Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah

6 reviews

katrinarose's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was really well written and explored very complex themes and characters with nuance which I appreciated. However, I my ratings are based heavily on enjoyment and I really didn’t enjoy this book, I felt sick to my stomach reading it. Each twist made me feel even more sick. I don’t want to discredit the author’s skill, though, which is why I settled on 3.5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Ableism

Moderate: Homophobia

mikki_9's review

challenging emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

literarylaila's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Islamophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

albon's review against another edition

dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism and Bullying

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Death

yunsq's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Rape, Addiction, Ableism, Bullying, Sexism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 Take it Back is my first 5 star read of 2021. It is set in the UK and begins with 16 year old Jodie, a white girl with a severe facial deformity accusing four young Black Muslim men of rape. Zara is a former high-powered lawyer who supports her through the legal process. Zara also happens to be Black and Muslim.

I was blown away by how deftly Kia Abdullah weaves so many strands together in the plot - race, class, religion, disability, culture, addiction, bullying, prejudice, the legal system, immigration, normative beauty standards, sexism, the role of the media, women’s position in society, toxic masculinity and so much more. Even better is that it is all done in such a nuanced way. This is not a book where everything is wrapped up neatly. Instead it has a couple of believable plot twists that force the the reader to sit with a lot of uncomfortable questions.

A thought-provoking, compulsively readable book that touches on many social justice issues.

“Am I supposed to put my religion ahead of the fact that I’m a woman? Do I owe more loyalty to Islam than a girl who has been victimised?”
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Islamophobia, Sexual assault, and Racism