This wasn't a bad book, had religion and disability not been mentioned, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. However the constant derogatory comments towards Muslims and disabled/disfigured people just left me feeling really uncomfortable. It didn't seem relevant other than to give Zara an extra storyline. The writing style was brilliant, but just not my cup of tea sadly.

I am a big fan of this style of book and loved similar titles such as anatomy of a scandal so I was excited to start this book.

This was a hard read which was emotional and thought provoking. This story kept me guessing throughout and I was gripped. A tragic story for Jodie, Zara and Farid. The writing is superb and the storytelling compassionate. I expect this book to make a big splash and I will be recommend it to family and friends.

What a brilliant book. This book has a fantastic story line, excellent characters and is just wonderful. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I enjoyed it immensely.

I was a bit sceptical about this as I felt it would be predictable, but despite some clunky descriptive writing (details like the condensation on cold beverage glasses and a preoccupation with the protagonist's beauty seemed overwrought) the topical content/plot was really interesting and triggered a few great discussions with friends. I thought the grim material was sensitively handled and it was good to see shades of grey rather than find a simple leap to judgment. I didn't see the final twist coming and felt the tension throughout.

My only real question was why Zara had to be a rape counsellor who used to be a lawyer, rather than the actual lawyer. It seemed unlikely to me that there would be a press frenzy and outcry in the Muslim community about the victim's counsellor, who would surely be a peripheral figure in terms of visibility, and in fact need not even attend the trial? I get that she had to be perceived to be 'doing good', but surely as a lawyer she can also be seen that way, and then it would have made sense that as THE central defence figure, she would be targeted by the press and those opposed to her involvement.

I found this story quite hard to read starting off but towards the middle of the book it did get better. Zara was a sometimes likeable character and sometimes not. Same goes for all the characters really. I was expecting Jodie to be lying at the end but would’ve liked a continuation to show what Zara did with the information she had.

This was a very interesting book, quite a page turner but not a thriller in the normal sense. It did open up a lot of sensitive areas with regard to racialism and culpability. It took a lot of courage to follow the path that Zara took in her life, to give up life at the bar to work in a sexual abuse centre. I'm not sure she would have been allowed in all the police interviews and tagging along everyone working on the case, but maybe this is what happens. I did become frustrated with Jodie at times despite her dreadful home life and facial deformities. I'm not sure why she kept on changing her story even to the end and post trial, she was lucky that Zara took all this on board and didn't hold it against her. I'm not sure why Zara let go of Luke who sounded like a dream boyfriend, to replace him with a stranger who picks her up in a bar. The media revelation of their sexual life came right bang in the middle of the trial, not very professional from a canny ex QC such as Zara. I would recommend this book as I was quite rivitted at times although there was a point around 40% in where I started to get a little bored so scanned a few pages.

A very gritty and, I fear, realistic tale. It tackles many difficult issues and doesn't shy from looking beneath the surface. Unfortunately there are very few likeable characters and so I found it difficult to engage with the story.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

This is an amazing accomplishment. The book takes on prejudices in our society of race,social class and gender. The author has an uncanny insight into the minds of adolescent men and women. The story takes many astonishing turns keeping the reader guessing as to the outcome. The issues are dealt with astutely,caringly and with conviction. The main theme is a court case to decide if the rape of a white,disformed teenager by four black boys did or did not happen. There is no unnecessary description,every sentence matters. Then the end! That is a masterpiece. This book is a good read but it is also an important and insightful analysis of issues in contemporary society.

This tale will have you twisting and turning at every page. Even until the end. Nothing is final. A tragic story for Jodie, Zara and Farid. You are the judge and jury in one go, it opens social doors and starts conversations that need to be had. It illuminates our diversity and how we find barriers. Take it back is a lesson for us all to learn, see and change from. A truly moving tale. Thank you #zarathebrave

This is a very disturbing book. It tells the story of four young muslim boys who are accused of raping a vulnerable, disabled white girl. The prosecuting lawyer is a liberated young muslim woman. The trial brings up so many issues and shows up the huge prejudices of all involved. The end offers a slight glimmer of hope, but on the whole the novel makes grim reading.

We live in an age where women are still fighting to find equality and fairness in society and the workplace. Unfortunately there are countries and faiths that do not subscribe to the view that women should have the same opportunities as men, that their place is as homemaker, mother, and to be subservient to males whether it be their husband, father or even brother. The pervading view of Muslim men in this novel is negative, but perhaps that is because this novel was written by a modern woman who would like to change the lives of women in her culture. I thought this novel was incredible, not least because it takes on emotive subjects and runs with them. The '"did they, didn't they" question is always fascinating in novels and I think the writer has used it to good effect. Yes, it makes grim reading, but we must accept that what was written here was sadly, not entirely fiction. Enthralling and shocking. 5 stars.
My thanks to Kia Abdullah, HQ and Net Galley for my ARC.

A stunning courtroom drama with twists and turns when a disabled girl is attacked by a group of asian boys. Racial tensions divide communities as well a families as an Asian solicitor sides with the victim and the prosecution. Brilliant story that got me hooked from the start.

This is a really well written book. It is gritty and hard to read in places. I sat glued to it until I finished it. I thought that parts of it were full of raw emotion and were heartbreaking. It all seemed so real and believable. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a staggeringly well written novel dealing with very relevant subject matter. Hard hitting and gritty, it kept my attention throughout. It deserves the advance praise it has already received.

Compulsively readable, painful, convincing and deeply human, this book is perfectly crafted and nuanced, exploring our human failings, our prejudices, our pride and our pain. Utterly believable, heartbreaking and clever. My only regret was not getting slightly closer to the main protagonist, but this was a minor complaint. A great book.

Take It Back isn’t a bad book it just feels a bit pointless. I’m not left with any strong feelings of love or hate...perhaps annoyance that such a good plot idea could be executed so poorly.
A lot of this book is strong islamophobia, I don’t think this was the authors intention but there isn’t a single nice word about Muslims in this book. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Also Zara is a complete Mary-Sue of a character, she’s supposed to come across as strong and empowered but I thought she was irritating and got away with far too much.

As I said this isn’t a bad book but after writing my review and seeing how I wasn’t able to mention anything positive....we’ll just maybe it is.

This is a well written book, I just couldn’t get into it. I persevered and it’s not that I did enjoy it, I just found it a hard read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Thought provoking, captivating, heartbreakingly sad at times are just some words to describe this wonderful book. If you are expecting to read just a courtroom drama then think again because this story has got so much more to give it deals with some pretty tough subjects and does it exceptionally well. A sixteen year old white girl with a facial deformity accuses four muslim boys of raping her but who is lying and who is telling the truth. So what we have here is the start of a high profile trial bringing to the fore some very difficult topics dealing with both race and social class and when news of the trial explodes into the media all hell breaks loose.
I really think this is going to be a book that is going to get plenty of fabulous feedback, the writing is superb, the storyline compelling and told with so much compassion with a conclusion that I really didn’t see coming it’s a big thank you to Kia Abdullah for an amazing 5 star read that I just loved.
My thanks also to NetGalley and HQ for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.