Review of Behind The Red Line
Posted: 22 Feb 2024, 05:47
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Behind The Red Line" by V.V. Liles.]
Freemont Heart and Surgical Institute has just celebrated its opening as this book begins. This opening was a huge success in no small part to Victoria Villa. She and her group of colleagues and best friends, affectionately dubbed “The One,” have ensured this operation goes off without a hitch. Everything is going as expected, with a few small fires to put out here and there – something Victoria is skilled at handling – and their staff is, for the most part, happy. This peace comes to an end with the hiring of Dr. Shethan Pathan, an egotistical and sexist narcissist.
This man raises hell in the hospital, in more ways than one. It gets to the point where staff are resigning in fear of losing their medical licenses. Victoria sticks it out for as long as she can and tries to defend the hospital against Pethan’s actions, but with seemingly everyone too afraid to stand up to him, she is fighting an uphill battle. Behind The Red Line by V. V. Liles is the fictionalized story of true events, detailing Victoria’s fight against Pethan, breast cancer, and eventually (though not her own) brain cancer.
I greatly enjoyed this book, however, it was not without its drawbacks. The author did a wonderful job of introducing the main characters (such as The One), leading me to believe they would be an integral part of the book. However, while they did add a lot to the story, there were times when they were not mentioned for around two hundred pages. This confused me slightly, as I believed they would be more focused on. Additionally, I found the pacing to be very odd. The story would skip days and months, and eventually, it would be years after an event that the author had just brought up, such as Victoria’s cancer diagnosis.
Despite my criticisms, I truly enjoyed this book. Victoria was an exceptionally well-developed main character, and her perseverance was nothing short of inspiring. I hated seeing the way she was constantly dismissed and condescended to, but the way she handled everything with grace was moving and admirable.
Another reason to love this book is the author’s writing. So much of her personality shone through her words. I was surprised by how invested I became in these characters’ lives. I was constantly eager to see where the story would be going next, and how Victoria would handle it and move forward. I believe the book would benefit from another round of editing, as I found two minor errors. However, this did not detract from my enjoyment. I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The reason I have deducted a star is explained in a previous paragraph.
Despite my complaints, I would very eagerly recommend this book to readers who enjoy medical workplace books with a touch of real-life issues. I believe it would be better suited to those of a religious background, as the main character is very vocal about her faith and praying to God. As a result of the strong language included throughout the book, I believe it is only appropriate for mature readers.
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Behind The Red Line
View: on Bookshelves
Freemont Heart and Surgical Institute has just celebrated its opening as this book begins. This opening was a huge success in no small part to Victoria Villa. She and her group of colleagues and best friends, affectionately dubbed “The One,” have ensured this operation goes off without a hitch. Everything is going as expected, with a few small fires to put out here and there – something Victoria is skilled at handling – and their staff is, for the most part, happy. This peace comes to an end with the hiring of Dr. Shethan Pathan, an egotistical and sexist narcissist.
This man raises hell in the hospital, in more ways than one. It gets to the point where staff are resigning in fear of losing their medical licenses. Victoria sticks it out for as long as she can and tries to defend the hospital against Pethan’s actions, but with seemingly everyone too afraid to stand up to him, she is fighting an uphill battle. Behind The Red Line by V. V. Liles is the fictionalized story of true events, detailing Victoria’s fight against Pethan, breast cancer, and eventually (though not her own) brain cancer.
I greatly enjoyed this book, however, it was not without its drawbacks. The author did a wonderful job of introducing the main characters (such as The One), leading me to believe they would be an integral part of the book. However, while they did add a lot to the story, there were times when they were not mentioned for around two hundred pages. This confused me slightly, as I believed they would be more focused on. Additionally, I found the pacing to be very odd. The story would skip days and months, and eventually, it would be years after an event that the author had just brought up, such as Victoria’s cancer diagnosis.
Despite my criticisms, I truly enjoyed this book. Victoria was an exceptionally well-developed main character, and her perseverance was nothing short of inspiring. I hated seeing the way she was constantly dismissed and condescended to, but the way she handled everything with grace was moving and admirable.
Another reason to love this book is the author’s writing. So much of her personality shone through her words. I was surprised by how invested I became in these characters’ lives. I was constantly eager to see where the story would be going next, and how Victoria would handle it and move forward. I believe the book would benefit from another round of editing, as I found two minor errors. However, this did not detract from my enjoyment. I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. The reason I have deducted a star is explained in a previous paragraph.
Despite my complaints, I would very eagerly recommend this book to readers who enjoy medical workplace books with a touch of real-life issues. I believe it would be better suited to those of a religious background, as the main character is very vocal about her faith and praying to God. As a result of the strong language included throughout the book, I believe it is only appropriate for mature readers.
******
Behind The Red Line
View: on Bookshelves