Take it Back is a tough at times read, but so beautifully written, it will keep you pulled in from the first page. Loved the development of the characters and how the story flowed. Not a typical thriller, but totally enjoyed it. My first book by Kia Abdullah, but will definitely not be my last.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for the honest review.

This book was actually not my favorite, so I won't be posting a review on other sites. I think the material is a bit too rough for me, I felt uncomfortable for a good portion of time I was reading. I did finish it, but found the ending to be also a bit disturbing. There's just no winners in this book, and I finished it feeling more sad and depressed than when I started.

This book tackles a very tough topic, I'm just not sure it's something I want to read about for fun, especially in today's climate. It all could (and likely does) happen all the time, I think I actually prefer the ones with the super twisted plots because I know they aren't actually happening every day.

Excellent fictional story that brings up issues like racist tendencies, bullying, deformity and teenagers forced into sexual activity. Lots of surprises along the way including a huge one near the end. A wonderful read.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I enjoyed reading it. It shows the clashes against a whit girl who accuses 4 Muslims boys of rape and the consequences.

I liked the courtroom drama and I enjoyed the book. My problem was that I did not like the main character Zara Kaleel. I found her hard to like or feel sorry for her drama as a Muslim woman being torn apart by her own desires and her family.

What a book! This is a strong courtroom drama that discusses the very topical issues of race and sexual assault. A young, white teenager with facial deformities accuses four male classmates, who are Muslim, of rape. Defended by a Muslin rape counselor,Zara Kaleel with issues of her own, Zara rejected the traditional role of a Muslim woman and became a top barrister much to the dismay of her Muslim family, which led to a break with her father. Jodie, the victim, also is bound up with family problems with an alcoholic mother who is ashamed of her physical deformities, and blames her for the abandonment of her husband. Throw in the influence of social media and this is a book that will have your emotions reeling from one page to the next.

I am a lukewarm fan of courtroom dramas but this one is a page-turner with a series of unexpected plot twists. It concerns a rape case in London, and the teenage girl accuses four Muslim classmates. She has facial deformities that adds to the drama and her own psychological issues. The prosecution's case has a series of professional women who we hear from during the course of the novel, including a rape counselor, a copy and an investigator. This team must determine whether the victim is lying or telling the truth about the four boys. Making matters interesting is that the counselor is also Muslim and has a difficult past with shedding some of her traditions in favor of growing up in the UK. Very high quality of prose, plot, and character make the novel a compelling read, and even if you haven't been drawn to courtroom stories in the past, this one will stick in your mind for a long time to come. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. A lawyer, now working as an advocate for rape victims, has a teenage client. The lawyer and the four boys are brown immigrants, while the girl is poor, white, and native. Interesting reading to see how race and immigration plays into events in a country other than the US. Difficult to read due to the topics covered, this was well written. I did not however like the ending. Would be a good discussion book for a book-club.

A Riveting And Thought-Provoking Legal Thriller...And More!

I had never heard of the author, Kia Abdullah, or her book, Take It Back, until offered an Advance Reader Copy from Net Galley and the publisher. Having just finished it, Abdullah is definitely an author to watch and I’ll be obtaining her soon-to-released new book, Truth Be Told, in early September.

Before telling you a bit about Take It Back‘s plot, to whet your appetite I’ll start by saying that, overall, it is a book that I found to be riveting and thought-provoking, and one I couldn’t put down once the courtroom trial commenced. Beyond that, it is filled with very credible characters, an insightful narrative, very topical social, class and ethnic conflicts arising out of this trial, and enough surprising twists and turns for two books.

Okay, about the plot.

Barrister Zara Kaleel, the heroine, is an English Muslim woman who is a rising star in a prominent London law firm, until she decides to do something that she considers to be more meaningful with her life — which is to 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 facially disabled white girl, of rape. That Zara is advocating against Muslim boys guarantees front-page attention, and especially from the Muslim residents in the East London community. She is torn by her family’s dismay over her role and her firm belief in Jodie, even though Jodie’s mother and best friend don’t believe the girl. In the courtroom, shifting testimony and constant new revelations reveal the humanity—good and bad—of all participants. I often found myself conflicted about what I really believed to have happened — or didn’t happen.

Do yourself a favor and put Take It Back on/near the top of your TBR list.

#Take It Back. #Net Galley

Thank you to NetGalley, Kia Abdullah, and St. Martins Press for this ARC. I found this book incredibly hard to put down. It is a perfect thriller for those who enjoy courtroom dramas but in addition has added nuance in the exploration of culture, ethnicity, bias, and sexism. Definitely a level up. Highly recommend.

Kia Abdullah's new novel was an exciting read, a real page-turner. Her main character, Zara Kaleel, a one-time rising star in the legal profession, is now a victim advocate for a sexual assault center. The case covered in this startling novel is a rape. Jodie Wolfe's story is horrific and complicated, given her background, a sixteen-year-old white girl with an alcoholic mother who loathes her.

Jodie tells Zara that five boys from her school raped her during a party at an abandoned warehouse. The surprises move in quickly, first with the information that the five boys are Muslim. As a Muslim, Zara's world turns upside down. Five Muslim boys from good families would rarely find themselves accused of such a crime.

