Zara Kaleel, book 1
Synopsis of Take it Back:
A shocking, twisting courtroom thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page is turned.
The Victim: Jodie Wolfe, a physically flawed 16-year-old girl accuses four boys in her class of something unthinkable.
The Defendants: Four handsome teenagers from hard-working immigrant families, all with corroborating stories.
The Savior: Zara Kaleel, a former lawyer, one of London’s brightest legal minds, takes on this case. She believes her client, even though those closest to her do not.
Together, they enter the most explosive criminal trial of the year, where the only thing that matters is justice for Jodie. But this time justice comes at a devastating cost.
Edition:
E-ARC provided by Net Galley
Disclaimer:
As usual, the fact that this book was an e-ARC provided by Net Galley does not have any bearing on my review.
Triggers:
- graphic sexual assault
- gaslighting
My Thoughts:
You might be thinking, “this looks familiar – didn’t you already review this one?” Close, but no. It looks familiar because I chose to post an excerpt during a blog tour for the book. You can find that here, if you’re so inclined.
I figured I may as well review the book though, since it’s…a lot to take in. It is every bit as messy and challenging as the excerpt would lead one to believe (the story, not the writing).
Take it Back is thematically a very heavy story. It centers around Jodie, a young white girl with facial deformities who accuses four Muslim boys of raping her. The story is set up in such a way that at no point is the reader able to find stable ground to stand on. Is Jodie telling the truth? Or are the boys (any of them)? Everybody’s stories keep changing, and it’s basically impossible to figure out what’s what.
There are dual narratives – the crime and subsequent trial, and the impact that taking the case is having on Zara – the Muslim woman defending the white girl who is accusing the four Muslim boys of such a heinous crime. All the people involved in this case are tried and convicted in the media long before the trial ever even begins.
“Can’t you see, Mum? Oppression doesn’t spread through men with guns, or bombs on trains. Oppression spreads when women like you tell their daughters to marry a certain man, or wear a certain dress, or work a certain job. It happens when women like you tell us – gently and with all the love in the world – not to peek above the parapet, instead to stay at home, to be quiet, to be kind, to be good.”
I have to give Abdullah props – she has taken a bunch of really challenging subjects and managed to smash them together into one really serpentine narrative. The resulting story manages to at once be impossible to nail down, and compulsively readable. I flew through this book. I mean, we explore not only sexual assault, but also racism, religion, classism, tribalism, gender, drug and alcohol dependency, ableism, media narratives, the criminal justice system, feminism, violence, xenophobia, and truth. Heavy, right? And damned ambitious.
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.
Rating:
Kia Abdullah bit off a lot with this story, but she crafted it in to a pretty damned impressive, engrossing story.
Take it Back Zara Kaleel #1 By Kia Abdullah St. Martin's Press Published: December 8, 2020 ISBN: 9781250273017 Ebook, Hardcover, Audio 304 Pages Author's Website Twitter: @kiaabdullah Instagram: @kiaabdullah
