite flawed for me. If you can overlook many of the logistical challenges of how the Inside is maintained then there is lots to like here. However, if you might get caught up on how the Inside manages to have endless fresh water and clean air, or how specific nutrients (like Vitamin D or UV from the sun) and other elements that humans need from the outdoors (not including food as that is addressed) are garnered then you may be frustrated by the lack of details. I had to get over lacking explanations about certain logistics of the indoor space (and its existence for 20+ years.

That said, I was able to largely ignore the bad scientific explanations and instead focus on the social commentary because the philosophical discussions and focus are very engaging. I especially liked that this is the first dystopian book I can think of that actually addresses how the trans community might adapt (or ‘qualify’) in a selected society. As well as handles the range of different sexual preferences in humans. With a large focus on the lesbian lead characters you almost forget there are heterosexual women in this little community (which kind of brings up another issue of where they get their pleasure from; but that’s just another oversight in the end). For me, as a bisexual woman, I could adapt to this environment; although I do wonder what a straight woman might say about living in this environment (or the idea of it at least).

At the end of the day I did enjoy this read. It starts a bit dull but definitely ramps up and intrigued me throughout. I’d have liked the narrative to go back to the plight of the women who could not bear a child (same as myself) but understand there is a lot that could have been analyzed here but might have bogged the overall key story down. If you love dystopian social commentary this one is definitely for you. It focuses on the corruption power can have, and that we need more than one person’s ideological set-up to be truly successful. If you want some extreme feminism ideals, and have ever imagined a world of only women (biological or identifying as) then this might be an interesting read for you. I’m glad to have read it and will recommend it out for some who will find the sociological context interesting; but it’s definitely not going to be for everyone.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Gabrielle Korn's Yours for the Taking is a thought-provoking dystopian novel that explores the complexities of power, gender, and climate change. Set in a near-future where rising sea levels have ravaged New York City, the story follows a group of women who seek refuge in a utopian community known as "Inside."

Korn weaves a compelling narrative that challenges the traditional notions of feminism and power structures. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each grappling with their own internal struggles and motivations. Ava, the protagonist, is a particularly intriguing character, as she navigates the complexities of Inside and questions the true intentions of its enigmatic leader, Jacqueline.

The novel's exploration of climate change is both timely and unsettling. Korn paints a vivid picture of a world grappling with environmental catastrophe, forcing readers to confront the potential consequences of inaction. The setting of Inside, a technologically advanced and self-sufficient community, raises questions about sustainability and the sacrifices that may be necessary for survival.

While Yours for the Taking is a work of fiction, it draws clear parallels to contemporary issues. The novel's examination of power dynamics and the potential for corruption within seemingly utopian societies is particularly relevant in today's world. Korn's exploration of gender roles and the complexities of female relationships adds another layer of depth to the story.

Overall, Yours for the Taking is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that will resonate with readers long after they finish the final page. It is a timely and important work that raises critical questions about power, gender, and the future of humanity in a world facing environmental crisis.

I’ve realized after reading both this & the sequel that this author is just not for me. This has the components of something I would enjoy, but the characters feel immature and aggravating. That being said, the world built around them is interesting & I definitely see why some readers loved this!

Yours for the Taking sold me with the idea of a Sapphic dystopian novel. Dystopian is definitely my favorite genre however this one did fall a little flat for me. The novel is listed as adult but still had a very young adult feel to it. I did feel that the novel jumped around the central themes a bit but overall it was enjoyable.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

I honestly enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would. A dystopian sci fi novel discussing deep matters like climate change, LGBTQ+ and women’s rights, the concept of a nuclear family, and the abuse of power?! This book was so much more than the blurb even promised.

That being said, while I loved the plot/premise, some of the writing took away from the overall idea. Korn definitely suffered from some pacing issues that should have been fixed in editing - both too fast and too slow in different parts, that this sometimes felt like a rollercoaster ride in the worst way. One of my biggest grievances with the book, actually, is its abrupt ending. Furthermore, I get that it's a "sci fi" book but some of the science doesn't check out (especially in regards to the medical aspects, most specifically the IVF process).

Additionally, I think Korn spent too much time trying to develop multiple characters that she instead didn't really fully develop any of them all that well. Really, she should've somehow taken the three "main characters" (Ava, Olympia, Shelby) and combined them all into one or two and I think it would've been a little bit easier to digest. Also - I feel that some of these romances/relationships that were delved into were unnecessary for the plot and really took away from the overall story.

Still, i'm going to give it 4 stars (although realistically, more about 3.5) because I was interested the entire time and it's likely I'll pick up more books by Korn in the future.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. Review originally withheld as part of a pro-Palestine reviewer boycott of St. Martin’s Press.

Yours for the Taking is a timely speculative fiction novel exploring a possible near-future. The world is ravaged by the impacts of climate change, and a female corporate billionaire poses a solution to protect a select few women into the future.

What’s fascinating is that Gabrielle Korn, in structuring the world of the novel and the direction it goes in the story, is clearly in-tune with conversations around gender, feminism, and inclusion. While this isn’t the first time an author has proposed a story, or even a thought exercise, positing “what if all men disappeared” in some form or another, this is the first I’ve seen willing to have the uncomfortable conversations. What about trans men and nonbinary people? Are men themselves the problem, or is it the patriarchy as a system contributing to most of the world’s ills? Can women and feminism be just as corrupt when given power, particularly in a society of women? How does white feminism exclude (intentionally or unintentionally) the plight of poor and marginalized people, who need the support most?

Jacqueline is well-intentioned, certainly, but ultimately as wealthy and out-of-touch as any of her male counterparts (the Bezoses and Musks of the world). She has her own vision as to what a “utopian” society should look like, and she goes to extremes to achieve this.

As a contrast, there are three other characters from three different walks of life, chosen to go “Inside,” and drawn in for their own reasons. I was the most drawn to Olympia, admittedly, because she’s a doctor and she’s openly critical of Jacqueline’s ideology from the start. She’s Black as well as being queer, and while Korn as a white woman, doesn’t delve too far into Olympia’s struggles, she does point out the short-sightedness of some of Jacqueline’s views.

Ava and Shelby were both also fairly interesting. Ava’s path to motherhood while Inside, and her connection to Jacqueline due to this was poignant, especially as she learns a secret about the fate of one of her children. Shelby is perhaps the most ambitious, being drawn into Jacqueline’s corporate world and the promise of power to escape poverty.

I had mixed feelings about the structure. On the one hand. I liked that it explored the full extent, more or less of the situation. But I did feel that some character growth and introspection, which would otherwise naturally come from existing through a long period through many hardships, was sacrificed for the sake of the narrative’s length and punchy pacing. However, the message remained present throughout and hit hard. .

This is a deeply moving and effective imagining of an-oft-touted premise, exploring the myriad flaws with the concept, even if there are some short-term gains for a select few. I recommend it to readers who are interested in an intersectional feminist speculative fiction-dystopian story.

I liked the premise more than the execution on this one. Some of the characters (Ava, Olympia) were a lot more developed than others (Jaclyn, Brooke) but that is partly down to setting and age. I liked the climate fiction part, but think more time could have been spent there.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this title in exchange for honest feedback. A gripping dystopian tale. Perfect for fans of Oryx and Crake with better politics

This book was a saga of women and families set against a dystopia caused by climate change. At first, the story found itself similar to Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World.” With its imagined new order. It was a strong story with lots of passion and drama that was a great read. The resolution was well done and I enjoyed reading it. It contains lots of gay/lesbian content which could offend people not comfortable with this.