This was an interesting followup to Yours For the Taking. I liked that we got to experience more of what the world was like outside of the climate-controlled bubbles from the first book and learn a bit of what happened afterwards. We get to learn more about some characters from book 1 as well as meet some new ones. Somehow it felt quite different from the first book (mostly in the pacing) yet familiar in voice at the same time. It worked for me, but I would advise to go into it expecting a little bit slower of a slower pace compared to book one. I found this to be a satisfying follow-up that readers of the series will enjoy. Recommend for fans of climate sci-fi, survival, and dystopian journeys.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

A brilliant queer dystopian novel from the author of Yours for the Taking, following a cast of characters on the margins of a strange and exclusive new society.

I discovered @gabriellekorn last year and fell in love with her writing style, I had high hopes for this one and it didn’t disappoint.
There’s something about dystopian books that can be a hit or miss for me, and The Shutouts was brilliant; gripping, propulsive and hopeful.

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for this complimentary audiobook.

The Shutouts is nothing short of a queer dystopian page-turner.
This story has many plotlines woven together to make one well rounded story. Right away I was drawn into Kelly's story and her flashbacks. The Inside Project was also something that I found intence and intersting.

I really liked the themes and topics about humanity and the world. I liked how the author talked about these topics in a way that's part of the world and not just an essay.

I've read Gabrielle Korn's other book, Yours for the Taking, and liked it. But The Shutouts was one I enjoyed more. I already liked her writing style but The Shutouts made me enjoy her writing style even more. I was lucky to get to take this story in by audiobook and the narrator did such a great job of delivering the drama and intense scene of the book. It's read so well.

A thought-provoking dystopian, queer journey, told in a captivating story.

The Shutouts was a propulsive and well-written read. I liked the audio narrator. the character study was thorough.

Actual Rating 2.5

This story is told from dual timelines (one in the 2040s and one in the 2070s) and multiple POVs. I liked one timeline more, and I think that was largely due to the fact that there were less characters present in that one. The second timeline had many characters all around the same age, and I had a difficult time keeping them separate from each other. This was partially because their voices weren’t that distinct, which made it that much harder to keep them separated.

I did enjoy the plots and story overall. The two timelines complimented each other well as the earlier timeline showed us what the before times were like for the 2070s timeline. I would have loved if there had been a stronger feel for the setting, though. It wasn’t incorporated quite as strongly as I would have liked, and I never really felt immersed in it. The micro-communities (some of which are cult-like), the technologies responding to climate change, and the upheaval that were incorporated were all interesting and added much to the worldbuilding.

Apparently this is book two in a series, though it states that nowhere other than saying it’s “set in the same world.” As a standalone, this is an okay read. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved 'Yours for the Taking' and this book is a perfect follow up.

The stories are different enough that I didn't feel like I was reading the same story again, however, the links between the two books were strong and thematically similar enough that they definitely belonged in the same universe.

I really liked that this book took place outside of the Inside. I liked getting to see what happened to the rest of the world and I love a good exploration of the types of societies that are created after a collapse. Korn also seamlessly includes so much LGBTQIA+ rep and feminist arguments that my little heart did happy dances all over the place. This is not your typical post-apocalypse story because it does feature these larger arguments and I absolutely loved their addition to this genre.

If you haven't read the first one, please do because you now have two wonderful apocalypse stories to marathon and enjoy.

This was a decent story, but it didn’t grab me as much as some other dystopian tales I’ve read recently. I did enjoy the characters and the believability of their interactions with each other.

*The Shutouts* is a compelling queer dystopian novel set against a backdrop of climate collapse. Gabrielle Korn’s writing balances an engaging pace with strong, emotionally complex characters. The shifting perspectives and timelines add depth but can feel disorienting at times, leaving some gaps in the narrative.

Gail Shalan’s narration in the audiobook is a standout. She gives each character a distinct voice, bringing the story to life in a way that kept me hooked.

This is a great pick for readers who like dystopian stories with a focus on connection, resilience, and the consequences of environmental neglect. While it left me wanting more, it was still a satisfying and thought-provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.

A great follow up by Gabrielle Korn. I loved the world of Yours for the Taking and the Shutouts was a great follow up. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced audiobook of The Shutouts.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give a fair review of the audiobook as it was incomplete, with several chapters of the story missing.

Author Gabrielle Korn returns to her dystopian world, and follows six different women in two different time periods, 2041 and 2078:

-Max: Born into a cult, the Winter Liberation Army, which started as a group of activists attempting to live totally independently of everyone and everything then devolved into the men holding all the power, in 2078 Max attempts to escape with their crush, but gets hurt and abandoned. They eventually encounter Camilla, who had been living with her father, Orchid and others.

-Orchid: In 2078, she left her settlement to find Ava (they were lovers in book one years earlier) in New York City. She finds Ava and Brook outside of their Inside Project compound, and they begin travelling back to Orchid's home together, encountering difficulties and some dangers.

