5 stars!

Intense. Heart-breaking. Shocking. Uncomfortable. Thought-provoking.

Sixteen-year-old Jodie comes to Artemis House, a sexual assault crisis centre, to seek help and support after a brutal attack. Jodie was born with extreme facial deformities and has no form of support in her home life. Zara takes on the case at the crisis centre, promising to accompany Jodie through every step from reporting the assault to the police to attending court with her. Zara is Muslim, as are the group of four boys that Jodie is accusing of rape.

This book was intense! There are several heavy topics covered that the author didn’t shy away from delving deep into. The writing was outstanding and kept me fully engrossed from start to finish. The characters were phenomenal — each character brought a complex layer of intrigue and emotion to the storyline. The storyline itself is highly controversial, uncomfortable and deeply contemplative. I didn’t know where to place my thoughts throughout this novel - it challenged me to keep my mind and heart open to whatever outcome would happen. My heart broke repeatedly yet I also questioned many of the characters motives and intentions throughout. This book kept me guessing until the very end where I was completed shocked. This was outstanding in every possible way!

The characters and this storyline will stay with me for a long time. It weighs heavy on my heart and has easily made its way onto my Favourites List. I highly recommend! I was thrilled to find out this is a series and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Book 2!

Loved this thrilling legal story!!!!! Compelling, thrilling all in one story!!!!!!! Highly recommend this book

DNF at 47%

I was so excited to read this book: badass Muslim female lawyer putting aside her successful career to stand up for sexual assault victims. And I loved seeing the way that Zara - as well as the boys but mostly Zara - interacted with her traditional Muslim family, especially as we eke out the parts of her past that pushed her to break from tradition.

What we didn't need: ridiculously long chapters (especially since they include: line breaks, scene transitions, and changes in POV); yet another sad, broken addict of an MC whose addiction ends up severely harming her case; random infidelity (Zara says it best "it's so f***ing boring"); casting doubt on both an alleged rape victim (with physical deformities) and poor Muslim boys (two are poor, at least).

The amount of doubt cast on both sides just made me really uncomfortable. The hostility shown by Zara to her culture (and by the objective narrator when we follow the boys) felt very sour to me. I understand it was meant to play off internalized prejudice and the vast anti-Islam sentiments in the UK and US, but it really felt like there was no one to root for in this book. Zara is shallow and while she stands up to her family, she isn't a very good ally to herself.

I found myself not at all curious to see where the book goes and instead read reviews to figure out the ending.

As Americans, we don’t take people’s cultural backgrounds into account as often as we should. I might just be me, but I don’t think so. This one is set in London, which I’m led to believe is traditionally more tolerant of other cultures, or at least we could hope so. That’s what made Take It Back, such an engrossing story.

First of all, it had a Law and Order, ripped from the headlines feel, which is always interesting to me. Four Muslim boys are accused of raping a disabled white girl. But it’s the race here that causes an uproar. It’s Muslims against everyone else. Because the last thing they need is another reason to be discriminated against.

At the center of the controversy. we have Zara, a successful Muslim young woman who is acting as a victim advocate for the girl. Do you see a problem there? Because there is a huge one as the cultures clash. Zara has strayed from her religion and is a big of a black sheep to her family. It seems they try to avoid the topic, but with this case, her loyalty to the culture she was born into is thrust into the headlines.

Take is Back is a classic whodunnit he said, she said. Except there are 4 boys and 1 girl, but the boys are Muslim and the girl is white. Definitely a page turner that will leave you thinking for a while.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out December 8!

A teenager with face disfigurement issues accuses 4 Muslim classmates of rape. She is assigned a crisis aide to help guide her through the process of the trial, and an investigator is also brought in to help find out what happened. The boys stick together, claiming innocence. The girl is conflicted. It was a compelling story.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

TAKE IT BACK was first released in the UK and received great reviews and buzz, all of which it richly deserves. It is a great drama, involving twisty tropes turned on their heads, begging readers to constantly question whether they believe what they are reading. Muslim boys, protected by their trusting families, are accused by an ostracized girl of a brutal sexual assault. A former hotshot attorney, also estranged from her immigrant family, now serves as a victim’s advocate. All of these characters play against type until they spring back to form, or do they? This is a book that is impossible to put down, with surprises all the way through. I loved it. I received my copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

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.

My Thoughts: Take It Back sums up the complexities of truth and lies, bigotry, and fighting for right against the divisions in society.

From the beginning, I was caught up in Zara’s role as an advocate for women victimized by men, but also by the world in which they live.

