This was an insightfu,,well written,complex story. Fighting for justice for sexual assault victims, former lawyer Zara helps rape victim Jodie come forward to accuse several Muslim boys of rape.
As a Muslim herself,Zara finds herself in not just a battle for Jodie but for herself, against more than she expected.
This was a poignant & heart tugging novel.

I really liked this story and really felt for the main character. Enjoyed how it was such a twisted story and wow, what an ending! Definitely recommend.

Received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.
I did not like this book. It was not the story about a young girl who charges four boys of rape or the culture of the characters. It's just over the top with way more than necessary going on. I was not engaged in the stories and felt it was full of cliches. I did not find any in depth development but a reliance on trauma, the press, and assaults.
I am reminded of a similar plot here in the US. And while I know this takes place in a UK court, I cant believe the rookie mistake on the part of the state during the last part of the trial. Especially when Zara was written as a Brilliant barrister

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Take it Back by Kia Abdullah.

Zara, once a high powered attorney, has turned in her prestige and income for something that she's much more passionate about, representing victims of sexual assault. So when Jodie, who has a severe facial deformity, comes in with a horrific story of sexual assault, Zara will stop at nothing to see that the four perpetrators are put behind bars.

But it's complicated. Zara is Muslim, as are the boys who are about to be charged. Jodie is white, and racial tension runs high. Is Zara betraying her community by protecting her client, especially when Jodie's story is riddled with inconsistencies? How far will this escalate?

I was immediately sold on this story, hook, line, and sinker. I felt like I knew the characters, I could see them, I could feel their pain. It addressed so many important issues when it comes to race, sexual assault, and what victims have to go through to get justice. It ripped my heart out and gave me hope at the same time.

Trigger warning: language and descriptions of sexual assault

Take it back by Kia Abdullah follows a British-Bangladeshi Muslim called Zara. In her thirties Zara has worked diligently getting a law degree and qualifying as a barrister, working for corporate companies for years. After earning much success she is left feeling unsatisfied and starts working for a charity that supports victims of rape and sexual assault.
One morning she gets a visit from a 16-year old girl called Jodie, a white poor girl with facial deformities. Jodie was gang-raped by four Muslim teenagers. Being a Muslim herself Zara takes on the case because she believes Jodie, yet inevitably her decision causes controversy and divisiveness in the media and in her community, and soon her Zara's personal life is at stake, too, judged for not being a good Muslim...
This is a gripping read, it's pacy and suspenseful, yet manages to shed light on topical issues without being patronising. I found Zara to be a highly complex, messy and conflicted character. Zara is estranged from her family following a disastrous arranged marriage. She drinks, doesn't wear hijab and has a white boyfriend. There's several, tense scenes where she's visiting her mother and her family members are there dissecting her choices, it's just filled with tension and pent-up frustration, anger and oppression. Kia Abdullah does a good job showing a range of Muslims and how different they all, but are pressured to hide aspects of themselves and torn between the expectation to integrate and be true to their roots and religion. This is a suspenseful and well-balanced book that uses issues to propel the plot. My only gripe is the ending, which was abrupt and ended on a cliffhanger. I just felt the ending wasn't resolved, it was too open, and I didn't get any closure. Other than that this is a searing debut, that is gripping, suspenseful and full of complex, complicated characters. I'm excited to see what Kia Abdullah does next.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The subject matter is a very difficult one.
I felt whole gamut of emotions.
Sadness, sympathy, anger, doubt and more.
The book was very well written, and it represented every character fully, so you really felt you knew them.
I found myself feeling 2 different thoughts about justice.
Sometimes I felt like justice be served, and at other points feel like the justice system is such an utter failure.
It definitely left me feeling conflicted.

WOW.... Take It Back deserves a five star rating. This story is extremely well written, from the plot, to the characters, to the unbelievable twist at the end of the book. I was constantly on edge with nerves all the way to the last page. I have to say, I didn't see the last part coming at all.

