tw: homophobia, rape, outing

This razor-sharp domestic thriller is about a 17-year-old Asian senior called Kamram, who attends the very affluent Hampton's college for boys. After his weekend plans get cancelled, he ends up staying on campus and attending an alcohol-fuelled party with his friends. In his inebriated state, Kamran is raped by one of his peers and battles over whether to report the incident to police, which he eventually does. It is through this incident report that Kamram meets, Zara Kaleel, a former lawyer suffering an addiction problem. Together they stele themselves against the inevitable storm that comes from the taboo of male rape within the Muslim community.

This book is the second in the two-part 'Zara Kaleel' series by Kia Abdubllah, but you don't have to read the first novel (Take it Back) in order to fully appreciate this book. Truth be Told was such an unshakeable and significant read. Not only does it have a tense, hair-raising plot with a mouth gaping plot twist, but it is also equipped with a forceful message.

Truth be Told isn't just a brilliant story, it is also a denouncement of 'the cage' of hypermasculinity, the stigma of male rape and the devastating effects that come with the fear of having one's sexuality outed.