Take It Back
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3.9 • 9 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
‘A superb legal thriller…crackles with tension’ Guardian
‘A topical and gritty story’ Observer
'A thought-provoking and sparklingly intelligent novel, with the welcome bonus of an unguessable ending’ Daily Telegraph
‘Razor-sharp…Much more than a courtroom thriller’ Christina Dalcher, Sunday Times bestselling author of VOX
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IT’S TIME TO TAKE YOUR PLACE ON THE JURY.
The victim: A sixteen-year-old girl with facial deformities, neglected by an alcoholic mother. Who accuses the boys of something unthinkable.
The defendants: Four handsome teenage boys from hardworking immigrant families. All with corroborating stories.
WHOSE SIDE WOULD YOU TAKE?
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Readers are giving Take It Back five stars:
‘The perfect book club read . . . will make for lively, thought-provoking discussions’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A skilfully written book that offers a big punch’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘You will feel like you are enveloped in this case and the unseen juror’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Brilliant, powerful, moving and intelligent’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Just when you think you've guessed correctly another twist appears’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A genuine five-star read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A brilliantly compelling, tense and thought-provoking read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviews
Praise for Take It Back
‘A superb legal thriller that fairly crackles with tension’
Guardian
‘A topical and gritty story’ Observer
'A thought-provoking and sparklingly intelligent novel, with the welcome bonus of an unguessable ending’
Daily Telegraph
‘A fresh and compelling read’
Sunday Post
‘An unflinching, riveting novel’
S Magazine
‘With razor-sharp insight into the lives of her characters, Kia Abdullah gives readers much more than a courtroom thriller. A timely reminder that the tentacles of scandal are long – and they touch everyone’
Christina Dalcher, Sunday Times bestselling author of VOX
‘Taut, gritty and compelling. This book deserves to be HUGE’
Louise Jensen, million-copy bestselling author of The Sister
‘Intense, shocking and so real you can literally feel its heartbeat . . . the best book I’ve read this year’
Lisa Hall, author of Between You and Me and The Party
‘Kia’s novel is an excellent addition to the court-based criminal dramas we’ve come to love. It’s made even more shocking by its basing itself in one of the most challenging environments; rape and diversity. It’s a great read and draws you in with fast pacing and real characters’
Nazir Afzal OBE, Former Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS
‘I was blown away by Take It Back. From the explosive premise to the shockingly perfect ending, I loved every word’
Roz Watkins, author of The Devil’s Dice
'Brave and shocking, a real welcome addition to the crime thriller genre. Kia's is a fresh voice and a thrilling novel'
Alex Khan, author of Bollywood Wives
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Barrister Zara Kaleel, the heroine of this riveting, thought-provoking legal thriller from British author Abdullah (Child's Play), is a rising star in a prominent London law firm, until she decides to do something more meaningful: become an advocate for sexual abuse victims. Her first case in this new role involves four teenage boys, all English Muslims from East London, accused by their classmate Jodie Wolfe, a 16-year-old disabled white girl, of rape. That Zara is an English Muslim herself advocating against Muslim boys guarantees front-page attention. Zara is torn by her family's dismay over her role and her firm belief in Jodie, even though Jodie's alcoholic mother and best friend don't believe the girl. The residents of East London, immigrants and poor native born, each come across as distinct individuals. In the courtroom, shifting testimony and constant new revelations reveal the humanity good and bad of all participants. Readers may find themselves believing one side, then the other, up until the shocking ending. Abdullah is definitely a writer to watch.
Customer Reviews
Back story
Author
British novelist and travel writer of Bangladeshi descent. Computer science graduate originally with IQ north of 150 apparently. This is her third novel, and the first for 10 years.
Plot
Zara Kaleel, an extremely bright, glamorous, highly Westernised, female Muslim barrister has an early mid-life crisis at 30, and becomes a rape counsellor, as you would. When a white teen with neurofibromatosis from a single alcoholic parent family accuses some ‘cool guy’ Muslim classmates of the R word, our gal goes in to bat for her. This provokes considerable angst in the family and Muslim community of London in general. There follows a very British courtroom drama and wig fest (each of the lads has his own QC). Everyone loses.
Characters
Zara is a strong, if somewhat cliched, character. The vic and the accused are well drawn, sympathetic at times, other times not. Zara’s family is, presumably, stereotypical. The barristers, the tabloid press, and the skinhead types definitely are.
Prose
Clear, crisp and easy to read.
Bottom line
Well constructed ‘he said, she said’ tale with a sociocultural twist.