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It’s 1971 and seventeen-year-old Christine is about to give birth to her son. When her family throw her out, Christine has the biggest fight of her life to bring up her son safe on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford, rife with crime, alcohol and drugs, a place where family is everything and nothing.
It's Friday evening on the Canterbury Estate in Bradford and Christine, who's been rushed to hospital by her friend, Josie, is on the maternity ward giving birth. She's 17 and terrified. Not just of the pain, which is ripping her in two, but because she knows that once the baby arrives, her family is never going to speak to her again.
Her beautiful baby boy is about to start a chain of events that will lead to tragedy - and only her own family can save her.
It's Friday evening on the Canterbury Estate in Bradford and Christine, who's been rushed to hospital by her friend, Josie, is on the maternity ward giving birth. She's 17 and terrified. Not just of the pain, which is ripping her in two, but because she knows that once the baby arrives, her family is never going to speak to her again.
Her beautiful baby boy is about to start a chain of events that will lead to tragedy - and only her own family can save her.
336 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2016
13 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Julie Shaw
61 books23 followersPen name for author Lynne Barrett-Lee:
Born in London and now based in Wales, Ghostwriter Lynne Barrett-Lee has been a full time author since the mid nineties. Having enjoyed several years of success as a short story writer, with her fiction appearing in almost all of the UK’s leading women’s magazines, she had her first novel, the acclaimed Julia Gets a Life, published by Bantam in 2000. She has since written seven further novels, including her 2006 work, Barefoot in the Dark, which was shortlisted for the inaugural Melissa Nathan Award. Lynne was also approached to write one of the first titles in the Quick Reads series for emergent readers, and went on to ghost a further title for TV presenter Fiona Phillips.
Lynne began ghostwriting full length non-fiction in 2007, when approached to co-author paraplegic Melanie Davies' incredible story, Never Say Die, and since that successful collaboration has been ghostwriting full time. Her 2010 title, for Faith Scott, I Won’t Forgive What You Did, enjoyed seven weeks in the UK Sunday Times Bestseller list, as did the 2012 memoir The Baby Laundry. She also ghosted the acclaimed memoir Giant George: life with the World’s Tallest Dog a bestselling title in both the UK and US.
More recently, Lynne ghosted two bestselling titles which were published in the spring of this year. The first, Mum’s Way, is the story of mum of eight, Angie Millthorpe, who died of breast cancer, aged 48, in 2010. The second, The Girl With No Name, was published in May 13, and relates the story of a young girl abandoned in the jungles of Colombia, and has already been sold in eighteen countries, with film rights being negotiated and a National Geographic documentary being shown in December 13.
Lynne also co-writes a major non-fiction series for one of the world's leading publishers, under a pseudonym. The first seven titles have also all been Sunday Times bestsellers, with three more being published in 2013/14. The series was launched in the USA in 2013, and the first ebook in the series was a NY Times bestseller.
Lynne also writes about writing, as she teaches the craft weekly, at Cardiff University - her ebook NOVEL being the written distillation of her popular novel writing course.
Born in London and now based in Wales, Ghostwriter Lynne Barrett-Lee has been a full time author since the mid nineties. Having enjoyed several years of success as a short story writer, with her fiction appearing in almost all of the UK’s leading women’s magazines, she had her first novel, the acclaimed Julia Gets a Life, published by Bantam in 2000. She has since written seven further novels, including her 2006 work, Barefoot in the Dark, which was shortlisted for the inaugural Melissa Nathan Award. Lynne was also approached to write one of the first titles in the Quick Reads series for emergent readers, and went on to ghost a further title for TV presenter Fiona Phillips.
Lynne began ghostwriting full length non-fiction in 2007, when approached to co-author paraplegic Melanie Davies' incredible story, Never Say Die, and since that successful collaboration has been ghostwriting full time. Her 2010 title, for Faith Scott, I Won’t Forgive What You Did, enjoyed seven weeks in the UK Sunday Times Bestseller list, as did the 2012 memoir The Baby Laundry. She also ghosted the acclaimed memoir Giant George: life with the World’s Tallest Dog a bestselling title in both the UK and US.
