From author Kia Abdullah, Take It Back is a harrowing and twisting courtroom thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page is turned. One victim. Four accused. Who is telling the truth? Zara Kaleel, one of London’s brightest legal minds, shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a brilliant legal career. But her decisions came at a high cost, and now, battling her … But her decisions came at a high cost, and now, battling her own demons, she has exchanged her high profile career for a job at a sexual assault center, helping victims who need her the most. Victims like Jodie Wolfe.
When Jodie, a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, accuses four boys in her class of an unthinkable crime, the community is torn apart. After all, these four teenage defendants are from hard-working immigrant families and they all have proven alibis. Even Jodie’s best friend doesn’t believe her.
But Zara does–and she is determined to fight for Jodie–to find the truth in the face of public outcry. And as issues of sex, race and social justice collide, the most explosive criminal trial of the year builds to a shocking conclusion.
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WOW!! This is the perfect book to read when you want to add some excitement to your reading life. Be prepared because once you start it, you won’t want to put it down.
Zara is a top lawyer in London with her life in two very different areas. On one hand she is a well respected and successful lawyer, on the other she is part of a Muslim family who don’t understand or approve of her job or her lifestyle. She’s left the law practice and gone to work for a group who helps women who are sexually abused. She is given the case of Jodie, a sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities who is accusing four boys in her class of rape. They are all handsome hard working young men from immigrant families and they all have alibis for the night on the group rape. Neither Jodie’s mom nor her best friend believe her story and accuse her of lying. Once the media is tipped off the story causes a great outcry from the immigrant community. Zara’s family begs her not to work on the case because it sends a bad message that a Muslim woman would prosecute four young Muslim men. But Zara is convinced that she must fight for Jodie and for justice to be done no matter the outcome for her or her community. The Muslim community is convinced that the boys were innocent – why would four handsome young men be interested in a monster like Jodie when they could have anyone they wanted. Who is telling the truth – Jodie who may want revenge against the boys or the boys for taking advantage of a young woman? Will justice be given to the guilty and can it even be determined who is guilty and who is telling the truth?
This book is an intense look at justice, rape, religion, the media and public opinion. It was well written and kept the tension high throughout the entire book. I couldn’t put it down once I started and it’s a book that I won’t soon forget. I’m excited to find out that this is the first book of a new series and can’t wait to read about Zara again.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
This was an excellent read on multiple levels. It’s a fascinating legal thriller with many twists and turns – it kept me guessing as to who was telling the truth, right up until the last few pages. It’s also rich with thought-provoking commentary on social and cultural divides – even within families. It’s the first in a series about Zara Kaleel, a bright young lawyer who left a promising career to work at a center that provides aid to victims of sexual assault. She’s an interesting, flawed character and I’m on the lookout for the next book in the series once it’s been released in the US.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
Take It Back is centered around Zara Kaleel who left her job as a barrister with a prominent, high-powered London law firm when she awoke one day to find that she had become the person she used to hate: validated by her profession, arrogant, and self-important. She was also mourning her father and the fact that their estrangement was never put right before his death. She lost interest in her work, and thought she might be able to find herself by working closely with vulnerable women. Abandoning her career disappointed her family, but she believes they were more upset about her decision to leave her marriage. Now she serves as an independent sexual violence advisor at Artemis House, a sexual assault referral center, where her knowledge of the legal system proves invaluable. She supports rape victims, working to ensure that the facts are presented clearly and comprehensively in readily-understood terms, and helping them navigate the justice system.
Zara is stunned when Jodie Wolfe, sixteen years old, arrives to meet with her. Jodie’s right eye is all but hidden by excess skin hanging from her forehead, her lips and chin are also covered in heavy folds of skin, and her nose is unnaturally small. Jodie’s facial deformity renders her speech difficult to understand, but she immediately finds her way into Zara’s heart.
Jodie explains that she was raped five days earlier when she attended a party for the very first time. She relates that her friend Nina was dancing, so she went outside. And one of the boys there, Amir Rabbani, asked to kiss her. Jodie has been a victim of bullying and taunting her entire life, so the attention shown her was new and exciting. But then they were joined by his friends, Hassan Tanweer, Mohammed Ahmed, and Farid Khan, who violently assaulted her. Zara is stunned by Jodie’s story. “Four Muslim boys had raped a disabled white girl.”
