Take It Back: A Novel
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- Create Date：2020-12-10 04:13:14
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Kia Abdullah
- ISBN：9781250273024
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Summary
From author Kia Abdullah， Take It Back is a harrowing and twisting courtroom thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page is turned。
One victim。
Four accused。
Who is telling the truth？
Zara Kaleel， one of London's brightest legal minds， shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a brilliant legal career。 But her decisions came at a high cost， and now， battling her own demons， she has exchanged her high profile career for a job at a sexual assault center， helping victims who need her the most。 Victims like Jodie Wolfe。
When Jodie， a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities， accuses four boys in her class of an unthinkable crime， the community is torn apart。 After all， these four teenage defendants are from hard-working immigrant families and they all have proven alibis。 Even Jodie's best friend doesn't believe her。
But Zara does—and she is determined to fight for Jodie—to find the truth in the face of public outcry。 And as issues of sex， race and social justice collide， the most explosive criminal trial of the year builds to a shocking conclusion。
Editor Reviews
★ 09/07/2020
Barrister Zara Kaleel， the heroine of this riveting， thought-provoking legal thriller from British author Abdullah （Child’s Play）， is a rising star in a prominent London law firm， until she decides to do something more meaningful: become an advocate for sexual abuse victims。 Her first case in this new role involves four teenage boys， all English Muslims from East London， accused by their classmate Jodie Wolfe， a 16-year-old disabled white girl， of rape。 That Zara is an English Muslim herself advocating against Muslim boys guarantees front-page attention。 Zara is torn by her family’s dismay over her role and her firm belief in Jodie， even though Jodie’s alcoholic mother and best friend don’t believe the girl。 The residents of East London， immigrants and poor native born， each come across as distinct individuals。 In the courtroom， shifting testimony and constant new revelations reveal the humanity—good and bad—of all participants。 Readers may find themselves believing one side， then the other， up until the shocking ending。 Abdullah is definitely a writer to watch。 Agent: Jessica Faust， BookEnds Literary。 （Dec。）
Reviews
Elizabeth@Silver'sReviews
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Who can you believe？ Four boys accused of rape and put on trial， and stories that don’t match Jodie's the victim。 Jodie has a facial deformity that even her mother can’t face and continually brings it up as the reason they live in poverty。 Her mother is cruel。 As you read and follow the trial， you don't know who to believe。 I trusted and believed Jodie， but didn't like her friend Nina。 She seemed shady and not loyal to Jodie。。 Not sure if I believed the boys。 I felt bad for Zara， the case worker and attorney， because the public ridiculed her along with her client。 You won't want to stop reading because you want to find out what really happened and who was telling the truth。 There are some sensitive and cruel situations， but this thriller has a non-stop pulse to it。 TAKE IT BACK is a tense， high interest， well-written thriller。 TAKE IT BACK is a very powerful， thoughtful book that will stay with you。 5/5 This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。
Denise
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This the first time in reading this author。 What caught my attention was the fact it was a suspense thriller。 It has a courtroom setting with the victim and defendants wrapping us the reader in their drama。 Zara takes on this puzzle in search of justice。 Hard road though because of all the obstacles。 You become drawn into this wanting answers and also seeing whom is the victor。
Louise
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Take It Back is not an easy read but its a good one。 The place: contemporary London。 The situation: a 16-year-old girl with significant facial deformities accuses four boys from her school of rape。 Shes white and they are Muslim。 You can just imagine the ramifications。 On top of this， her sex assault advisor， Zara， is a modern Muslim woman， who used to be a high-powered lawyer and left her legal career to do good。 So youve got quite an inflammatory situation， including accusations that Zara is a Take It Back is not an easy read but it’s a good one。 The place: contemporary London。 The situation: a 16-year-old girl with significant facial deformities accuses four boys from her school of rape。 She’s white and they are Muslim。 You can just imagine the ramifications。 On top of this， her sex assault advisor， Zara， is a modern Muslim woman， who used to be a high-powered lawyer and left her legal career to “do good。” So you’ve got quite an inflammatory situation， including accusations that Zara is a “traitor” to the Muslim community。 There’s a lot of “she said/he （they） said” here。 Who is telling the truth？ Uncomfortable - that was a feeling I had while reading many parts of this tale。 The author kept me spellbound for the entire book， including a shocking last chapter。 I’m looking forward to the next book featuring Zara Kaleel！Warning: descriptive sexual assault and consensual sex， drugs， misogyny， racial hatredThank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sally
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Brilliant story but disturbing and sad
Debbie Smith