-Kelly: She left her young daughter Orchid behind to join a group of people, the Winter Liberation Army. She becomes disenchanted with their behaviour and changed aims eventually, and attempts to return home in 2041. We learn about her through a series of letters she sent to young Orchid.

-Camilla: Shelby's (from book one) sister, cares for Max, and waits alone for Orchid to return, with the intention of them all reuniting with the others, who have moved to a safer location to settle after storms made it too difficult to stay.

-Ava: Back in the world, and finding it hard to adapt, but is also glad Orchid is with them. The three women travel the long, hard road back to reunite with Camilla.

-Brook: Eager to find a way to reconnect with July, who is living in New Zealand after the shuttle carrying the wealthy landed there.

The writing is compelling, fleshing out our understanding of Orchid, Ava, Brook and Camilla, and introducing new characters, who are equally well drawn.
-Orchid's independence and behaviours (in book one)become clearer with information about Kelly, and how Orchid manages the trip back to her home with a struggling Ava and naïve Brook.
-Kelly's letters are a combination of exciting revelations as she works with the activists, and gradually show a woman full of regret whose choices took her far from the daughter she loves.
-Max must learn to overcome the prejudices of her cult and open themselves to new experiences, ideas and relationships.
-Camilla has become incredibly resourceful, and it's great to see Shelby's younger sister come into her own.

Korn shifts perspectives repeatedly, and each person's section is full of drama, intimacy, pain, and wonderfully brought to life as we see the climate continuing to devolve over the thirty year timespan of the novel. Korn does a wonderful job of making us care about each character, and we see the importance of connection and community in a hard, unforgiving world.

I switched back and forth between the prose and the audiobook, and enjoyed both. Gail Shalan does a great job voicing all the different characters, so that I always knew whose perspective I was listening to. Shalan conveys each person's emotions beautifully, while also bringing the damaged world to life as they make their way through it.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

I wanted to love this, but it wasn’t really for me.

The time jumps kept confusing me, which I’m normally fine with. I also was not a big fan of the writing style. I don’t think this author is for me.

The book was interesting. Led to a place I didn’t expect. The writing was good. It made you think this could have happened.

I enjoyed this dystopian novel. It was set in a future where climate change has plagued the planet and the population is being limited.

It felt a little like you were dropped right into the mix of this story. I enjoyed it a lot, but I think I would have liked a little more background than we got. The story spans multiple generations and flips between timelines, leaving the reader to piece a lot of things together for themselves.

I though the queer representation in the book was fantastic and felt very realistic to the direction the world is moving.

Overall, I enjoyed it, and I would like to see more on this storyline.

Book Review | "The Shutouts" by Gabrielle Korn
A Queer Dystopian Novel: Global Warming Is Coming for All of Us

Original Link: https://open.substack.com/pub/tylermharrison/p/book-review-the-shutouts-by-gabrielle?r=3xp9tw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

The Shutouts is a queer dystopian novel chronicling a fictionalized version of our current and future environmental issues. This global warming tale is right on track with our current real-life trajectory, rooted in science and truth, ringing eerily authentic.

The novel involves parallel storylines nearly 40 years apart: one in 2041 following Kelly’s dangerous trek across the States and the other in 2078 where Max leaves a strict commune searching for a life on the outside.

Kelly’s story is one of a young mother with a history of involvement with resistance movements, mainly aimed at ending global warming and fighting big business and the government choosing money over humanity. Kelly’s path is met with heartache and loss, both romantically and familiarly, all for the greater good.

Max finds themself safe and sound in a commune-type society where technology supports their Earth-saving efforts in a highly regulated and oppressive way but that wasn’t always the case. Max breaks free of their chains and discovers the real world outside.

As the reader flips back and forth in time and narrative, we find out how these stories meet, weaving a tale of the United States’ downfall and status decades later—detailing the normality of intense storms, flooding, wildfires, and heat waves and the repercussions. Sound familiar?

Is there hope for survival or is it too late?

Although The Shutouts is a standalone novel set in the world of Korn’s previous book Yours for the Taking, I can’t help but wonder whether I should have started with the latter. The experience was fraught with moments of disorientation, circling back to discover if I’d missed a chapter. This resulted in a choppy intake of the story, playing catchup consistently throughout.

However, the disorientation was balanced with deep, robust vignettes full of ripe detail, unleashing a cinematic adventure in my brain. Gabrielle Korn’s ability to transplant the reader into her vision is uncanny, delivering pockets of literary joy. In the moments of confusion, Korn’s writing saved the day and reeled me back in.

I was left longing for more, desperately needing the rest of the story to be filled in. The novel felt like it had finished prematurely, leaving more questions than answers. The concept is intriguing but the story development left something to be desired, plagued with gaps between the brilliant pieces. It’s safe to say you will complete the novel wishing you had more of this interesting queer dystopian adventure.

And if you choose to listen to this novel, Narrator Gail Shalan knocks it out of the park, breathing life into each distinctive character. Shalan delivers an engaging and skillful performance, masterfully tackling all voices and narratives.

