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A review by jessiewolf
The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn
4.5
For anyone looking for the perfect *how-do-we-survive-dystopia* novel, this one is for you! THE SHUTOUTS is the follow-up novel to Gabrielle Korn's YOURS FOR THE TAKING. SHUTOUTS can stand alone or be read after YOURS, and either way you're going to have a compelling, cathartic reading experience.
Korn does two things quite brilliantly in both of her books--first, she positions queerness as a non-negotiable, very visible part of revolution and resistance. Queerness and transness are integral parts of many of Korn's characters, and this doesn't change no matter how dire their situation. Korn faces the fight for reproductive rights and the problems of gender essentialism head-on, and the result is fierce and affirming. Secondly, Korn demonstrates the danger of "progress" when headed by billionaires and when embedded in patriarchy. You know when billionaires fund space missions and it helps no one? And when climate activist bros talk over any woman trying to bring up sexual violence, childcare, or anything related to feminism? Korn knows, and she is angry about it. Reading THE SHUTOUTS was so validating to me--this book understands the frustrations and risks of working for change, and its core determination that human connection is important remains at least adjacent to hopeful, but not hollowly optimistic.
Korn does two things quite brilliantly in both of her books--first, she positions queerness as a non-negotiable, very visible part of revolution and resistance. Queerness and transness are integral parts of many of Korn's characters, and this doesn't change no matter how dire their situation. Korn faces the fight for reproductive rights and the problems of gender essentialism head-on, and the result is fierce and affirming. Secondly, Korn demonstrates the danger of "progress" when headed by billionaires and when embedded in patriarchy. You know when billionaires fund space missions and it helps no one? And when climate activist bros talk over any woman trying to bring up sexual violence, childcare, or anything related to feminism? Korn knows, and she is angry about it. Reading THE SHUTOUTS was so validating to me--this book understands the frustrations and risks of working for change, and its core determination that human connection is important remains at least adjacent to hopeful, but not hollowly optimistic.