This book was pretty slow going in the beginning, so I was worried I wouldn’t like it. However I ended up really liking it but still think the beginning could’ve been chiseled down a bit but once it gets going you’ll feel just as enraged as Tessa.

I thought this was really good at explaining the roller coaster of emotions and swirling thoughts / confusion that come with a sexual assault. Especially in the position Tessa held as a barrister who typically defended rapists.

I thought it was really well done. I really liked when Tessa found her voice towards the end of her testimony. It was empowering.

One thing I learned was that lawyers in other countries wear wigs and robes. I had no idea.

I think a lot was lost in translation as this is clearly meant to be seen/performed. While it’s conceptually good and the writing is strong, I don’t feel I got the true impact. Maybe this would be a rare time when I should listen to it on audio.

It's easy to see why this won so much acclaim in the stage version. It's challenging in book form with the lack of quotation marks, and there is a lot of set up in the first half that does prove to be important in the second half, establishing who Tessa is and her background, as well as giving readers a chance to "see" who she is in the courtroom as a barrister. Sensitive readers should note that the scenes describing Tessa's assault are fairly graphic. This story is powerful and emotional, and should truly resonate with everyone.

Whew. This was a very tough read.

Beautifully written and painful to get through.

I don’t want to say too much in terms of spoiling the plot, But it was an interesting take on a legal thriller. Putting our main character Tess on the witness stand to give evidence on her sexual assault. A place she isn’t used to being boxed in, due to her roll as a barrister.

Despite this criminal justice system being based in London the procedure is all too familiar with the USA’s treatment of victims of sexual assault.

Being put on trial despite the fact that a crime has been egregiously been committed to your body.

I have some faults with the ending, but overall a very compelling read.

Thank you to Holt and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm glad I read Prima Facie but it leaves a lot of unresolved feelings. Tessa, a criminal defense barrister is definitively not of the upper crust background enjoyed by many of her colleagues. She is brilliant at her work and she gets along with her contemporaries, but she is always aware of their fundamental differences based on class and with that life experience. She has successfully defended multiple "date rape" cases and one victim as well as one lawyer in her office have questioned the fact that, as a woman she could do this. They didn't prove their cases. They deserve a defense. But in fact, these cases rarely win. She had it coming. She didn't say no until she said yes. And then, Tessa's colleague rapes her. A man she was seeing who did not stop when she said no. This story is well told, weaving in Tessa's mother, always in trouble brother, his girlfriend and others in her town, the various barristers and court players and her best friend to tell the story. So, Tessa has what is called a prima facie case. If no other evidence came in, her facts would be enough to convict. But with so few "date rape" cases ending in conviction, why would anyone do this? With her lack of a network will going forward ruin her career built only on merit, not connections? This is a beautifully told and written story and is really upsetting to me to think about.

Thank you so much for the advance copy of this book.

This is not your typical book, as it is based on the award winning Broadway play (it is usually the opposite: book first, play second) so I was interested to see how this would translate to the page. I've seen the play and was really moved by it. The book is also good but since I'm able to compare the two, it just felt more tedious to read. The writing is great and moving (and very difficult to work through at times). I think this is really well done and is offers an accessible way to consume the story for folks who will not be able to see the play. Very interesting and dramatic to read.

Oof this book packs a wallop of a punch. It's masterful in the way that it delivers its message, painting an intricately woven character and deeply upsetting story. Knowing that this was a play first, it's hard to separate the two entities, though I haven't seen the show performed. Still, the book very clearly feels like it would live on the stage, with most of it feeling like a very long monologue. This doesn't take away from any of the power of it though. I'll be thinking about the final thirty pages or so for a while to come.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Strongly written book that makes the reader look at the world from different perspectives. Very powerful in how the books starts from the perspective of a defense attorney and then switches to that of a witness for the prosecution. Strong voice for victims of sexual assault and the role in which gendered laws still affect the way in which sexual assault and rape is prosecuted. Brilliant in its directness.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of Prima Facie by Suzie Miller!

Great adaptation of an already flawless play. The way that Miller is able to translate a work that is so fit for the stage into novel form is truly impressive. Not only that, but it gives readers better insights into the world that were not explored in the play.

Wow. Of course I have heard of this infamous play although I haven’t seen it I was intrigued to read it and see if it translated well.

It does! It’s really a profound look at rape and how it is handled by the law. Tessa after being sexually assaulted by one of her handsome coworkers - is ready to fight. However, they are both barristers - defense barristers and now she’s on the other side of the law. It’s a great descriptive (from Tessa’s pov) of how her feelings change both as becoming the victim and attempting to get justice, and how she has changed as a woman in general.

I think this would make a great play and we did lose something here. The writing is great although at times repetitive and drawn out.

I did enjoy this and think everyone should give it a read.
It really give you perspective and is both sad and empowering.

So glad to have read this one.

So real so well written portrays the difficulty women have in bringing sexual assault cases.A brilliant play and the book fleshes out the characters a compelling read..#netgalley #henryholt

it's fascinating to read this after seeing the national theatre live recording starring jodie comer. gripping as hell. but different

Prima Facie starts off middling and a little boring but finds its stride at the halfway point.


The story follows Tessa, a barrister who has worked her way up and who has pride in her work and the legal system, believing that it exists to allow everyone to tell their story. Interestingly, she specifies that the system is in place so people can have legal truth.

The first half of this book is successful in setting up Tessa's internal narration, her personality, and her faith in the judicial system. However, the writing is so stiff at times that it was hard for me to get immersed in the story and to care about these characters.

