Book Summary and Reviews of The Take by Kelly Yang

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Ann_H

What Does it Take
The title, as this reader discovered, had a variety of meanings. First of all, "taking" advantage of someone for self-gain, self-survival was one interpretation. The other referred to the film industry's various "takes" before an actual script is chosen for a movie. It was interesting to see how an unproven research-based protocol could we used to reverse aging and as well as allow a young woman to achieve her life wish of becoming a well-known author. Kelly Yang's character descriptions were well-stated in such a way one could identify with each person in her story.

Kevin H. (Littleton, CO)

Crazy Premise, But an Entertaining Page-Turner
The Take by Kelly Yang starts with a relatively absurb premise but blossoms into a dramatic, character-driven story that had me riveted to the end. Maggie Wang is a young writer from humble beginnings who is willing to trade her youth and innocence for the chance to break into the publishing world. Ingrid Parker, fearing for her health, offers to trade her connections in the industry for Maggie's youth.

After a relatively brief slow start, I became enthralled by this story. The characters are well fleshed-out and I found the plot basis to be a fascinating, albeit unrealistic, premise driving this novel. Although framed by this trade of assets, the majority of the book addresses the film and book industries, the power plays and backstabbing that can be found in them, and how two people from notably different backgrounds can so firmly impact each others lives.

Anybody who enjoys a good character-driven page-turner will enjoy this novel. I look forward to future novels by this author.

Kristin_C

Amazing literary fiction!
I'm going to be honest. I almost decided not to continue with this book in the very beginning, but I'm so glad that I persevered. I honestly think this will be in my top ten books of the year.

You got two points of view throughout the book: a struggling writer and a movie producer. It becomes clear as the book continues that one of the narrators is less reliable.

I really enjoyed so much about this book, but I don't want to include any spoilers

Lorraine_D

AT WHAT PRICE FAME?
The Take by Kelly Yang exposes a reality of the lengths that some will go through for success. This is a tense, captivating novel of a young writer, Maggie, a minority individual ,with little material means to support her aspirations and strong talents, and an aging, accomplished writer, Ingrid, who has had many years of success but is showing her age and losing attention.

In exchange for sharing her knowledge and helping Maggie write and publish, Ingrid and Maggie enter a gruesome agreement of a 10-session long exchange of bodily fluids, in exchange for a very large sum of money paid in installments. Maggie is prohibited from talking about the arrangement with anyone. The sessions are for a drug trial process that will make Ingrid's aging symptoms reverse with a detrimental effect of Maggie's aging accelerating.

This is to say the least, a troublesome proposition that both make and unnerving as you watch the two progress down the predicted paths. It is a story of aging, vanity, malicious ambition, values, and betrayal. It will grip you to the very end.

Susan_W1

How much is enough?
I've always been suspicious of one-word titles, but in this case, it works. Take is a cautionary tale that asks how people know when to stop, that is, how much do you need to take? Or is it even possible for people to know when is enough. Each of these characters takes what they think will make them happy/successful. At first glance Ingrid and Maggie seem like a great match. No spoiler here, but something missing for lots of the characters in this book is that everyone thinks about taking without including the giving piece.

I enjoyed this book very much.

Janine_S

Be careful what you wish for
"You either make something, or break something" are words Ingrid Parker, famous Hollywood producer, says to her mentee, Maggie Wang at the start of this brilliant novel. It seemed to me to sum up a theme in this book: make your choices wisely because Dane and ambition are fleeting.

From the very first sentence I was hooked. As Maggie Wang seeks to make a name for herself as a writer, she seems to step into quagmires until an impossible offer presents itself: share blood with this wealthy women and make $3 million (wipe out your debts, help your parents and be able to support yourself writing. Too good to be true? Maybe, maybe not? This book pits two creative women against each other: one wants to be heard, the other seeks relevancy. What starts out as transactional turns into a psychological game of who will get the upper hand.

In the telling the story exposes what happens when ambition overtakes relevancy. The subplot of ageism and racism sheds a light on the plight women of color have in the white world and what aging women face in a man's world.

Ingrid starts out likable but she soon reveals her true self. Maggie is a coming-of-age character who you root for but she too has a side that can be off putting.
The magical realism of a treatment to reduce aging and character inversion was so delightfully clever.

And the ending was a surprise but a very good one.
I'd like to thank NetGalley/ BookBrowse and Berkley Punishing for allowing me to read this ARC.

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