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I was so excited to get the chance to read Take it Back since courtroom thrillers are at the top of my favorites。 But its more than a quick-read-mystery。 Its full of much deeper thoughts all the way through。The story begins quickly with Jodie Wolfe， a 16-year-old girl， who approaches a lawyer who works at a sexual assault center。 Artemis House， located in East London has individuals who work for and believe in their clients。Jodie claims to have been raped by several boys。 She begins by telling I was so excited to get the chance to read Take it Back since courtroom thrillers are at the top of my favorites。 But it’s more than a quick-read-mystery。 It’s full of much deeper thoughts all the way through。The story begins quickly with Jodie Wolfe， a 16-year-old girl， who approaches a lawyer who works at a sexual assault center。 Artemis House， located in East London has individuals who work for and believe in their clients。Jodie claims to have been raped by several boys。 She begins by telling Zara that she suffers from neurofibromatosis which has left her face severely disfigured。 Should that fact be relevant？ Of course not。 But does it have the ability to cast slight doubt？ Sure。 And from all indications， the boys seem to have a fairly spotless past。 So with that， the story is off and running。However， there’s much more that works its way through the story。 Zara， the lawyer who is to represent Jodie is a Muslim。 The boys accused of rape are Muslim。 Should that matter？ Of course not。 But it does enter into the story in a large way。As I mentioned this is more than a whodunit legal thriller。 There is much food for thought woven throughout。What Concerned MeI did find it a little slow toward the middle。What I LikedAs I’ve stated， it’s much more than a whodunit。 It’s a story that promotes much deeper thought。 Take it Back not only covers rape， but religion， family expectations， drug dependency， assault， and more。 So don’t go into this thinking it’s a light read。Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press， Kia Abdullah， and NetGalley for the ability to read and post my opinion of this story。 。。。more
Amber
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I was not expecting to be completely enthralled in this courtroom mystery， but here we are。 It is heartbreaking， well-written and thoughtful-provoking with a really excellent protagonist。 I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however， my opinions are my own。
Ann
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"There are many levels of justice， Mo。"This book。 It needs to be read and parsed on many levels。 Main character Zara Kaleel has left her posh but well earned London barrister's chambers to work as an independent violence advisor， counseling victims of sexual assault。 When she takes the case of a white， disfigured teen from a single-parent， low-income situation， she finds herself dealing with a case that threatens her relationship with her British-Bangladeshi family and with the Muslim community。 "There are many levels of justice， Mo。"This book。 It needs to be read and parsed on many levels。 Main character Zara Kaleel has left her posh but well earned London barrister's chambers to work as an independent violence advisor， counseling victims of sexual assault。 When she takes the case of a white， disfigured teen from a single-parent， low-income situation， she finds herself dealing with a case that threatens her relationship with her British-Bangladeshi family and with the Muslim community。 Author Kia Abdullah has created a vulnerable， conflicted character in Zara， whose choices get worse before they get better。 Not only that， but Abdullah has written a mystery thriller with gorgeous， lyric prose。 I very much enjoyed this novel and will look for further works by this author。 4。5 stars。[I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion。] 。。。more
Jessica
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This book is intense。 It will have you digging your nails into the palm of your hands from clinching your fists。 Who do you believe the girl who is accusing 4 boys of rape or the boys。 Her mom doesn't even believe her。 This is a story that will stick with me for a long time。 I look forward to reading more from this author。 This was the first book I read from the author。
Denise
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Compelling and heartbreaking， this is the story of what happened when a disabled white girl accuses four Muslim boys of rape。 It's more than a "she said， they said" novel and is not quite like other books that have surfaced in the wake of the "metoo movement。 I found it almost impossible to put down and I can't stop thinking about it since I finished。Although the narrative shifts in point of view among many of the main characters， the two who have the strongest voices are Zara Kaleel and Jodie Compelling and heartbreaking， this is the story of what happened when a disabled white girl accuses four Muslim boys of rape。 It's more than a "she said， they said" novel and is not quite like other books that have surfaced in the wake of the "metoo movement。 I found it almost impossible to put down and I can't stop thinking about it since I finished。Although the narrative shifts in point of view among many of the main characters， the two who have the strongest voices are Zara Kaleel and Jodie Wolfe。 Formerly a super rock star barrister at Bedford Row， Zara now works as an independent sexual violence advisor at Artemis House on Whitechapel Road。 As a Muslim woman， she has gone through a lot to escape subjugation and traditional ethnic， cultural， and religious roles。 She's single， but lonely， and has a strong desire to do "good" in this job。 Still， she finds this case difficult。 Sixteen-year-old Jodie Wolfe is the most unlikely of accusers -- she knows the boys who attacked her and she has a disease called neurofibromatosis。 This condition is a genetic mutation and results in tumors that grow in the nervous system leading to severe deformity in Jodie's situation。 （Often this is inaccurately called Elephant Man Syndrome）。 When Jodie alleges that the 4 boys from her school assaulted her， it sets of a firestorm of community upheaval between Muslim and White。 Between native Brit and immigrant。 As they move to trial， Zara learns more about Jodie and fully believes her and that what they are doing is right despite personal peril once the tabloids get involved。 Can Zara stay the course and help Jodie get justice despite the social climate and the fact that the boys have a lot of support and claim innocence？ NO SPOILERS。This was so good on many levels。 The writing was excellent and the emotions experienced by the characters seemed genuine without being melodramatic。 I really liked Zara and her struggles were very well explained。 As a sort of feminist in many areas， it pains me when women are controlled -- especially when those manipulations are made by family or a particular group because I just don't understand having only limited frame of reference。 I think this would make a fabulous selection for a book club and I look forward to reading other reviews to get more perspective。Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read， review， and recommend。 。。。more
