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Title details for Take It Back by Kia Abdullah - Available

Take It Back

A Novel

by Kia Abdullah
Sartaj Garewal
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 2 copies available

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

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 8, 2020

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781250776174
      • File size: 326613 KB
      • Duration: 11:20:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Three narrators give clashing perspectives in this look at a British community rocked by sexual violence. Zara Kaleel is the lawyer-turned-counselor at a sexual assault center where 16-year-old Jodie, who is white, shows up, accusing four Muslim boys of rape. In the largest part of the story, Tania Rodrigues gives Zara an elegant yet emotional voice, revealing a woman battling her own demons while being labeled a cultural traitor. Sophie Bentinck's Jodie has an exhausted air with an edge of strength; her voice is slightly dulled in dialogue due to the deformity covering the character's mouth. Sartaj Garewal's straightforward delivery is warmed by his youthful character voices for the boys, who are juxtaposed with the deeds they're accused of. Skillfully crafted revelations will keep riveted listeners guessing. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from September 7, 2020
      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. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Funding for additional materials was made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.