The Take, Kelly Yang
The Take, Kelly Yang
List: $22.00 | Sale: $15.40
Club: $11.00

The Take

Author: Kelly Yang

Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller

Unabridged: 10 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 04/14/2026

Synopsis

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.

About The Author

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 and the Strega Prize, and have featured on multiple best of the year lists. Front Desk was named one of the Best Books of the 21st Century by Kirkus Reviews. In addition, Kelly 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 early and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School. The Take is her first adult novel.

Reviews

There are currently no user reviews for this audiobook.

Quotes

Praise for The Take

“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

"Kelly Yang is a creative force!"
—Chanel Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Know My Name

"Grown-ups of those who grew up reading Kelly Yang’s Front Desk series will love this book geared towards them! She offers her powerful perspective in exploring struggle, power, and assortment of dynamics, and life itself. A brilliant portrayal characters who strive to be heard, to be seen. Kelly Yang is astonishing in her ability to make readers feel seen, and The Take continues this truth through Maggie Wang and Ingrid Parker. The Take belongs on your bookshelves!"
—Mychal Threets, host of Reading Rainbow

"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 Country

"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

“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 GMA book club pick The Original Daughter

"[A] clever satire."
—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

“Wellness horror meets capitalism noir in Kelly Yang’s vicious send-off of the lies we tell to those we exploit.”
—Crime Reads

Pre-Order
Add to Wish List