Amber Boos
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Geez！ This one stayed with me！ In all honesty， I did put it down a few times at first because it was not my normal courtroom/suspense or domestic type thriller that I usually read。 BUT I felt I needed to finish it as I accepted the ARC。 WOW！ I am so glad I read this。 It is a very timely story that touches on so many subjects。 Violence against women， religious cultures， race， social media and so many others。 I enjoyed reading about the Muslim/Islamic culture， especially as it is so different from Geez！ This one stayed with me！ In all honesty， I did put it down a few times at first because it was not my normal courtroom/suspense or domestic type thriller that I usually read。 BUT I felt I needed to finish it as I accepted the ARC。 WOW！ I am so glad I read this。 It is a very timely story that touches on so many subjects。 Violence against women， religious cultures， race， social media and so many others。 I enjoyed reading about the Muslim/Islamic culture， especially as it is so different from mine。 Zara is a Muslim lawyer who takes on a rape case which has major social and familial fallout。 All in all， an excellent， although disturbing， courtroom drama， but SO much more！ This book made me feel so many feels！ I highly recommend this and look forward to more from this author！Thank you to #NetGalley， Kia Abdullah and St。 Martin。s Press for this ARC。 。。。more
Liz
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Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is a thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat until the very last word。 Zara Kaleel wants to do the right thing。 When a sixteen year girl， Jodie， is raped by 4 boys， no one but Zara believes her。 When Zara stands up for Jodie， lines are drawn and we are taken on a journey of lies， truths， secrets， racial divisions and so much more。 Full of unexpected twist and turns， I was captivated from start to finish！ Happy reading！
Kimberly Tierney
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Kia Abdullahs Take it Back is a story about loyalty。 Loyalty to family， loyalty to friends， and most importantly， loyalty to yourself。Take it Back is a story that needed to be told。 Women live in fear of the possible retribution that comes with confronting a rapist。 They live in greater fear when racial lines are being crossed。 Racism and rape are both subjects that are uncomfortable and wrapped in stigma and persecution。 But， the stigmas of both race and rape need to be confronted。 Kia Abdullah Kia Abdullah’s Take it Back is a story about loyalty。 Loyalty to family， loyalty to friends， and most importantly， loyalty to yourself。Take it Back is a story that needed to be told。 Women live in fear of the possible retribution that comes with confronting a rapist。 They live in greater fear when racial lines are being crossed。 Racism and rape are both subjects that are uncomfortable and wrapped in stigma and persecution。 But， the stigmas of both race and rape need to be confronted。 Kia Abdullah has given us a conversation starter with this book。 Reading this with your friends or your book club will definitely get you all talking about the hard issues of today。 And these are hard issues。 I applaud Abdullah for even writing about them， as that is a very brave thing to do。 And she tackles many social issues with this one story。 If we can read it， make some mental notes， and then adjust our behaviors accordingly， we can easily begin to make some positive changes in the world。 。。。more
Toni
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This was not an easy read。 I had to put the book down several times， because I needed a short break to cope with my feelings。 And then I'd be drawn back into this compelling story。Zara Kaleel， Zara the Brave， a brilliant barrister， left her high-flying job that gave her every kind of imaginable privilege to work as a legal advisor in a voluntary organisation that helps victims of sexual assault。 Zara， who never stopped battling her own demons， knows how difficult the process of getting justice This was not an easy read。 I had to put the book down several times， because I needed a short break to cope with my feelings。 And then I'd be drawn back into this compelling story。Zara Kaleel， Zara the Brave， a brilliant barrister， left her high-flying job that gave her every kind of imaginable privilege to work as a legal advisor in a voluntary organisation that helps victims of sexual assault。 Zara， who never stopped battling her own demons， knows how difficult the process of getting justice for her sixteen year old client will be。 Jodie accuses four Muslim boys from good， hard-working families of sexually assaulting her and Zara believes the girl with all her heart。 Zara knows what she is going to go against: people who believe that nobody would want to have sexual relations with Jodie， who has severe facial deformities， as if rape is not about using violence to gain power and humiliate the victim， people who will see her going against those who already have to fight discrimination and disadvantage， people who will use this drama and tragedy for their own selfish aims。 Even Jodie's mother and her best friend don't believe the girl and think she made up the story to get attention。 Even Zara's family accuses her of dragging their good name through tabloids in a rebellious attempt to defy tradition。Gradually， Kia Abdullah lets us see the families of the defendants and their lives， Jodie and her daily struggle to keep up believing that there will be better times ahead for her， Jodie's alcoholic mother， Zara's volatile relationship with her own family， based on her past and her uncertain present。 Some parts of the narrative are so vivid they will always stay with me: Zara fleeing her abusive husband to escape her arranged marriage， her mother talking about the sacrifice first generation immigrant women made by putting up with blatant sexism and discrimination to make sure their children had freedom to live their lives differently， the mothers of the accused boys。Take it back is such a great title。 Countless times， we hear Jodie regret going to the police and starting the process。 It also refers to justice and control over your own life it can give you back and this s why Zara believes in it， even when her own life seems to spin out of control。A powerful story， Take it Back will make you listen， empathise， question， doubt and feel a whole range of emotions。 Don't miss out on this thought-provoking book。Thank you to NetGalley and St。Martin's Press for the review copy。 All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way。Content triggers: sexual assault， racism， misogyny， parental neglect， bullying 。。。more