Jodie Wolfe is a sixteen year old teenager born with extreme deformities to her face. She has been bullied ever since she can remember because of her difference. Being sixteen, all she wanted was to be normal, to live life like other sixteen year old girls. Josie is also raised by a psychologically abusing and alcoholic mother who reminds her everyday of her ugliness. Love was not something that was ever given to her!

Jodie's life takes a turn after accusing four immigrant muslim boys who come from hardworking and respectable families of rape. The boys claim that they never touched her, and that Jodie is an attention seeking liar who is out to ruin them.

No one believes Jodie's story, not her mother or her best friend. The only person to believe her is Zara Kaleel, a muslim women her self, who takes on Jodie's case. Little did Zara know that this case will change her life forever. Jodie's story gets leaked to the tabloids bringing a world wind of riots, attacks and aggression. It became religion against religion, color against color in the midst of trying to find the truth of what really happened on the night Jodie says she was raped! Being a muslim woman taking a white girls side, Zara had to face the judgment and ongoing verbal abuse of being a traitor from her own culture.

Not only was Zara having to deal with everything with and about the trial, she was also fighting her own demons of being shunned and disconnected from her own family and past. Quieting her mind from everything around her by popping pills in order to function.

This story is a tragic one, it's full of hatred, ignorance, unfairness, prejudice and old religious beliefs. Prepare to be shocked and angry by the ending, I was. Until the real truth came out!

5 stunning stars!

Wow. This book was something. Seriously, wow.

It's honestly hard to put into words how this book made me feel. My emotions during and upon finishing the book have been all over the place. I found myself so angry at times, that I had to put the book down and take a break.

This book is so disturbing, shocking and RAW.

This is the story is about a 16 year old girl with severe facial deformities, Jodie, being gang-raped by four Muslim boys. It's mostly the story of the trial, how it's handled and perceived by the public eye. And how unbelievably difficult it is for rape victims to get justice in court.

Some people believe the boys, some people believe the girl. And at the center of all of this, we have Zara, the only person who believes Jodie, who fights for her with all her might, despite the public turning on her.

The case goes viral and the media is crazy for this case. It gets nasty, brutal and violent. Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, it does.

As the story unfolds, and you find out the truth, your emotions will be all over the place.

You will feel angry, disgusted, infuriated, shocked and disturbed.

This book provoked such a strong emotional response from me, not only from the subject matter, but because the writing was incredible. Kia Abdullah has a true gift, and I look forward to her future books.

Please read this. It will be hard to do, but it's a story that had to be told, and needs to be read.

A big thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC and wanting my honest opinions!

I rarely give five stars to a novel .
“Take it back“ was so engaging to me !
Granted it had a lot of things I like in a story.
I love reading about different cultures, different religions, different places in time etc
I love trying to see things from the perspective of someone probably quite different from me either in their culture, the way they were brought up or where their family is from.
I also find it very interesting with a novel shows enough of a character’s upbringing and family to show the impact that this has on the decisions they make and the path they lead in life.
“Take it back“ had all of that but additionally it had suspense and I kept wanting to see what was going to happen next.

This is much more that your usual courtroom drama. It deals with religion, class status, gender and prejudice against race. Zara is a rape counsellor who is dealing with her own issues. Zara believes Jodie and she will fight for her. When the case gets to court, the media's involvement aa stirs up prejudice and racism on both sides. It's quite a hard book to read due to its difficult content but it was also honest, believable and current. A heartbreaking story that unfortunately far too many are scared to tell.

I was excited to get approved for this title. I saw it discussed on BookEnds Literary on Twitter (one of the most surprising places I've gotten book recommendations) and couldn't wait to dive in.

Zara Kaleel leaves her high-paying barrister position to work for Artemis House, a rape crisis center, following a failed arranged marriage where she is shamed for her actions. Existing on pills, alcohol, and physical relationships, she is thrust into the spotlight when Jodie, a white, disabled girl, claims she was raped by four Muslim boys in her class. Take It Back follows the events leading up to the trial, where perception is skewed and we're forced to question everyone.

