Review of Bloodlines

[Chinaza Nnabuenyi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bloodlines" by Shireen Magedin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Bloodlines (The Journeys Series Book 2) by Shireen Magedin is a thrilling sequence of medical practice and criminal justice. It tells the story of two lovers, Dr. Sarah and Agent Tanya, who, rejected by both parents because of their sexuality, try to live quietly in England, away from home. Each day, they live looking over their shoulders, hoping that the worse will not come. Their greatest fear meets the inseparable lovers when Sarah is abducted by her former vengeful estranged lover, Dr. Farooq, who is bent on getting Sarah by all means.

Shireen develops an intriguing plot that will make readers curious about what will happen next. Each chapter is filled with a situation that will keep the suspenseful reader waiting to turn to the next page. The story starts with a little exposure to some weird beliefs of a particular Pakistani. One of which is revealed in the case of two couples who run away, leaving their infant, Amina, at the mercy of the doctors at the hospital. Baby Amina is a product of consanguinity, which was encouraged by the couples' relatives with the excuse "not to listen to the white man's advice, since they don't know our culture."

The book also addresses some of the issues of Southern Asia, like the abduction of young girls and boys, the forceful marriage of girls by their fathers, and the high rate of corrupt and incompetent staff in law enforcement. One of these is revealed in the way Dr. Farooq could manipulate his way into the system and make staff do his dirty jobs at the expense of their lives.

From the "Salam" greetings of the indigenes, the hospitable treatment of visitors, the variety of delicacies, and a wide description of localities in the different parts of Pakistan, Shireen keeps her readers engaged. This makes the book both educational and valuable. Overall, I rate this book five out of five stars.

The admission of sexuality is displayed by the two main characters, Sarah and Tanya. This may be out of the notion of some people's cultures who don't accept or support the same-sex relationship. Also, several medical terms are mentioned but explained at the end of the book. This is nice, especially when the writer wishes to capture audiences unfamiliar with the medical terms. I didn't find any dislikeable features in the book.

I recommend this book to mature readers who like to read crime-related books and also to medical practitioners based on the experiential knowledge displayed by Dr. Sarah Shah.

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Bloodlines
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[Amy Luman]

I know that there are parents who disagree with their child’s sexuality so much that they are willing to never see that child again. I don’t understand. I would like to see how the Pakistani culture is revealed in this work.

[Alex Reeves]

Wow. What is worse than revealing your sexuality to your parents and having them reject you afterwards. Tanya and Sarah, in a country where their relationship is not fully accepted, just makes me feel sad for them Great review, by the way!

[NetMassimo]

A crime thriller set in a country where gay people risk their lives if they're discovered is an interesting read. Thank you for your great review!