Tracy
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Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is a fascinating novel that raises many difficult questions。 Zara Kaleel left her job as a high profile London attorney to work as a legal advocate for victims of sexual assault。 When she meets alleged rape vicitim Jodie Wolfe her world is turned upside down。 Jodie is sixteen years old and suffers from a condition that disfurged her face。 Jodie claims that she was violently assaulted and raped by three young Muslim boys that she knew from her school。 Jodie's mother Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is a fascinating novel that raises many difficult questions。 Zara Kaleel left her job as a high profile London attorney to work as a legal advocate for victims of sexual assault。 When she meets alleged rape vicitim Jodie Wolfe her world is turned upside down。 Jodie is sixteen years old and suffers from a condition that disfurged her face。 Jodie claims that she was violently assaulted and raped by three young Muslim boys that she knew from her school。 Jodie's mother and best friend doubt her story。 The boys deny their involvement and the racial tension in their neighborhood ignites like a spark。 Zara is also Muslim and her involvement is challenged by her family and strangers alike。 Would Jodie invent this horrific story for attention？ Could these seemingly nice Muslim boys be guilty as Jodie alleges？ Take It Back is a page turner that should not be missed。 。。。more
Ryan Knight
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Absolutely amazing 。 So many twists and turns at the end！ Made me teary 。 A court room drama that I will not forget
Diane Hernandez
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Take It Back is a courtroom drama about a rape。 But it is so much more。 Zara， a Muslim woman， has left her familys strict religious rules behind for a shiny career as a barrister in a high-powered London law firm。 When her father dies without reconciling with her， Zara quits her job and becomes a low-paid attorney at a center for abused women。One day， a case comes in。 Jodie is a young physically deformed white girl who is claiming she was raped by four Muslim classmates。 The police， her best Take It Back is a courtroom drama about a rape。 But it is so much more。 Zara， a Muslim woman， has left her family’s strict religious rules behind for a shiny career as a barrister in a high-powered London law firm。 When her father dies without reconciling with her， Zara quits her job and becomes a low-paid attorney at a center for abused women。One day， a case comes in。 Jodie is a young physically deformed white girl who is claiming she was raped by four Muslim classmates。 The police， her best friend and even her mother don’t believe her。 Only Zara does and convinces the District Attorney to prosecute the boys。 But Zara receives intense backlash from her Muslim community for being a traitor to her people。 And Jodie runs straight into internet trolls cyber-bullying her to Take It Back。 Take It Back is a heart-wrenching look into rape， race， religion， and feminine roles inflicted by society。 But it is also an intense whodunit。 Are the boys innocent or guilty？ I guarantee that you will change your mind several times during this excellent book。 5 stars and a favorite！Thanks to St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Monica Reents
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Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for approving my request to read and review Take it Back by Kia Abdallah。I struggled with the star rating for this book; because we cannot give half stars （to meet my 4。5 rating）， so I am giving it four stars。 Take it Back is a legal thriller that reaches inside of you and entertains while not being shy about pulling on your heartstrings。 The writing is immersive， and the plot is paced so you experience the story， not just read it。 I love the Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for approving my request to read and review Take it Back by Kia Abdallah。I struggled with the star rating for this book; because we cannot give half stars （to meet my 4。5 rating）， so I am giving it four stars。 Take it Back is a legal thriller that reaches inside of you and entertains while not being shy about pulling on your heartstrings。 The writing is immersive， and the plot is paced so you experience the story， not just read it。 I love the complexity of the main character， Zara。 She is an incredible female protagonist， a fighter， intelligent， strong， and is not without imperfections and drama of her own。 Take it Back is a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end。 I love the writing style， characters， and the relatability of the actions and feelings of everyone in the book。 I highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
Kelly
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When I started reading this I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it。 Zara is a lawyer in London and I was a little confused by some of the wording - things are different in the US。 As I got into it those differences didn't bother me as much and I had to keep going to see what happened。 I am not going to give away any spoilers， but I was AMAZED at the turn the story took at the end。 So much so that I stayed up until almost 2 am to finish reading it and find out what happened！ Definitely When I started reading this I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it。 Zara is a lawyer in London and I was a little confused by some of the wording - things are different in the US。 As I got into it those differences didn't bother me as much and I had to keep going to see what happened。 I am not going to give away any spoilers， but I was AMAZED at the turn the story took at the end。 So much so that I stayed up until almost 2 am to finish reading it and find out what happened！ Definitely recommend！This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley， courtesy of the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Patricia