Jodie’s accusation takes Zara on a journey for which she is not prepared. She joined the referral center to perform meaningful work and she is accustomed to hearing heartbreakingly painful stories. Her legal background prepared her to remain composed and dispassionate, but as she listened to Jodie “the buffer was breached.” Jodie agrees to let Zara accompany her to the policy department to make a formal statement, even though Zara secretly hopes that Jodie will decide not to “subject herself to the disruptive, corrosive justice system that left victims so often bruised. The law stress-tested every piece of evidence and that included the victim — probing, pushing and even bullying until the gaps became apparent.”
A media firestorm erupts when the boys face criminal charges. Zara must deal with the publicity the case generates, maneuver the legal system on behalf of and support Jodie, and prepare her to not just recount her experience during the direct examination at trial, but withstand cross-examination by four different defense counsels. The four boys are close friends and their futures hang in the balance. The case divides the community along not just socioeconomic lines. Zara’s friends and family are appalled by her role in the case. Her good friend Safran expresses concern about what the case will do to Muslims. He pointedly tells Zara, “You’re a Muslim holding the hand of a girl accusing four Muslim boys of rape. You really think you’ll stay in the background?” Zara finds herself in an ethical and moral quagmire. Should she remove herself from the case because of the potential damage it will do to her community and potentially alienate her from her remaining family members? Or see it through because she believes “Jodie deserves her day in court.” And then there is the matter of Jodie’s recitation of the events of that fateful night. It is inconsistent.
Take It Back is a shocking and riveting legal drama that is tautly constructed, fast-paced, and filled with credible, intriguing characters. Zara is a compelling protagonist. She’s a woman committed to using her intellect, education, and professional prowess to perform important work that will not only fulfill her, but help others. She must negotiate the chasm that her choices have created between her and her family, traditionalists who want her to lead the kind of life for which her parents prepared her, as do her female relatives. But that life holds no interest for Zara and her relationships with her brother, now the head of the family, and her mother are fraught. Zara’s coping mechanisms are also examined. Jodie is an equally fascinating, fully developed character. She is a teenage girl who has suffered greatly because of her appearance, as well as her home life. She has never had real friends or been accepted by her schoolmates, never been the object of positive male attention or interest, and wants desperately to belong. But would she destroy the lives of four of her classmates by concocting unfounded allegations in order to get the attention she craves?
Abdullah credibly examines the evidentiary complexities of the case, its impact on those involved in it, and the limitations of the legal system, as well as the far-reaching social and cultural implications. She injects shocking revelations at expertly-timed intervals and keeps readers guessing as to the truth until the book’s shocking conclusion.
Take It Back is an impressive debut — an intense, thought-provoking, and timely legal thriller on par with the work of established novelists like John Grisham and Scott Turow that will leave readers clamoring for Abdullah’s next book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
How many times have we thought, if I could only take it back? That is the main theme of the book as everyone wants to take something back, to return to the way things were.
The main character is Zara Kaleel, a former lawyer, with a bright legal mind who gives up her high-powered job to become a consultant to rape victims. Zara is estranged from her Muslim family as she is determined to live life her way. Unfortunately, I never quite connected with her character. We are told she is a strong and independent woman, but her actions say differently. There are many things in Zara’s past that she wants to take back.
Zara meets Jodie, a white 16-year-old who claims that four boys lured her to a deserted warehouse after a party and then proceeded to rape her. Jodie has a severe facial deformity, and has lived a life of torment as she is labelled a freak. Jodie’s alcoholic mother resents her as she was left a single mother to raise her alone when Jodie’s father abandoned the family. Jodie does have one friend, but will she remain true in the wake of the accusation? Jodie quite often thinks how life would have remained simpler is she could take it back.
As for the accused, they are four Muslim young men from hard-working families, all with deep ties to their immigrant community. No one can believe that these handsome and popular young men would commit the crime they are accused of, setting off a series of violent attacks against the Muslim community. While they admit that something happened, they insist it was consensual. And they would take it back if they could.
Thus begins an explosive trial, with a few twists and turns along the way. At the beginning, I tried to keep an open mind and pretend I was part of the jury. It was very hard as this is a she said/he said situation, until facts are slowly revealed. But do they really tell the whole truth?
All in all, the writing is good. I did feel the story going off-track at times with Zara’s personal issues. The problem was they really didn’t seem to tie-in all that well with the story. The book’s main themes of justice, race, religion, equality and empathy are weighty enough to stand on their own.
