Found this one a bit confusing and disjointed. Maybe because I didn't realize there is a previous book that helps with some background information. Appreciate the lgbtq+ rep, but otherwise struggled to connect with the characters.

This will be appearing in an upcoming issue of Meredith Sue Willis's Books for Readers Newsletter at https://meredithsuewillis.com/booksforreaders.html

There are several sets of characters and a couple of time frames, and it all comes together at the end pretty nicely. The Apocalypse here is rapid climate change with floods and wildfires and plagues and heat bad enough that people have to keep moving north. The heat is done nicely, and there are several interesting ideas: one, hardly new, is that the wealthy save themselves and a chosen few by pretending to be climate friendly but actually encouraging climate change. They go to something called Inside, with a chosen few others. This is essentially underground behind walls, sealed off. As long as the rich-and-powerful want to keep you in. There's also, especially interesting, a group of climate activists who turn into a cult. They have a lot of earth saving technology that they keep from other groups, including at least one super-bean for life-preserving food. So it's an interesting world, these various survivalist groups, the good guys mostly led by Lesbian or otherwise gender fluid women and young people. What gives it life is various individual young people learning new cultures, as it were, and falling in love and lust. I'll keep an eye out for Korn's work.

The Shutouts revisits the dystopian world of Korn’s previous novel, Yours For The Taking. Captivating and thought-provoking, these interconnected standalones follow characters on the fringe of society as a near-future America experiences climate collapse.

In The Shutouts, Korn delves further into the emotional aspects of her characters, and the story has a more poignant tone compared with the thrill in Yours For The Taking. Korn weaves together multiple narratives across two timelines, adding perspective and depth to her dystopian setting.

A memorable and prescient piece of fiction— this is a standout dystopian novel about survival, corruption, queer identity, and climate crisis.

My rating: 4⭐️

Saga continues from Yours for the Taking. People are still facing climate crisis full force, lakes are evaporating. soil is still contaminated. Underground lifestyle is one to stay, but is it? Because humankind tends to show cultish behavior especially when they feel threatened. The kind of collectives started in Yours for the Taking will lose some its avid supporters in The Shutouts.

4.5 stars

“The Shutouts” is a sequel to Korn’s prior novel “Yours for the Taking,” but could be read independently. It tells several interconnected stories spanning one generation in which the world devolves into apocalyptic climate disaster after disaster, all of it preventable and predicted. The corruption, apathy, and greed is chillingly realistic. We follow an interconnected group of characters working in their own ways and times to survive in this world. We see Kelly, a former climate activist, traveling across the country to reach her estranged daughter while writing letters to explain her own troubled past. Ava and Brook escape the seemingly idyllic Inside Project and seek out Ava’s old flame Orchid, who travels to meet them. Max is raised in a climate haven that operates as a cult, is able to leave, but is haunted by what they’ve experienced. Camilla waits with an injured Max for Orchid to return, letting her father and the rest of their group go on ahead as their home has become too ravaged by storms to remain.
This is a truly remarkable piece of feminist literature foretelling, I believe very presciently, what the near future may be like. All of our characters were imperfect, some making truly awful choices, in a world that seemed to give no choice at all. I loved seeing all the connections between characters get explored, and how life seemed to go on despite disaster, just looking a little different. Korn did a good job of balancing the devastating content of much of the book with small pieces of hope; otherwise, it would have been a very demoralizing read. I think this book is extremely timely and well done - I enjoyed this much more than Yours For the Taking, and Korn’s writing skills seem to only get better.

i would like to preamble this review by saying i was a fan of gabrielle korn's book yours for the taking, which is a predecessor for the shutouts. that said, i don't necessarily think that you have to consume the first to enjoy the second, but yours for the taking gives you a better idea of the world that our characters are living in - ravaged by climate crisis, only certain individuals were selected to join climate-resistant pods.

the shutouts brings us to two timelines - the first set in 2041, 9 years before the original book took place, and following kelly, a mom to orchid. in 2041, it's evident that the world is dying, both by apocalyptic storms, wildfires ravaging the nation, and everything's exacerbated by politicians who are trying to advance global warming as fast as they can in order to thin out the population thanos-style. kelly wants to help expose the government's plans by lending her hacking skills. unfortunately for kelly, that means leaving behind her young daughter orchid.

in timeline two, we jump thirty or so years and into a climate-ravaged country. ava and brook have left the inside project, now taken over by men who use women in the program for nefarious purposes and ava and brook as lab rats. birth is discouraged to the point birthdays are considered tragic events and spare babies are left outside to die.

