This is a compelling, gritty courtroom drama, and an introduction to Zara Kaleel. Zara gave up her high dollar, high profile, high stress job to work somewhere that she may actually make a difference. In her quest to help the most needy, she comes across a young girl named Jodie Wolf, who has a horrific story to tell. Zara seems to be the only one who believes her, and she will fight for justice, no matter the toll. I very rarely read courtroom dramas, but this book may turn me back on to them. Zara is an excellent main character, and I will be sure to read the next book with her. There are some serious topics covered, may be triggering for some.
3.5 stars

I was given a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.

5 stars, among the best of 2020
This book has a fabulous premise and Abdullah does a great job fleshing this story out. Zara was a hotshot London lawyer before shucking it all to be an advocate for rape victims. Her client, Jodie Wolfe has physical deformities reminiscent of The Elephant Man. She alleges that four young Muslim boys attacked her after a party. No one else believes Jodie. And, in truth, I had no clue. Both stories seemed believable and with every alternating bit of story revealed, my opinion changed.
What adds layers to the story is that Zara is also Muslim. Not just because she’s representing a white girl against the Muslim boys, but also because she’s rebelled against the Muslim standard for women. It touches on loyalty and to whom it’s owed. Is Zara right to put her client about her family?
No matter who is innocent or guilty, everyone’s lives have been changed forever. We are given an omniscient view of the events and hear everyone’s thoughts. She shows us the wildness of it all, “the papers, the circus, the baying crowds.” And the ending threw me for a total loop. I really needed a book that engaged me and this one was it.
I would recommend this to those who enjoyed Miracle Creek, another book that was so much more than the standard mystery and courtroom thriller.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This is a great novel that tackles the issues of rape, accusations, religion, beliefs, culture and the desire to be oneself. It is poignant, interesting and riveting without being preachy, sentimental or cloying. I greatly enjoyed the characters, possibilities in scenarios and situations that portray many people’s reality. Definitely a must read!

Did they or didn't they? Mystery until the very end. Lots of twists and turns. 16 year old deformed high school girl accuses 4 classmates of rape. The community takes sides. And this is the story of the investigation and trial. See if you can figure it out. I didn't.

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I read a certain kind of book and I can totally visualize the movie or Netflix miniseries, even who should play which characters. Take It Back is one of those books. And Riz Ahmed needs to be in it (I mean I think he should be cast in everything, but I digress).

Take It Back is a mystery/thriller with brilliant London lawyer Zara Kaleel as central character. She defied her family's plans for her by leaving an arranged marriage and a high paying, high profile legal career to use her talents to fight for victims of sexual assault at a non profit. The consequences of her choices changed her life, estranging her from her family and relying on a steady flow of Xanax to tamp down any emotions or grief she feels as a result.

Zara's latest case involves Jodi, a sixteen-year-old girl with extreme facial deformities. On top of struggling her whole life from bullying and mocking and living with mean, alcoholic mother - Jodie comes to Zara with a horrific story of rape at the hands of four classmates. Classmates who like Zara, are Muslim immigrants.

The story centers around Zara's fight for justice and the truth for her client Jodie, while facing accusations of being a traitor to her own community. As details from the night of the alleged rape unfold, I went back and forth wondering who was telling the truth.

The case eventually goes to trial, becoming one of the most controversial criminal trials in London history, tearing the community apart between believing Jodie or her accusers. It's riveting and just when you think you've figured out what really happened... BIG TWIST at the VERY end.

This book has stayed with me. Highly recommend! And dear filmmakers who snatch up the rights to this story: two words. Riz. Ahmed.

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress and @kiaabdullah for the early gifted copy of Take It Back. It publishes on December 8, 2020, so keep an eye out!
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book, to be perfectly blunt. I’m not usually a fan of courtroom/legal thrillers, but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. Readers should know it is heavily focused on a rape trial. There are strong themes of sexual assault, racism, social class differences, bigotry, and violence. This book was so well written, despite the heavy themes portrayed. You will be gripped by the story, and blown away by the shocking conclusion.

A very emotional, twisted book about heavy topics of race and rape. Much better than I thought it was going to be but not an original idea. The main character experiences something no person should ever go through and those closest to her do not believe, which brings her to reporting the horrific act to the police. The 4 perps say they are innocent... who is lying?

