The Take: The gripping page-turner of 2026 that everyone will be talking about
Kelly Yang
'The Substance meets Yellowface' PEOPLE
'A juicy, twisty take on aging, success, and race . . . sure to be one of the hottest books of spring' MARIE CLAIRE
----------------
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.