Jodie was a character difficult to relate to, as there were so many little tells along the way. Was she bending the truth? Did she have a deeper psychological need that would alter the course of events?

Then, just as I thought that I knew the answers, everything spun in a whole new direction. An engaging story that kept me intrigued until the end, this one earned 4.5 stars.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Take it Back by Kia Abdullah is a literary triumph. This is one of the best books of 2020. Described as a courtroom drama set in London, its haunting plot weaves together themes of rape, abuse, addiction and immigration issues. It’s a tour de force.

Zara Kaleel, a first generation daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants, has fought her strict Muslim parents to become a lawyer at a prestigious law firm. However, she thinks that “no one told her that when she got there, there’d be no there there”. She leaves this hollow life and becomes a sexual violence advisor at Artemis House. It is here that she meets Jodie Wolfe, a neglected, disfigured sixteen year old. Jodie tells her a gut wrenching tale of horror. She was lured to an abandoned building and mocked and raped by four Muslim boys. Zara encourages her to report the rape to the police. The boys are arrested. There will be a trial.

How do the boys’ hard working immigrant parents react? How is Zara, a Muslim, treated by her family and her community? And, most important, who is telling the truth? In Take it Back, we see racism and misogyny. We see how first generation immigrants have to bridge cultural and religious differences. We see how hard it is to break barriers. And how the truth sometimes has different meanings. Take it Back is a must read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Kia Abdullah for this ARC.

This is truly a novel that gripped me and held on the entire book. The tension builds many ways. The surface story involves a disfigured teenage girl accusing 4 male classmates of rape. It devolves into a religious question as the boys are Muslim and the girl is white. It becomes more complicated as her rape counselor is also Muslim. Class plays a part with well-to-do vs. working class. So many questions, the biggest is Who is lying and who is telling the truth? Loved the ending. I’ll be looking for other books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review.

Set in England, this courtroom thriller actually has two storylines, tackling a lot of relevant present-day issues. First, Zara is a Muslim. She is also working for a company that helps girls that have been sexually assaulted. She was a lawyer and left her practice. She was in an arranged marriage and left. Her family, needless to say, is not a fan of her choices. This doesn't help when she takes a case where a white girl is accusing four Muslim boys of sexually assaulting her. Zara's family and the community accuse her of turning against her own people. Zara has to deal with that backlash while also trying to defend the girl.

Jodie, the girl, has severe facial deformities. She's also had a crush on one of the guys she has accused of sexually assaulting her. The boy denies sexual assault. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? This book takes you through the thought process of all involved, and it's messy, as cases like this usually are.

There's a saying that there are three versions of every story: his, hers and the truth. This is the case with this book. No one is telling the whole truth, but which parts are correct? And with lives literally at stake, how far will they continue the parts of the story that aren't true? And what will Zara do about her family and the community that is essentially excommunicating her?

This book is compelling and leaves you wondering until the very end, where it all comes together nicely.

4 compelling stars
This takes a hard look at cultural conflicts in the law, in families, and understanding how to navigate them. It has a very strong woman who decides to represent a man who is accused of doing a heinous crime. Everyone wants her not to do it and we are there during this challenge.

Take It Back is a story that tips the scales of many issues; race, sex, bullying, tormenting, lying and rape. There is one girl, Jodie a young white high school girl with a deformed face and there are four boys, also in the same high school, popular and Muslim. It's a story of girl who accuses the boys of a terrible act, there is a court case, with evidence and witnesses and there is a big change in the story, who is lying. The story grabs you and you stop everything to read it one setting as you can't get it off your mind. What would you do if you knew these kids, who to believe and then you think you have it all figured out, you don't at all. The writing is great the adrenaline soars.
It does contain adult subject matter. This is a legal thriller you don't want to miss! Thank you #NetGalley#TakeItBack#HarperCollins

This book made me angry and then proceeded to break my heart. 💔

I won't discuss plot points as they have been discussed in numerous reviews before this one and I am actually a little bereft of words at the moment.

A devastating book and a very impressive debut. Do not miss this one. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a dramatic courtroom thriller.

Zara has changed her life, getting rid of an arranged marriage, making a career change to something that matters more than being a barrister. But fate decides to get back at her with her new case helping a disabled girl who's been gang raped—the culprits were four Muslim boys and the case can only be solved in a courtroom of they-said versus she-said.

I say this deserves 3+ stars.

