When it comes to reading about ethnic minorities and crime Kia is your author! Once again, she has written a great page turner giving us the story of Kamran and all his trouble in a world where he's expected to be the star no matter what happens. I loved Truth Be Told and I can't wait for everyone else to read it!

My full review will be published on www.bibliophoenix.wordpress.com a week before publication day.

The question of consent versus rape is dealt with sensitively with a heartbreaking outcome. I didn’t see the end coming.
Kamran Hamid is seventeen and attends an elite boarding school , he’s a high achiever destined for a bright future.
One evening, following an alcohol fuelled party, he claims he has been raped. He is subsequently supported by Zara Kaleel, a counsellor with issues of her own. His parents won’t accept what has happened, his father in particular feels that he should have fought back.
The outcome of the court case leads to even more devastating consequences.

Public schoolboy Kamran Hadid returns drunk to his room. Another pupil enters, gets into his bed and initiates sex. Kamran doesn't resist, but is mortified when he wakes. He seeks the help of Zara Kaleel and a rape case is brought...

A tense and compelling legal thriller. Very well written and realistic, with a twisty ending. I felt involved and transported.

Beware of spoilers to the first book in the Zara Kaleel series 'Take it Back''..

This book was way out of my comfort zone and didn't appeal to me, I am sure I will be in the minority but I am sorry I didn't read it until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Wow what a story! So pleased I have found Kia Abdullah. This legal thriller had me hooked early on and held me to the very end. This is a court room thrilled that is thought provoking, vivid and engaging. The characters were well told and the story kept me guessing. Would highly recommend.

I wouldn’t have expected this book to be what it is till you actually read it! The way the story talks of the Asian community especially as males and rape. It really makes you think as you read it.

Truth Be Told is an exceptional piece of writing. Former barrister turned advocate for abused women, Zara, takes up the case of Kamran, a 17 year old Asian schoolboy. The subject matter is most thought-provoking involving Muslim attitudes to homosexuality and a subsequent trial which becomes a case of he said/he said, so familiar to women. The twist at the end is a shocking and unexpected one.

Truth Be Told should be read by both adolescents and adults and I highly recommend it. Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book will stay with me forever. There are so many issues being addressed- honour of an Islamic family and prestigious school, if you don't actually say 'no', does that mean it is consensual? Does that mean you have to gain permission for every kiss or touch?
How would it be viewed for a Muslim to come out as gay?
The writer does a wonderful job of making you question the values you thought you were so clear about, while intricately weaving it into a wonderfully gripping courtroom drama.

Having read Kia Abdullah's previous book, Take It Back, I was keen to read this one too. It takes up the story of Zara Kaleel, advocate for victims of abuse, shortly after the events of the previous book. This time she gets involved in a different case - that of 17 year-old Kamran Hadid, a private schoolboy who accuses a fellow student of rape after a drunken party.
The book is intense and gripping. The subject matter is obviously pretty heavy, but it is thought-provoking, exploring issues such as what constitutes consent and Muslim attitudes to homosexuality.
It kept me reading, and there is a twist at the end which, for me, worked perfectly in that I didn't see it coming and yet once I knew about it, it seemed so obvious.
While this book can be read as a stand-alone book, it does contain spoilers for Take It Back, so I would advise reading that book first.

I went into this book with no preconceptions or expectations, having never heard of the author. I’m pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised with a good read. This is the second book in a series about former barrister turned women’s advocate Zara Kaleel.
The book reads like a lukewarm legal thriller, not too loud. I found myself investing in the main characters, and enjoyed learning bits about Zara and the Hadid family. I would recommend this book heartily to friends and fellow book lovers. Unfortunately the only thing holding back this book was the terrible formatting problems it has. I noticed several brainless spelling errors and syntax faux-pas. Maybe these will be ironed out in time for the publication of this book and I surely hope so.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is incredible! The characters where very relatable and the storyline was heartbreaking and felt very true! This is the type of book every teen should read and understand and know how these small mistakes can change a life. I loved the twist at the end and didn't want the book to finish.

I am not sure what to say about this book other than it was so good. I cannot imagine being brought up in an atmosphere of such precision and duty to the point that you cannot be yourself. It opened my eyes to a lot of things although I did know the Asian community’s views on all many of things that some of us perhaps take as read and we accept easily. Kamran came from a very stoic family and sent to an excellent boarding school which involved him being on a path of stardom so far as his parents and school masters were concerned. A time of a lapse of concentration fuelled by alcohol changed his life forever and still his father particularly did not want to lose face and forced him into a situation which ended his entire path to greatness. Kamran was very strong when it came to this issue and took the matter to the police and Court to be thwarted at every turn which made him doubt himself and everyone around him causing him to take a path of no return. I felt heartsore for him and eventually his brother who was slightly pushed out of the limelight of this case of male rape and it transpires somewhat involved. The ending of the book was heart rendering and it must be read by people so that they are more tolerant of all things and we can then be treated as equals. Again a fab book albeit very sad.