Not my usual thriller but worth the read despite some graphic content who may be more sensitive to the topic. Other readers were blown away by the ending and were like "OMG" and "Holy crap," I was not. Still worth the read and somewhat recommended, just not my favorite thriller of the year.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kia Abdullah and St Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 12/8/20

I knew going in this would be a difficult book to read. Anything dealing with rape is. Overall, Ms. Abdullah does a terrific job of presenting a victim as a whole person with parts that are not related to the event itself. Same with her presentation, though on a lesser degree, of the accused. There was a lot there between Jodie being physically disfigured and the boys with their ethnic backgrounds and the inclusion of racism. What I didn't expect was my dislike for the main character, Zara. I am a fan of flawed characters. They give the story somewhere to go and room for the character to grow. However, in the case of Zara it felt more like stupid mistakes and not character flaws. This really made it difficult to root for her. I also finished the book unsatisfied with the ending. I know why but to state it would be a spoiler. Maybe that is where we go in the next installment.

This was the first book I have read by Kia Abdullah but it will not be the last. Ms. Abdullah wrote a powerful, poignant and intelligent book. Part psychological thriller and part courtroom drama; it exposes the prejudices in our modern world. The novel touches on race, religion, disabilities and social status without ever feeling preachy. Though fiction this book was deeply disturbing, disturbing because it is easily believable in today’s society. Ms. Abdullah is such a good storyteller it is easy to forget you are reading fiction

Aside from the harrowing tale that unfolds page after page, the cultural references were enlightening and I learned a lot while being enthralled with the story.

Do yourself a favor and read this novel.

WOW! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This was powerful story with more current issues than I can could on one hand! Race, sex, drug addiction, family issues, and teenage peer pressure just to name a few. Well done and tied together with a neat bow, I commend Abdullah for writing this fantastic gripping story while keeping the reader enthralled as well as keeping the main issues the top focus. I did not feel at any time that any issue was lacking the attention. Well done, it is truly a story that will stick in my mind for days. It serves up an ending with a punch!
I recommend this story to fans of Legal Thrillers and Crime Mysteries with Suspense.
A five star gripping book for me.

"Women aren't born warriors; we learn to fight because we have to."

I liked Take It Back...I didn't love it.

It was described as a harrowing and twisting courtroom thriller, which had me desperate to read, as I'm a sucker for a good courtroom drama. Unfortunately, the court scenes fell flat for me. They were quite limited, and frankly, a bit underwhelming. Further, the sensationalism surrounding the case seemed over-the-top...it wasn't especially believable.

The star of the novel was Abdullah's insightful look at race and gender in contemporary Britain. The sexual assault case seemed almost secondary. Our protagonist, Zara Kaleel, a former barrister turned sexual assault advocate, was fascinating, yet frustrating at times. She was a Muslim woman defending a disabled white girl...against four Muslim men. Obviously, this was considered a betrayal to her immigrant community. Not that Zara cared. I appreciated the way she bucked against the traditional, subservient roles of Muslim women, even telling her mother:

Oppression doesn’t spread through men with guns, or bombs on trains. Oppression spreads when women like you tell their daughters to marry a certain man, or wear a certain dress, or work a certain job.

The ending was mostly satisfying, though maybe a little too open-ended for my liking. Overall, though, a very good story. Recommended!

3.5 stars
Available December 8, 2020

My sincere appreciation to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

It wasn't until after I started writing this post that I realized that this is actually a regular length book. To me it went so fast I felt like I had just started it and then it ended. So kudos to Ms. Abdullah for creating a book that sucked me in so quickly and held my attention so much that I didn't realize I had just read over 300 pages instead I thought it was closer to 100!

This is a complex book with many many parts. There is the rape aspect, who do you believe, the good looking, studious, religious boys or the deformed poor white girl with a drunk mother. Do we blame the victim for putting herself in the situation or do we condemn the boys for their actions?

Then there is the religious aspect, do you side with your religion just because they are oppressed and seen as villains a lot of the time or do you stand for justice? How much influence should your family and community have on you and your job? Will the boys be convicted simply because of their religion?

And lastly the racial bias that pervades so many countries, do the boys have less of a chance at a fair trial because they are brown? Will they be convicted on their skin tone or because the jury believes they actually committed the crime? Did their prejudices place into it? What about the fact that the girl in question has deformities? Does this take away from her honesty?

There are so many questions and aspects to this book it is hard to review. The main character Zara is a flawed character who seems at odds with her religion but also at odds with herself.

I will have to say I didn't see the end coming. I'm not sure I favor ending things so open ended leaving the reader to figure out what the next move will be but I will give her props for the growth of the characters. I think this book is going to stick with me for a while and would make an excellent conversation piece for a book club. I look forward to seeing what is next for this author.

Take It Back is the story of a white girl who accuses 4 Muslim boys of raping her after a party.
It is the story of her caseworker, a Muslim woman with her own demons, who fiercely supports her despite the fact that she is standing up against other Muslims.
It is the story of what happens in the courtroom, how spectators draw conclusions, and how unfair those conclusions can be. It is a novel about a rape case, race relations, media portrayal, and how no one walks away from a court case unscathed.