ava and brook plan to hunt down july, ava's other daughter. for me, i found this timeline to be the most difficult and confusing to follow. though i appreciate also the author including nonbinary and trans characters as well as a lot of queerness, i also found some comments to be a little strange and borderline offensive. for example, a cis afab character tells a nonbinary afab person that "being raised as a girl isn’t the same thing as being one". there wasn't a lot of nuance to this comment and it felt random and strange.

within kelly's narrative, she's writing letters to her daughter and makes a strange comment about sex, saying that it was necessary she learn that it was the only way humans can connect. it just felt like a bizarre way to shoehorn sex into the narrative (this is a running theme within this book, a lot of unnecessary sex) and almost felt a little ace-phobic. additionally, kelly recounts a very toxic polyamorous relationship within someone within her group of friends. i'm not really sure what the point was, but it was a weirdly toxic example of polyamory. some of these choices were just bizarre to me and i was much more interested in focusing on the plot than how korn chose to discuss relationships.

I really loved Gabrielle Korn's "Yours for the Taking" and was thrilled to get an early copy of the sequel novel "The Shutouts." I think a lot of what I liked about Yours for the Taking was the newly dystopian reality, the creation of places for people to live safely from climate change...i.e. a lot of the logistics about what the world looks like at that time and how people are surviving. In The Shutouts I feel it drifts to a more character-driven novel that focuses yes, on survival, but in large part on the relationships between people -- mothers and daughters, friends and lovers. For me, personally, I find this less interesting than the dystopian world and the "Inside Project" world that was created in the first book. In The Shutouts I also had a hard time shifting back and forth in time -- the flashbacks written by Kelly via letters to her daughter, and the present time with the main cast of characters. I see why it was important to have Kelly's story for better understanding of that period of time, but I kept expecting Kelly to pop up and reconnect with the other characters decades later -- the shift in time kept throwing me off. All this to say, if you read and liked the first book, definitely read this one too! For me, I preferred the first better, but both are interesting and creative dystopian cli-fi novels.

3.75 rounded up

While Yours for the Taking explored what it was like to be Inside, The Shutouts illustrates both how it got so bad and what happened to society on the outside.

The scariest part of this book is how easily this could be our reality. None of the characters were all that compelling, though, and the low stakes for them given how dangerous things were supposed to be was rather strange. Overall, an interesting story about doing what feels right versus what's necessary.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

The story itself wasn't terrible, but the choice of epistolary style for half of the book felt super awkward. It was just difficult to suspend disbelief that A) Kelly would remember the timeline in such detail and B) she would choose to be sharing all that minutiae with her daughter.

I did love many of the characters, and how Korn wove their stories together. I wish this was marketed as more of a sequel to her previous book. I didn't realize that until I'd already started this one, and felt confused for a long time by constant references to plot lines from the prior book.

Overall, read the Shutouts for the decent-hearted people and varied queer presentations. I wouldn't recommend it as a standalone, but could definitely see how it might be a satisfying follow-up to Yours for the Taking.

A queer dystopian sci-fi novel?! Yes please.

I was obsessed with Yours for the Taking last year and it easily earned a spot in my 2023 Top Ten (swipe to see my review).

The Shutouts is a slow build spanning multiple timelines. Some of our favorite characters are along for the ride and we get introduced to a slew of new characters to love.

I loved the bread crumbs that lead to numerous reveals and the ability to see the connections between the two books as we alternate between the years before the inside project and the years after.

With multiple POV’s we get stories that seem almost disjointed, but are ultimately so perfectly related. I do think that the chapters were a bit on the longer side, but the cadence of the writing makes each page move quickly. The letters from mother to daughter that we get every other chapter was such a beautiful way to propel the story.

I started reading this and it's absolutely stunning. I didn't realize it was the second book in this "world" though, so I do have to go back to the first to see how it ties in!

With the nature of the world it’s a surprise I still enjoy dystopian reads but I do! Set in the same world as Yours For the Taking these book creates an epic dystopian world. I’d love to see this one on the big screen.
.
Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The time spans 2041 through 2081 as our world copes with the aftermath of society's collapse. This novel serves as both a sequel and a prequel. Characters introduced in Yours For the Taking hold center stage. We have moved from the faux feminist cloistered environment, to the uncertain chaos of a world tilting towards humanity's extinction. Setting is as much a character as the humans, as each person we meet shows us either hope or despair. Above all love is the theme, mother to daughter, partner regaining a lost love, compassionate social groups all present a positive choice for the reflective reader. We are all on journeys. In dystopian novels, the reader is presented with choices which have major consequences. Given the current world situation, The Shutouts could serve as both a warning and a blueprint for a brighter world. Very highly recommended, I was so taken with the novel, that I ordered book 1 after reading 20 pages. Speaking as a 'boomer' I hope the younger generations read this one.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

This book seems extremely relevant for our current world. This was a very thoughtful and intelligent book about what will most likely happen to the world if the government keep refusing to deal with climate change. A very good read.

