Description
A thrilling, brave and explosive novel, perfect for fans of Anatomy of a Scandal and He Said/She Said.
`Razor-sharp…Much more than a courtroom thriller’ Christina Dalcher, Sunday Times bestselling author of VOX
`Taut, gritty and compelling. This book deserves to be HUGE’ Louise Jensen
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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’
Tracey Harriman –
One white, disfigured and disabled girl. Four Muslim boys. One night. Two stories.
Jodie Wolfe claims she has been raped. The four boys claim otherwise. Jodie finds an advocate in Zara Kaleel, an ex-lawyer who now works with victims of abuse. Zara supports Jodie as she reports the attack to the police and continues to do so throughout the investigations and subsequent court case.
The four boys, Amir, Hassan, Mo and Farid, all protest their innocence. From Muslim families, with strict, traditional morals, they all hold fast to their protestations of innocence.
Oh I do love a good legal battle! This was my kind of book! But this wasn’t just about a court case, and who was telling the truth; this was about race, expectations, loyalty and morality.
Abdullah balances both sides of the story perfectly. At no point did I particularly believe one side over the other; both versions of events were equally plausible and all parties were caught out in lies. So just what was the truth?
A gripping novel, well written with complex characters. There are many layers to this story and Abdullah does not shy away from confronting issues of race, promiscuity and disability. Tackling these issues head-on, the reader isn’t preached at but invited to consider stereotypes and assumptions and how these can have an impact on the way individuals and their actions are perceived.
I hadn’t heard of Kia Abdullah until I read a review of this book by a fellow blogger. I will certainly be seeking out more of her work.