The writer was brave, I kept wondering why did she get into all this drama, for unlike Zara she had a choice to easily avoid having to discuss racism versus ableism and misogyny as the cherry on top. This story made me very curious about how far she would go, and I say she was brave to the end.

Character-wise, this book was a fluke for me. Zara was unbearable, so were all her friends, her romantic interest even worst and even Jodie, the victim, was a hard one to enjoy. I think the character I came closer to appreciate was Farid, but then you remember what Jodie is accusing him and his friends of and that gave the read a bitter taste.

Half of the story takes place in a courtroom. Although I'm actually a lawyer myself—or because?—, I'm not a big fan of books talking about the dynamics of a trial. So, as expected, I wasn't very excited for it in this one, but it was fine. And for something about rape, the writer fared very well with the points she raised. I actually learned a lot and reflected even more.

So this is surely an interesting reading and it goes by fast too. It still made me anxious, and the characters didn't help me distract from that.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Take it Back is a story about Jodie, a 16 year old girl with severe facial deformities. She has a crush on Amir, but because of her appearance, is not able to have a truly normal teenage girl experience. Her best friend Nina is kind of a jerk but Jodie seems to cling to any kind of attention. She attends a party with Nina in June and Amir asks if she wants to join them for an after-party of sorts. Obviously Jodie goes with him... and then the stories merge.

Jodie claimed she was raped and sexually assaulted by Amir and three of his friends. Amir first denies everything, but as evidence mounts against him tells a different story. The three friends keep quiet for the most part. It's clear someone is lying, but who? And how much is the truth?

Zara takes this case. She's a former lawyer, now working for an organization to help sexually assaulted girls. She believes Zara. Her family and the community rally against her because of religion. The side story is that Zara is Muslim and the four boys that are being accused are also Muslim and Zara is accused of turning against her faith. She is just trying to find the truth, as difficult as it may be.

Overall, this is a very compelling book. I loved the courtroom scenes and how you don't quite know the truth until the very end.

4.5 stars - There is so much going on in this story, all very timely and sensitive issues. It was gripping and suspenseful, while making you think about these issues. I cannot believe this is a debut, it is so well-written and riveting.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Jodie (a 16 year old white girl with neurofibromatosis) accuses four Muslim teens of rape it turns into a case of race against race, religion against religion. Her rape counselor is Zara Kaleel, a Muslim woman that walked away from her lucrative position as a Barrister to help the less fortunate. As she fights for justice for Jodie she must go against the wishes and beliefs of her family. A complex court case of he said/she said, will leave you holding your breath until the final words are read. Who is telling the truth?

I do enjoy a good courtroom thriller, and this fit the bill. Take It Back is mainly told from the perspective of Zara, who was a lawyer and now works for an organization that takes on cases of women who have been abused. Zara is a Muslim, and this is the secondary storyline which makes this book even more interesting. Zara's family already thinks she is a stain on the family because she wouldn't stay in an arranged marriage and left her law practice.

Zara takes a case where a 16-year-old girl with severe facial deformities is claiming that she was raped one night at a party. Four Muslim boys are being accused of sexual assault, only who is telling the truth? Zara believes Jodie, the girl. The community is in outrage because a Muslim women is trying to take down four Muslim boys. This seems to be against what the culture and the religion believes should happen.

Zara just wants what is right. But who is right? Is it her family? The community? Jodie? The four boys?

This book was fast-paced and you just want to know the truth along with everyone else. I don't want to give anything away, but I did enjoy this. Both storylines were interesting and this was a very well done courtroom drama book where you don't know the full truth until the very end.

Jodie is a white 16 year old girl with facial deformities. She accuses 4 Muslim classmates of raping her. But who is telling the truth? Zara is Jodie's lawyer and she is also Muslim. This causes Zara some conflict but she believes Jodie even though Jodie's own mother doesn't. This is a story of who is telling the truth. If you love crime thrillers and books that keep you guessing until the very last page, THIS is the book for you! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

This came to me as a Read Now from NetGalley (Thank you!) and has some very high praise on Goodreads. For me, I liked it well enough but found it hard initially to get interested in. Once the courtroom drama started and some of the twists and lies came out, I was more involved. There are some really good fib tellers here and you won't know the whole truth about the rape accusations until the conclusion.

Aside from the rape, there is a major theme about the treatment of immigrant families in their new country. Here it is four Muslim teens in England accused of raping a disfigured white schoolmate. The woman helping the accuser to seek justice is also Muslim so there is much racial tension, which soon erupts and divides the town. This and the surprise ending give the reader much to ponder.