Brace yourself, this is a book that takes you on a ride! This book covers a lot and it throws a tonne of twists and turns at you. It also pitches a couple of very strong positions against each other in a way that highlights the sometimes conflicting aspects of trying to stand up for people pushed to the fringes.

Abdullah offers up an immense emotional struggle thanks to strong characters who are easy to engage with. Jodie, a disabled teenager walks into Zara Kaleel's office and tells of an assault by four of her classmates. Zara's role as an advocate superbly demonstrates the difference between casting people as accusers or victims simply by believing them. Something that, as we're harshly reminded, not everyone does. And if this book was just about Zara guiding Jodie through this brutal period with kindness and sensitivity it would be a good book. But... things get far more complicated because the accused are Muslims. Pitching Zara in the middle of intense racial tensions that bring out the worst in many people. And if this was simply a book about Zara's struggle to reconcile her desire for justice with the community pressures and how they impact her family it would be a good book. However, combining the two aspects is a masterstroke that makes this a great book.

If you believe in justice and try to Do The Right Thing the book will keep you constantly on edge. Zara's precarious position is tense and confusing. You are pulled along as she battles her own demons. You never quite know exactly what will develop next. These aren't gratuitous twists to keep a mystery alive, they're contradictions that highlight the difficulty of such situations. Stories are inconsistent or even contradictory, but does that mean someone is actually lying? Or do they genuinely have different perceptions of events? As a reader, we, like Zara, are constantly trying to process new information.

The writing style is understated and fluid, making it for an easy book to get drawn into, but the very theme means this is a tough read at times. It is challenging and uncomfortable in places. It is thought-provoking and probably very divisive. But, finishing the book helps in that regard. At least somewhat. Because ultimately, it highlights many flaws in the way justice occurs in the world. The perils, and evils, of people assuming they know the details of a case from a few column inches in a newspaper, or thinking they know people based on a few brief snippets of their lives. And, as well-written as the book is, it's the general topic that makes this such required reading. Read it. Share it. Discuss it. Cherish it, for this is what art should do - it should make us think.

This story covers a multitude of emotive subjects, features a great cast of characters and is a complex weave of cultural, religious and social divisions facing modern society. The story is ultimately something you could envisage happening in real life.

At the heart of the story is the accusation of a disabled girl of rape by four Muslim boys. Each time it looks like the true story of the crime has been revealed.another discovery keeps the reader guessing the truth until the closing pages.

Recommended reading.

Kia Abdullah writes a brilliant, powerful, moving and intelligent psychological thriller and courtroom drama that pushes all the buttons as it lays bare all the ugly divisions and prejudices in our contemporary world, including race, class, disabilities, religion, politicsl and culture. This was a deeply unsettling and uncomfortable hard hitting read, with such well executed storytelling that it felt all too real and authentic, and which could so easily be true. Jodie Wolfe is a white 16 year old girl born with facial deformities, living on a London estate with her alcoholic mother that she cares for. She confides being raped at a warehouse by Amir Rabbani, Hassan Tanweer, Mohammed Ahmed and Farid Khan, 4 hard working Muslim Asian classmates, from immigrant families, to Zara Kaleel who works at a abused women's charity.

The Muslim Zara had a short lived arranged marriage, left behind a glittering legal career and is estranged from her family. She believes Jodie, even though those close to Jodie do not, and is driven to fight for justice in the tense and explosive courtroom trial that follows, one which attracts such a huge media focus that raise community, political, social and religious tensions sky high. It is a case of he said/she said as the reader ping pongs from believing one side and then the other. The alarming community hostility directed at Zara is beyond belief, as indeed is the hate directed at Jodie. The Anglian Defense League exploit the tensions, directing their hatred against Muslims. This turns out to be such twisted tale with its surprising true revelations that come at the end.

This is multilayered and complex storytelling with a compulsive and gripping narrative and skilful stellar characterisation. Jodie is a teenager, who feels all the normal teen hormonal urges with all her intense emotional feelings for a popular and gifted immigrant boy at school, and Zara is unafraid of being critical about her community. This is a thought provoking read with its portrayal of our disturbing times that I think will appeal to many readers. Many thanks to HarperCollins and HQ for an ARC.

Gosh ! Take The Accused, add in seething family rows and cultural tensions, mix it all up with pathos and this is what you get ! I wasn’t sure at first but it’s a game changer for crime books in the UK. Unashamedly taking on mixed race communities and lack of trust in officials.

The characters were very well drawn, even minor roles were brought to life. As for the main players well, warts and all they are developed with skill and patience. This book 📖 s not for everyone but I loved it and have nothing but praise for this talented writer who I will follow in future.

