Take It Back is a courtroom drama about a rape. But it is so much more.
Zara, a Muslim woman, has left her family’s strict religious rules behind for a shiny career as a barrister in a high-powered London law firm. When her father dies without reconciling with her, Zara quits her job and becomes a low-paid attorney at a center for abused women.
One day, a case comes in. Jodie is a young physically deformed white girl who is claiming she was raped by four Muslim classmates. The police, her best friend and even her mother don’t believe her. Only Zara does and convinces the District Attorney to prosecute the boys. But Zara receives intense backlash from her Muslim community for being a traitor to her people. And Jodie runs straight into internet trolls cyber-bullying her to Take It Back.
Take It Back is a heart-wrenching look into rape, race, religion, and feminine roles inflicted by society. But it is also an intense whodunit. Are the boys innocent or guilty? I guarantee that you will change your mind several times during this excellent book. 5 stars and a favorite!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.