Gabrielle Korn has created a scary but rich world where our consumption will result in real consequences. Somehow global warming has become a political conversation, becoming controversial in nature—but Korn bakes it in rather than throws it in your face. The topic is the fabric of the novel, set as the foundation on which we build and this is performed beautifully.

Overall, I want to know more about this world and Korn’s characters and I want to continue the journey as I feel we have not reached the end of this story.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, I want to note to future readers - Please read Yours for the Taking before reading this book. The one thing I don't see recommended enough in the summary and in promotions for this book, is the fact it truly is a sequel to Yours for the Taking. You can read it by itself but you won't understand the backstory and connections between a lot of the characters and you may not understand how we got to this point and this dystopian future. The summaries I've seen only refer to this as a novel from the author of Yours, but the cast of characters is about 80% of the cast from the previous book and it will assist you in understanding Ava, Orchid, Brook, and others.

The first book focuses on the need for portions of society to enter into The Inside Project since climate change is making living outside hard to manage. Those on the outside, are forced to travel into far northern areas of Canada in order to find climates which are more desirable to live. This second book, concentrates on the survivors on the outside as well as seeing Ava and Brook escaping from Inside, to rejoin with Orchid, a previous love interest of Ava.

I love the story about fighting for survival, finding love amid the chaos and downfall of humanity, and found family. The story gets bigger as we explore some of the issues which lead up to climate change as well as some who leveraged resources to try and ensure survival once the world changed. Overall, a very good follow-up to the first but I do think some readers were unaware this story is really a sequel, and whether intended or not, a lot of the meat of this book does rely on knowing what happened while people were Inside, and what happened before people went Inside.

I requested this title on NetGalley because I listened to the audiobook of Yours for the Taking earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I was pleased to find out there would be another installment in the series, and enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Shutouts. I thought this was a great continuation of some of the character stories I became familiar with in the first book, and I found the addition of new stories added interesting depth and perspective to the story. Sometimes I find dystopian settings to be so outlandish and that can make it hard to connect with, but the climate and political factors of this dystopian world feel very plausible, making the story feel tangible. The way the different storylines overlapped and intertwined was exciting and kept me looking forward to finding out how characters would continue to be connected.

As always, Gabrielle Korn does a beautiful job weaving diversity into their stories without making it feel performative or forced. I love the natural feeling of the inclusion of characters with various identities, and always appreciate seeing this represented in my reads. These characters have diverse identities, but that is not their whole identity, and I hope to see that represented more in the publishing industry.

The only big drawback for me was that it was difficult at times to keep the different timeframes and individual characters separated in my mind. This may have had to do with the format in which I was consuming the book (audio versus ebook or physical). Either way, the difficulty to follow did pull me back from being as engaged as I would have liked to be in the story. Overall, I find this series to be a unique take on dystopian fiction that is highly enjoyable. I look forward to reading future works by this author if they are to publish more in this series or otherwise.

I rated this book at 4 out of 5 stars.

I’ve also recommended this book to both personal friends and library patrons.

I noted in my response that my library is unlikely to purchase this audiobook because our audiobook budget is quite limited, and Yours for the Taking has not been purchased on audiobook. However, my library does have Yours for the Taking in both regular and large print, and we have placed an order for The Shutouts in hard copy. Both titles appear on our Pride Month Collection list as well.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio for this Audio ARC!

4.5 stars - thanks to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.

My first book of 2024 was Yours for the Taking and I knew it was going to be a good reading year! Then, I learned this book was coming out and was really excited for a companion novel to one I already loved and this lived up to my expectations and then some! Both novels fall into a perfect niche for me with a well built, captivating dystopian landscape and so many interesting characters - many of whom are queer.

Korn does such a wonderful job of crafting an engaging story that I didn't want to put down (finished in less than 24 hours) while weaving in strong social commentary in a way that feels real, raw and honest, without filling myself as a reader, with a sense of dread.

While I believe this can function as a stand alone novel, I heavily recommend first picking up Yours for the Taking so that you have even richer background knowledge about the world this story takes place in, and more appreciation and excitement for the connections our characters have between each other (within both novels and across them)!

Already craving more queer dystopian reads (as per usual)!!

I had really liked Korn’s previous novel and had really appreciated the questions it raised with the “utopia” it built. Korn continued to excel in the intersection of strong queer representation and unsettling cli-fi dystopia in this one. Where Yours For the Taking had more of a conventional plot, this one focuses more on character exploration and subtly building the bleak situation the world is in. There are 2 perspectives but it tells a story of three different timelines and the characters are compelling and well built. I think having the background Yours For the Taking really made me appreciate the deeper worldbuilding here and I personally wouldn’t recommend skipping it, they complement each other very well.
I enjoyed the narration by Gail Shalan for this one and found it to be easy to follow for me. It might be a bit confusing as an audiobook initially for people not used to the format or for someone who has trouble keeping up with multiple timelines.