Read it, you will not regret it

A taut and engrossing court-room drama - but really a lot more. 4 Muslim boys are accused of raping a facially disfigured white girl and what follows in harrowing in many ways. It just so happens that the proscecuting attorney is a Muslim with family issues of her own - being in the crossfire between her own family and that of the embedded rascism on both sides. Whilst I'm unsure if it rates a 5 star review there's no doubt that Kia Abdullah is a rising star - my only grumble was the ending. Felt a bit flat and I couldn't see how Zara (the lawyer) and her team missed what they missed! I'll say no more for fear of giving anything away. A very enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A novel that makes the reader think.....

Jodie Wolfe is a victim and has been throughout her young life. She was born with facial deformities which often attracted the wrong type of attention and now at secondary school she has few friends or people who she can confide in. Her mother is an alcoholic and has all but rejected her. For these reasons she has a reputation as a loner but has become self-resilient.

However, her disability does not mean that she has not developed natural urges after puberty and she has a huge crush on the star sportsman at school who is a very popular, talented boy from an immigrant family.

Zara Kaleel was a rising star in the legal profession before she gave it up to help victims who had few other places to turn. After being assaulted by four boys Jodie has nowhere to turn and places her confidence in Zara to whom she pours out her story. Zara accepts the case but quickly identifies inconsistencies in Jodie’s story and so begins the trial which will determine what kind of a life awaits the participants.

Despite the irony of Zara acting for a white girl against four immigrant boys, this is not a novel about black versus white or Muslim versus Christian although the rejection of Zara by many in her community makes for a great subplot and for interesting reading. However, it is a story which challenged my own perceptions about race but also about my reaction to people with disabilities. I realised that I had built-in feelings about both which, although not prejudices, still coloured my emotive reaction to the plot developments.

Quite aside from the questions which the situation raises in the mind of the reader, the plot itself is worthy of positive comment. It’s a great storyline which has the reader asking time and time again who is telling the truth. It’s impossible to guess and the author keeps everyone on tenterhooks almost to the very last page.

An entertaining novel which is not only a well-written story but also makes the reader think about serious issues is a rare gem and deserves to be recognised as such.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

A very modern tale, with plenty of current issues which add greatly to the plot. The plot has plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
The characters are well thought out and realistic. They interact well with each other in a natural manner.
This book had me gripped from the beginning and kept my full attention throughout. When I wasn't actually reading it, I was thinking about reading it and couldn't wait to reach the conclusion.
A well considered and well written book. Up to date and extremely intriguing. I'd definitely recommend it.

Take It Back Kia Abdullah

I cannot remember who recommended this book, but whoever it was thank you.

The story is based around two main characters, Zara Kaleel, a gifted woman who finished top of Law School and landed a top job in good Chambers in London. Her life was mapped out for her, an arranged marriage, and a good job. Until she got rid of both the husband and the job, and took a job at a charity who looked after abused women.

The second character is Jodie Wolfe, a sixteen year old white girl with a severe facial deformity. The daughter of a single parent, an alcoholic mother, and living in a rundown house on a rough estate her life is not easy.

Jodie walks into Zara’s life when she accuses a group of four boys from her school of gangrape. The boys are all Muslim and from good families. They deny the accusation and give their own version of events.

Will anybody believe Jodie’s account over the four lads, and if they do, can they prove it beyond reasonable doubt.

This book is about so much more than just the rape of a young girl. It’s about attitudes, both preconceived, and actual, which are prevalent in today’s society.

The story itself is stunning. As a reader I was swayed in both directions. At different times I believed both Jodie and the four boys alternatively.

Some of the lads in this book lead a life of entitlement that their parents may have earned, but which they wrongly bask in.

The hatred that is extended to Jodie, by people who should be supporting her is unimaginable, but realistic in the way it is portrayed.

Worse still is the hostility extended to Zara by her own community.

Had the book been written by anybody else I don’t know how much emphasis I’d have put on the feelings that are running through the Muslim Community when it comes to the unwavering belief they have in the word of the young men, and the hold these young men have over their families.

I looked Kia Abdullah up on the internet, she is definitely qualified to right about this community in a way that most of us may never fully understand. But this book may go a long way to helping us.

This could have been a true story and it would not have had more of an impact on me. I felt like I was following a news story in fast forward.

It’s not often a book has me hooked as much as this one did. Thankfully I was in holiday so sitting reading all day was permissible, which was good, because once I’d started this, I was never going to put it down

Pages: 383

A powerful, thought-provoking, and sometimes difficult read, but it kept me turning the pages, wanting to read more!
The book tells of a white teenager with facial deformities who accuses four Muslim boys of rape, and of the ensuing investigation and courtroom trial which seeks to discover the truth about what really happened that night.
It focuses on Zara Kaleel, a former barrister now working at a sexual assault referral centre, as she seeks to support the victim and help her get justice. As a Muslim woman taking the side of a white girl against four Muslims, this is not an easy task and the repercussions are far-reaching for Zara, and for others in the community.
The book deals with some heavy topics such as poverty, sexual assault, racial tensions, and prejudice, and it does this well. It certainly made me think about my own views on some of these topics and why I was drawn to root for some characters more than others as the story unfolded.
The book does contain some fairly detailed descriptions of sexual assault so won't be for everyone, but it was a gripping read and tackled some difficult topics well.

