Wow. What a book. I was completely hooked and it was a race to find out the truth in this amazing court room legal drama. Loved it. Don’t want to at too much for fear of spoilers. A must read

With Take it Back Kia Abdullah has written a thought provoking novel which keeps you hooked right until the final twist.

The subject of the book, an alleged gang rape, is handled sensitively whilst the backgrounds of all the main characters are used to moved the story on at a good pace.

Throughout the book you don't know who is telling the truth and just when you think you've guessed correctly another twist appears

Definitely recommended

A really thought provoking novel that is both powerful and sensitive at the same time. At times, Take it Back is a tough read and you never really know who's telling the truth.

As with most books of its kind you really want to side with 16 year old Jodie Wolfe, a white girl with horrible facial disfiguration, something that has caused physical and mental pain from those close and dear to her. When she accuses 4 immigrant boys of raping her, her life gets worse.

The great thing about this book is that you really have no idea what will happen until the very end. Very well written, powerful and characters you'll hate, love and loathe in equal measures. Bravo Kia.

An intelligent and well written novel which manages to combine a tense courtroom drama with highlighting a number of contemporary issues, particularly around justice, culture and the need we seem to have to take sides. Throw in news and social media, light the blue touch paper and you have this story!
I look forward to reading more by Ms Abdullah.
Thank you to HQ and netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I don’t usually read courtroom dramas, but I am, so I glad I did. Kia Abdullah’s Take it Back is an Amazing, powerful, controversial court room drama, that everyone will be taking about once it has been released.
16-year-old Jodie Wolfe is a white girl with facial deformities. She is bullied at school and taunted everywhere she goes. She lives on a rundown London estate with her Alcoholic mother who neglects her.
Zara Kaleel is an ex-barrister, now working for a sexual referral centre where Jodie goes to and confesses that she has been raped by 4 Muslim boys that go to her school. Four boys that come from immigrant families. She needs to share her story. By doing this, Jodie doesn’t realise what the consequences of her actions are. Her mother and her best friend don’t believe her as the four boys claim their innocence the case goes to court.
Wow what can I say about this book. This is such a powerful and controversial story about Race, culture, class and race. The author keeps you captivated throughout. I thought it was cleverly written. I didn’t know where to turn. First you feel sorry for Jodie but some things she said, but then you here from the four boys you think differently. It was a case of he said, she said, and you wondered who was telling the truth. And the ending didn’t see that coming.
Not going to say anymore you will have to buy it yourself and read it once it’s released. I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and HQ for a copy of this amazing book.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

Wow - this was amazing

could not put this down - taut, tense, gripping

highly recommended - loved this so much

Take it Back doesn’t always make for comfortable reading. It exposes a veneer of respectability which so often masks real attitudes and behaviours and it raises a number of challenging issues. My heart went out to the victim. It was easy to understand her vulnerability and her courage is remarkable. The court scenes will be familiar to many; cocky self assured defendants with the divine right if men on their side...it’s all horribly relevant.

Kia Abdullah has created a highly credible cast of characters and tackled difficult issues with compassion and sensitivity. It’s well paced and a genuinely interesting and compelling read which deserves acclaim. My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

This was a book I couldn't put down. I was riveted from beginning to end. Who was the truth teller? Showed the vitriolic disharmony that still exists between cultures and tolerances within certain religions.

A taught and gripping court room drama. Powerful, shocking and heartbraking. This was definitely not what I was expecting, this read is so much more. I have run the gamit of all my emotions while reading this book. Oh and did I mention the massive twist at the end. A new author for me and a fantastic read. This book will stay with me long after I have finished the last page. Need I say anymore? An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, HQ and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I devoured this excellent courtroom drama in one sitting, I was that engaged with the storyline. Take it Back is along similar kind of lines to ‘he said she said’ by Erin Kelly apart from the fact it is four defendants words against one girl. It’s a rape case whose alleged victim is Jodie, a character you immediately have empathy with as she’s been bullied etc all her life due to facial disfigurement as well as living with an alcoholic mother. The four boys accused of the crime are fellow classmates, all Muslim and from hard working families. Whose version of events do we believe?? Their words or hers?? The defence lawyer to take on Jodie’s case is Zara, once a high flying barrister herself but now working for an organisation that helps victims of sexual assault. So far, all good except Zara is also part of the Muslim community so this novel is more complex than first expected. Obviously the events that unfold in the courtroom take centre stage but the author explores the wider picture, focusing on the effect the case has on dividing communities and the racial tension and hatred that ensues. I think the author deals with the subject matter in a sensitive way so that the reader is left in no doubt about the myths surrounding rape cases and the uphill battle to bring about convictions as well as how gruelling the whole process is for the accuser. The characters are all superbly written, especially Zara who seems to act like a surrogate mother to Jodie, in lieu of the failings of her own mother. I found the storyline utterly gripping with both sides of the story making compelling reading. The ending was unexpected and without giving anything away shows how it’s never as simple as either guilty or innocent, lives are irrevocably changed. A 5 star read for me and thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read ahead of publication.