Prima Facie started out as a play and I can definitely see how it would shine on stage. As a book though, I felt that things were dragged on for far too long. Most of the characters we're introduced to are ultimately unimportant besides the mom.

However, what I did love about the first half is how Tessa's position as a woman and as someone from a working-class household affects her job. Unlike many of her other work colleagues, she has to try much harder to break barriers they can easily pass. She also has to navigate things like her "unposh" accent and how her gender affects people's faith in her capabilities. I thought all of this was done well and I like that there's still a naivete to her optimism and that she's flawed.

After the 50% mark, the book moves at a much better pace as Tessa has to reconcile her faith in the legal system she works in with being on trial. She theoretically knows everything she will be asked now that she's bringing her perpetrator to court but she's still shocked by how unsympathetic and inhumane the proceedings are at times. She finds herself on the other side of the fence, which makes for fascinating tension and growth.

However, the book ends on a note that I felt was pretty strange. I don't believe all stories featuring rape survivors and other people that have experienced traumatic events should end happily. Stories should end however suits them best. That being said, the ending of Prima Facie felt out of place with everything that came before. It truly felt like Tessa was in this struggle with the judicial system but, after a speech in court, she finds peace with it. She acknowledges that things have to change and that she's not alone in this fight but the writing does not persuade me of this character arc at all. I wish there had been a stronger transition from point A to point B for Tessa's development in the latter half of this book.

Overall, Prima Facie is an interesting look into how rape survivors are ground down during legal proceedings and the flaws of our justice system. Though this takes place in the UK, I'm sure readers all over the world will be able to see similarities I'm how Tessa and other survivors are treated in this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review will be posted on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com), Goodreads, and Amazon on January 16, 2024.

Simply outstanding. Ms. Miller has written a compelling treatment of the emotions and difficulties facing female victims in sexual assault cases. The author's legal and dramatic training is evident in both the details of the judicial proceedings and the depth of the main character's portrayal. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you have seen or read the play, this one is for you! In this version we delve deeper into Tessa’s character and see more of her backstory.

This copy did not have any quotation marks or indents. I wasn’t sure if this was intentional or not (similar to Normal People) and it definitely took some getting used to.

Before reading, make sure to check the trigger warnings as there are very serious and heavy topics discussed in this book.

While I was not lucky enough to see Jodie Comer's Tony-award winning one woman show of Prima Facie, I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of playwright Suzie Miller's upcoming novelization of this blazing indictment of the criminal justice system and its inability to effectively prosecute sexual assault. Tessa Ensler overcomes an abusive and impoverished upbringing to rise to the ranks of highly regarded criminal defence barrister, known for her searing and successful cross-examinations, often of sexual assault complainants. That is, until she herself is sexually assaulted and becomes the complainant being cross-examined. Written in a direct and compelling first person narrative, Miller effectively strips bare the conventions of the law that serve to diminish complainants and protect accusers while also portraying the class barriers endemic to the legal profession. The writing is crisp, intelligent and evocative and the issues raised profound. Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this title in exchange for honest feedback. Having seen the play, reading the novel form was interesting. I enjoyed seeing more of Tessa's backstory and getting more glimpses at the other characters.

Prima Facie -on the face of it, your first impression, enough evidence to go to court.

We are in Britain, where barristers wear wigs and there is much traditionalism woven in to costume and behavior. Tessa Ensler has pulled herself out of a violent homelife through a full scholarship to Cambridge. She loves her job, and workes tirelessly.

When the rape occurs, she is unsure what to do. Deciding to report her colleague changes everything and her perspective of justice and the justice system changes drastically.

At times hard to read, this is a galvanizing tale for all. True great work in the story, the plot and the writing. Miller brings you behind the scenes as well as into Tess's family and you feel every decision she makes. If you want a book that makes you think, and possibly makes you angry, or just want to read a supremely well written slow burn thriller - Prima Facie is for you! #HenryHolt #PrimaFacie #SuzieMiller #Netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Prima Facie.

The title of this book caught my eye because I saw an ad for the Broadway play a few months ago.

Jodie Comer won a Tony for her performance so brava to her!

The narrative revolves around a barrister who sacrifices her career to bring her rapist to justice, a fellow barrister himself.

The language is brutal, harsh, the stats regarding sexual assault convictions heartbreakingly low, but no surprise there.

My biggest issue was Tessa Ensler, who is not a likable character.

A woman born on the wrong side of the tracks, with hard work and her book smarts, she's risen to the cream of the crop of her profession, but remains painfully aware of her blue collar upbringing.

She lacks confidence and self esteem, evident in the way she desires Julian's praise and the desire to rise to King's Counsel and be a part of the hoity-toity elite.

The flashbacks to her law school years only serve to reinforce Tessa's embarrassment about her humble origins, her father's abandonment, and her brother's trouble with the law.

It's almost as of the author is saying Tessa's desire to be part of the in-crowd is a factor in her rape, which I respectfully disagree.

For a barrister who has prosecuted rape cases, Tessa also seems painfully naive.

She even makes a rude comment about the woman she cross examines in a rape case, saying the accuser "wasn't what she expected." What did she expect the woman to look like? A floozy?

Second, the formatting of the narrative is so hard to follow.

No paragraph breaks, no quotations to mark dialogue, and there's a lot of inner monologuing on Tessa's part.

There's also legal jargon, some courtroom drama, though it was interesting to see how the UK legal system works, it was filler to me.

I do think Jodie Comer is a great actor for this part. After reading this, I'm interested in seeing the play.