More recently, Lynne ghosted two bestselling titles which were published in the spring of this year. The first, Mum’s Way, is the story of mum of eight, Angie Millthorpe, who died of breast cancer, aged 48, in 2010. The second, The Girl With No Name, was published in May 13, and relates the story of a young girl abandoned in the jungles of Colombia, and has already been sold in eighteen countries, with film rights being negotiated and a National Geographic documentary being shown in December 13.
Lynne also co-writes a major non-fiction series for one of the world's leading publishers, under a pseudonym. The first seven titles have also all been Sunday Times bestsellers, with three more being published in 2013/14. The series was launched in the USA in 2013, and the first ebook in the series was a NY Times bestseller.
Lynne also writes about writing, as she teaches the craft weekly, at Cardiff University - her ebook NOVEL being the written distillation of her popular novel writing course.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 27, 2020
DNF. Couldn’t do it.
I mean if you like watching Eastenders this will be right up your street.
Neither the storyline nor the characters have any depth.
I mean if you like watching Eastenders this will be right up your street.
Neither the storyline nor the characters have any depth.
June 29, 2016
Bad Blood – A Great Story
Bad Blood is a gritty story of love and family redemption set over the last few months of 1981 and up to April 1982. The characters are authentic voices from the hard council estates before Margaret Thatcher had started to sell them off, in Bradford, with the windswept Pennines as the back drop.
This was a time when families were breaking down, but still most people knew your business, and could give a running commentary of what was happening on the estate. Mobile phones were in the future and if you did not have your own phone, you needed a pocket full of change and waiting for the ‘pips’ tone before pushing your money in to the public phone. That is if you found one that was working.
Social historians today would give the commentary that the social fabric was breaking down, the idea of community was history and a Labour had gained control of the council from the Conservatives. The Canterbury Estate even in the early 1980s was where there was a high concentration of poverty and deprivation, where drink and drugs were plenty, police and politeness were on another planet.
Christine Parker is 17 years old, pregnant and about to give birth, her mother Lizzie, is not known for her maternal nature, and she knows when she gives birth things will only get worse. When her friend takes her to the maternity ward she gives birth to a young boy, who is half-caste and clearly fathered by her mother’s boyfriend, Mo.
The birth of Joey splits her family about, her mother throws her out of family home and via her friend Josie, she ends up sharing a flat with her brother Nicky and his mate Brian. The problem is that they are both junkies and so begins a spiral out of control in to a pit of desperation for Christine. She cannot get a flat of her own, Social Services are involved and there are regular visits of the police.
When the inevitable happens, and Social Service snatch Joey to place in care, Christine’s life hits rock bottom. When she stabs someone in a drug fuelled hell she fears that the worse will happen. Little did she realise that this may just be the making of her family.
This is an authentic gritty thriller set in a time when some in society were being left behind and forgotten about, unless they were causing trouble, had to fight against the odds. This book shows the harshness of the life decisions we all make, and you can never escape your family however much you try.
This is a fantastic read that draws you in and keeps you hooked all the way through, this may have been set in the 1980s it could still be happening today. All too real, closer to the truth than we may know and I am sure you will enjoy it.
Bad Blood is a gritty story of love and family redemption set over the last few months of 1981 and up to April 1982. The characters are authentic voices from the hard council estates before Margaret Thatcher had started to sell them off, in Bradford, with the windswept Pennines as the back drop.
This was a time when families were breaking down, but still most people knew your business, and could give a running commentary of what was happening on the estate. Mobile phones were in the future and if you did not have your own phone, you needed a pocket full of change and waiting for the ‘pips’ tone before pushing your money in to the public phone. That is if you found one that was working.
Social historians today would give the commentary that the social fabric was breaking down, the idea of community was history and a Labour had gained control of the council from the Conservatives. The Canterbury Estate even in the early 1980s was where there was a high concentration of poverty and deprivation, where drink and drugs were plenty, police and politeness were on another planet.
Christine Parker is 17 years old, pregnant and about to give birth, her mother Lizzie, is not known for her maternal nature, and she knows when she gives birth things will only get worse. When her friend takes her to the maternity ward she gives birth to a young boy, who is half-caste and clearly fathered by her mother’s boyfriend, Mo.
