For her fiction debut, Gabrielle Korn teleports into the alarming future with a queer climate fiction novel that opens in the year 2050. A resident of a now-sinking Brooklyn, Ava has the chance to escape the inevitable when she’s admitted to the refuge that is The Inside Project, created by girlboss par excellence Jacqueline Millender. But, as you might imagine, this supposed feminist utopia is not all that it seems. Korn manages to grapple with weighty topics while also delivering a compelling read, rife with twists—and a sequel is already in the works.

https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g42156598/best-books-of-2023/

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly I found this deeply tepid, and like if twitter identity discourse was rehashed into a novel. I appreciated the epistolary moments of it (and honestly my rating is closer to 2.5 stars), but it's something where the book just felt hollow at points. I wanted to care for the cast, but I think the time scale on this was too over eager and wanted to cover too much ground, which ended up tripping it up. Also, Jacqueline as a central character almost felt like a parody at points, and while I loved the intent behind her, I feel as if the author didn't quite strike the right balance with her. Anyway! Wanted to like this! Loved the ideas it was playing with! But I honestly think that this would be a better movie than a book, and the storytelling style lends itself more to a visual medium, and in book form it just didn't quite clicks.

I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. It was competently written, but all of the commentary felt very surface level with zero depth or nuance. This book has a very specific liberal audience who will probably make this the next Big Deal. If your ideology falls somewhere in the Social Liberalism/Social Democracy areas on the Political Compass, you'll probably love this book. If you're further Left than that, you'll likely have a bad time.

Another dystopian / post-apocalyptic book (although 2050 is NOT that far in the future). Terrifying.

This is a well written, well thought out book about a what appears to be a utopian society for women. It is set in the future, when climate change has made the world virtually unliveable. It is also a love story, love that survives separation, love for our children and for what is true equality, despite what is being told Lots to think about and lots to feel about

A really inventive and new way of looking at a post-apocalyptic world. The perfect mix of the horror of world-building gone right and wrong, and a true look at what happens with power. Prescient, feminist, queer, and very readable. Korn puts the conversations of today into a not-so-distant future and makes it fun.

Wow, this book... I don't even know where to start. I didn't know I needed a queer dystopian book so badly until I was approved to read this book.

I appreciate that the world was already "built" and you could get right into the story. This feels like something that may happen in this fucked up world we're in, which is the best kind of book.

I loved the characters! I feel I would have made similar decisions to Orchid, because she feel she did not have a choice.

I enjoyed most of this book, except for its ending which left me dissatisfied due to the unresolved plotlines. The book concluded on a frustrating cliffhanger, and while I have questions, I won't delve into them to avoid spoiling the experience for potential readers.

Several issues stood out to me. The initial concepts introduced in the beginning weren't consistently developed throughout the story. Some monologues were overly lengthy and felt unnecessary. The book featured an abundance of different points of view (POVs), including four women highlighted in the synopsis and an additional three introduced later on. This accumulation of seven distinct POVs lacked clear labeling, making it confusing to follow. Moreover, the portrayal of perspectives from transgender and black women felt underdeveloped, particularly concerning the challenges they might face, such as the amplified backlash a black woman might encounter compared to a white woman in a position of power. Proper research into these experiences, particularly within corporate America, would have enhanced authenticity. Additionally, certain conflicts were resolved too hastily.

Despite these criticisms, I found several intriguing aspects. The book effectively weaved in satirical elements, providing a thought-provoking exploration of feminism and the essence of womanhood. As someone who identifies as a feminist, I found my understanding evolving while reading, thanks to the author's impactful influence. The author possesses a remarkable command of language, crafting immersive settings and evoking genuine emotions from the characters. Even the perspectives of the antagonists were engrossing, prompting me to reflect on my own notions of feminism.

This dystopian sci-fi masterpiece is one of my new favourite books of all time.

It’s 2055, and the climate crisis has reached a breaking point. The weather is vicious and unpredictable, and soon the Earth will be uninhabitable. Over the past five years, billionaire Jacqueline Millender has been funding the North American division of a project called Inside, resulting in what’s left of the city of New York being enclosed in climate-proof structures, with only a few windows throughout. Only 3 million people will fit in each Inside, but Jacqueline has a bit of a different plan for hers.

