Zara Kaleel 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 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.
... intelligent ... At times a little too sensational to be wholly credible, the legal drama is enough to keep the pages turning. Used as a device to criticize modern prejudices, however, it becomes enthralling ... Only a clever twist could resolve such an emotionally charged plot. This Abdullah provides (spoiler alert!) with a Pyrrhic victory and a somewhat open ending.
Abdullah has done an exemplary job of character development and is especially good at ratcheting up suspense as the trial proceeds; and the steadfast Zara proves the validity of her nickname.
... riveting, thought-provoking ... 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.