The birth of Joey splits her family about, her mother throws her out of family home and via her friend Josie, she ends up sharing a flat with her brother Nicky and his mate Brian. The problem is that they are both junkies and so begins a spiral out of control in to a pit of desperation for Christine. She cannot get a flat of her own, Social Services are involved and there are regular visits of the police.
When the inevitable happens, and Social Service snatch Joey to place in care, Christine’s life hits rock bottom. When she stabs someone in a drug fuelled hell she fears that the worse will happen. Little did she realise that this may just be the making of her family.
This is an authentic gritty thriller set in a time when some in society were being left behind and forgotten about, unless they were causing trouble, had to fight against the odds. This book shows the harshness of the life decisions we all make, and you can never escape your family however much you try.
This is a fantastic read that draws you in and keeps you hooked all the way through, this may have been set in the 1980s it could still be happening today. All too real, closer to the truth than we may know and I am sure you will enjoy it.
July 17, 2016
Time taken to read - 3 days
Publisher - Harper Element
Pages - 336
Blurb from Goodreads
It’s 1981 and seventeen-year-old Christine is about to give birth to her son. When her family throw her out, Christine has the biggest fight of her life to bring up her son safe on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford, rife with crime, alcohol and drugs, a place where family is everything and nothing.
It's Friday evening on the Canterbury Estate in Bradford and Christine, who's been rushed to hospital by her friend, Josie, is on the maternity ward giving birth. She's 17 and terrified. Not just of the pain, which is ripping her in two, but because she knows that once the baby arrives, her family is never going to speak to her again.
Her beautiful baby boy is about to start a chain of events that will lead to tragedy - and only her own family can save her.
My Review
Christine is seventeen, pregnant, single, it is 1981, if that isn't bad enough the fathers identity, if discovered, will have devastating consequences. With the birth of the baby life as Christine knows it changes forever. From a relatively innocent led life to one of poverty, drugs, addiction, abuse, violence and danger, Christine is forced to grow up quickly, make some tough decisions and learn that all choices come with grave consequences.
Oh this is a hard hitting book, set in estate life where drugs and poverty are rife, Christine has generally been untouched by it all until her life changes when her child is born. Gritty, hard hitting and at times makes for very uncomfortable reading with the subjects that are covered. Racism rears its ugly head, some scenes that would be fitting in trainspotting and the journey of one young woman trying to survive against the odds with her baby.
I have read Shaw before and I would read her again, whilst the subject matter is often hair raising and challenging it reflects true life which isn't always sweetness and light. There is bad language, challenging situations and questionable decisions made by the characters which again mirror reality which I think Shaw has captured well. 4/5 for me this time, thanks so much to the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. Bad Blood is available to buy now in paperback and kindle edition.
Publisher - Harper Element
Pages - 336
Blurb from Goodreads
It’s 1981 and seventeen-year-old Christine is about to give birth to her son. When her family throw her out, Christine has the biggest fight of her life to bring up her son safe on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford, rife with crime, alcohol and drugs, a place where family is everything and nothing.
It's Friday evening on the Canterbury Estate in Bradford and Christine, who's been rushed to hospital by her friend, Josie, is on the maternity ward giving birth. She's 17 and terrified. Not just of the pain, which is ripping her in two, but because she knows that once the baby arrives, her family is never going to speak to her again.
Her beautiful baby boy is about to start a chain of events that will lead to tragedy - and only her own family can save her.
My Review
Christine is seventeen, pregnant, single, it is 1981, if that isn't bad enough the fathers identity, if discovered, will have devastating consequences. With the birth of the baby life as Christine knows it changes forever. From a relatively innocent led life to one of poverty, drugs, addiction, abuse, violence and danger, Christine is forced to grow up quickly, make some tough decisions and learn that all choices come with grave consequences.
Oh this is a hard hitting book, set in estate life where drugs and poverty are rife, Christine has generally been untouched by it all until her life changes when her child is born. Gritty, hard hitting and at times makes for very uncomfortable reading with the subjects that are covered. Racism rears its ugly head, some scenes that would be fitting in trainspotting and the journey of one young woman trying to survive against the odds with her baby.
