The Take
The gripping page-turner of 2026 that everyone will be talking about
Will be published approx. on 28. January 2027
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-1-4087-2178-0 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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 / Votes
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 * The Substance meets Yellowface * People * A tale about what can happen in a world where youth can be bought - but at what cost? * Heat * Icicle-sharp, thrilling and chilling - I never wanted this book to end -- Celia Walden, author of PAYDAY 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 * Publishers Weekly * Wellness horror meets capitalism noir in Kelly Yang's vicious send-off of the lies we tell to those we exploit * Crime Reads * 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 . . . a provocative work that will appeal to readers of literary thrillers and socially engaged fiction * Booklist * 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 -- Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of DIAL A FOR AUNTIES 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 -- Jemimah Wei, author of THE ORIGINAL DAUGHTER Kelly Yang is a creative force! -- Chanel Miller, New York Times bestselling author of KNOW MY NAME An exhilarating read . . . fast-paced, fun and fantastically unhinged! -- Eve J. Chung, author of DAUGHTERS OF SHANDONG Breathlessly plotted and fearlessly told, The Take is a timely, incisive examination of ambition, aging, and who gets to tell whose stories in Hollywood -- Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of PORTRAIT OF A THIEF A propulsive interrogation of privilege, systemic barriers, and white feminism -- Qian Julie Wang, New York Times bestselling author of BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-4087-2178-0 (9781408721780)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Kelly Yang is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Front Desk children's series. Front Desk was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2022 and the series has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Kelly has won numerous awards, with her books praised for their powerful account of the immigrant Asian American experience.
Kelly immigrated from China to America when she was six years old and overcame poverty to go to college at age thirteen, and Harvard Law School at seventeen. After law school, she pursued her passion for writing and teaching children writing, becoming the founder of The Kelly Yang Project, a leading writing and debating program for kids in Hong Kong. Kelly has written for The New York Times and Washington Post, and been a contributor on BBC News, commenting on politics and Asia. In addition to being a novelist, she is also a screenwriter and has written screenplays and television pilots for Netflix, CBS and the CW.
Kelly lives in Los Angeles with her three children, her husband and two dogs. The Take is her debut adult novel.
Kelly immigrated from China to America when she was six years old and overcame poverty to go to college at age thirteen, and Harvard Law School at seventeen. After law school, she pursued her passion for writing and teaching children writing, becoming the founder of The Kelly Yang Project, a leading writing and debating program for kids in Hong Kong. Kelly has written for The New York Times and Washington Post, and been a contributor on BBC News, commenting on politics and Asia. In addition to being a novelist, she is also a screenwriter and has written screenplays and television pilots for Netflix, CBS and the CW.
Kelly lives in Los Angeles with her three children, her husband and two dogs. The Take is her debut adult novel.