This book messed with my emotions in a way that I did not expect. Zara, the caseworker, was both infuriating and loyal, which made the reader need to like her. The victim, Jodie, made you feel sorry for her, but I also found myself wondering throughout the entire book if I should believe her or not. The accused boys were not easy to like, naturally.

The author does an excellent job of giving just enough information to make the reader question their beliefs throughout the entire book. Take It Back shows that we all have demons we are overcoming, some worse than others, and the world we live in does not make that any easier. There was a twist at the end that I did not see coming, and it only left me more emotional. I am looking forward to reading the author's next book featuring Zara.

This is a gritty, totally absorbing drama about the horrific rape of a disabled girl by four Islamic male classmates. The victim's attorney, Zara Kaleel, Islamic herself, wants very much to have justice for her client. The girl, Jodie, has already had a tough life with an alcoholic Mom, no father in her life, her facial disfigurement caused by her diability, and being shunned by most people.

The story is set in London, where Islams are just trying to have a better life, but have difficulty being accepted. Zara already has strained relations with her family due to her independence; the family doesn't want her siding with Jodie against their Islamic neighbors.

This novel is filled with difficult subjects including rape, of course, but also racism, religion, family relationships, morals. The trial was great courtroom drama. I struggled throughout the majority of the book with trying to decide if Jodie was telling the truth about the night she was raped. This was a very emotional book and I went through phases of sympathy, anger, fear, and frustration while reading.

Excellent work Kia Abdullah! A very eye-opening and amazing read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Can I just say WOW!!!
I’m more of a paranormal reader (and proud) and I only read something different when I’m on holiday (weird I know) but that was great writing.
The story drew me in.
This book has great characters, very complex and draws you in from the start and keeps you there till the last page.
I loved the character of Zara, going against her family and community to represent Jodie was to her family “wrong” Zara is a Muslim, the accused are Muslims, Jodie is a disabled white girl! But after serving the judicial system for years, Zara has had enough, so she left her high flying career and now helps victims of violence. Again her family are disappointed, but it’s something Zara had to do for herself. I also get the impression that Zara is battling herself, her addiction to medication, her boyfriend and her unsympathetic family all add to her daily battle. When you first meet her, you get the impression Zara just doesn’t care, her boyfriend wants more, she’s just rebelling by dating a non-Muslim, she barely speaks to her family..... but if you look further she’s disconnecting.... built such a high wall, that nothing or no one can get through.
Jodie is alone in her battle and the world. Her best friend Nina, proves to be not the best friend she claims to be! And as for her drunken mother (who I wanted to slap) just wanted to blame the world for her problems, she didn’t care about Jodie at all!
Jodie is written as a very strong character, she’s had to face people and their discriminations since birth. Jodie has facial disabilities, but that shouldn’t define you! yes
Yes she’s the victim of a violent crime, but she’s not about to let people shut her up! She’s demanding justice.
But as it all beings to spiral out of control, Jodie wonders if she just should have stayed quiet (especially as they find out she had a crush on one of the accused!)
The four accused boys take Jodie’s accusations differently.... Farid withdraws from reality, Amir and Hassan both lash out at others and everything around them. Mo seems the most genuinely troubled by Jodie’s accusations.
You could almost sympathise with Mo, but there is something stopping me, I’m not sure, but I don’t want to trust him!
The book takes us on a journey that I found fascinating and horrifying at the same time.
To have to prove your innocence, to have to run the gauntlet of people judging you. Hoping your friends and family have your back, only to find out that they don’t, not really!
The courtroom scenes are just as bad, if this is the way the system works, then no wonder people don’t come forward!
The hits in this book keep coming..... Zara makes a rookie mistake and it’s Jodie who pays for it! Then when you think it’s going to correct it’s self.... bang!!! Another blow!! Seriously I felt emotionally exhausted after several of the chapters!
There are triggers in this book, it’s deeply upsetting in places. But please stay with it!
The story will have you trying to work it out until the end!

I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it.

🦋

Book: Take It Back
Author: Kia Abdullah
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me an ARC.

I was actually surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this book. I was a little worried when this book was marketed as one that will keep you guessing right up until the last page and they were right. This book does keep you guessing right up until the last page. This is a courtroom drama, think The Lincoln Lawyer, so if that isn’t something you are interested in, then this may not be the book for you. You are taken through the whole trial and does go into a lot of the legal aspects of that.

