3.75 rounded up

While Yours for the Taking explored what it was like to be Inside, The Shutouts illustrates both how it got so bad and what happened to society on the outside.

The scariest part of this book is how easily this could be our reality. None of the characters were all that compelling, though, and the low stakes for them given how dangerous things were supposed to be was rather strange. Overall, an interesting story about doing what feels right versus what's necessary.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

The story itself wasn't terrible, but the choice of epistolary style for half of the book felt super awkward. It was just difficult to suspend disbelief that A) Kelly would remember the timeline in such detail and B) she would choose to be sharing all that minutiae with her daughter.

I did love many of the characters, and how Korn wove their stories together. I wish this was marketed as more of a sequel to her previous book. I didn't realize that until I'd already started this one, and felt confused for a long time by constant references to plot lines from the prior book.

Overall, read the Shutouts for the decent-hearted people and varied queer presentations. I wouldn't recommend it as a standalone, but could definitely see how it might be a satisfying follow-up to Yours for the Taking.

A queer dystopian sci-fi novel?! Yes please.

I was obsessed with Yours for the Taking last year and it easily earned a spot in my 2023 Top Ten (swipe to see my review).

The Shutouts is a slow build spanning multiple timelines. Some of our favorite characters are along for the ride and we get introduced to a slew of new characters to love.

I loved the bread crumbs that lead to numerous reveals and the ability to see the connections between the two books as we alternate between the years before the inside project and the years after.

With multiple POV’s we get stories that seem almost disjointed, but are ultimately so perfectly related. I do think that the chapters were a bit on the longer side, but the cadence of the writing makes each page move quickly. The letters from mother to daughter that we get every other chapter was such a beautiful way to propel the story.

I started reading this and it's absolutely stunning. I didn't realize it was the second book in this "world" though, so I do have to go back to the first to see how it ties in!

With the nature of the world it’s a surprise I still enjoy dystopian reads but I do! Set in the same world as Yours For the Taking these book creates an epic dystopian world. I’d love to see this one on the big screen.
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Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The time spans 2041 through 2081 as our world copes with the aftermath of society's collapse. This novel serves as both a sequel and a prequel. Characters introduced in Yours For the Taking hold center stage. We have moved from the faux feminist cloistered environment, to the uncertain chaos of a world tilting towards humanity's extinction. Setting is as much a character as the humans, as each person we meet shows us either hope or despair. Above all love is the theme, mother to daughter, partner regaining a lost love, compassionate social groups all present a positive choice for the reflective reader. We are all on journeys. In dystopian novels, the reader is presented with choices which have major consequences. Given the current world situation, The Shutouts could serve as both a warning and a blueprint for a brighter world. Very highly recommended, I was so taken with the novel, that I ordered book 1 after reading 20 pages. Speaking as a 'boomer' I hope the younger generations read this one.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

This book seems extremely relevant for our current world. This was a very thoughtful and intelligent book about what will most likely happen to the world if the government keep refusing to deal with climate change. A very good read.

The Shutouts immerses readers in a gripping post-apocalyptic world where women navigate the aftermath of climate disaster. Set in 2041, the story follows a mother’s desperate search for her daughter alongside two others fleeing a dark organization.

Korn’s dual narrative creates palpable tension, and her characters are well-developed, revealing their vulnerabilities against a haunting backdrop. While some pacing issues arise with secondary plots that occasionally distract, the novel shines in its exploration of motherhood, resilience, and identity.

Despite its flaws, *The Shutouts* offers a compelling blend of emotional depth and dystopian themes, making it a thought-provoking read for fans of the genre.

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn is a haunting, dystopian tale set in the year 2041, where climate disasters and political chaos have made survival a brutal challenge, especially for women. The story follows multiple characters, each on their own dangerous journey across a ravaged America, yet deeply interconnected in their fight to survive.

Kelly, a mother filled with regret, is racing across the treacherous landscape to reunite with the daughter she left behind seven years ago. Her personal mission is both heart-wrenching and urgent as she struggles with the guilt of abandoning her child for a cause that no longer holds meaning. Simultaneously, another mother, Ava, and her daughter Brook are fleeing from The Inside Project—a climate change relief program that has imprisoned them for over two decades, treating them as mere experiments. Their journey becomes even more perilous when a woman from Ava’s past joins them, leading the trio on an intense road trip into the remains of a fractured society.

