Take It Back
Take It Back by Kia Abdullah
Series: Zara Kaleel #1
Print & ebook, 304 pages
Published December 8th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
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 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.
My thoughts about Take It Back ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)
First line—"She watched her reflection in the empty glass bottle as the truth crept in with the wine in her veins."
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!
I received a copy of Take It Back from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
About the author
Kia Abdullah is an author and travel writer from London. Her novel Take It Back was named one of the best thrillers of the year by The Guardian and Telegraph and was selected for an industry-first audio serialisation by HarperCollins and The Pigeonhole. The follow-up, Truth Be Told, came out on 3rd September 2020 (HQ/HarperCollins).
Kia has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times and The Telegraph, and is the founder of Asian Booklist, a non-profit organisation that advocates for diversity in publishing. ~ Goodreads
Connect with Kia
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