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by Kelly Yang
A provocative, fast-paced novel about two creative women—a young writer fighting to be heard and an older producer clinging to relevancy—and the age reversal treatment that intertwines both of their lives…from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Front Desk series.
Would you sell your youth for $3 million?
Maggie Wang, a broke young Asian American writer, needs a lifeline. Ingrid Parker, a veteran white Hollywood producer with her career on the edge, offers an irresistible deal: $3 million for ten experimental medical sessions to reverse her aging, using Maggie as a transfusion partner, and mentorship.
For Ingrid, it's a chance to reboot her fading career. For Maggie, it's access and freedom—money to support her parents and the connections to finally get her novel published.
What starts as a professional transaction exchanging blood quickly becomes a complex psychological dance. As Maggie gains unprecedented access to Ingrid's hard-earned wisdom, Ingrid sees in Maggie a weapon against an industry that's been trying to sideline her.
As their relationship intensifies, the rules around aging begin to shift. So does the balance of power between the two women, leaving both questioning who holds the upper hand and what they're willing to sacrifice to succeed.
Sharp, timely, and utterly compelling, The Take is perfect for readers of Yellowface and Such a Fun Age—a searing portrait of two women fighting to rewrite their story.
"[C]lever satire...It's a hoot." —Publishers Weekly
"Yang's adult debut novel blends psychological suspense with sharp social commentary....brilliantly explores privilege, the commodification of youth, and the marginalization of BIPOC and AAPI voices in the arts while also addressing sex work, infidelity, and creative exploitation....a provocative work that will appeal to readers of literary thrillers and socially engaged fiction." —Booklist
"Yang makes her adult debut with a powerful and revealing novel about ambition, age, and feminism and isn't afraid to populate it with polarizing characters. A good suggestion for readers who were enthralled by the 2024 movie The Substance." —Library Journal
"One part The Substance, another part The Devil Wears Prada, The Take is a juicy, twisty take on aging, success, and race. Told in a sharp and hilarious voice, The Take is sure to be one of the hottest books of spring." —Marie Claire
"I'm so excited about The Take and to see Kelly's characters' vulnerability on display as they navigate the choppy landscape of career and identity." —Chanel Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Know My Name
"I am blown away! Who knew the breadth that Kelly Yang has? She can write it all—children's books, YA, and now she's exploding onto the adult scene with the most intense, breathtaking book. With a wholly original, fresh concept, Yang takes on tough topics like race and socioeconomic discrepancies. Thought-provoking and brilliant." —Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
"An exhilarating read about literal and figurative succubuses that sucks you into the dysfunctional spiral of two women who are desperate to change their lives—fast-paced, fun and fantastically unhinged!" —Eve J. Chung, bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong
This information about The Take was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Front Desk series, New From Here, Finally Seen, Finally Heard, young adult novels Parachutes and Private Label and picture books Yes We Will and Little Bird Laila. Her books have earned multiple awards, including the 2019 APALA Award for Children's Literature, the Strega Prize for Literature, have been named one of the Best Books of the 21st Century by Kirkus, and have featured on multiple best of the year lists. In addition to being a novelist, she has written screenplays and television pilots for Netflix, CBS Studios, and the CW. Kelly immigrated to the United States when she was six years old and grew up in Southern California. She went to college at the age of 13 and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School, an experience that provides her a unique perspective on aging. The Take is her first adult novel.
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