Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this book by Kia Abdullah - 5 stars!
Zara was a high-powered attorney, working for a top firm, when she walked away to do something more meaningful with her life. She now works at Artemis House representing rape victims. Her new client, Jodie, is a teenage girl with a disfiguring condition similar to the Elephant Man. She is accusing 4 boys from her school for raping her after a party. No one except for Zara believes her - her mom and best friend ridicule her for the allegations - you would want to rape her? The four boys, all Muslim, maintain their innocence although their stories change a bit as evidence is brought forward. Zara finds herself in an uncomfortable and unsafe position - while she has always fought against the cultural notion of an arranged marriage and the man having total control, she wasn't prepared for an entire community to rally against her, calling her a traitor for representing the white girl against the good Muslim boys.
This is a gripping courtroom thriller that will definitely keep you guessing until the last page and you'll continue to think about it after that! I kept flip-flopping on who was telling the truth and feeling for both sides. This book feels ripped out of the headlines of racial inequality and crowd vigilantes. I see that there is another book coming featuring Zara - please sign me up for that one - can't wait to read more about her!
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