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This was an interesting read with lots of facets. You will experience the dynamics of a rape accusation and trial, physical disability, and racial tensions. It was emotionally difficult to read and you keep turning the pages while wondering what will happen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Zara Kaleel is a caring, strong, compassionate lawyer, now serving as a sexual assault victim counselor. She takes her job very seriously and stands up for those who have been wronged. Jodie needs her help and support. Little did Zara know the havoc this case would cause in her own life. But she perseveres to the end.
Kia Abdullah is a new-to-me author but I knew when I read the synopsis of this book that I had to read it. And I’m glad I did! Take It Back was a riveting, roller-coaster ride with an unexpected ending that I thought about long after I closed the pages of the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Take It Back and the character of Zara. I look forward to reading more of this series!
When I read the description of this story I was wanting to know more. And WOW! This story will wreck you and make you think about things. It is not a fast paced story but you will not want to put this book down. This book will be a trigger for some but it is a must read. This is my first time reading Kia Abdullah and it will definitely not be my last.
Ms. Abdullah takes on a mountain of issues in her crime thriller, Take It Back. Race, gender, family, and class all take their turn in the spotlight, with appearances by religion and immigration swirling in the mix. When a teenage white girl accuses four male Muslim classmates of rape, a powder keg erupts in London. And Zara, a victim ‘s advocate who is also Muslim, is shattered by the impact.
No one in this book is particularly sympathetic. Jodie, the victim, is horribly disfigured and while readers may feel pity for her she isn’t all that likeable. Zara, who stands between Jodie and the court system, is a screwed up mess of rebellion against her traditional Muslim upbringing. And the accused are what you might expect, four boys raised in a culture in which males can do no wrong and who believe they are protected by that veneration. But in the midst of these prickly and privileged characters there are very real flashes of humanity. Of grief and heartbreak and hope.
This book is many things. A courtroom drama. A statement on sexual assault and the razor thin credibility victims are given. A window into a clash of cultures. It drags the reader through many dark streets, and asks them to consider issues far outside our comfort zones. But most of all, it’s a warning. When people who have no intention of assimilating insert themselves into a culture whose values are far removed from their own, bad things happen.
Perhaps that’s not what Ms. Abdullah intended. After all, this is a thriller. Shocking events must occur to get to an equally shocking conclusion. But the warning is there all the same. If any of you still wonder “Can’t we all just get along?” Take It Back will help you understand why we can’t. It will sadden you, even as it offers enlightenment. And the insights will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.
I didn’t find this book gripping, but it held my attention. This is a story of “they said, she said.” We hear both sides of the story, but who is telling the truth? It definitely had me wondering who to believe. We do find out the truth in the end, but I’m not sure I feel satisfied with the ending.
This is a book that makes you think. The book is very emotional. What happens one night has a lot of consciences for more than just the people involved. This book makes you see what happens when you accuse people of a crime. It shows both sides and what it really means to be either a woman, a certain faith or skin color when that happens. It shows that many things still have not changed but a lot still needs to.
*I received this free book from NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion*
Content Rating: 18+
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Legal Thriller
Published: December 8, 2020, by St. Martin’s Press
Take It Back by Kia Abdullah is an explosive novel that will test your feeling on the forefront of social issues in today’s society. Take It Back examines and lies witness to the deep divisiveness that is so prevalent in our world. I commend Ms. Abdullah’s direct approach to the issues of rape, race, religion, misogyny, and bullying, and exposing the truth no matter where it leads. These are not easy topics to tackle, but Ms. Abdulla does so with her captivating writing and her command of these issues.
“It started with one girl, four boys… The Papers had likened her case to that of Stephen Lawrence. ‘A flashpoint in race relations,’ said the pundits.'”
Take It Back grabbed me from the first page and kept me wondering what was going to happen. Filled with nail-biting suspense, Take It Back takes the reader on a journey filled with twists and turns. When you think you have figured out what is going on, Ms. Abdullah propels the story in a direction that you never saw coming—filled with lies, deceit, and hate but also moments of tenderness that are heart-wrenchingly beautiful. These emotional scenes will have you saying WTF while loving and hating some of the characters and feeling shocked and alarmed that this could and probably has happened in our society.
“It’s not, Jodie wanted to tell them. It’s not about race but rape. But the case was no longer about her. It wasn’t a flashpoint it was a war and everyone had their own agenda.”