The synopsis of this book had me hooked instantley, I was excited that I was about to read a thriller that already had me wondering and questioning the storyline. I enjoy crime and punishment and the good reviews that I had already read left me feeling very eager to get stuck in.

From page one it was made clear that Kia Abdullah is a very powerful writer and throughout the story I really enjoyed her inspirational words, the dialouge between the characters was very touching at times.

I felt numerous emotions when reading Take it Back, Jodie's story definatley had me feeling rather sickly and choked up at times. By chapter two I was left generally not knowing what to believe and I had this feeling throughout the book, you are literally left on tender hooks.

Kia Abdullah has touched on some very sensitive subjetcs in Take it Back and she has done this in a very sensitive manner. She raises awareness of how religion and race can cause huge issues within society- which unfortunatley does still go on to this day. She touches on how hard it is to be strong and how even the strongest people can suffer in silence. She raises awareness of how difficult it can be to live up to other peoples expectations especially culteral and raises awareness about drug use. Kia Abdullah also does an amazing job at raises awareness of the condition Neurofibromatosis- a condition I really had no idea about until reading this book so kudos to this talented writer.

When reading the book I felt the chapters were very long and at first I felt the character jumps were a little confusing, if there was headings to show which character's perspective we were in, it would have really helped my flow of reading. I also felt the pace was a little too slow and the build up to be quite chunky. Despite this throughout the book I was left second guessing myself constantly which I really liked, iI literally felt myself jumping from side to side. The ending was brilliant, it was unexpected and left me feeling quite shocked, the twist was definatley one that really knocked you for six.

'Oppression doesn’t spread through men with guns, or bombs on trains. Oppression spreads when women like you tell their daughters to marry a certain man, or wear a certain dress, or work a certain job. It happens when women like you tell us– gently and with all the love in the world– not to peek above the parapet, instead to stay at home, to be quiet, to be kind, to be good.’

Take It Back wrestles with so many topical issues that it becomes hard to put down- I raced to the finish even though I felt in this case that a 'twist' was unnecessary and cheapened the overall message. I guess it was only to be expected. The author seamlessly interweaves many of the common issues in modern rape cases such as diminishing a victim and thereby her claims of sexual assault, something that we have seen time and time again in real life by high profile figures. Here also is a study on power dynamics even among already marginalised groups, which I found very interesting. The book isn't without issue, because if I'm honest Zara was a flimsy protagonist at best and I found it hard sometimes to get behind her decisions. On the whole though I thought this book had a whole lot to say and these are topics that we should all be educating ourselves about until we get past the era of perpetuating sexual violence based on gender and altogether treating women like second class citizens.

We can all think of a court case with similar nuances, girl claims a group of boys attacked her, who is telling the truth?

This is the premise of this book. Ultimately it is lots of unsavoury characters being shifty and untrustworthy, it makes you despair and feel helpless, but is a real page turner. I really was not sure until the last few pages!

If you like suspense, then this is the book for you. Prepare to be unsure! A great summer read.

Gripping court room dram e
With good characteristics and cover most topics of today's society
Powerful, heartbreaker and shocking
and the twist at the end, knew there would be one didn't expect that

High recommended

Thank you netgalley, Kia Abdullah and HQ for allowing me to read and review this book

Sixteen-year-old Jodie Wolfe enters a sexual referral centre, wanting to share her story, she reveals an appalling tale to lawyer Zara Kaleel, a horrific crime has been committed and Jodie firmly points the finger at four Muslim boys.
This sets the scene for an explosive courtroom thriller, where no one could foresee the far-reaching consequences for Jodie, Zara, four teenage boys, their families and the local Muslim community. It’s very much a case of ‘she said’ versus ‘they said’ but whose to be believed? Jodie a young girl who is bullied and tormented for her facial deformities, dragged up by an alcoholic mother? Or the four teenage boys, handsome, popular and from decent hardworking families? The odds aren’t stacked in Jodie’s favour that’s for sure!



