We chat with author Kelly Yang about The Take, which is 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.
Hi, Kelly! Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Babysitter’s Club
- The one that made you want to become an author: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Beautiful Country
Your latest novel, The Take, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
An anti-aging thriller with bite
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a wild ride with two unhinged women hellbent on changing the rules on aging because they’re tired of being told their time is not now or their time is almost up! We have Ingrid Parker, a rich, white female producer in her 50s who makes a deal with Maggie Wang, a scrappy, broke Asian American writer in her 20s, to buy 10 years of Maggie’s youth in an experimental medical procedure for $3M.
Where did the inspiration for The Take come from?
The inspiration for the Take came from reading about biohacking in Silicon Valley and tech bros buying young plasma in real life, as well as new research out of Harvard saying they’ve figured out how to get an older rat to de-age, by linking them up with a young rat!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I LOVED writing all the scenes in which the characters behaved badly! Those were the most delicious to write and there are so many of them in this book, but I also hope that they inspire us to reflect on why we judge certain behaviours as unacceptable at certain ages, while older, more established people can get away with it?
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge was worrying about people’s reactions to me writing this book, which is soooo different from my middle grade! It’s about power and toxic mentorships and feminism and capitalism. The only to overcome it is to just…not think about it! Now that it’s coming out, I’m really excited. I hope people will give my adult fiction a chance and allow me to have multitudes!
This is your adult debut! Did you approach change when it came to writing or did you adopt any new methods with the shift in audience?
I got into the mindset of Ingrid and Maggie by tricking myself into thinking no one will ever read this and in doing so, let myself have a ton of freedom to write their inner, most unspeakable thoughts!
What’s next for you?
I’m trying to finish my next adult novel, and then I’m starting a new middle grade series!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
The Children by Melissa Albert
