This was not the ending I wanted, but it might be the one we deserve. Casually brutal but not gratuitous.

I read about Take it Back by Kia Abdullah and was instantly intrigued by the premise. The author is so gifted with storytelling and I found the book to be well-written.

Is 16-year-old Jodie is telling the truth, or is it the boys who are lying? They have so much to lose if what Jodie accuses them of is true. What would Jodie gain by concocting a story that propels her into the spotlight as this case develops? Jodie is a white girl with what I surmised are severe facial deformities.

The boys she accuses of rape are Muslim so instantly there is a race issue. Lawyer turned rape counselor Zara herself is Muslim but she doesn’t want that to get in the way of her supporting Jodie. She struggles with criticism from her own community as she defends Jodie.

The suspense builds as Zara attempts to piece together the truth. Its a case of he said/she said but goes so far beyond that simple premise due to the fact that Jodie is disfigured and even her mother doesn’t believe her, leaving Jodie to deal with this on her own with just Zara to help her fight.

This book will make you think and takes on so many different issues that I have to applaud the author for her writing and weaving this complex tale.

Synopsis:

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.

I expect this to be widely read and discussed when it comes out this winter, however, you can find this now at the Book Depository or pre-order here and it will be delivered in December!

What an impressive story from an author I was not familiar with. If you like legal thrillers you definitely will enjoy this .

( There were some points in the book that seemed as if it reached a low, but the author was quick to pull you right back in.)

Let me say WOW! This book was different than my typical reads, but was more than worth it and I am so happy I had the chance to read it.

The main character Zara, is one of strength and struggle and just made the book even more addicting. The book is about a deformed white girl allegedly raped by 4 Muslim boys, and Zara (a Muslim herself) is the rape counselor. We go through the trial, and honestly I was so back and forth throughout it of who was LYING! Normally, I can predict the end of a book but I will read to enjoy the story itself but this one I kept going back and forth which is a huge kudos to the author. The end, I did not see coming and I hope there is a part 2! I need more Zara and to know what happens next!

These situations really happen and it makes you think, of how ugly and deceitful the world really is but that justice will always be served...... or will it?

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
This is a very compelling, well-written legal thriller. It is about an alleged gang rape of a teenage girl. The girl (Jodie) was born with facial deformities and suffers from loneliness and insults resulting from her condition. The alleged rapists are Muslim boys. Jodie is white.
Adding to the intrigue of this book is the narrator, Zara. Zara is a lawyer who left the practice of law to counsel victims of sexual assault. Zara is a Muslim. She is regarded as a traitor and is widely ridiculed for going after her own kind.
The characters in this book are well-portrayed. As this case went to court, the suspense built with each turn of the page.
Quite an ending, climaxed by a final unexpected twist.

Jodie Wolfe tells a horrific tale to Zara Kaleel, a lawyer who works at a sexual assault referral center. Jodie is a sixteen-year-old white girl with severe facial deformities. She has spent her entire life dealing with a disinterested alcoholic mother, and schoolmates who at best, treat her poorly. When a boy she has a crush on leads her to an abandoned building, she cannot believe that he must like her. The story doesn't end there though, as three of his friends are also present. Jodie tells Zara that three of them taunted, humiliated, and raped her, and Zara believes Jodie.
The four boys, Amir, Hassan, Mohammad, and Farid all come from hardworking immigrant families. Their families and friends don't believe a word of these accusations, contrary to Jodie, who doesn't even have her mother's support. Once the media gets wind of this story, it becomes an out of control circus, with lines drawn by those who support the victim or the defendants. Zara's Muslim family cannot believe she is supporting the victim, and racial tensions rise.
This was not an easy read but the author's words paint such a vivid, tragic picture, that I couldn't look away. No matter what the jury decides, no one will be a winner. As the case continued to take on a life of its own, I couldn't imagine how this would end. So many lives are changed forever, and I certainly did not guess the stunning conclusion. I found myself most drawn to the character of Zara. She has a very interesting and heartbreaking backstory, and while I hoped there would be justice for Jodie, I also wanted to see Zara in a better place.

Started reading this as I just got approved and realized I've read it already.
Was a great draw you in book. I gave it 5 stars. Will be looking for more from thus author.


Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley.

The Victim: Jodie Wolfe, white, 16 years old with horrific facial deformities. She’s had a really difficult life, constant taunting and bullying about her looks. She has an alcoholic mother who’s always agreed with other people’s perceptions of Jodie, and she’s happy to voice that opinion on a daily basis. When Jodie accuses four teenage boys from hard working (Muslim) immigrant families of rape, her life will take a turn for the worse.

What follows is the story of what really happened that June night, but we do not know the truth until much later in the book, you'll be on the end of your seat until the truth is finally revealed.

Former barrister turned rape counsellor Zara Kaleel, is enlisted to help Jodie through the trauma and also to prepare her for the upcoming court proceedings. Zara is also a Muslim, and as the case proceeds it will lead to her being called a traitor in her own community, resulting in some violent scenes. Because of her accusations, Jodie also becomes a target for internet trolls.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of TAKE IT BACK by Kia Abdullah in exchange for my honest review.***

TAKE IT BACK made me very uncomfortable in the best possible way. I always want to believe women who come forward with allegations. I also never want to consider a suspect guilty simply because he’s been accused, particularly minorities as they’ve been victims of social injustice throughout history. TAKE IT BACK challenged me, because in order to believe Jodie, I had to believe the Muslim young men guilty or in order to avoid rushing to judgment about the suspects, I had to view Jodie’s allegations as suspect.

Truth is often messier than fiction. TAKE IT BACK has so many layers from attorney Zara’s complicated relationship with her culture and her history with men to Jodie’s facial deformities and difficult home life to toxic masculinity to immigration and religious mores to how we treat victims.

As a white woman, I feel often feel like my opinion about racial issues is less important than those of people who live in the trenches of racial inequality and prejudice. TAKE IT BACK had me thinking about my privilege.

Kia Abdullah is a gifted wordsmith. I highlighted many passages. My favorite “No one told her that when she got there, there would be no there there” is the story of my first thirty years. When I finally get this degree, I’ll feel successful. When I land this job, I’ll be important. Like Zara, no one ever told me I’d be the same, that I’d feel the things I aspired when I believed them in my soul. Abdullah wrote so many gems TAKE IT BACK is worth reading twice to take in all her insights.

Readers will have different reasons for embracing TAKE IT BACK.

Rave reviews everywhere a dark dark story.Four Muslim boys accused of raping a deformed girl.A crime courtroom scenes you will not forget.A book that will have you racing through the pages.What is the truth the boys plead innocent .and the story grabs you kept me up late,#netgalley#st.martins

A five star review for a book that should be on all the best seller-lists this Spring.. Every now and then, we are presented with a familiar story told a different way by different characters in a different manner that changes us, regardless of how we feel when we start the story. I was raging through most of it, and hopefully you will b too. Then do something, before it’s too late. and hate becomes our norm.

Zara is an exceptional lawyer. She's also Muslim. There are a lot of inconsistencies in her job. Especially what's she's doing now. Four sixteen year old Muslim boys are accused of raping a deformed and handicapped white girl, Jodie. Is she a traitor for going against her own community to defend a young girl of rape?
Zara will do what she has to do to make sure the boys are accountable for their crime. She will defend Jodie with all that she is.
Sometimes things aren't what they seen and in the end Zara will have to stand by the truth.
Excellent read! So many twists and turns in the storyline. Takes you into cultures that can clash.

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is a fast paced court room thriller. Zara is an attorney who quit her high powered job to work with assault victims. When 16 year old Jodie walks in, her story is enough to make your stomach turn. Jodie, who has facial deformities, states she was assaulted by 4 Muslim boys she goes to school with. Zara, who is Muslim, is on Jodie's side, despite the cultural pressure to stand with other Muslims. She navigates Jodie's case all while dealing with public backlash. The case goes to trial, where the truth comes out.

This book was a read-in-one-sitting story. It was complex, and addressed cultural differences and tensions in a realistic way. Zara is a complex protagonist, and at times I didn't love her, but I loved what she stood for. The ending was perfect for all the buildup. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Jodie accuses four boys from her school of rape and Zara is the case worker assigned to support her. Jodie has a facial deformity. Zara and the four boys are Muslim. The boys deny it, but their story changes. Zara knows Jodie is capable of telling convincing lies, but nevertheless believes her story.