Jodie Wolfe couldn’t foresee her case would develop into a high profile one, steeped in controversy, where everyone has an opinion, and sides are taken.
Kia Abdullah ensures the reader is kept captivated, with a cast of unreliable characters, it’s nigh on impossible to know who to believe. Truth and lies become blurred, the opinions of professionals, the evidence from witnesses, I found my thoughts constantly changing throughout the court scenes, making for a tense and unpredictable read.

Characters are such an essential part of a well-told story, and the author has created some exceptional ones, Zara Kaleel, one of London’s brightest young legal minds appears strong and determined but look under the flawless, public front and you will find a woman burdened with guilt at not being the perfect ‘Muslim girl’ that her family want her to be. Then you have Jodie who will pull at your heartstrings, dragged up by a mother who resents her, bullied and ridiculed by her peers for being disfigured, her story is desperately sad and yet very credible. There are other characters that will make your blood boil, or rouse sympathy but one thing I can guarantee you, you will question each one's variation of the truth!

The author keeps the reader on tenterhooks almost to the very last page, there were many surprises hidden within the pages that were unexpected but added to the tension. I have seen reviews that compare Zara Kaleel‘s writing to that of best seller Jodi Picoult, in many ways I would have to agree, the format feels the same, but I think the author has created her own style, the court scenes felt far more tense and hard-hitting, and I found the characters to be more relatable. Take It Back is a touching and powerful novel that makes for a disquieting read but it’s one I would highly recommend to those who appreciate a count drama, with a challenging storyline.

Review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

4.5 stars
I’ve finished this story a few weeks ago but just now got my head around it to write a review.

Told in multiple POV is the perfect way to find yourself engrossed in this story that will play with your feelings more than you know.

“A crime “ needed to be solved and although you have almost everything laying out page by page, I couldn’t find the true until I ‘re read the final chapter. And that’s the perfect recipe for a great book.

A great writing style, with compelling characters and so many twists and turns that your head will be spinning around for a few days for sure.

#NetGalley

Facially disfigured white girl Jodie accuses a group of Muslim boys of rape. She tells her story to former high-flying lawyer turned victim's advocate Zara, who believes her. Zara is disconcerted when the story Jodie tells the police differs in the telling of the early stages. Jodie lies convincingly. Then follows a courtroom drama. Muslim Zara is vilified for taking on the case.

A powerful story with very good characterisation.

A young woman with a debilitating disease accuses four Asian boys of raping her.
The story follows the trial, people involved including the police,families and the counsellor.
It cleverly shows the rise in violence, anger and rising tensions between the two communities and the impact on the key people.
The story is quite graphic in showing bullying, racism and violence so can be difficult to read.
There are a lot of twists and turns right up to the end.
A difficult read but enjoyable, particularly with regard to the victim Jodie who just wants to be loved.. Sara, an Asian barrister turned victim support/ counsellor believes Jodie and wants to help her, despite coming under attack herself.
In the age of Brexit this book shows the chasms in British society and shows the power of the internet and how quickly a lot of people rush back into their cultural bunkers.

A hard to read at times hard hitting story which covers some really tough issues of disabilities, religion and racism.

A real face paced page turner from the start I found it hard to put down and found myself carrying it around with me, housework can wait right!

A truly thought provoking story handled with great sensitivity and I loved the fact that Kia Abdullah shows that there are 'two sides to every story's

Quite a controversial book which I'm sure wont be everyone's taste but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This book is nothing short of brilliant. OK I absolutely love courtroom dramas so this book did have a head start. The gripping story never falters and you wonder how it will end. As the story and case progress you realise that there are losers on all sides but hardly any winners. When you get to the last 15 minutes or so of the book you wonder if the girl is telling the truth and if so will right overcome wrong. An excellent twist in the last few pages confirms what happened in the warehouse but all I felt at the end is sadness for several of the main characters.
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