Meanwhile, far to the North, two survivors from an abandoned settlement must unravel a mystery that binds them to the fate of those left on the Outside. These parallel narratives collide in ways that reveal a larger, interconnected struggle for survival and a glimmer of hope amidst devastation.

Korn's world-building is stark and evocative, immersing readers in a chilling future shaped by climate collapse and authoritarian control. The Shutouts is a gripping exploration of motherhood, survival, and the enduring spirit of those who have been cast aside. With its strong characters, suspenseful plot, and deeply emotional stakes, this novel is both thought-provoking and profoundly human. Fans of dystopian fiction will find it impossible to put down as it offers a unique blend of personal struggle and broader societal commentary, all set in a world that feels all too plausible.

Gabrielle Korn has done it again with The Shutouts. This is her follow up to her novel, Yours for the Taking (2023.) I really enjoyed Yours for the Taking, but truth be told I liked the Shutouts even more.

The Shutouts takes place in several timelines, which is something I liked a lot. I also appreciated the way in which Korn told the stories that take place after Yours for the Taking (YFTT,) and especially the stories of before. The backstories were fantastic and have made me appreciate the YFTT world even more.

This book explores the creation of a dystopia and those working to survive in it. The characters are rich and diverse. The cast is composed of both queer and non-queer characters living in a climate-ravaged world while dealing with everything that makes them human: Love, family, basic survival, etc. Korn’s description of climate change in The Shutouts is particularly frightening and her description of the world leadership around it is even more horrifying.

This book is perfect for any lover of dystopian, speculative and/or climate fiction. Korn’s storytelling is excellent and the pace of this book is top-notch.

The Shutouts seals the deal - Korn is now a must-read author for me!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Gabrielle Korn for the opportunity to read and review an advanced e-copy.

This is an absolutely incredible book. I was so happy to return to the world Korn created in 'Yours For the Taking.' 'The Shutouts' handles a lot of difficult topics that are unfortunately relevant to today's society: climate change, queerness, politics, etc. If I had my way, I would make this book required reading.

I highly recommend reading YFTT first as it sets the scene for 'The Shutouts.'

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn offers a gripping, post-apocalyptic narrative that skillfully weaves together the lives of women navigating a harsh, climate-ravaged world. Set in 2041, the book delves into the emotional turmoil of mothers struggling to reconcile their past choices with the present, as they battle not only natural disasters but societal upheaval.

The dual storylines of Kelly's journey to reunite with her daughter and Ava and Brook's escape from The Inside Project add layers of tension, while the characters' vulnerability in an unforgiving landscape keeps readers on edge. Korn’s world-building is compelling, evoking vivid images of a country falling apart, yet it’s the human connections and resilience that stand out.

Though the pacing occasionally falters with the introduction of side plots, The Shutouts is ultimately a thought-provoking exploration of survival, motherhood, and what it means to live on the margins. A solid 4-star read for fans of dystopian fiction with a strong emotional core.

This is the second book in the series, and I read the first one last year around the same time. It is such a fascinating read and a very interesting concept for a book. I have to say that I have found myself thinking about the first one a lot since I read it. So for that reason I really did enjoy coming back with these characters and seeing them again.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early arc copy of this!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me get my insta-fix ahead of publication. This completes a duology alongside "Yours for the Taking," which I also devoured this month (to the best of my knowledge, it felt complete but I'd totally read more). I thought the characters and world were engaging and believable, and I appreciated how this volume wove through the story of the first book while giving us a satisfying ending.

I've read a number of climate catastrophe books this year, but I feel this was the most human, and the most hopeful ... or hopefulish ... it's still a catastrophe after all.

The Shutouts skillfully weaves together themes of climate change, survival, and queer identity. Korn's writing is both engaging and thought-provoking, making this novel a compelling follow-up to "Yours for the Taking." (I was unaware that this was part of a series so I had to read the previous novel before jumping into this one.) The world-building is very vivid which adds to the depth of the narrative.

