Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Korn revisits the dystopian world of Yours for the Taking in this tense tale of climate collapse, survival, and conspiracies. In 2041, nine years before the events of the first book, activist Kelly Turner writes letters to her adult daughter, explaining why she abandoned her as a little girl. Korn alternates between Kelly's story and that of Orchid, an older woman who's traveling in 2078 from Canada to the ruins of New York City to find her ex, Ava, one of the few selected to settle in tech guru Jacqueline Millender's climate-controlled tunnel network. As the reader soon learns, however, Ava has run away with her daughter, Brook, after learning the nefarious purpose of Jacqueline's project. Korn slowly reveals the connections between these characters as Kelly details her crusade against a government bent on discrediting scientists about climate change and Orchid and Ava grapple with unresolved questions from the past and constant dangers in the present. As in the first installment, the narrative is made harrowingly plausible by the author's skillful exploration of alarming choices made by people in power and survivors' attempts to forge communities. It's another winner from Korn. Agent: Nicki Richesin, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Dec.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
After escaping Inside, their climate refuge-turned-prison, Ava and her daughter Brook meet up with Ava's ex-girlfriend Orchid. Their best chance to survive the brutally hot, storm-scoured outside world and reconnect with Brook's best friend July is to head north. Orchid's friend Camilla is waiting there for her return, along with cult escapee Max. Decades ago, Orchid's mother Kelly inadvertently helped create the cult, a story she relates in letters as she makes her own cross-country trip in the past to reach her daughter. Korn's (Yours for the Taking) second novel shifts its critique from corporate white feminism to the sinister side of activist culture and cults of personality. Kelly's letters document the dangers of both, balanced by a present-day narrative in which characters recovering from betrayal and abandonment build healthier community bonds. The novel distinguishes itself from other postapocalyptic travel narratives with its focus on queer women and nonbinary people. VERDICT Readers seeking cli-fi that celebrates queer characters and survival will find this a hopeful look at the future even after disaster.--Erin Niederberger
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A group of survivors finds new ways to live and love as the world burns around them. Set in 2041 and 2078, Korn's dystopian sophomore novel serves as both a prequel and sequel to her debut novel,Yours for the Taking (2023). In 2041, the world is falling apart due to rapidly accelerating climate change. As storms, fires, and viruses destroy cities, millions of climate refugees find themselves without homes. Kelly, a hacker and activist, is traveling across the United States and writing letters to the daughter she left behind. Seven years earlier, Kelly joined a group she believed would save the world. Starting from her childhood, Kelly recounts in devastating detail how and why she left--and, even more importantly, why she's returning. In 2078, a group of queer characters seeks out new ways of surviving in a world that is unimaginable and nearly uninhabitable. Max, a nonbinary person who grew up in the Winter Liberation Army, discovers truths about their home that make it impossible to stay. Survivalist Orchid sets out to save her ex-girlfriend Ava from the Inside Project, a highly selective, government-funded climate protection program. Meanwhile, Ava and her daughter, Brook, have escaped the Inside after unearthing a deadly secret. Finally, climate refugee Camilla decides to wait for her friend Orchid to return, while their group travels further north for safety. As Max, Orchid, Ava, Brook, and Camilla try to survive both together and apart, they begin to discover the known and unknown connections among them. As the novel races to a finish, the dual story lines converge satisfyingly, if a bit too conveniently. However, Korn's worldbuilding and character development (especially Kelly) breathe life into the novel as it explores societal collapse, political conspiracies, and the pliable nature of historical narratives. The novel ends with a perfect blend of sadness and hope that refuses to downplay the dangers of climate change nor discount humanity's desire to survive. A page-turning queer, feminist dystopia. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
