Take It Back

A Novel

By: Kia Abdullah

Narrated by: Sartaj Garewal, Sophie Bentinck, Tania Rodrigues

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

From author Kia Abdullah, Take It Back is a harrowing and twisting courtroom thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. 

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 16-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. 

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

“[A] riveting, thought-provoking legal thriller.... Abdullah is definitely a writer to watch.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Completely original...a shocking legal thriller that goes where few legal thrillers have gone before...stunning" (New York Times Book Review)

©2020 Kia Abdullah (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Very satisfying story

I listen to probably 3-4 audiobooks a week and this one did an excellent job of keeping my attention.
Narrator was spot on and enjoyable to listen to.
I actually had chills at the end of this one.
Good use of a credit!

Excellent!!

Probably the BEST audiobook I've heard thus far.
Actually. Best story as well! Bravo! Bravo!

You Won't Be Disappointed!

Great listen! Well narrated and very captivating to the end. I was intrigued and did not have it all figured out!

Outstanding

This is one of the best books I've listened to in quite some time. Well written, with well-developed characters, and an outstanding narrator. I will definitely be recommending this to my favorite book group.

Fantastic

This is one riveting book. The end! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

So Surprised

I didn't have high expectations for Take It Back. I got it on sale while loading up on books and finished all the others before I started it. There are so many things to like about this book. The story, the characters, the readers, the twists but most of all the end. Part of me saw it coming only because it was the only way to set things right after the buildup. The girl at the center of the book was so very pitiful one just wants to cry for her but the boys behind the assault aren't portrayed as evil, just kids that are heartless as many kids are. The author did a great job of keeping a balance that had you rooting for, then disliking just about every character. I also liked how Kia Abdullah included a story of race and how Muslims are perceived in Great Britain. Will be looking for her next book.

Just when you think you have it figured out, it takes another twist!

Overall I really enjoyed the story. Some parts are a bit more flowery in words than I like, but there were enough layers and twists and turns to keep me engaged!

REALLY wish I could unhear it !

At first I just thought maybe I wasn't the target audience. I thought maybe I needed to be Muslim or... ??
Then I realized it was just awful... awful people, awful treatment of each other, awful storyline.
I can't say I liked a single character, this book could even make you dislike certain groups of people.
It was an overall disgusting book, and I wish I could unhear it. I definitely don't understand the hype and 100% would NOT recommend it

Worth it!

I constantly find myself looking for audiobooks, only to be turned off by bad reviews. This book, while not perfect, was pretty fascinating from beginning to end. It kept me very interested, I liked the characters, and that’s all I really need from an audiobook!

Top notch mystery, thriller, suspense!

Because I just can't give a better brief summary, here’s a short synopsis from the publisher:
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.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kia Abdallah and I can’t wait to read more books published by this author! Good solid writing with great character development. I can’t say I liked all the characters, but I loved the main character Zara. She is tough, smart and is a fighter for the women she advocates for. Zara acts tough on the outside, but she is also human, vulnerable and has issues like everybody. She feels she must prove to others and her family that she is tough despite her strong family’s Muslim traditions. Living in a rural farm in Midwest Minnesota, I forget what it must be like for other religions/race and the racial issues they face. It opened my eyes and pulled at my heart.
The pace of the writing/story was good. The build-up of the story had me on the edge of my seat; I didn’t want to stop reading! Fabulous narration by Sartaj Garewal, Sophie Bentinck, Tania Rodrigues. The ending pretty much blew me away!
Honestly, the only thing I didn’t like about this book was the profanity/cursing, and there is a lot of it. This book is definitely one credit worthy.
I highly recommend this mystery, thriller and suspense novel with courtroom drama to everyone that enjoys the genre!