Character development is an important part of any novel for me, and I think Korn shows her talents in this area. The characters were crafted very well and did a great job of portraying complex relationships and internal conflicts. The resolution of the plot offers a satisfying sense of closure, yet it leaves readers wanting more from this richly imagined world.

Overall, I think "The Shutouts" strongest points were the dynamic characters and pressing themes of environmental/social justice.

This is a thoughtful, intelligent book about what is likely to happen to the world if climate change and governmental interference isn't stopped. LIkeable characters of varying gender identities and sexualaliltys struggle to find community and ways to survive. At times the changing timelines and all the characters got confusing, but overall I was able to figure it out and root for them 4.5

This is a story about mothers and daughters, surviving. Though calling it about daughters excludes the non-binary character, so I suppose a better way to describe this is a story about mothers and their children surviving.

A mother escapes an exploitative dynamic after the men in charge warp it into something unrecognizable. Another mother escapes "paradise" after learning harsh truths, and wanders north in search of closure. A child survives the collapse of civilization, and tries to form community to survive. A child escapes an oppressive paradise, choosing instead to live in the much worse "real world."

Is the book taking a position on how much civilization we should take advantage of? It doesn't seem like it: though the city-bound characters are portrayed as pretty useless in the wilds they don't die immediately as a ham-fisted way to let us know the city-idiots won't survive in the new world order.

The climate and deteriorating natural environment is almost a character alongside the women and their daughters. It evolves adn changes, from mild (relatively speaking) to severe. That it progresses and changes so much within a few generations is shocking (to me, a climate layman). Another sci-fi book might've focused in on the "collapse" part of the climate catastrophe, but Korn doesn't in this one. The collapse happens largely off screen: even though several characters live through it, we only hear about it from them telling other characters and never see it "on screen". That's a good choice, the apocalypse genre has too many entries, and apocalypses seem far more silly when introduced as just the latest problem to overcome. Korn does well to demonstrate the seriousness - a hurricane shatters a small village, the heat is oppressive, the north is the only sanctuary from the nonsense.

That said, if the climate apocalypse gives you palpitations, probably best to stay away from this one. The world was well built enough to give me elevated blood pressure for a while after reading, and I'm definitely not the biggest climate worrier.

Another part that the book skillfully didn't focus on is the nascent conspiracy theory that the world's governments are suppressing scientific research to combat/survive the climate catastrophes. While I hope that isn't happening in today's world, it's a good response to how climate research feels ignored today. Though Korn strikes a hopeful note: the characters throughout value and trust scientific discovery and progress. Even after the "collapse of civilization," research continues and the book seems to be trying to convey that we should never stop researching, and never stop supporting scientists.

The Shutouts is heartwarming and encouraging. If so much humanity can survive the coming apocalypse, then it gives me hope.

A galley copy was provided by publisher St. Martin's Press via NetGalley

I want so badly to love this one. It was an intriguing synopsis and I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, the chapters are incredibly long and the rotating storylines are difficult to keep up with. I found myself losing interest and putting the novel down for weeks at a time without thinking about it again. When I was fully immersed in a chapter, I was just that. The chapters themselves were entertaining and kept me wanting more. But when I got to the end and had to read through another chapter of a different story line with different characters before getting back to the one I had just found myself fully invested in, I lost interest.

I think this would have been better as short stories that intertwined or even separate parts of the same novel. It was just too much to keep track of and hold interest.

Fun queer dystopian novel about the world in ~50 years where climate change spiraled out of control. This might be the first book I've read where ALL of the characters are queer, vs being delegated to a supporting / side character role. The different story lines meshed well together and it was an overall interesting book to read, although I can't help but feel like I'm still missing something from the story / felt a bit incomplete with some questions never answered. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's for the eARC!

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn is a gripping and imaginative queer dystopian novel that expands on the world introduced in Yours for the Taking. Set in 2041, the story follows characters navigating a ravaged America due to climate change and societal collapse. With its intricate plotlines and rich queer representation, Korn delivers a powerful sequel that blends intense survival drama with profound character development. An excellent follow-up that surpasses expectations, it's a must-read for fans of speculative fiction and queer narratives.