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In this harrowing story of a physically disabled girl accusing four young men of rape， we see the case from different perspectives。 The four boys， fighting for the chance to succeed in a a different country。Jodie， living with a facial deformity from birth， and her need to be "seen"。And Zara， the sex abuse counselor and former attorney who has a foot in different worlds: her Muslim roots which she has fought against to become Zara the Brave， and her need to protect her client， no matter the cost。 In this harrowing story of a physically disabled girl accusing four young men of rape， we see the case from different perspectives。 The four boys， fighting for the chance to succeed in a a different country。Jodie， living with a facial deformity from birth， and her need to be "seen"。And Zara， the sex abuse counselor and former attorney who has a foot in different worlds: her Muslim roots which she has fought against to become Zara the Brave， and her need to protect her client， no matter the cost。I would describe this book as more courtroom drama than "thriller"， but after the groundwork is laid in the first half of the book， the pacing is quick and the scenes Jodie describes and that take place in the courtroom are tense， explicit and shocking。 Abdullah has done a wonderful job of showing the different layers of the Muslim heritage， the complications of deciding where your loyalty lies， and a great empathy for the young woman in her care。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy for review。 。。。more
Betty
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This was a rough read gang rape， facial disfigurement， abuse at home and school。 My heart went out to Jodie。 Zara Kaleel， a former lawyer， takes on Jodies case。 While it seems that no one else believes Jodie， Zara does。 Zara is also Muslim， as are the guys accused of raping Jodie。 This creates a powerful subplot to the story a Muslim prosecutor， a non-Muslim victim， and Muslim defendants。 This leads to Zara being ostracized in her community。Surprisingly， I had a hard time getting into the This was a rough read – gang rape， facial disfigurement， abuse at home and school。 My heart went out to Jodie。 Zara Kaleel， a former lawyer， takes on Jodie’s case。 While it seems that no one else believes Jodie， Zara does。 Zara is also Muslim， as are the guys accused of raping Jodie。 This creates a powerful subplot to the story – a Muslim prosecutor， a non-Muslim victim， and Muslim defendants。 This leads to Zara being ostracized in her community。Surprisingly， I had a hard time getting into the book。 I think it just tried to cover too much。 Rape， abuse， religion， islamophobia， race。 Perhaps fewer issues dealt with more thoroughly would have made it better。 Just my opinion。I love a good plot twist， but not when it comes out of the blue and at the last minute of the story。 This twist made no sense at all。I received this book from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review。 。。。more
DeAnn
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5+ courtroom starsIf you are looking for your next amazing book to read， look no further than Take it Back by Kia Abdullah。 This will finish in my top reads for the year。 This is one of those books that I knew was a solid 5 star read for me， no rounding up or generosity needed！The premise starts as a simple one， a young white teenager comes forward to accuse 4 young men， classmates of hers， of rape after a party。 Things get more complicated when you learn that the young woman Jodie -- has 5+ courtroom starsIf you are looking for your next amazing book to read， look no further than “Take it Back” by Kia Abdullah。 This will finish in my top reads for the year。 This is one of those books that I knew was a solid 5 star read for me， no rounding up or generosity needed！The premise starts as a simple one， a young white teenager comes forward to accuse 4 young men， classmates of hers， of rape after a party。 Things get more complicated when you learn that the young woman – Jodie -- has facial deformities， and the four young men are all from the Muslim community。 Set in the UK， there were some differences in the court proceedings。 However， some things hold true no matter the setting。 The defense tries to discredit the woman and the accused are all built up。 In this case as wonderful young men contributing to the Muslim community along with their immigrant parents and families。 There are some questions around what happened and whether Jodie is telling the truth。Zara Kaleel is a fascinating character。 A former high-powered lawyer she now puts her legal skills to work advocating for victims of sexual abuse。 She believes Jodie’s story and the case goes to trial。 The tension builds and there are tough sections where the rape is recounted。 Racial tension builds in the community， even to the point of violence， and the press is fanning the flames。 Zara is Muslim so her community feels that she is betraying them by representing Jodie and even her family is torn。 I admired Zara’s passion and bravery， especially standing up to the high standards that women have to face and the culture of the Muslim community。 For her， it’s not about race or religion， but doing the right thing。This one was a wild intense ride and kept me engrossed all throughout the book， even in tears at one point。 I thought things were resolved， but there is a lot of story to tell here！ I notice this one is called Zara Kaleel #1， so I’m anxious to read the next installment already！ Thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy of this one to read。 This one is now available！！ 。。。more
Arlena Dean