Let me start by saying: it is refreshing to find a thriller that is culturally diverse, that explores the nuances of religion, community, and gender from Zara, a Muslim woman's, point of view. We see her struggle with her desire to live her own life when her family wants her to follow tradition. A woman can be shamed for any number of reasons: dressing too risque, having a high-power job, speaking her opinion, having relations with someone not her husband, and here--defending the accuser when the accused are four Muslim boys from the community. Zara's precarious position puts her in the middle of some pretty painful fallout, and she fights to find her footing, oftentimes questioning whether she's doing the right thing while the media slanders her character and her community and family shun her.

The plot itself is also gripping in its execution. Following the accusation, investigation, trial, and verdict, we see the process unravel, which allows us to form our own opinions of guilt and innocence. I love stories that put us in the jury seat, and Abdullah did a wonderful job creating tension and doubt with every character. From the beginning, we see everyone close to her doubt Jodie's claims. On the opposite end of the spectrum, race is front and center in the discussion, and the discrimination the four boys' experience is played out in the media (of course they did this horrible deed, they're brown and should face the consequences). Zara herself questions her client more than once, a fact I found interesting because so often in reality, we question victims, dissecting their wardrobes and behavior instead of believing their stories. By the harrowing conclusion of the trial, however, you're really not sure who to believe.

I really liked most of this book, loved parts of it, and found it to be an interesting critique on gender and race in rape cases and overarching society biases. I thought it got a bit preachy at times for my liking, with plenty of sweeping claims about women's experiences that felt a little too soap boxy. Toning them down might have made them more powerful for me, as I appreciated the points Abdullah was making, but just fell on the side of heavy handed.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who loves courtroom dramas, high profile cases, contemporary thrillers with important issues, or, really, anyone looking for a good suspense with unreliable narrators. Take It Back is a timely, gripping thriller you won't want to miss.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Take It Back.

I love a good courtroom drama so I was excited when my request was approved.

Zara Kaleel has surpassed her family's expectations by becoming the only daughter to graduate college. A former high powered attorney, she gave up a promising career to work at a non-profit helping the less fortunate.

That is how Zara meets Jodie, a social outcast with a facial deformity as a result of a childhood illness. Jodie confesses that she was raped by four classmates. To make matters worse, they are the sons of immigrants and Jodie is white.

Zara is determined to bring Jodie's attackers to justice, but at the same time, she must come to terms with the family and societal expectations her family and culture expect of her, and the loss of a father she never had a chance to make amends with before his unexpected death.

I liked Zara; she is a formidable woman, yet flawed, like us all. She is smart, courageous and determined, but she is not without her issues but unlike some of us, she holds herself accountable for her mistakes.

The author weaves a realistic case with issues of sexual violence, class and race, topics that will always be prevalent no matter what decade or century we live in.

The characters (and the readers) go through a myriad of emotions including doubt and anger, sorrow and confusion, and hate and shame, all of which the author handled with honesty.

I didn't expect the POVs from the perps as well as Jodie, and I was pleased at how well the author handled each distinct personality. Jodie's character was not as well rounded but that might be due to the fact that she grew up as an isolated, socially shunned girl.

The reader is left guessing page after page, and tension and confusion only increases during the trial.

Take It Back was a compelling and engrossing read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys good writing, interesting characters and a courtroom drama/setting.

This was a very well written, intensely powerful, and extremely emotional story. Jodie, a sixteen year old girl with facial deformities accused four Muslim classmates of rape. But the storyline went beyond the typical “she said, they said” scenario. It dealt with a clash of cultures, intrusive media behavior, unsavory tactics of lawyers shaming victims, and the backlash of Jodie’s sexual violence advisor, Zara, who faced verbal and physical attacks by her own Muslim community.
This was one of those stories that was difficult to discern who was telling the truth. The author gave nothing away. She did, however, set the stage with each compelling chapter for an unexpectedly dramatic conclusion.
This was one of the best legal dramas I have read this year. Thoroughly riveting!

