Kia Abdullah's Take it Back features brilliant London lawyer Zara Kaleel, who abandoned a fast track career to work at the Artemis House sexual assault center. Like many mystery leads, Kia has challenges and secrets of her own.

The story starts when Zara takes on the case of sixteen-year-old Jodie Wolfe, who suffers from neurofibromatosis. It has left her with a badly misshapen face and made her the object of her classmates' scorn. Jodie accuses four teens (all from hard-working immigrant Muslim families) of gang rape. This causes an uproar in the community

Kia Abdullah's Take it Back is an outstanding 'he said, she said' legal mystery, that will keep you guessing from the beginning to the very last page.

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 hatred

Thank 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.

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.

Content triggers: sexual assault, racism, misogyny, parental neglect, bullying

I won't lie- 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.

Loved this read!!! It grips you from the very beginning and will have you turning the pages quickly. Very well written and extremely riveting! If you are looking for a very tense, edge of your seat read, this one is the one for you! Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah was a book I never meant to read. I was looking at Netgalley and meant to click off the book and instead, I hit the Read It Now button. Ok. I tried to get out of it but the only thing I could do was mark it "Won't Review". I couldn't make myself do that. I am a Reviewer after all.

Actually, by the time I finished the book, I decided it was a decent book and maybe I was supposed to read after all. I not only was entertained but, I learned a little about the Muslim faith. In my area they seem to be a peaceful group. I was surprised at how strict and judgemental they are in their own families.

I found this book a little depressing. It is about the rape of a disfigured young white woman by four Muslim young men. Her advocate had an addiction problem and her mom also had problems. The young men came from hard working families. I don't think anyone came out of this story better than they went in.

There was court drama, violence and some twists and turns along the way. The characters were believable and well thought out. If you like court drama and learning about other faiths then this book is for you.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

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.

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.

"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 rips at the foundations of her British-South Asian family and her Muslim upbringing. 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 plan to read the follow-up Truth Be Told (Zara Kaleel #2) ASAP. 4.5 stars.

[I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

4 stars

You 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.

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!

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.

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.

3.5/ 5 stars

Take it Back is a courtroom thriller set in London. This is my first book by this author.

The main character is 30 year old Zara Kaleel. She is Muslim and finished law school at the top of her class. She quit and has become a sexual violence advisor.

The second main character is 16 year old Jodie Wolfe. She has a disfigured face. And she goes to Zara's sexual assault referral centre.

There is a case with Jodie and some Muslim teens. This is the main focus of the book.

This book has a lot of 3rd person POVs. It was interesting to get to see the story told from so many perspectives. But to me there were too many points of view.

There were definitely things that I really liked about this book. But it took too long to get to the point of the story. And I lost interest a bit towards the end.

Overall, it was an interesting story. And I was fascinated by the Muslim aspect. But I just wanted more. And I don't think that I was 100% sold on the ending.

A 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.

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.