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Title: Take It BackAuthor: Kia AbdullahPublisher: St。 Martin's Press Reviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"Take It Back" by Kia AbdullahMy Speculation: "Take It Back" was one well-told story that will keep your attention as you are turning the pages to see what is coming next for two particular characters Zar Kaleel and Jodie Wolfe。 We find Zara was a successful Muslim acting as the victim advocate for Jodie， a white 16year old with a facial deformity who accused four muslin boys of rape。 Title: Take It BackAuthor: Kia AbdullahPublisher: St。 Martin's Press Reviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"Take It Back" by Kia AbdullahMy Speculation: "Take It Back" was one well-told story that will keep your attention as you are turning the pages to see what is coming next for two particular characters Zar Kaleel and Jodie Wolfe。 We find Zara was a successful Muslim acting as the victim advocate for Jodie， a white 16year old with a facial deformity who accused four muslin boys of rape。 Be ready for a story that will give you mystery and suspense from 'an assault [rape] that has to deal with race， religions， victims， lies， bigotry， counselors， and most of all hidden secrets that will all come out at the end。' By the end， the read will leave one in a 'thought-provoking and also a heart-wrenching' story that deals with 'issues of sex， race social justice that collide with a very explosive criminal trial of the year that will leave one with a shocking conclusion。' All that is left to say is you will need to pick up "Take It Back" and see for yourself how well this author delivers to the readers one heck of a good read that I would definitely recommend。 Thank you to Netgalley， St。 Martins press， and the Author Kia Abdullah for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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Abdullah created a book with so many moral issues and the dilemma she set up worked well。 Jodie， a 16-year old with a horribly disfigured face and an alcoholic mother who blames Jodie for ruining her marriage and life， accused four upstanding young Muslim boys of raping her。 She turns to a rape counselor for help。 The counselor， Zara Kaleel， has been a high-powered lawyer。 Zara is struggling with personal issues。 After an arranged marriage and divorce， her father disowned her。 Shes also become Abdullah created a book with so many moral issues and the dilemma she set up worked well。 Jodie， a 16-year old with a horribly disfigured face and an alcoholic mother who blames Jodie for ruining her marriage and life， accused four upstanding young Muslim boys of raping her。 She turns to a rape counselor for help。 The counselor， Zara Kaleel， has been a high-powered lawyer。 Zara is struggling with personal issues。 After an arranged marriage and divorce， her father disowned her。 She’s also become dependent on prescribed drugs to keep her going。 As Zara works with a private investigator and the police， Zara’s story starts to have holes while the young men’s stories are collaborated。 It turns into a huge racial issue with Zara being accused for being an “Uncle Tom” in taking on the defense of Jody。 As I read this， my emotions struggled with what was right。 I felt pity for Jody and the unloved life she’d had。 I hurt for Zara who didn’t see this as a racial issue and I felt badly for the young men whose lives had been shredded。 I thought I knew the ending， but the ending threw all the issues back at me。 Days after I read it， the problems of race， sexuality and religion presented in the book give me a lot to think about 。。。more
Sammye
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Jodie says she was raped by four boys， but nobody believes her。 Not even her best friend。 But Zara believes in her and defends her in court。 This is a shocking， thought provoking， legal thriller。 Its superbly written and the characters are well developed。 Its suspenseful and intense。 I was thoroughly enthralled with this storyline from the first to the last page。 I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review Jodie says she was raped by four boys， but nobody believes her。 Not even her best friend。 But Zara believes in her and defends her in court。 This is a shocking， thought provoking， legal thriller。 It’s superbly written and the characters are well developed。 It’s suspenseful and intense。 I was thoroughly enthralled with this storyline from the first to the last page。 I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review 。。。more
Kayleigh 2babesandabookshelf
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Must Read Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫December is off to a BANG with that last few books I've read， especially ones in my favorite genres。 Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is the epitome of courtroom thriller perfection and had every single element that I love in a good book！ I had to force myself many times to put this one down。 Page after page， chapter after chapter and word after word sucked me in more。 While I didn't want this book to end because of how invested I felt with the characters and plot， I was Must Read Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫December is off to a BANG with that last few books I've read， especially ones in my favorite genres。 Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is the epitome of courtroom thriller perfection and had every single element that I love in a good book！ I had to force myself many times to put this one down。 Page after page， chapter after chapter and word after word sucked me in more。 While I didn't want this book to end because of how invested I felt with the characters and plot， I was desperate to know THE TRUTH。 I was absolutely on both sides of the fence with this one 。。。 and I didn't know who to believe until the very end。 And if we're talking about endings， this one was ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT and I had to physically lift my jaw up from my lap because I didn't see it coming at all。 Abdullah also leaves us with an impossible cliffhanger that I am still thinking about hours after finishing the book。 There are so many things I want to say about this book， but if you take nothing else away from this review， JUST READ IT。 This one tackles so many difficult subjects like race， class， rape， disabilities， religion， politics and culture and is definitely one that needs to earn its way onto your TBR。 。。。more
Will
