Take it back by Kia Abdullah #TakeItBack #ProvidedForReview #BookReview @KiaAbdullah @HQstories

It was the cover that first caught my attention, it stands out don’t you think?

I thought that Take it back by Kia Abdullah was so much more than the usual run of the mill courtroom drama. Not that I’ve read much run of the mill courtroom dramas recently. I just thought Take it Back stood out from the many other thrillers I’ve read this year.

I couldn’t put the book down.

I picked up Take it back by Kia Abdullah initially to make sure my NetGalley eArc was properly formatted, because sadly not all NetGalley books are readable. And after reading the first page, I didn’t stop. I know a lot of people say that, but I read this book when I really should have been making a dent in the huge pile of books I had already started.

Straightaway I was drawn into the story and it was an intense and challenging read, it was a brutal story of sexual assault. Take it back by Kia Abdullah was a novel that didn’t shy away from addressing many different prejudices – including race, class, religion and disabilities. I understand that this won’t be a book for everyone because it was very dark at points.  

The main characters Zara and Jodie were very believable and well written, but so were all the other characters. I think the story stood out for me because I felt for Jodie, she had such a hard start in life with an alcoholic mother and very prominent facial differences. And Zara, well I would happily be friends with Zara she was honest and dependable when her life was anything but easy.

On the whole, the book was intelligent, moving and emotional. The writing was superb, and I had no problem giving it the full five stars over on GoodReads. It wasn’t an easy read, but it was a gripping, complex and multi-layered story. As I said earlier, I couldn’t or didn’t want to put it down until I knew the final conclusion.

It was a memorable read and I will be recommending Take it back by Kia Abdullah to anyone who listens.

And that ending was… something you need to read for yourself, but it surprised me, shocked me and left me a little upset. Read it.

Take it back by Kia Abdullah was a phenomenal, brilliant, absorbing, compelling, challenging and an utterly good read, as well as being all the other buzz words that I can’t quite think of right now.

Kia Abdullah is an author I will be watching out for. I can’t wait to pre-order whatever she writes next.

Recommended.

Take it back by Kia Abdullah will be published on 8th of August 2019. I received a copy of the book to review from the publisher via NetGalley – Thank you.

Book blurb:

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?

Zara Kaleel, one of London’s brightest young legal minds, shattered the expectations placed on her by her family and forged a glittering career at the Bar. All before hanging up her barrister’s wig to help the victims who needed her most. Victims like Jodie Wolfe.

Jodie’s own best friend doesn’t even believe her claims that their classmates carried out such a crime. But Zara does. And Zara is determined to fight for her.

Jodie and Zara become the centre of the most explosive criminal trial of the year, in which ugly divisions within British society are exposed. As everything around Zara begins to unravel she becomes even more determined to get Jodie the justice she’s looking for. But at what price?