Jodie Wolfe, a sixteen-year-old white girl with horrific facial deformities, has accused four popular Muslim boys at her school of raping her after a party they all attended. These four boys come from hard-working Muslim families that are trying to make their way in life. The four boys adamantly deny the accusations. Christine Wolfe, Jodie’s alcoholic, abusive mother, doesn’t believe her. Christine has beat down Jodie her whole life and has left her alone to deal with this situation. Even Jodie’s best friend doesn’t believe her and repletely implores her to recant her accusations. However, Zara Kaleel, a high-power lawyer turned independent sexual violence advisor working for Artemis House, fully believes Jodie. Jodie has spent her whole life being shunned, bullied, and mocked for her physical disabilities. Jodie is a sad, lost soul; she is just trying to be a typical teenager, and it seems she will do anything to make that happen. Zara throws her a lifeline by supporting and believing her.
“‘Men rape women not because they are sexy, but because they want to exert power over them.'”
Zara, our heroine, is far from perfect, but that makes her all the more relatable. She struggles with her demons: her relationship with her deceased father, relationships with men, and her misuse of prescription drugs and cocaine. All this aside, Zara must deal with the fact that she is a Muslim woman supporting a white girl who has accused four Muslim boys of rape. This conflict adds a whole other level of controversy to this already tense situation.
I feel obligated to warn the reader, Take It Back is not a feel-good book. It delves into some pretty heavy topics. There are references to rape, drug, alcohol misuse, and multiple highly controversial societal issues. However, I highly recommend this book. It is well written and researched. It will have your mind and heart tied up in knots throughout the whole book and for weeks to follow.
* Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published. *
** I kindly received this galley from NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishers, and Kia Abdullah. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **
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.
One of the best books I’ve read this year- fully-developped characters, gripping plot, unexpected ending, thought-provoking. Excellent! Can’t wait to read it’s sequel.
Intense, shocking and so real you can literally feel its heartbeat.
I have never read this author before, but I’m here to tell you that I will read any book she writes. This is a great book book and I’m here to tell you that you will be sorry if you don’t pick this one up! Thanks for writing such a great book!
Been part of an emigrant Muslim family has its drawbacks.
In the mix we have a Muslim Layer, four Muslim teenage boys from good families and Jodie who has a facial deformity and claims to be raped by the four boys.
All through the book you feel bad for Jodie. Jodie is living with a mother that resent her daughter’s disfigured face and blames the daughter for her current living condition.
Going through the court procedures you feel how hard it is for the victim and how easily the jury can be convinced from guilty to not guilty and vice versa. Why did Jody lie when she was telling her story?
You don’t know who to believe a very intense and sensitive story.
If all this wasn’t enough you have the Muslim community coming to the defense of the boys and harassing Zara for been a traitor, even her own family tries to distance themselves from her.
Love to see more books about Zara and how she resolves the conflicts within her own live.
4 stars
I have just spent the last week reading a psychological thriller involving the rape of a sixteen-year-old Jodie Wolfe who had a disfigured face. She has accused four Muslim boys. Her mother is an alcoholic. Enter Zara who has left a successful barrister career to work as an advocate for rape victims. When I first started this book, I stopped after about three hours. There are so many characters that it became confusing as to who each character was and what was going on in each of their lives. A few days later I decided to start over and take notes. I am glad I did!
This book is like a jig-saw puzzle. So many complex societal problems are rolled into this story. From addiction, racial problems, teenage angst, parent-child relationships, justice……It has now been a couple of days since I finished, and my head is still swamped with thoughts. This is a book I would read again after a period of time passed. I do think shorter chapters would help. I am also not totally sure about how I feel about the ending. I look forward to reading another book by Kia Abdulah. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.
Jodie Wolfe, 16, has been a victim all of her life. Born with the elephant man disease, she has significant facial deformities that have brought her unending teasing, bullying, and isolation. Even her mother can’t stand to look at her, and tells her often that her birth has ruined her life, causing Jodie’s father to leave them. Jodie’s mother is a drunk, and a mean one, and her words hurt far more than punches ever would. Jodie is used to taking care of herself, she’s had to, but it would be nice to be part of a normal family. She’s built up lots of wall for herself, but they don’t work well. All she wants is to feel normal, to be accepted.