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Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。TW: sexual assault， drug abuse， addiction， islamophobiaA very compelling， quick read reminiscent of Law & Order or Broadchurch！ The characters are all incredibly real， flawed and messy and complicated。 Abdullah does an excellent job weaving the story together in a way that leaves you uncertain who is telling the truth， managing to balance the drama that propels the story with the sense of reality that grounds it。Abdullah Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。TW: sexual assault， drug abuse， addiction， islamophobiaA very compelling， quick read reminiscent of Law & Order or Broadchurch！ The characters are all incredibly real， flawed and messy and complicated。 Abdullah does an excellent job weaving the story together in a way that leaves you uncertain who is telling the truth， managing to balance the drama that propels the story with the sense of reality that grounds it。Abdullah revealed that she worked with sexual assault survivors when writing in order to represent their struggles accurately and respectfully， and I think that shows。 Though some of the characters are callous or even cruel， the narrative rebukes their actions。 The harshness in the pages is reflecting the harshness of the real world， but it actively works against its glorification。 The pacing is surprisingly quick for a book dealing with so many legal details。 It feels fairly thorough without dragging you through every bit of paperwork or baseline questioning at trial。 For the most part， this was a major strength of the story， propelling the reader forward toward the shocking reveals at the end。 However， there are occasional blips that broke the flow for me。 Abdullah sometimes has a tendency to break up intense scenes with flashbacks or other character moments。 They do add to the depth of the players， but they also caused me some frustration。As I mentioned， the characters are very fleshed out。 Each of the boys has a distinct personality， as do Jodie and her mother and even her best friend， who is only minorly on the page。 Abdullah works to reveal this through a number of avenues， with striking success。The writing style took me a little bit to get used to。 It's at times very matter-of-fact， descriptive in a detached， third-person omniscient style。 This is nice in relaying a lot of information， though it does lead to quite a bit of head-hopping throughout the story， even from one paragraph to the next， which can get confusing。 Hopping from one defendant's mind to another mid-scene is revealing of their individual lives， but it can be occasionally difficult to follow。 One thing I keep coming back to is Zara's role in all of this。 Purportedly the protagonist， she does shockingly little in the actual case。 She isn't interrogating witness， or cross-examining them， or digging up evidence to help them win in court。 Her only real roles are to be close to Jodie and her connection to the Muslim community in the city。 This creates drama， and it is interesting watching Zara deal with her roots and the community rallying against her。 But ultimately it feels like this isn't her story。 It feels like a little like a misplaced camera。 She's introduced to us as a "brilliant legal mind，" yet she does very little legally， other than sitting through the case and talking to Jodie。 Her personal life， dealing with substance abuse and intergenerational conflict， is interesting， but mostly unrelated to the case itself。TL;DR: a fast-paced， compelling legal thriller grounded in the harshness of the real world。 A great cast of characters， though the protagonist is strangely distant from the action of the case。 Defintitely recommend for fans of SVU and Broadchurch。 。。。more
Becky Baldridge
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I expected Take It Back to be a difficult read given the subject matter， but it's also downright disturbing at times。 Of course， looking back on it all， there's really no other way this gritty， edge of your seat courtroom thriller could've been。 Kia Abdullah doesn't shy away from the hard stuff - not even a little bit， and that hard stuff runs the gamut: rape， race， religion， societal division。 Just one of those could make for a gripping courtroom drama， but all of those combined with a I expected Take It Back to be a difficult read given the subject matter， but it's also downright disturbing at times。 Of course， looking back on it all， there's really no other way this gritty， edge of your seat courtroom thriller could've been。 Kia Abdullah doesn't shy away from the hard stuff - not even a little bit， and that hard stuff runs the gamut: rape， race， religion， societal division。 Just one of those could make for a gripping courtroom drama， but all of those combined with a brilliantly told mystery， and I was reading into the wee hours of the night。 I changed my mind about who did what and who was lying to whom more times than I cared to count， and even when I thought I finally had it all worked out， this author still surprised me。 I enjoy a good courtroom drama or thriller， and this one is certainly that， but it's also so much more。 It's a thought-provoking story and a suspense filled whodunit that I won't soon forget。 The subject matter is hard to read about， and Abdullah makes it all feel real， so this one is the type of story that gets you way down in that spot - you know the one， that spot that tightens your chest and makes your heart race as your emotions run the full course and then start all over。 As much as I hate trigger warnings， this one should probably have one。 There are things that some just won't be comfortable reading。 That said， if you've got the stomach for it， I really can't recommend this one enough。 。。。more
Bruin Mccon