I don't rate books 5 stars very often but Take It Back deserved it and then some. Jodie, a teenage rape victim, goes to Artemis house, where she's assigned a sexual assault counselor, Zara who gave up a high paying high society barrister position after a series of traumatic life events. Jodie is accusing 4 muslim boys she attends school with of having attacked her after a house party. With even her alcoholic mother and best friend not believing her story - who would want to rape a girl with neurofibramatosis - a rare condition that causes severe facial deformity? A thrilling, moving, frustrating and handled with subtle grace courtroom thriller, this book was absolutely amazing down to the very last sentence. Fantastic read!

Wow! There is so much to say about this book and I hope I can give it justice.

I love me some court room drama. Although the court room scenes came a bit later in the book it still worked well that way.

Jodie Wolfe is a 16yr old girl who was born with facial deformities, has come forward claiming 4 Muslim boys have raped her. Jodie has had a rough upbringing with already the loneliness that she feels with having this deformities and now this rape.

Zara Kaleel a previous barrister turned sexual violence advisor and is also Muslim is helping Jodie with the case. Zara is being scrutnized for going against her own people. But will Zara allow this to steer her in a different direction? This is one of the best books I have read this year.
Thank you @ Netgalley and publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my review.

A riveting courtroom drama with layered themes makes this a superb read. Zara Kaleel is a lawyer and a Muslim. She has eschewed many of the traditional Muslim practices much to the chagrin of her family. She finds herself in the media spotlight when 16 year old Jodie, with a terrible facial disfigurement, comes to her claiming rape by four of her school mates who are 'good Muslim' boys whose immigrant parents have worked hard to give them all the opportunities a good English education can bring. Is Jodie telling the truth? As the trial progresses, it takes devastating turns for all involved.
So much more is explored in this novel than the difficulties of a rape trial. What does it mean to be Muslim in London today? What kinds of prejudices are still entrenched surrounding disability and gender? How does someone navigate a Western culture when your roots are Eastern? What is the immigrant experience? How does race and class intersect? And can a Muslim woman lawyer prosecute Muslim boys without being regarded as a traitor to her culture?
I rarely give 5 stars to a book but this one ticks all the boxes for me.

Kia Abdullah's fast-moving, compelling legal thriller is a skillfully written and well-developed story. The author intelligently and incitefully deals with matters of race relations, sexual assault, disability, prejudice, and relationships, all with a gentle hand searching for the truth. Abdullah adroitly looks at social issues with clarity and sensitivity. At the same time, in a carefully crafted understory, she creates and develops characters and relationships that pull the reader even deeper into the complexities of the plot which also has a twist at the end. Highly recommended for its excellent writing and thought-provoking investigation of faith, honor, and loyalty.

Parts of this book were really hard to read. I was interested to find out what the truth was so I kept reading but I admit I had to skip a lot of the really descriptive parts it to me I did nothing to the story. But in the end the book turned out to be well worth reading.

Double. Gut. Punch.
WOW.
This book wasn't my usual "thriller," but I'm glad I gave it a chance. Once I started reading this one, I could NOT put it down.
Set in London, a rape case involving a white girl with facial deformity accusing four Muslim school-mates. Zara, our main character, is assigned as the special consultant to the victim. Zara is Muslim. Zara's past creeps up to haunt her in this chilling story of one night gone wrong and 6 lives that will be forever changed.
Beautifully written.
Actual stars: 4.5
Excellent read, easy to recommend who like harder reads with difficult/troubling narratives. Triggers - this books details a fairly graphic rape.

Easy read! The story never gets boring so it definitely keeps you reading. There were a few parts where the situation could have been summed up a bit but for the most part, the plot was intriguing and you really won't know who to believe. You want Justice for Jodie but you're confused by the boy's recollection of events -- he said she said! Was a little disappointed near the end but then the book redeemed itself! I gave it three stars instead of four because nothing really made it stand out and it seemed like the author was equally trying to force not only Jodie's story but Zara's as well which was a little exhausting to follow.