We have three main characters:
Ava, who applied for Inside with her girlfriend Orchid five years ago, and they’re about to find out if they got in;
Shelby, who applies for an internship with Jacqueline Millender’s company and ends up being offered a position as her personal assistant instead;
And Olympia, a med student with several job offers on the table, all of which disappear after her controversial opinion piece goes viral. Except the one from Jacqueline, to be the medical director of Inside.

Despite being on a space shuttle, Jacqueline still has a terrifying level of control over Inside. Life is different than what was promised, but Ava, Shelby, and Olympia settle into their new lives relatively well. Until the cracks in the foundation of Inside get too deep for them to ignore.

This book had everything. The slow burn dystopia really worked for me, even though the events take place over 20+ years; I was happy to either read more about day-to-day life Inside or find out quickly what went wrong and explore the ramifications of that. Most of the characters were LGBTQIA+, and all of them were complex and interesting—especially our villain, the perfect example of what conservatives think a feminist is.

YOURS FOR THE TAKING is a compelling commentary on feminism in our patriarchal society, corporate greed, and last and surprisingly least relevant to the story, climate change. And we’re getting a sequel! Five stars, Gabrielle Korn added to auto-buy authors list.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVE Dystopian stories and am always hesitant that I will be absorbed in the way that I always hope to be when I begin reading them. I am so happy to say that this book absolutely drew me in and surpassed all of my expectations! It is such an engaging read! The characters are interesting and seem SO real. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience as the storytelling was superb and the plot was incredible. I believe this story will be a huge hit and I can only hope that there will be much more to come from this incredible storyteller! Absolutely recommend...

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this eBook! This is a really good look into the problems that will occur from climate change and the possibilities that might arise from one person having way too much power. It is an amazing read for someone that likes dystopia but doesn't like violence and is more focused on how humanity would react to the impending end of the world.

I am planning to put out some social media content around this book because I feel like the ideas behind it are sound and I know I am going to be thinking about these characters for a long time.

I loved that this was a sapphic cli-fi book that focuses on ideas such as what makes a society and chosen family.

However where the book loses consistency for me is around 2/3 of the way in. As Jacqueline starts to lose her grip on her empire. I do fear Jaqueline but I feel like the book may have been better served if we got some first person perspectives. It felt by the end of the book that it moved too quickly to see Jaqueline vanquished and that also meant that some of the peripheral characters felt like loose ends.

I think that the overall concept for this book is good but the execution could have been better. In the end I am wondering if I am supposed to leave this book thinking it’s a commentary on an all female future, a cautionary tale against idols, a character study of a monolithic female billionaire, or a conspiracy about corporate America.

Perhaps this book is meant to be all those things, but as a result it does those things halfway.

This novel is truly engrossing. From the time I picked this book up I honestly did not want to put it down. I was shook! Of course, the setting of the book being in a very near future Earth, particularly NYC did not help at all. Gabrielle built a world and created an atmosphere of urgency that reflects the current state of our planet and showed a glimpse of what could potentially be our future.
The characters created have distinct qualities and although there were more than a few characters introduced, it was not hard to follow each ones narrative. This story does have a clear villain as far as moving the plot along but Korn definitely aptly includes the nuance of the human situation in the weaving of this story.
This book definitely hits all of the points for being a classic dystopian novel, but it is also very unique.
I cannot wait for book two!

I think the most human thing possible is trying something new under the mistaken impression that we're getting it perfect this time while we ignore the broken parts of the system that don't hurt us, specifically. And that's the tale this book tells as well. Will taking all the men out of society fix everything? Guess you'll just have to read this book and find out...