Zara gains Jodie's trust, and together they begin to work through the case as it moves to court. Jodie has few friends, a mother who spends all their money on alcohol and seems to hate her daughter. Jodie was born with physical deformities, and her father took off very early on. Jodie is alone and needs Zara's help and guidance to get through this horrific ordeal.

This suspense novel offers twists and turns along with the sadness of youthful promises for a bright future. Jodie is a strong character, given a complex varnish by KA. I scanned this new book, anxious to know the answers. I wasn't disappointed by the author. TAKE IT BACK is a brilliant addition to crime, suspense, and a new take on race and religion's stereotypical stories.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Wow what just happened here? Take it Back is an intriguing rollercoaster ride of a book that spins you back and forth and leaves you totally flabbergasted! Highly recommended. 4-1/2 stars. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

A complicated well written thoughtful book about the justice system, racism, sexism, cultural differences, lookism
and the media/group think. Would be good for older students to discuss these important and sensitive issues

When the "F" word was used in the very first paragraph, and the main character was talking about all Muslim teens sleeping around on the very first page, I almost put my Kindle down. However, I continued and found that I couldn't put the book down. I finally finished in the wee hours of the morning.

Zara Kaleel is an independent and brilliant Muslim woman who finally found her niche working with sexual assault victims. When Jodie comes in to report her rape experience, Zara is taken with her. Sixteen years of age, she was born with a disfigurement that many call "elephant face" and had been verbally abused all of her life, and not just by classmates, even by her own parents.

Zara totally believes her story of rape by four Muslim schoolmates, while a co-worker has doubts. Several surprising details will come to light before the full truth is known. And some are "delicious"!

That said, I don't understand the last page. I assume the reader is supposed to be left to wonder?

I should, also, mention that the story was of particular interest to me, having lived among Muslims in the Middle East for years. I have a soft spot in my heart for Islam and its members, whom I found to be extraordinarily kind.

When a book expertly takes on such important themes as rape, race, substance abuse, cultural misogyny, and bullying, it hardly seems fair to classify it as a “courtroom thriller.” I hope that label, along with the generic and forgettable name TAKE IT BACK, won’t limit its reach this December when the novel gets its US hardback debut.

TAKE IT BACK tells the story of Jodie, a 16-year-old white girl with severe facial deformities (and a negligent, alcoholic mother) who accuses four Muslim classmates of rape. Jodie’s sexual assault advocate Zara, herself a Muslim, faces various abuses herself for standing by the girl’s side. She’s an Uncle Tom, they say, as if allegiance to race should supersede the pursuit of truth and justice. Since readers don’t know what really happened between Jodie and the boys until the final pages, it’s easy to put yourself in Zara’s shoes as she faces backlash for her yet unproven convictions.

Clearly the subject matter makes this a difficult and even graphic read at times, but it is one well worth it in the end.

I tend to read mostly thrillers and this wasn't exactly what I would normally read but I"m happy I took a chance.
A compelling law and order tale with an ending I didn't see coming, not sure I even wanted but definitely a gut punch!
I thought the characters were very easy to understand and empathize with. The story line, while too realistic and raw, was amazing. I'd never heard of this author but I'll be sure to check her out!

Zara is lawyer who walked out and went to help those that needed it the most and that's when Jodie came in and said she was raped she was scared because no one would believe her after they saw her face messed up. But Zara never left her side no matter what. There were lies and there were truths when it came to court but in the end something happened to one suspect he decided to make a decision and went for it.

I had a hard time feeling connected to any of these characters, but the story was well-written. It was hard to know which side to believe because it vacillated between convincing and filled with doubt. I was surprised by the ending, though.

You may need to stay up all night to finish "Take it Back" by Kia Abdullah because once you start reading this book, you will not be able to put it down.

Jodie Wolfe has been born with a severe facial deformity. Because of that deformity, her dad had left when her when she was two. Although Jodie has experiencing bullying at school, her friend, Nina, persuades her to attend a classmate’s party. Jodie leaves the party with Amir whom she is secretly crushing. They go to a warehouse where she is raped by Amir and his friends. While Jodie is white, Amir and his friends are Muslims.

Jodie seeks help from a former attorney, now rape counselor Zara, who is also Muslin. Zara herself came from a traditional household which she had always fought against, including leaving an arranged marriage. Zara wrestles whether she should support a rape victim or remain loyal to Islam.

This was not an easy read, both because of the subject matter and how realistically the author portrays rape and its aftermath. As an attorney, I found the courtroom scenes especially grisly, but that did not keep me from consuming the book in a handful of sittings. I was especially fascinated with how the British legal system works in comparison to the American one. This is a brave story for trying to tackle so much.

This title released in the UK in paperback on Aug, 8, 2019 and will be released digitally in the US on Dec. 8, 2020.

Special thanks to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an opportunity to review this novel.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

My first impression of Take it Back was that it started slow but by the time I finished I was very impressed with the pacing and maturity of Kia Abdullah's writing. Her early attention to the strong characterizations in her novel allows the second half to sizzle. You can't help but become invested in the court case.

As for that, Abdullah's protagonist is Zara Kaleel, a Muslim lawyer in London who works at a small firm specializing in helping women. She accepts a case involving a 16 year old British girl with a severe facial deformity who comes in accusing 4 Muslim classmates of raping her. The first half of the book explores the ins and outs of the people involved, which brilliantly allows the court proceedings in the second half to shine. Fantastic book. I highly recommend it.