This book is a really great, sometimes difficult read. The story of a lawyer who takes on the case of a rape victim when the accused are part of an ethnic minority group pulls no punches when it comes to showing the difficulties, prejudices and unpleasant side of all areas of our society. The story is told very much from the point of what happens after the alleged crime takes place, so you are left guessing as to the true nature of what happened, and the motives and actions of all the main players until the end. The revelations when they come are completely plausible and true to the rest of the narrative, but I had no idea how it was going to end.

This is not the kind of book I would read normally, I took a gamble as I was able to get an advance copy on Netgalley, and I am really glad that I did. This book really made me think and left an impression on me that has lasted way beyond when I finished it.

This book is phenomenal. From race relations, to court case drama, to a spin on a "whodunnit" story outline, Take It Back has everything you could want.

Pulling those elements together is a plot that is current, chilling and driven. In the age of "Me Too", the multiple false endings really further the belief that, under a multitude of lies, there is always some element of truth.

I connected with every single character which, for me, is incredibly rare! I got angry at Lucas being a man child, cried through Jodie's first retelling of the assault, and felt all of the feelings whenever Zara visited her family. For each character, big or small, to make an impression truly is the mark of a wonderful author.

And that ending?! Phenomenal. I was totally on board with the false ending, to be honest I thought from the beginning it would end there. And then Mo turns up the goods... Fabulous.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this fabulous book!

This is a tense read with a challenging story-line with themes of power, society, control, racism and disabilities. Super pace and characterisation throughout in this novel of moral dilemmas and legal challenges; the hunt for who is lying and who is telling the truth.
The book centres of the trial of a white girl and her accusations of rape towards four Muslim boys, and here in lies the central problem and mystery of the novel. It's engaging, tough to read at times but very well executed by Abdullah.

It's a challenging book with a complex subject matter, but it never feels contrived or preachy.
Definitely worth a read if you're not sensitive to any of the themes and issues being explored.

Recommended.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was a gripping read with an interesting concept, taking a typical legal procedural book and mixing it with wider commentary on communities and identity. Abdullah kept the pace of the book flowing well, although sometimes there wasn't enough clarity between the different perspectives.

This is a challenging, powerful read, which deals with the subject of sexual assault, Islamophobia, misogyny, poverty and rape culture. It's a book with a heavy subject matter, and it doesn't shy away from any of them. I'd be interested to know if the author is Muslim herself, as she is very critical of the religion and how it treats women. All I found out about her in a quick Google is that she's of Bangladeshi descent.

There's been a lot of discussion recently - particularly around young adult fiction - over whether authors writing about marginalised groups should be a part of that marginalised group themselves. Certainly it's a way to ensure authenticity. I'll reserve judgement in this case as I am far from being an expert, but it would be interesting to hear what Muslim readers think about the book.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

Not an easy read at times. The storyline line covers many contemporary issues that are impacting on today's society. Lots of twists and turns, a page turner. It is well written with sensitivity.

This book was compelling, thrilling, heartbreaking and shocking in equal measure. Unrequited love is a dangerous thing in Jodies case.
Each time I was convinced about the plot I was shocked by the next twist, right to the very end. Fantastic book and I will highly recommend!

I never repeat the blurb. This was a book I read avidly from cover to cover, couldn't devour it quickly enough. Absolutely superbly written and providing great insight and compassion on all sides.

Take It Back is a brilliant courtroom thriller. For the first half of the book we meet Josie a 16 year old with a severe facial deformity. She approaches Zara previously a top barrister who now works in a centre helping and giving legal advice. Jodie claims to have been raped by four Muslim boys whom attend the same school.
Believing Jodie completely Zara is determined to fight for justice and works tirelessly to help build a case against these boys. Being Muslim herself Zara faces much opposition from her family and community for taking this case.
We then have the trial, which is so well written you feel you are in the courtroom watching the defence and prosecution barristers fight for justice. It’s very much a she said/they said, rising racial tensions leading to violence and aggression, this book has it all. And the ending wow,just wow. This book should hit the bestseller list running.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

The Victim: A sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, neglected by an alcoholic mother. Who accuses four boys of something unthinkable.

The Defendants: Four handsome teenage boys from hardworking immigrant families. All with corroborating stories.

Someone is lying.

An involving read that kept you guessing to the end. It was disappointing that Jodie’s intimate bruising seemed to be forgotten. The frequent use of non English, without translation, felt rather excluding.