This was a quick read and the story moved along at a good pace. There were sections devoted to Zara's personal life; her character seemed to be a bit all over the place and I wasn't sure to what extent this was intentional on the author's part. I wanted to like this more than I did - the 'issues' were all very clearly and obviously explored: Jodie is 'English', the boys are 'Muslim'. Zara's family feels she should not take Jodie's side, as this is a betrayal of her culture.

None of the characters came out of the story very well and the final twists left a bad taste in my mouth.

Take It Back is a very well-written, well-crafted psychological suspense novel The story revolves round Jodie Wolfe, a 16 year-old girl with extreme facial deformities, who appears in the offices of a non-profit sexual assault referral center. Jodie is met there by Zara Kaleel, a formerly highly placed legal eagle who has left her white shoe law firm in order to do more meaningful work. Haltingly Jodie tells Zara about her rape at the hands of four popular Muslim classmates five days ago. A Muslim herself, Zara knows that taking on Jodie's case will put her in the cross hairs of her own family and community. The mystery of this novel, which takes the reader through the heart wrenching rape trial, is whether there truly was a rape. A classic case of she said/they said.

Again, this is an excellent book, but I have to admit that throughout my reading and the book's conclusion, I was overwhelmed by sadness. It is about all of the worst of society: abuse of women and cultural/racial divisiveness. The things we're faced with daily in real life and through the 24-hour news cycle. Honestly, by the end I just wanted to get to the last page and move onto my next book.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has gotten many rave reviews on NetGalley so I requested it. Sadly, I could not get interested in this story about a 16 year old girl being raped by 4 Muslim boys. Just not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Impressive doesn’t begin to described this taut and deeply disturbing story. It was difficult to take in the sometimes horrific circumstances and details, yet hard to put down until the end. Jodie Wolfe is a white teenager with a facial deformity, living with an alcoholic, uncaring mother. She accuses four Muslim boys of sexual assault. Her advocate Kara, a former lawyer who is also Muslim, believes her unconditionally, even while seeing cracks in her original story. The trial portion of the book creates even more horror, via the hungry and hysterical media, polarized mobs, hate crimes, and lying from both sides. There are many subplots, including Kara and Jodie’s backstories; race, religion, prejudice, rumor, innuendo, and much more. It is amazing that so much was packed into one story such as this. The ending had an unexpected twist, touched on at the beginning but forgotten, that was another shock. This book was a real eye-opener for me. I usually don’t like stories with unlikable (to me) characters,, and I’m slowly learning to appreciate the plots of several recently read books, especially this one, where I don’t really relate to any of the characters. Ms. Abdullah has taken old customs and new societal norms, and blended both seamlessly. The contents of this book were totally unexpected, and so much more than I anticipated. This book will get under your skin and make you think. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Ms. Abdullah and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book I read from this author and I was very impressed with her writing style. The story is about a sixteen year old girls with facial deformities and the very difficult life she had. One day after school party she’s raped by a Muslim and his friends. The case goes to trial and the media plays, as usual, a part on it. The story is not only about a trail for rape, but also religion, racism and and sexism. An intense story that kept me turning the pages. I would definitely recommend this book.

Dark, Compelling, Riveting!

This was dark in the best of ways. A horrible crime occurs, but who is to blame? Sometimes. . . Not All Is As It Seems.

I couldn't tear myself away from this book. It was TOO good if that is even possible. I believe this was a debut novel and for a debut. . . WOW. Ms. Abdullah knows exactly how to weave a terrifying and enthralling web. I didn't want this book to end.. . but I did. Because I HAD to know what happened. I was racing to the finish. I couldn't have guessed this ending. It was very unpredictable. This was a pure pageturner and it was also extremely unique. It made me think long after the final page was turned. I will absolutely read anything by Ms. Abdullah. Next book please!

Take It Back by author Kia Abdullah is an intense courtroom drama/thriller that takes place around 4 teenagers, 1 of whom is claiming something dark happened, 3 that swear it never happened. Who’s lying?!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.