I love dystopian fiction and the shutouts did the genre a justice. The world building could have been a little more in depth for me to feel more invested in the characters but a solid effort in my opinion.

If you are looking for a dystopian like story centering around climate change and the effect on our future world, this story is for you, especially if you are looking for LGBTQ representation in your stories. You don't have to ready Yours For the Taking first because this story absolutely can stand alone but reading it will definitely give you some serious insight into the characters, most especially Ava. Hear how the resistance and those left behind after the "special" people were brought to Inside to live and how the Winter Liberation group got started. Full of scary thoughts about what our current climate issues can steamroll our world if left unchecked (no worries, this is absolutely Fiction but I can easily see how it could get there in 2078 where much of this story is told). I enjoyed the story and the conflict the characters faced with trying to save the world and later, themselves.

This is definitely a sequel/follow up to Yours For the Taking, which is not how this book was marketed. Luckily, I'd already read Yours for the Taking and found the world interesting enough to explore for another book. If you ever want to read Yours for the Taking, definitely wait to read this until after because there are some pretty big spoilers in this one.

That said, I enjoyed all the plot lines we were following. I particularly liked the letters from one character's mom. These letters made up about half of the book and I found her story quite compelling. She was kicked out by her parents at 17 and tells her daughter the story of the events that led to their parting.

I feel like Gabrielle Korn always has interesting takes about what the world could look like in the near future. Plus, there's always a great diverse set of characters. Queerness is very normal in these books in a refreshing way.

I am having a hard time rating this one as I came into it not realizing it was the second in a series, or at least set in the world of the first book. Perhaps because of this I had difficulty keeping track of the characters, and it took me awhile to figure out what’s what in the setting. While this somewhat works as a standalone, I strongly recommend reading Yours for the Taking first.

The Shutouts does a fantastic job of making you really think about climate change without it feeling forced or like a college lecture. I really appreciated the diverse characters and the strong LGBTQ+ representation. Overall, an intriguing read that is great for fans of dystopian fiction.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted eARC!

A well done dystopian that hits very close to home. I had some minor grievances with the writing style at times but nothing I couldn't get past.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

This started off strong, but by the last third I didn’t really care about the characters anymore. I really liked the idea, but the execution fell short for me.

The author described this as both a prequel and sequel - of course I was intrigued! An immersive and imaginative world. I look forward to what's next!

While The Shutouts is definitely a sequel, it deals with a completely different aspect of society as the Yours for the Taking. The storylines alternate between Kelly Green in 2041 and more familiar characters in 2081, living in a climate change dystopia. I enjoyed this book even more than Yours for the Taking. Living in a world destroyed by dangerous storms was interesting, and the story carried hope that was encouraging and inspiring.

Beautiful. Dystopian. Romantic. Unnerving. All valid descriptions of this story. In a world where women’s rights and climate change are challenged to the detriment of society, we find a cast of characters simply trying to navigate love and existence. I often get distracted by the overly political stance, but know how important it is to have these voices in our literary world.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press, and author Gabrielle Korn for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

St. Martin’s Press eARC
I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s definitely a sequel, so if you haven’t read Yours for the Taking, go back and read it first. I liked seeing a bit more of the outside world, since the first book was focused on the Inside. But there was a lot going on here, and sometimes I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. But it’s definitely a novel that will make you think about climate change and what’s going to happen once the point of no return is hit.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

When I requested this book, my gut told me that this could be a fantastic book, and I was right!

This is a queer dystopian story with separate narratives that are connected with each other. The first one takes place in 2041, and we meet Kelly, who's looking for Orchid, the daughter she left behind seven years ago. Fast forward to 2078 and we found Orchid, now a grown-up woman, navigating in a world devastated by climate change consequences alongside other survivors.

I didn't knew this book was the second installment in a series, but I could read it easily, even with all the references to the first book. I found the main characters very compelling and believable. Also, the queer aspects of the story are perfect; we have characters (and relationships, obviously) whose queer identities doesn't define them, nor are their queerness the center of any big issue. The story has fabulous thoughts about our society, climate change and human resilience. The writing is clever and very informative. A nicely balanced plot, with some flaws, I have to say, that speaks about a well researched book from an author who takes care of the details.

"The Shutouts" is a gripping and thought-provoking dystopian novel that examines survival, motherhood, and the consequences of the collapse of society. Gabrielle Korn crafts a hauntingly plausible future where the world is unraveling, yet human resilience persists. The intersecting narratives are compelling, with well-developed characters whose struggles feel raw and urgent. While the pacing occasionally slows, the tension and emotional weight keep the story engaging. The novel’s atmospheric world-building and timely themes make it a standout read.

I did not realize that this story was a companion to a previous one, luckily I don’t feel like I missed too much. I would enjoy going back and getting more of Ava and Orchid’s story together though. This book can work as a standalone, it definitely comes out at an interesting time and I did enjoy the concept though I felt there were points that dragged - a lot of when Orchid and Ava were travelling together. I liked how everyone connected and the background story of Kelly was probably the most interesting to me.

Incredible follow-up to YOURS FOR THE TAKING. I loved learning more about this dystopian future, meeting new characters, and getting to know the old ones better. Each book works as a complete story in its own right, which is an impressive feat. I can’t wait for Gabrielle Korn’s next book.

Korn is just not the author for me. I was already on the fence to read this one as I did not like her previous work. This had so much going for it but the audicity that white people have in this world was seriously too much for me to take. I do see the appeal of the book it just did not work out for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gabrielle Korn's ‘Yours for the Taking’, and its follow-up ‘The Shutouts’ did not disappoint. Though marketed as a stand alone book in the ‘Yours for the Taking’ universe, I think ‘Shutouts’ is experienced most richly when read as a sequel.

Like ‘Taking,’ ‘Shutouts’ is a queer, sweeping dystopian epic. Also like ‘Taking,’ ‘Shutouts’ occasionally forgoes a deeper look into its characters’ internal lives in favor of a vast narrative, timeline, and world. While this may not work for all readers, I found it as effective and all-consuming with this book as I did the first time around. 5*.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

In The Shutouts, Gabrielle Korn returns to the dystopian future of her first novel. Not a direct sequel, it explores parts of the world that the first book didn't touch on. Korn excels at world building and the book was a harrowing read because this future seems horrifically plausible. I also enjoyed seeing the different strands of the narrative come together at the end. I loved this book and will be eagerly awaiting whatever Korn decides to write next--hopefully more speculative fiction!

I really didn't think a book could get any more beautiful than Korn's first, but I am SO ecstatic to be wrong! I devoured this one in one sitting and I'm still reeling...

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. Although the premise was interesting, the execution was very bland. I tried to reread it with fresh eyes several times, but no matter how many times it never quite held my attention. I would much rather not leave a star rating because this was a good book, but it wasn't for me.