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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Rape, Transphobia
I started really high on this book and it went downhill a bit for me. I really enjoyed the concept but I felt like there was just too much that didn’t make sense logistically or logically. I also found the ending disappointing and too much of a cliffhanger. I understand there is a sequel coming which makes a lot of sense, but I don’t know that I’ll be interested enough to read it.
4.5 Stars rounded up to 5. This novel is perfect for those that enjoyed Naomi Alderman’s The Power.
Dystopian gem 'Yours for the Taking' by Gabrielle Korn, set in 2050, explores survival in weather-safe havens led by Millennial tycoons. The narrative weaves the lives of Ava, Olympia, and Shelby against the ambitious backdrop of Jacqueline Millender's Inside Project. The story, though compelling, could benefit from streamlined character organization. Korn's debut delves into queer love, betrayal, and corporate feminism, skillfully using the dystopian genre to critique societal constructs. Fast-paced and thought-provoking, it tackles toxic feminism, capitalism, and gender norms. A captivating blend of speculative fiction and social critique, leaving readers anticipating Korn's future works.
Thank you to Gabrielle Korn, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for pre-approving me to receive an electrical Advanced Review Copy of Yours for the Taking. All opinions mentioned in this review are my own.
Dystopian gem 'Yours for the Taking' by Gabrielle Korn, set in 2050, explores survival in weather-safe havens led by Millennial tycoons. The narrative weaves the lives of Ava, Olympia, and Shelby against the ambitious backdrop of Jacqueline Millender's Inside Project. The story, though compelling, could benefit from streamlined character organization. Korn's debut delves into queer love, betrayal, and corporate feminism, skillfully using the dystopian genre to critique societal constructs. Fast-paced and thought-provoking, it tackles toxic feminism, capitalism, and gender norms. A captivating blend of speculative fiction and social critique, leaving readers anticipating Korn's future works.
Thank you to Gabrielle Korn, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for pre-approving me to receive an electrical Advanced Review Copy of Yours for the Taking. All opinions mentioned in this review are my own.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
A dystopian, sapphic, thought-provoking story that I am still thinking about. Deep discussions of climate change, feminism, queerness, gender structure, politics, corporate greed, patriarchy, etc covered through multiple POVs. A great societal reflective piece for anyone who loves dystopian stories and a provocative future forward-thinking story.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
slow-paced
I could not give more than one star to a book in which every character’s internal dialogue sounds like a Them editorial.
3.5 stars. I did enjoy this, the project of what it set out to do, the themes it wanted to explore and the things it wanted to say. It did get a little simplistic, and didn't quite stick the landing, imo. As well as some of the crucial beats. IDK, there was a lot I liked about this, but with more careful character work, it could have been even better.
The story follows several different women in the near future, in a world plagued by climate disasters as well as worsening social problems. Misogyny on the rise, rollbacks in rights for queer people, etc. The Inside Project is born as a solution for the climate problem, city sized domes to shelter select people from the weather. A billionaire feminist activist (words that could never belong together in any just world) conceives of a solution for society, and hijacks the Inside Project in Manhattan to see it through.
- I don't think the writing did a totally great job of capturing the characters, but I did at least find the trajectory of Olympia's story more believable? She starts off idealistically, thinking that she could curb the worst of Jacqueline's plans, set her on the right track, argue her down from plans that don't make sense. But she ends up succumbing altogether too easily. I don't have much to say about her writing as a black woman; I've obviously seen better, but there's also been worse. I did kinda like that moment where she refuses to be Jacqueline's surrogate, and instead convinces Ava to do it. And she thinks to herself that she's breaking a cycle (of black women's bodies being used by white women), but the larger cycle of violence remains the same. Which is just really sad.
- I was kinda miffed to have motherhood be such a huge part of this. I felt so awful for Ava, being practically conned into having a baby (and definitely conned into carrying Jacqueline's). I'm glad her postpartum eventually evened out, but also... ugh, it just felt like succumbing. IDK, I always get weirdly sensitive about pregnancy in books. Did I want Ava to be eternally bitter about being forced to have a child? I mean, no. I'm glad she loves her daughter. But also, that would have probably been more interesting to me.
- I GET why the author made it so that Olympia and Ava didn't get together until way later in the book (literally decades after they met) but that felt reeeeeeally unsatisfying. It gave me none of the satisfaction I usually get from slow burn situations, because there was no tension between them in all those 22 years. Just mentions of finding each other attractive. I did really like their romance, so it made me a bit sick that they only got such a short time together before Ava and Brook left.
- The pacing wrt to the passage of time in general wasn't my favourite. Lots of large time skips, and then the last few parts all took place in a year.
- I didn't think that Orchid would even be a part of the story, and I was really glad that she was. Her and Ava's relationship made me really smitten just in the first chapter, and it was interesting to see Ava's perspective on why it fell apart, and then get Orchid's side of the story. I think the author did an overall good job there; there was no assigning blame or anything. Just miscommunication, and people who loved each other while not understanding each other.
- Really wish we'd seen more of Shelby and life on the space station? That felt really empty.
