Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is a harrowing and twisting courtroom thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page is turned.

The story centers on Zara Kaleel, a former barrister turned advisor at a sexual assault clinic. She believes Jodie, a 16-year-old white girl who accuses four Muslim boys of rape. Yet as a Muslim woman, she also faces pressure from her community for her role in amplifying the racism towards Muslims in Britain.

The book is told from multiple perspectives, including Zara, Jodie, the boys, and their families. This allows the reader to get a well-rounded view of the case and the people involved.

The writing is sharp and suspenseful, and the characters are complex and well-developed. The book is a powerful exploration of race, religion, and gender, and it will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

I highly recommend Take It Back to anyone who enjoys suspenseful thrillers or thought-provoking fiction.

Here are some of the things I liked about the book:

The complex characters: Zara, Jodie, the boys, and their families are all well-developed and believable.
The suspenseful plot: The book is full of twists and turns, and I was never sure what was going to happen next.
The powerful themes: The book explores race, religion, and gender in a thought-provoking way.
Here are some of the things I didn't like about the book:

The ending: I felt the ending was a bit rushed and didn't fully resolve the issues raised in the book.
The violence: The book contains some graphic violence, which may be disturbing to some readers.
Overall, I thought Take It Back was a well-written and suspenseful book. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers or thought-provoking fiction.

This was a wiiiiild ride! I enjoyed this book a lot. If you love thrillers, especially courtroom drama thrillers then you're going to love Take It Back!

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is a really dark courtroom thriller following the case of a rape. Sensitive readers should definitely be aware of trigger warnings going into this book. I wasn’t quite prepared. That said, it is compulsive and you will keep thinking about it days afterwards.

Wow! I found this on my NetGalley dashboard and didn't realize I hadn't read it. What a fantastic surprise! This was a really interesting book. It is very well written and kept me guessing right up to the end. Jodie's story could have been ripped from the headlines of any newspaper anywhere. I do wish the end had given a little more closure. Overall though, even though the subject matter was a little hard to read in parts, it was a very worthwhile read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was a hard one for me to listen to. A 16-year-old girl with deformities accuses 4 teenage boys, Muslin boys of rape. No one believes her except the woman who took her statement who also is Muslin, however, Zara is also fighting her own demons with booze and drugs. This story is full of twists and turns and lies and deceit. We are taken on so many turns to find the truth it is hard to know in the end if we do. Media circus and courtroom chaos.

Take It Back, by Kia Abdullah, is a haunting thriller that shows the ramifications and intersections of rape, race, disability, adolescence and justice. Zara traded in her high level barrister job for a job at a sexual assault center - to help victims like Jodie. Jodie is a 16 year old white disfigured teenager, who comes into Zara's center accusing 4 of her classmates of luring her into a vicious rape. These four classmates are also all Muslim, Zara, a Muslim herself, takes Jodie's side immediately, and what commences is a huge legal firestorm. The community is divided - Zara is blamed and targeted for going against those of her own faith. Some believe no one would dare rape anyone as disfigured as Jodie. Others take Jodie's side, with extreme hate being placed on the four boys as well. As the case draws to a conclusion, even Zara is shocked by the conclusion.

I loved everything that was being dealt with in the novel - race, sexual assault, disability - but I felt the novel was cut short! Is this because there's a sequel coming? Super long chapters, which isn't really my cup of tea, but I can deal with it. 3.5 stars - something was just missing for me that didn't pull me in like I wanted it to !

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.

This is a tough one for me to review. I didn't love Zara who is the main character as an advocate for rape victims. She is a flawed main character that I could not see eye to eye with. I would not consider this a courtroom thriller because the majority of it takes place outside the court session. Yes the story is twisty till the very end but honestly there are no winners. Everyone loses something and it just left me with a feeling of melancholy.

Take it Back is a very slow moving legal thriller that delves into topics of race, class, religion and disabilities. Zara Kaleel is a former lawyer and now a rape victim’s advocate. When Jodie Wolfe, a 16 year old disfigured white girl claims that she was raped by a group of Muslim boys, Zara must break with her own Muslim traditions in order to fight for her client. Both Zara and Jodie are forced to question whether they are doing “the right thing.” Society is judging their decisions and they must pay the unfortunate consequences. Should they continue? Is it worth it?

While Abdullah does a great job of exploring the Muslim woman’s struggle to break from the traditional ways of her culture and the backlash she receives from her family and society, I found the first half of this book extremely boring. It contains an exorbitant amount of scenes that include self-doubt and pill popping. However, when the court case begins in the second half, the pace picks up significantly and I regained my interest. Unfortunately, I still easily predicted the twist at the end and was still left with a few unanswered questions. Overall, this book was just too slow-moving for me, but it does raise some important questions.

Zara Kaleel is a London attorney and also Muslim. After making several heart-rending decisions and knowing how she has disappointed her family, she leaves her prestigious law firm and joins Artemis House, where she can help victims and do good.

Jodie Wolfe is a victim who needs Zara’s help. She is a white girl with physical deformities who is accusing four Muslim teenagers of rape. As her case progresses through the legal system, Zara finds herself at odds with her family, her faith, and her Muslim community.

Take It Back is a powerful story about redemption, forgiveness, and moving on regardless of the circumstances. It deals with sensitive subject matters and some of descriptions of Jodie’s assault will be difficult for many readers. Nevertheless, this novel is well-written and the characters are well-drawn. Even though there isn’t a neat and tidy resolution, it does give the reader a sense that there is a chance for things to get better and people will still fight to do good.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Take it Back is a courtroom drama story that is at times intense and has pretty big trigger content for some. Courtroom novels for me can be hit or miss, as I need more person and heart to the story than procedures, and I feel this one is a good balance of both.

A powerful, gut-wrenching read that everyone should check out. If you're looking for a courtroom drama steeped in topics like the divisions in society and the issues of race, religion, and misogyny, Take It Back is for you.

When I think of mystery, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the thrills. This is a perfect book to snuggle up with on any day.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved reading from the multiple perspectives. I could feel the pain behind what happened to Jodie. This book makes you think about morals and ethically what should be done. Readers who like Jodi Picoult would enjoy this book.

I really am on the fence with this one. It was a good read, but a bit too heavy for me. Too much court room and the only thing I really liked was the guessing. All around just ok.

One victim.
Four accused.
Who is telling the truth?

Just when you thought you knew what was going on the author throws in some curves that have you second guessing yourself. Jodie is a white, disfigured school girl who accuses four Muslim boys of rape. We are then shown the court trial and the racial tension that culminates in the loss of a crucial, sympathetic character. I questioned the truth of her accusations and the guilt of the boys. The end had two unexpected twists that left more questions. Highly enjoyed the pace and writing of the story. It left me rooting for all the players at different points of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own

Take it Back by Kia Abdullah was one of those books I read awhile ago but have thought about it long after. This was a page turner. The best part … the ending! Just when you thought you knew how it would end, bam! A few more shocks!

A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this one in exchange for my honest review.

The premise sounded interesting! However, I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. I also did not like the courtroom aspect of the novel! Still, it was fun to guess who the liar was!

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!