Thanks to Netgalley for the loan of this book.
I loved Kia's first book so was really looking forward to this and it most definitely did not disappoint. The story begins with a young Asian lad who attends a private school for boys, along with his younger brother. After a night of partying and heavy drinking he falls drunkenly into bed but later becomes aware that someone has climbed into bed with him. Too drunk to fully realise what is happening he doesnt try to stop the horror that is taking place. I'll leave the rest to the imagination but I'm sure you can guess what occurs. Filled with shame and anger the morning after, he confronts his "attacker" who merely shrugs off his anger, leading him to go to the police, and to later seek assistance from a lawyer who is the main character of this book, and her previous one. What follows is such a complex tale of emotions I couldn't stop reading it. Its much more than just a "does justice prevail" storyline it goes much deeper than that. Reaching into the complexities of the older family members bigotry and shame at what others opinions would be if the real truth was to surface, these out of date values ultimately lead to the event happening in the first place. Its genius the way it transpires, leading to one emotion after the other. This is a fantastic book and I enjoyed it more than the first which was unexpected. I was not expecting the shock ending either! Outstanding second book! Go and buy it now.

Gritty, modern courtroom drama. It delves into inequalities in our society. Differences in culture and how this affects our life choices. The intricacies of family life and how we keep secrets often due to fear. Very topical and forthright.

I found this book to be very enjoyable. The plot and characters are interesting. I liked the story and I would reccomend others to have a read.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
Truth be Told is the second book by Kia Abdullah and is a haunting, intricate story with many twists and turns. The storyline is straightforward enough and deals with the issue of male rape. The accused is of Norwegian descent and the victim is a Muslim, both are pupils at a top boarding school.
The book looks closely at the boys family members and how both families react to the forthcoming trial. It is in the aftermath of the trial that tragedy happens and life for all three boys will never be the same.
Highly recommended.

Truth Be Told by Kia Abdullah is an intense and thought provoking novel that centres around the story of Kamran Hadid; a 17 year old student at a prestigious all boys school. From a wealthy and well respected family and destined for Oxford the following year, Kamran's world is ripped apart when after a drunken night he is sexually assaulted. With the help of rape counsellor Zara, Kamran sets about piecing together what happened to him and trying to find a way of coping.

There are some big issues tackled in this book; male rape, homosexuality, control within a Muslim family and the question of consent and whether it must be explicit or can be unspoken. What really constitutes rape?

Its well written, emotional and pacy with real depth to each character within its pages. It challenged my opinions and kept me gripped until the very end. I look forward to reading more from Kia Abdullah in the future :)

Thanks to HQ, Netgalley and Kia for the ARC.

A book of many strands, male rape, masculinity, coming of age, Asian family dynamics.... it covers a lot, I found the book thought provoking but sometimes slow to get through. I guess it depends on how you like your crime and legal books. It did get me thinking about how we treat young men and opened up the dynamics of Asian families in depth.

I was blown away by this book. I haven't read anything by Kia Abdullah before so didn't know what to expect.

Kamran is a 17 year old public schoolboy, shaped by the rules of his all boys public school and also the expectations of his Muslim father; to be better than his white counterparts and not to show any weakness.
Zara is an assault counsellor, having left her high powered job as a lawyer, where she also had to prove she was better than the rest. When Kamran believes he has been raped after a drunken night he turns to Zara to help him get justice.

Through the writing, you feel the struggles and pain of both of the characters as they battle against family expectations and traditions. There were times when I wanted to shout at Kamran's father and mother for how they let him down. The strengths and weaknesses of all characters are exposed throughout this powerful tale. I found I couldn't put this book down once I started reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. Take it Back by Kia Abdullah was one of my favourite reads from last year (a knockout pacy thriller about a white girl with a facial disfigurement who’s gang raped by a group of Asian boys, and the racial tension it unleashes), so I was super pumped to read this ☺️
This follows Zara Kaleel - the protagonist of Take it Back, although Truth be Told can also be read as a stand-alone - who works for a charity that support women who’ve been abused and provide legal assistance, is approached by a wealthy Asian 17-year old boy, Kamran. After an end of exams party someone snuck into his room, and had sex with him, but Kamran didn’t give consent, and he woke up feeling violated. However does that constitute rape, when he didn’t say no nor did he resist? With Zara’s support Kamran files a statement and charges are pressed against Finn, the student who raped him. A messy debate ensues, and the reputation of their prestigious boarding school is at risk, too. But who’s telling the truth? What really happened that night?...
This book explores the complicated relationship between consent and sex, in addition to exploring the rarely explored theme (unless it’s in a prison) of male rape. This is grey, murky waters but Abdullah explores these themes well, through compelling characters and tension filled dialogues. Her prose is pacy; she shows and doesn’t tell placing the reader in the character’s head. My favourite parts were scenes from Zara’s and Kamran’s, seeing the effects the decision to pursue a trial has on them both and the toll it takes on their psyche, as they find themselves second guessing their actions and what had happened to them. Their conflict and how torn they were made them both relatable. Abdullah doesn’t directly tell you what to think; or what’s right and wrong.
My only gripe is that at times the pacing was slow, and I felt the POV of Sophie, Kamran’s mother, didn’t add anything new, and this concerned mother’s familiar narrative could’ve been edited down. Also while there were plenty of reveals in the last act of the novel, I did find the ending abrupt (it finished at 93%) and for a second I thought something was wrong with my kindle because the rest of the book hasn’t loaded. This was a similar gripe with Take it Back. I wish the ending for this was fleshed out and Kamran’s fate had been explained because I was confused as to what would happen to him. Unfortunately the story just wasn’t tied up well enough for this to be a completely satisfying read.
Overall though this was a compelling read about the perils of toxic masculinity, and explores themes not often discussed in popular culture. 4/5.