- I feel like those were a lot of complaints, and I haven't fully talked about what I really liked. It was such an interesting idea, with an interesting execution! I hope this makes it into the hands of people who need to see these conversations, who need to know that their feminism isn't worth shit if it's just seeking to prop terrible women up, the way the current system props terrible men up. This author isn't the first to say it, but it's a good thing to be repeated. I liked the outlines of all of the characters, even if I didn't love how they were filled in. I loved the little nods and references to certain cultural things. Like, the fact that our main characters have Zoomer parents. And Jacqueline being a typical millennial in so many ways. The climate disaster part of this hit really hard (I happened to be reading this on a day where we had really bad rain and flooding, and I honestly had to pause reading for a while, because it was making me panic). No idea how sound all the science was, but it was frighteningly effective.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Jasmin Savoy Brown and it was pretty good. Not my favourite; most of the characters sounded pretty similar, and when she did do an accent, it wasn't the best? But overall, competently narrated. Apparently there's going to be another book set in this world, which I wasn't expecting. but I look forward to reading it, and seeing some of these characters again.
The story follows several different women in the near future, in a world plagued by climate disasters as well as worsening social problems. Misogyny on the rise, rollbacks in rights for queer people, etc. The Inside Project is born as a solution for the climate problem, city sized domes to shelter select people from the weather. A billionaire feminist activist (words that could never belong together in any just world) conceives of a solution for society, and hijacks the Inside Project in Manhattan to see it through.
Spoiler
- Jacqueline and her villainy and how it was portrayed was the source of the biggest problem with this, I guess. Or was it? IDK, like the book set out to be a critique of white feminism, the kind of nuance-less girlboss attitudes that fail to consider any kind of intersectionality, and just seeks to set up another system of power in place of the patriarchy. So, good. I'm completely down to read a book that critiques that; corporate feminism deserves to be shit on. But Jacqueline's moustache-twirly villainy was sooooo...? No one is THAT much of a cartoon villain, are they?? Or am I giving white feminists too much credit?? Like SURELY she couldn't be so stupid and selfish and self-obsessed that she doesn't realise that it's a bad thing for all her personnel to give special treatment to July? How does she go from 'Oh, a boy accidentally overdosed? LET'S GET RID OF ALL MEN THEN.' I know evil idiotic people like this exist, but Jacqueline was just... again, cartoony. It undercut so much of the message.- I don't think the writing did a totally great job of capturing the characters, but I did at least find the trajectory of Olympia's story more believable? She starts off idealistically, thinking that she could curb the worst of Jacqueline's plans, set her on the right track, argue her down from plans that don't make sense. But she ends up succumbing altogether too easily. I don't have much to say about her writing as a black woman; I've obviously seen better, but there's also been worse. I did kinda like that moment where she refuses to be Jacqueline's surrogate, and instead convinces Ava to do it. And she thinks to herself that she's breaking a cycle (of black women's bodies being used by white women), but the larger cycle of violence remains the same. Which is just really sad.
- I was kinda miffed to have motherhood be such a huge part of this. I felt so awful for Ava, being practically conned into having a baby (and definitely conned into carrying Jacqueline's). I'm glad her postpartum eventually evened out, but also... ugh, it just felt like succumbing. IDK, I always get weirdly sensitive about pregnancy in books. Did I want Ava to be eternally bitter about being forced to have a child? I mean, no. I'm glad she loves her daughter. But also, that would have probably been more interesting to me.
- I GET why the author made it so that Olympia and Ava didn't get together until way later in the book (literally decades after they met) but that felt reeeeeeally unsatisfying. It gave me none of the satisfaction I usually get from slow burn situations, because there was no tension between them in all those 22 years. Just mentions of finding each other attractive. I did really like their romance, so it made me a bit sick that they only got such a short time together before Ava and Brook left.
- The pacing wrt to the passage of time in general wasn't my favourite. Lots of large time skips, and then the last few parts all took place in a year.
- I didn't think that Orchid would even be a part of the story, and I was really glad that she was. Her and Ava's relationship made me really smitten just in the first chapter, and it was interesting to see Ava's perspective on why it fell apart, and then get Orchid's side of the story. I think the author did an overall good job there; there was no assigning blame or anything. Just miscommunication, and people who loved each other while not understanding each other.
- Really wish we'd seen more of Shelby and life on the space station? That felt really empty.
- I feel like those were a lot of complaints, and I haven't fully talked about what I really liked. It was such an interesting idea, with an interesting execution! I hope this makes it into the hands of people who need to see these conversations, who need to know that their feminism isn't worth shit if it's just seeking to prop terrible women up, the way the current system props terrible men up. This author isn't the first to say it, but it's a good thing to be repeated. I liked the outlines of all of the characters, even if I didn't love how they were filled in. I loved the little nods and references to certain cultural things. Like, the fact that our main characters have Zoomer parents. And Jacqueline being a typical millennial in so many ways. The climate disaster part of this hit really hard (I happened to be reading this on a day where we had really bad rain and flooding, and I honestly had to pause reading for a while, because it was making me panic). No idea how sound all the science was, but it was frighteningly effective.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Jasmin Savoy Brown and it was pretty good. Not my favourite; most of the characters sounded pretty similar, and when she did do an accent, it wasn't the best? But overall, competently narrated. Apparently there's going to be another book set in this world, which I wasn't expecting. but I look forward to reading it, and seeing some of these characters again.
Such an abrupt ending that I had to listen to the last few minutes again after finishing. Interesting concept that just felt mid all the way through. I'm never a big fan of a "men are the reason for all the problems in the world" story so my 3 stars was generous. I didn't connect to the characters but I did want to see how it all wrapped up.
This is not something I normally would’ve gravitated to (wrong genre) but a friend recommended it to me.
I fell in love with and fell into hatred for these characters. (Mostly love). What a beautiful story. But that ending just ruined my life. There had BETTER be a sequel
I fell in love with and fell into hatred for these characters. (Mostly love). What a beautiful story. But that ending just ruined my life. There had BETTER be a sequel