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Take it Back is a horrifying story about five teenagers involved in a rape case in the UK。Jodie is a 16-year old girl with a disfigured face who accuses three boys at her school of raping her and a fourth of standing by and watching。 The four boys are Muslim and the girl is white， causing intense media scrutiny of the case。 The main character is Zara， a barrister-turned-advocate who supports the girl raped as she tells the police and goes through the trial。 Zara is Muslim and left an arranged Take it Back is a horrifying story about five teenagers involved in a rape case in the UK。Jodie is a 16-year old girl with a disfigured face who accuses three boys at her school of raping her and a fourth of standing by and watching。 The four boys are Muslim and the girl is white， causing intense media scrutiny of the case。 The main character is Zara， a barrister-turned-advocate who supports the girl raped as she tells the police and goes through the trial。 Zara is Muslim and left an arranged marriage。 She becomes a lightening rod， caught between anti-Muslim extremists and her fellow Muslims who find her complicit。 There are several difficult themes in the book， including women’s rights， rape survivors and whether they are believed， people who are different and the absolute shittiness and cruelty of teenagers。 There are several big surprises and awful plot twists in the last quarter of the book。 I will have nightmares for weeks because of this book， on par with those I’ve had after reading books about serial killers。 This is a deeply disturbing novel。 The characters are all flawed and the take home message seems to be not to trust anyone nor make assumptions about their motivations。I received an advance review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jane
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4 starsYou can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books。This is a tense and twisty mystery/thriller that involves sexual assault， immigrants， religion， disparities in wealth， the ever-present blood-thirsty media， drug dependency， physical disabilities， and the inequity of the justice system。 It sounds like a lot， and it is， but the author does a fantastic job of weaving it together into a well-written， cogent story that you won't want to put down。Zara Kaleel was a hot-shot lawyer and 4 starsYou can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books。This is a tense and twisty mystery/thriller that involves sexual assault， immigrants， religion， disparities in wealth， the ever-present blood-thirsty media， drug dependency， physical disabilities， and the inequity of the justice system。 It sounds like a lot， and it is， but the author does a fantastic job of weaving it together into a well-written， cogent story that you won't want to put down。Zara Kaleel was a hot-shot lawyer and rising star in the London legal world when she walked away from it all to be a rape victim advocate。 She is assigned Jodie Wolfe's case， a physically deformed 16 year old girl that alleges she was lured away from a party and raped by 4 popular Muslim immigrant boys。 The boys corroborate each other's stories and deny it ever happened。 Most people don't believe Jodie but Zara does， and fiercely advocates for her。 Once the story gets out， the media is relentless in pursuing Jodie， the boys and Zara。 As they stoke the public's fervor， relations between non-Muslims and Muslims explode and Zara is branded a traitor to her religion。 As the trial proceeds， shocking secrets are exposed and doubts are raised。 Zara is a strong， but flawed character， who bristles at anyone's attempt to care for her。 Her personal life is a hot mess。 Although Zara thinks she's doing the right thing for Jodie， her own issues get in the way。 Jodie is a lonely outcast that suffers constant cruelty by society and family alike。 She has no self-esteem， unrealistic dreams， and at 16， is already worn down by life。 The author does a great job of portraying her helplessness。 She's a heartbreaking character to read。 The boys are cocky and self assured， as all 15-16 year old boys are。 The author does a great job of building tension amongst the boys， especially when cracks in their relationships begin to form。This is a very good book and although the subject matter is tough， the book is so well-written and surprising， that I recommend you read it。 The author does a great job of building tension and while some twists were predictable， others were not。 The ending is pretty crazy and one of the best mystery/thriller endings I've read this year。 Thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reeca Elliott
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Zara is an attorney who has given up her high powered job to help victims of sexual assault。 One day， a victim called Jodie Wolfe arrived at the center。 She has severe facial deformities due to a disease。 But， she has accused 4 Muslim boys of rape。 Did I mention Zara is Muslim？ Well， this sends the whole city into turmoil。Wow！ This book grabbed you by the throat at the beginning and never let go。 I swearI didnt know who was telling the truth and who was lying。 At the end， I had to actually put Zara is an attorney who has given up her high powered job to help victims of sexual assault。 One day， a victim called Jodie Wolfe arrived at the center。 She has severe facial deformities due to a disease。 But， she has accused 4 Muslim boys of rape。 Did I mention Zara is Muslim？ Well， this sends the whole city into turmoil。Wow！ This book grabbed you by the throat at the beginning and never let go。 I swear…I didn’t know who was telling the truth and who was lying。 At the end， I had to actually put the book down a minute and breathe。 There are so many aspects to this novel。 It is very complex and not for the faint of heart。 Between Jodie and her terrible situation， Zara and her Muslim ties， and the 4 teenage boys accused of this crime， my mind was racing and I could not read it fast enough。Now， this book is not for everyone。 I read another review （and I NEVER DO THAT！）。 She hated this book for various reasons。 The reasons she hated it are the reasons I enjoyed it。 The intensity， the way the author manipulated the reader， the twists and turns…but the subject matter is tough！ So be aware。I found this book fantastically complex and heart wrenching！I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more
Lucille Bransfield
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I really liked the suspense of this book。 It was very real with racial tension coming from both sides of the case。 I enjoyed seeing it come out through all the people involved with the case。 I kept second guessing who was telling the truth up until the last page。 Very well done。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Take It Back: A Novel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Take It Back: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Take It Back: A Novel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0