I really felt for the characters in this one and was enraged on their behalves. And yet it didn't feel supremely far away from the world we're currently living in where those with power take away the things they deem to be the problem and we watch as they get proven wrong time and time again. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

A fantastic and easy-to-follow utopian/dystopian think piece.

the premise of this book really intrigued me, but i'm not sure it accomplished everything i wanted it to. the characterization was really well done, everyone feels very real and well thought out, but the pacing and plotting kinda fell flat for me. most of this felt like an extended character study, so if you're a fan of minimum plot and maximum vibes you'll probably like it. the real plot didn't actually kick off until at least halfway through the book, and as a result it felt kinda rushed and the characters didn't get a chance to develop fully from what they went through. overall i think this would've benefitted from being a longer book for more time to explore plot and develop characters, but it does what it's trying to do well already. once i got past my initial struggle to get into the book, i went through the rest of it in a day; the second half is a very quick read. if you're looking for diverse scifi/spec fic that's not focused on male narratives, check this out.

arc provided by St. Martin's in exchange for an honest review

I received an ARC copy of this for review.

Overall this book was an easy and quick read for me. We follow the lives of three different queer women, as well as the journeys of their families, through the end of the world and one proposed solution to sustain human life. Without giving away spoilers, I think this book gives the reader a great quest in asking themselves under what contexts do your ethics change? What does it take to keep the human race alive once we have ruined the planet? and is there any power structure that is without inherent failure of the masses? If you are a dystopian lover, looking for a queer read that isn't about love, or pondering the what ifs of the climate crisis, this is a great read.

I gave this book four stars instead of five because as someone who is an environmental scientist I did struggle at times to get past the large scientific gaps, leaps, and errors the author made.

This is one of the more innovative works of fiction I've read recently. Korn is able to weave multiple perspectives seamlessly into an important and gripping dystopian and slightly sci-fi novel that also digs deep into identity and privilege issues that are some of the leading social issues of today.

Separate from the social and climate issues that are central to the story, the story alone could stand as a gripping post-apocalytic-esque novel. Korn's writing is deep, and literary where it needs to be, yet accessible and engaging when the story requires it. Seeing the story and the struggles from multiple perspectives is necessary to understand the impact that each character's decisions have on each other and on their immediate and more distant environments.

This will definitely be a high-demand book club worthy title when it publishes in December because of Gabrielle Korn's skillful balancing act between the fast-paced story and the surgical precision with which she dissects what it means to be a feminist, the effects of privilege in gender, race, status, and economy, the tension between capitalism and environmentalism, and the importance of finding the humanity within ourselves and within those around us.

Whoooo, what a ride. I love me a good dystopian novel and this seriously took me for a ride. And a good one at that! I loved the world that Gabrielle created and it had me from start to finish. You find yourself rooting for Ava, developing a growing resentment of Jacqueline, and pity for Olympia as you take this journey with them. I loved this and those of you who love dystopian societies where the good triumphs will love this too!

This is story that starts out in 2050 amidst global warming and extreme climate change. Jacqueline Millender is a wealthy businesswoman and inventor. She uses her wealth, prestige and genius to create a utopian sealed city. Jacqueline sends out questionnaires and applications to the US citizens to apply for admission to the “Inside”. Secretly she only selects educated feminist women to become new residents.

Ava, a scientist, is one of the new residents who leaves her girlfriend behind when only she is selected. Shelby leaves her poor family behind also after being selected to be Jacqueline’s assistant. Olympia is a new doctor and is also one of the chosen.

This book had several innovations and plot twists that I found very entertaining after getting past the beginning chapters. Korn describes a very realistic and scary future for humanity. And as a debut author she did a great job with this book.

I recommend this book to people who enjoy dystopian stories with a bit of romance thrown in.

ARC received from NetGalley for a voluntary and honest review.

Yours For The Taking by Gabrielle Korn is an exciting Sci-Fi fantasy book that I really enjoyed. It follows three characters with different backgrounds, whose stories come together in a future world that feels very real.

The story is set in the year 2050, where climate change has made life on Earth very difficult. The characters are relatable and diverse, with good LGBTQ representation.

The book's plot keeps you hooked, making it a great read, especially if you like Sci-Fi. I highly recommend Yours For The Taking for a thrilling and authentic Sci-Fi experience. (Linda)