‘The Substance meets Yellowface‘ PEOPLE
‘A juicy, twisty take on aging, success, and race . . . sure to be one of the hottest books of spring’ MARIE CLAIRE
—————-
THERE ARE ONLY TWO WAYS TO GET AHEAD IN THIS WORLD –
YOU EITHER MAKE SOMETHING OR TAKE SOMETHING.
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 aging, using Maggie as a transfusion partner.
For Ingrid, it’s a chance to recapture her youth and save her fading career. For Maggie, it’s freedom – money to support her parents and the connections to finally get her novel published.
What starts as a professional transaction, 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.
‘A juicy, twisty take on aging, success, and race . . . sure to be one of the hottest books of spring’ MARIE CLAIRE
—————-
THERE ARE ONLY TWO WAYS TO GET AHEAD IN THIS WORLD –
YOU EITHER MAKE SOMETHING OR TAKE SOMETHING.
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 aging, using Maggie as a transfusion partner.
For Ingrid, it’s a chance to recapture her youth and save her fading career. For Maggie, it’s freedom – money to support her parents and the connections to finally get her novel published.
What starts as a professional transaction, 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.
Reviews
Breathlessly plotted and fearlessly told, The Take is a timely, incisive examination of ambition, aging, and who gets to tell whose stories in Hollywood
I am blown away . . . 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
Wellness horror meets capitalism noir in Kelly Yang's vicious send-off of the lies we tell to those we exploit
The Substance meets Yellowface
Kelly Yang is a creative force!
An exhilarating read . . . fast-paced, fun and fantastically unhinged!
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
A propulsive interrogation of privilege, systemic barriers, and white feminism
A successful Hollywood film producer and a struggling writer take part in an experimental reverse-aging treatment in this clever satire . . . It's a hoot
Industry drama, naive ambition, a devil's bargain, and the ever-seductive lure of youth and its illusory trappings drive this propulsive, thrilling romp of a novel. I finished it in one sitting