The Shutouts immerses readers in a gripping post-apocalyptic world where women navigate the aftermath of climate disaster. Set in 2041, the story follows a mother’s desperate search for her daughter alongside two others fleeing a dark organization.

Korn’s dual narrative creates palpable tension, and her characters are well-developed, revealing their vulnerabilities against a haunting backdrop. While some pacing issues arise with secondary plots that occasionally distract, the novel shines in its exploration of motherhood, resilience, and identity.

Despite its flaws, *The Shutouts* offers a compelling blend of emotional depth and dystopian themes, making it a thought-provoking read for fans of the genre.

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn is a haunting, dystopian tale set in the year 2041, where climate disasters and political chaos have made survival a brutal challenge, especially for women. The story follows multiple characters, each on their own dangerous journey across a ravaged America, yet deeply interconnected in their fight to survive.

Kelly, a mother filled with regret, is racing across the treacherous landscape to reunite with the daughter she left behind seven years ago. Her personal mission is both heart-wrenching and urgent as she struggles with the guilt of abandoning her child for a cause that no longer holds meaning. Simultaneously, another mother, Ava, and her daughter Brook are fleeing from The Inside Project—a climate change relief program that has imprisoned them for over two decades, treating them as mere experiments. Their journey becomes even more perilous when a woman from Ava’s past joins them, leading the trio on an intense road trip into the remains of a fractured society.

Meanwhile, far to the North, two survivors from an abandoned settlement must unravel a mystery that binds them to the fate of those left on the Outside. These parallel narratives collide in ways that reveal a larger, interconnected struggle for survival and a glimmer of hope amidst devastation.

Korn's world-building is stark and evocative, immersing readers in a chilling future shaped by climate collapse and authoritarian control. The Shutouts is a gripping exploration of motherhood, survival, and the enduring spirit of those who have been cast aside. With its strong characters, suspenseful plot, and deeply emotional stakes, this novel is both thought-provoking and profoundly human. Fans of dystopian fiction will find it impossible to put down as it offers a unique blend of personal struggle and broader societal commentary, all set in a world that feels all too plausible.

Gabrielle Korn has done it again with The Shutouts. This is her follow up to her novel, Yours for the Taking (2023.) I really enjoyed Yours for the Taking, but truth be told I liked the Shutouts even more.

The Shutouts takes place in several timelines, which is something I liked a lot. I also appreciated the way in which Korn told the stories that take place after Yours for the Taking (YFTT,) and especially the stories of before. The backstories were fantastic and have made me appreciate the YFTT world even more.

This book explores the creation of a dystopia and those working to survive in it. The characters are rich and diverse. The cast is composed of both queer and non-queer characters living in a climate-ravaged world while dealing with everything that makes them human: Love, family, basic survival, etc. Korn’s description of climate change in The Shutouts is particularly frightening and her description of the world leadership around it is even more horrifying.

This book is perfect for any lover of dystopian, speculative and/or climate fiction. Korn’s storytelling is excellent and the pace of this book is top-notch.

The Shutouts seals the deal - Korn is now a must-read author for me!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Gabrielle Korn for the opportunity to read and review an advanced e-copy.

This is an absolutely incredible book. I was so happy to return to the world Korn created in 'Yours For the Taking.' 'The Shutouts' handles a lot of difficult topics that are unfortunately relevant to today's society: climate change, queerness, politics, etc. If I had my way, I would make this book required reading.

I highly recommend reading YFTT first as it sets the scene for 'The Shutouts.'

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn offers a gripping, post-apocalyptic narrative that skillfully weaves together the lives of women navigating a harsh, climate-ravaged world. Set in 2041, the book delves into the emotional turmoil of mothers struggling to reconcile their past choices with the present, as they battle not only natural disasters but societal upheaval.

The dual storylines of Kelly's journey to reunite with her daughter and Ava and Brook's escape from The Inside Project add layers of tension, while the characters' vulnerability in an unforgiving landscape keeps readers on edge. Korn’s world-building is compelling, evoking vivid images of a country falling apart, yet it’s the human connections and resilience that stand out.

Though the pacing occasionally falters with the introduction of side plots, The Shutouts is ultimately a thought-provoking exploration of survival, motherhood, and what it means to live on the margins. A solid 4-star read for fans of dystopian fiction with a strong emotional core.

This is the second book in the series, and I read the first one last year around the same time. It is such a fascinating read and a very interesting concept for a book. I have to say that I have found myself thinking about the first one a lot since I read it. So for that reason I really did enjoy coming back with these characters and seeing them again.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early arc copy of this!