Extremely addicting. the twists and turns will keep you reading without wanting to stop. Excellent read!

This book was a wild ride! Interesting, unique plot.....when I got to about 95%, I thought it was all a waste. But the last 5%....well worth it!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a hard read, but very well written. It does deal with the subject of sexual assault. It may be difficult for some to read. I found it so myself. This will capture people's minds and hearts.

Take It Back is a courtroom drama but also a haunting study of society. Abdullah's book is incredibly well written and I found myself immediately identifying with parts of all the main characters. Covering topics of religion, disability status, class distinction, and cultural differences Take it Back feels like a novel perfectly suited for today's climate. At points these topics were a bit hard to read, but that's exactly what made the novel so powerful. The ending twist definitely surprised me and I can't wait to read more from Abdullah in the future.

I love a good courtroom drama and this one kept me turning the pages of my Kindle. In pursuit of the truth, Zara Kaleel, a brilliant and successful attorney turned victim’s advocate, fights fiercely for her client, a physically challenged and unpopular school girl who has accused four of her classmates of rape. That in itself makes for fireworks and suspense in the courtroom, but author Kia Abdullah includes into the mix issues of class, race and religious tradition. Zara, as well as the four defendants, are all Muslim, and the victim is White Christian. So Zara faces not only her own family’s disapproval, but also hatred and threats from her community, as she digs for the truth. Plenty of plot twists plus a surprise at the end make for a very satisfying read.

5 enthusiastic stars

This was such a fabulous book that I can't hardly find the words necessary to convey how very good it was. It combined decisive writing, tight scenes, and a flow that made the book seamless.

A sixteen year old white deformed girl , Jodie, has allegedly been attacked by four Muslim boys. The boys come from hard working immigrant families and while Jodie is the only one who can back up her claims, the four boys swear that nothing happened. Seeking help, Jodie enlists the assistance of Zara Kaleel, a young accomplished lawyer who left the prestigious job she once held to help those who are victims. Zara is a Muslim woman modern in her thinking and as her defense of Jodi continues she becomes the brunt of not only the Muslim community but also members of her family as well.

The scenes flip back and forth between the court, the conferences and meeting that both Jodie and the boys hold with their lawyers, the talks between the boys themselves, and Jodie and Zara. It's a heartbreaking tale especially for Jodie, who has always been ugly to others, her mother, and herself. In the end who is telling the truth is the ultimate question?

The topics covered in this story not only include rape, but also racial prejudice, religion, disabilities, and culture. This is a hard hitting book, one that cut to not only the he said, she said defense in rape cases, but also presents each and every character with their faults and feelings laid to bear.

The bottom line is the fact that many people form their opinions based on how a person looks, what nationality they are and how convincing they can be in the courtroom setting. It's a bold story one that propels the reader into their own conflicting opinion and at the end makes them well aware of the frailties of many that some seem to prey upon.

Definitely a very strong recommendation for reading this book. Certainly a book that well holds the reader's interest and I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for a advanced copy of this meaningful book due out on December 8, 2020

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is so much more than its description, “courtroom thriller” and a much more valuable read. Yes, the balance is set in a courtroom and how the case against four Muslin boys resolves, but it is also about family, culture, and tradition. It’s also how all these things play out in the lives of our defendants, accuser, a physically challenged teenage girl, and the Muslim victim's advocate.

Full of complex emotions, inside and outside the courtroom, the victim’s advocate and former attorney, Zara struggles with her family– trying to break free of ancient tradition and supporting her victim, Jodie. It is evident that she doubts her ability to do both, but she perseveres. She believes Jodie when no one else does and continues to guide her throughout the trial.

No good thriller would be worth its salt if there weren’t at least a few unexpected twists and turns. No exception here! Right down to the last chapter, I continued to be surprised by what was revealed about that night in an abandoned warehouse.

This was not just an excellent read, it revealed a lot about a culture unfamiliar to many of us. #NetGalley, #TakeitBack

WOW! I have never read this author before but that will change now. The style of writing was beautifully poetic despite the dark subject matter. Characters were multi-layered and given true depth. The insight into the particular expectations and traditions within Muslim families and communities was interesting and eye opening. I say all of this without even speaking of the actual plot of the book! That in itself I could go on and on about. Fascinating and spellbinding story from page 1. An absolute gem that I highly recommend! 5 enthusiastic stars!

Take It Back is so engrossing I stayed up until two a.m. reading it, then spent the next few hours replaying it in my head. Wow! Such a great book with challenging situations and legal and moral quandaries.

The premise of Take It Back is simple yet plausible—horrifying apt in these times. A sixteen-year-old white teenaged girl who suffers from neurofibromatosis, a condition in which tumors grow in the nervous system. She has multiple deformities from this as well as balance issues. She accuses four immigrant boys, all Muslims, of raping her. The boys back up each others’ stories. So who is telling the truth?

