What is the title of your latest release?
THE TAKE
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Would you sell your youth for $3M? A young struggling writer decides to sell her blood and youth to an older, experienced Hollywood producer, in a new anti-aging procedure, hoping that will get her book published faster.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I wanted to write about the youth-obsessed and vampiric nature of Hollywood, so it made sense to set it in LA!
Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
I would hang out with Maggie and Ingrid, but be extremely careful not to get taken advantage of by either! I would definitely keep my veins far out of reach.
What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Maggie: Ambitious, talented, violently impatient
Ingrid: Powerful, connected, will do ANYTHING to maintain her position
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
People in Silicon Valley actually do this kind of blood biohacking to try to look and feel younger!
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I should wait until I’m totally done, but sometimes it’s too hard to resist. So I usually write a chunk, then edit, then continue writing.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate quinoa crisps
Describe your writing space/office!
I sometimes write from my son’s room (who is off at college) and from my bedroom when he is home during breaks!
Who is an author you admire?
Jennette McCurdy
Is there a book that changed your life?
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was walking around TJ Maxx when my agent sent me an email saying we had a pre-emptive offer. I called her back from the pajamas section, the sound of my scream muffled by the fuzzy robes.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Psychological thrillers that make me think or have some sharp social commentary
What’s your favorite movie?
The Talented Mr. Ripley
What is your favorite season?
Fall
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
By taking a walk on the beach and reading a good book!
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’m going to shamelessly plug my own podcast, Storykind, with Kate DiCamillo. Every week we talk about writing and celebrate the work of teachers and librarians!
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Chinese, specifically dim sum
What do you do when you have free time?
Return stuff I stress bought when I was stuck on a scene!
What can readers expect from you next?
The FRONT DESK graphic novel, based on my debut middle grade novel, comes out in October! I’m so excited!
Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller
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…from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Front Desk series
Would you sell your youth for $3 million?
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 her aging, using Maggie as a transfusion partner, and mentorship.
For Ingrid, it's a chance to reboot her fading career. For Maggie, it's access and freedom—money to support her parents and the connections to finally get her novel published.
What starts as a professional transaction exchanging blood 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.
Sharp, timely, and utterly compelling, The Take is perfect for readers of Yellowface and Such a Fun Age—a searing portrait of two women fighting to rewrite their story.
Women's Fiction | Fiction Literary [ Berkley, On Sale: April 14, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780593953372 / eISBN: 9780593953358 ]
Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 15 books for children, teens and adults, including the Front Desk series (Front Desk, Three Keys, Room to Dream, Key Player, Top Story, and Chef’s Secret), New From Here, Finally Seen, Finally Heard, young adult novels Parachutes and Private Label, adult novel The Take, as well as the picture books Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country and Little Bird Laila. Based on Kelly’s childhood experience living and working in a motel as a first-generation immigrant child from China, her debut novel Front Desk was named "one of the best books of the 21st century" by Kirkus Reviews. Her books have earned multiple awards, including the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the California Young Reader Medal, the Parents’ Choice Gold Medal, the Strega Prize for literature in Italy, and have featured on multiple best of the year lists, including Amazon Best Book of the Year, Washington Post Best Book of the Year, Kirkus Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, NPR Best Book of the Year, and Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year. Kelly immigrated to the United States when she was six years old and grew up in Southern California. She went to university at the age of 13 and law school at the age of 17. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard Law School. Her experience going to school early provided Kelly a unique perspective on aging, which she used to write The Take, her adult debut novel. Today, she and her family live in Los Angeles.
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