I did like the way that Kia fleshed everything out and allowed us to form our own opinion of the character. She held details out from us so that we were like the jury as to trying to figure out who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. It just made for a great ride. I liked trying to figure out as to what was happening, then get new information, and having to reform my opinion of it. Plus, Kia throws in real views of how people view rape trials. We get to see the boys and have the evidence that makes them seem completely innocent. Plus, the way they act in court and outside of court really makes you think that there is a chance that they could be innocent. On the other side, we also have Jody’s story, which makes you wonder if she is telling the truth as well. She gives us graphic details as to what happened and her story really doesn’t change throughout the whole course of the book. However, she has actions and evidence against her, which just leaves you guessing. I know it kind of sounds confusing, but this is the way the legal system works.

The characters and their cultures are also fleshed out. The boys are Muslim and the girl is disabled. This in turn is bound to cause some tensions in the book. It is a white person against a group of People of Colour. This alone is enough to make this the trial of the year. We get to see the suffering and uncertainly that goes along with the legal system. We do also get to see justice carried out though-so you don’t have to worry about that. Just the tensions and the fact these characters are who they just causes such a divided scene, much like our world today. This alone makes the book feel and seem all that much more real.

If you are looking for a courtroom drama that will leave you guessing up until the very last page, then this is the book for you. If you don’t like courtroom dramas, then you probably will not like this one.

This book comes out on December 8, 2020.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/da6fr_JlzNs

Take It Back is an unsettling and suspenseful courtroom drama that delves deep into the interaction of racism and ableism in a sexual assault case. Zara is a highly successful lawyer and victim advocate with who is struggling to cope with emotional wounds resulting from her upbringing in a traditional Muslim family and a failed arranged marriage. Her life is thrown off balance when Jodie, a 16-year-old with facial deformities related to neurofibromatosis, walks into her office. Jodie opens up to Zara as she tells her about a horrifying experience when three of her Muslim classmates took turns raping her while a fourth classmate looked on. As the case goes to trial, it garners national attention, inciting extreme hatred between those supporting Jodie and those supporting the accused perpetrators. Zara is also cast as a betrayer of her race, which puts great strain on her relationship with her family. The plot is unique, full of tension, and incredibly thought-provoking. Kia Abdullah has taken great risk in telling this story from multiple perspectives but she pulls it off beautifully in a way that really adds to the plot and character development. I was completely engrossed in the story and I felt like I was on pins and needles as I flipped from page to page. I especially connected with Zara’s unflinching, flawed, and realistic characterization. Although the subject matter was emotionally draining, I greatly enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much NetGalley, the author, Kia Abdullah and the publishing company, St. Martin's Press, for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

This is a drama, built in the courtroom, about a girl with facial deformation, that accuses 4 of her classmates of rape. While this was extremely disturbing, I felt that this was a perfect interpretation of something that happens all too often in today's society. This story had me from page one, and I was still just as intrigued by the end of the book.

I felt that every emotion came straight through the pages, and I could feel exactly what the main character was feeling, and how this has affected her life. This book also hits on many different aspects of things that happen in someone's day to day life, such as bullying, family issues, rape, religion, etc.

If you haven't read this one, I suggest you add it to your TBR list and read it next.

Take It Back was hard to read but well worth it. Set in contemporary London, the story dives deep into complicated contemporary dynamics. Zara is a former barrister, who now works with victims of sexual assault. She is Muslim, and has a complicated relationship with her family. Meanwhile, she takes on the case of 16 year old Jodie, a white girl with a serious facial disfigurement. Jodie claims that she was sexually assaulted by four Muslim classmates. The story becomes explosive in the media and in social media, and leads to tension between Zara and her family. In large part, this is a courtroom drama — and there’s lots of drama. It’s tense. It kept me uncomfortable — in the right way. And the end was very clever. Thanks to Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Take me back brought into play the multiple aspects of a rape case, including the victim. the perpetrators, the families, friends and counselors involved in prosecuting the case. However, this book includes even more layers to make it a complicated, controversial, compelling read.

This disturbing courtroom drama blurred the lines between right and wrong by including the white 16-year old Jodie, facially disfigured with neurofibromatosis, with an alcoholic single mother who rejected her and doesn't believe her; the four Muslim classmates from working class families who immigrated in order to find a better life; an Muslim sexual violence counselor with demons of her own including substance abuse, lack of professional discretion, inability to form relationships with men, as well as family issues.

The author brought all the characters points of view into the mix and developed a story with disturbing rape sequences (which changed each with each telling), high courtroom drama and attorney cross examination, believable rape counseling sessions, issues of race and prejudice, and violence and death toward characters.

In telling the tale from all these points of view, I honestly felt like a juror, and in spite of the background information that I, the reader, was privy to, could not put my finger on which story was true. I think the twist at the end was clever - and I was angry to read it. Every main character was damaged by this event, and many families were also harmed...I'm sure many wished that they could just "Take it back."
I received this eARC from NetGalley and St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.