Take It Back is a great read for those who enjoy crime thrillers or legal thrillers as well as those who like reading about contemporary socially relevant issues. This book addresses social issues we hear about on a daily basis and highlights how divided the world is in terms of politics, culture, religion, class, and race. Its twists and turns, particularly at the end, will keep readers entranced.

I didn't finish this. It seemed a bit too cliched to enjoy -- just over the top and ham-fisted. It was an interesting concept, but it needed more subtlety.

4.5 stars! It's billed as a courtroom thriller, but it's more than just that. It's a commentary on race relations, religion, going against the grain, and accepting yourself, and doing what is right. I really enjoyed the book, the pacing is fantastic, and the characters realy interesting. Zara, Muslim, but living much more modernly than her family would like. Jodie, trying to survive every day with a horrible physical disfigurement and no one on her side. The ending is devastating.

"The Victim: Jodie Wolfe, a physically flawed 16-year-old girl accuses four boys in her class of something unthinkable.

The Defendants: Four handsome teenagers from hard-working immigrant families, all with corroborating stories.

The Savior: Zara Kaleel, a former lawyer, one of London's brightest legal minds, takes on this case. She believes her client, even though those closest to her do not.

Together, they enter the most explosive criminal trial of the year, where the only thing that matters is justice for Jodie. But this time justice comes at a devastating cost."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so good that I finished in a day. I literally could not put it down! Quart room fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I believe Kia Abdullah describes the nuances of court room drama perfectly in this book. Also, her victim is a unique one and I loved the Urdu language sprinkled throughout the book as well as the Muslim references. This book is a cultural gem! The end of the story completely threw me for a loop and with something I was not expecting. The book is 100% gold and a five out of five for me!

Wow...what a book. I don’t even really know what to say about this one other than it really shook me. This is so much more than just a courtroom drama. Abdullah has so much to say about race relations in the UK, believing victims of sexual assault, and so many other pressing and relevant issues. The ending absolutely gutted me. I will definitely read anything Abdullah writes. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Interesting premise of conflicts between old and new cultural beliefs. This aspect of immigration/acculturation is rarely addressed in our current “politically correct “ social climate, yet it is a silent divider. Not only does it create tensions between different groups In our society, it divides families.

Zara was raised in a Muslim family, the apple of her father’s eye. When she turns her back on the traditions and culture to become an attorney, her family is puzzled and hurt, but minimally supportive. But when she leaves her arranged marriage, the family turns against her and her father passed away without resolving their differences.
Jodie is a white girl with severe facial deformities who has been brutally attacked by four boys, all of whom are from devout Muslim families. Jodie files rape charges against the four boys, and Zara is chosen to prosecute the case.
But someone is lying, and as the community rallies around the four golden boys who have everything to lose, Zara herself is caught up in a brutal attack as a Muslim turncoat.
The story is so good - highly recommended....no spoilers!

This thriller grabs you from the start and does not let go. It’s a powerful reminder of some of the wrongs and inequities in our society, like social injustice, socioeconomic disadvantages, and how victims and the accused are treated. This is a must-read!

I loved this book. This book hit on so many hot topics. It would be a great book for any book club. Zara, a high power lawyer who left her practice and her family beliefs. A disabled white girl raped by 4 friends who just so happened to be Muslin , just liked Zara.. Or was she raped? The courtroom drama and the twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat. It deals with so many current issues. Again a great book, that will have your brain going..

Kia writes a very good story. She has you wondering from the start who is telling the truth, the girl who cries rape or the four Muslim boys she’s accusing. As the drama unfolds you want to keep reading to find out what will happen next. Once the court case starts, you can’t put it down. You want to hear all the accounts of what happened. The ending is not what you’d expect. Loved it.
#takeitback, #netgalley, #indigoemoloyee

This was a pretty decent read. I had a hard time with the beginning chapter; the writing seemed loose and the scene cuts were choppy. It got tighter further along, or maybe I was more engrossed in the story by then. I enjoyed the story enough, though I found it somewhat predictable especially towards the end. The writing continued to distract me at times, not because of the British English but there were idioms and turns of phrase that were redundant and overly embellished. All in all, a solid 4.

Take us Back follows the story of a disabled teenager accusing four upstanding young Muslim boys of gang rape. Who is to be believed when it’s only her word against theirs?
I enjoyed this book, but I thought the marketing was a little misleading. It’s marketed as a courtroom thriller when it really felt like a drama highlighting the cultural implications when a crime is perpetrated (supposedly) by a different ethnicity than the victim. Regardless, it was a quick easy read with enough twists to keep you hooked!