One night at a party she attends with her friend Nina, she again feels like the outsider, and steps outside to get away from the crowd. Imagine her surprise when THE handsomest boy in school, comes up to talk with her! He explains that Nina went off to a private party and he offers to take her there. She agrees. Instead, he leads her to a quiet warehouse, where three of his friends are waiting.
Events quickly spin out of control and none of the five young people’s lives will ever be the same.In fact, these five young people will soon find their names known around the world. as they become involved in one of the most divisive and sensational courtroom cases ever held in London. Jodie, a white girl, accuses her four Muslim classmates of rape.
Zara Kaleel, a young, Muslim lawyer, left the law to help victims of domestic violence. She is appointed as Jodie’s advocate to help her get through the investigation and trial. Her family doesn’t accept Zara’s desire to make her own decisions and live in her own apartment rather than marry a man of their choosing. To them, she is a disgrace who brings dishonor to the family. When they learn that she is supporting Jodie in the trial, they are enraged.
During the trial, the city explodes with hatred and all parties involved in the case are in danger. And when the trial is over, whatever the verdict, is it really over? Can something like this happen, and then life be lived as if it never had occurred?
The author, Kia Adbullah, takes on a lot of sensitive and hot topics in Take It Back; those that are deformed, domestic abuse, drug abuse, rape, misogeny, cultural mores, racisim, hatred, religious discrimination and persecution, the media, riots, immigration, he said/she said and more. Despite the number of topics, she handles each of them well and fairly, and they are a natural part of the book. To her credit, at no point does the material in this novel feel contrived or gratuitous in any way.
This is an explosive book! It quickly engages the reader and catches them up in the rapidly growing fervor of the city regarding the trial. With complex characters and situations throughout, it is easy to feel asea, not know who to believe. At the end, no one gets out unchanged, not even the reader.
This book deserves to be on all of the BEST OF lists. It is certainly one of the best books I’ve read this year and I hope you don’t miss it!
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the opportunity to read and review the book which was published on December 8,2020. Please get your copy now!!
I picked up TAKE IT BACK by Kia Abdullah because it sounded interesting and it turns out that was a mild word to describe this novel. There is so much in this book, so many moving parts, and Abdullah orchestrates them with an ease and finesse that kept me turning pages.
Zara Kaleel, a Muslim woman struggling with her place in the world, left a lucrative position as an attorney/barrister in London and took a position as a counselor for a group that aids victims of sexual assault. When Jodie, a 16-year-old with facial deformities comes in and accuses four Muslim boys of assault, Kaleel is determined to help her, despite what she knows will be blowback from her family and community. The boys maintain that they are innocent of the accusations, and the reader is thrust into the story, alternating points of view between Zara, Jodie, and the different boys. So who is telling the truth? Abdullah keeps us wondering as the case heads to court and, the summary isn’t kidding, the explosive conclusion.
Abdullah shines a light on so many different issues in this one: women and sexual assault, racial tensions, and a woman’s place, particularly a Muslim woman. Zara has a contentious relationship with her family, her faith, and her community, and her involvement in the case thrusts all of this to the forefront of her life in a terrifying way. My stomach churned and my knuckles were white as frantically turned the pages. The ending had more than one unexpected twist and didn’t disappoint.
I was excited to learn that there will be another novel starring Zara Kaleel from Abdullah, and it will be at the top of my TBR pile.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#takeitback #kiaabdullah #zarakaleel #stmartinspress
TAKE IT BACK is an explosive story and one so gripping, you cannot keep your fingers from turning those pages until the truth is revealed.
This story follows Jodie Wolfe, a 16 year old young girl who has had facial deformities, living a very hard life full of bullying, taunting, and most of all from her alcoholic mother of all people. Jodie Wolfe’s life even becomes more hardened when she accuses four teenage boys from immigrant families of rape. As we read the book, the story reveals itself in just impeccable pace and timing, and a very intense courtroom drama.
Zara Kaleel is a Muslim assigned to assist Jodie Wolfe – but so are the accused. A media circus soon forms about this case and so does the trolling and the criticisms for both Jodie and Zara. Zara believes Jodie with all her heart even though everyone had turned her back on her – her best friend and even her own mother. Zara’s moral compass is really empowering and inspirational as she finds the truth to bring the person responsible to justice.
This is an exceptionally well written book – so gripping and immersive, one that will have you fighting on the side of Zara and Jodie when the world has turned against them.
Read this!
What a phenomenal and outstanding legal thriller I highly recommend.