I have read Shaw before and I would read her again, whilst the subject matter is often hair raising and challenging it reflects true life which isn't always sweetness and light. There is bad language, challenging situations and questionable decisions made by the characters which again mirror reality which I think Shaw has captured well. 4/5 for me this time, thanks so much to the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. Bad Blood is available to buy now in paperback and kindle edition.
Read
August 3, 2016Great book can't wait to read Julie shaw next one
April 4, 2018
Enjoyed! The ending seemed rushed could of been better!! out of all of Julie shaws books I think the first I read my uncle Vinnie was the best
July 27, 2016
This is the first (but not the last) of Julie Shaw's books that I have read. Her books focus on the Hudson family and if you read Julie's Bio you realise these books are not borne from imagination, more like experience. In Bad Blood its the seventies and the young and inexperienced 17 year old Christine is about to launch herself into the unknown. She gives birth to a baby boy and has no idea that her Mum is about to kick her out to go it alone. What ends up happening is she literally has to fight for her life as she struggles to survive as a new Mum.
The world she is thrown in to is one that sadly rings very true and shockingly it's probably more commonplace than people realise, or at least it would have been back then. Christine ends up with her son on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford. She finds herself in a situation where drugs, alcohol and violence are par for the course.
I would say that this is a pretty hard-hitting book and one that borders on the realistic more so than anything else. Christine's tale is a sad one, and one that certainly had me absorbed from the first few pages. There were a few occasions where characters that clearly feature in previous books are mentioned but there was enough information to get the general gist of what had happened in the past. Having said that, I think it would have been helpful had I read the previous books to get an idea of the history with featuring characters
It took me just over a day to read this and found the writing was easy to follow and flowed well making it an enjoyable read. The characters were realistic and I found myself wanting to know so much more even when the book had finished. This is definitely a series I will be following in future and think Julie Shaw is a cracking author. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series of books.
The world she is thrown in to is one that sadly rings very true and shockingly it's probably more commonplace than people realise, or at least it would have been back then. Christine ends up with her son on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford. She finds herself in a situation where drugs, alcohol and violence are par for the course.
I would say that this is a pretty hard-hitting book and one that borders on the realistic more so than anything else. Christine's tale is a sad one, and one that certainly had me absorbed from the first few pages. There were a few occasions where characters that clearly feature in previous books are mentioned but there was enough information to get the general gist of what had happened in the past. Having said that, I think it would have been helpful had I read the previous books to get an idea of the history with featuring characters
It took me just over a day to read this and found the writing was easy to follow and flowed well making it an enjoyable read. The characters were realistic and I found myself wanting to know so much more even when the book had finished. This is definitely a series I will be following in future and think Julie Shaw is a cracking author. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series of books.
August 21, 2016
Set on a council estate in Bradford, life just gets worse and worse for 17-year old Christine, the central character in the book. Probably a very realistic portrayal of a life which I know little about – drugs, living on benefits, teenage pregnancies, gangs, poverty etc. Various themes are explored during the course of the book including family ties (or the lack of them), betrayal, friendship and many more. Whilst many of the human emotions and reactions seemed both genuine and perceptive, the subject matter was so far out of my comfort zone that I struggled with it initially. However, by the time I reached the end of the book I was feeling more at home as the author does have a gift for making the world in which it is set come alive.
Once I had finished it I discovered that it is largely a true story, based on the family history of the author. While I was reading it, it had never occurred to me that it was anything but pure fiction. Neither did I have any idea that this was the fifth in a series of novels based on the life stories of the same family. To what extent the characters overlap from book to book I do not know, but it could go some way to explaining why I found the book difficult initially but that it improved as both the world and the characters became more familiar.
Overall I think the book was a bit drawn out but ultimately the author achieved something quite special, drawn apparently from family stories and personal experience. However, if you are looking for a nice, comfortable easy holiday read then this is not the book for you. It is hard-hitting and does not pull any punches - expect to see life as it is and it is often pretty bad.
Once I had finished it I discovered that it is largely a true story, based on the family history of the author. While I was reading it, it had never occurred to me that it was anything but pure fiction. Neither did I have any idea that this was the fifth in a series of novels based on the life stories of the same family. To what extent the characters overlap from book to book I do not know, but it could go some way to explaining why I found the book difficult initially but that it improved as both the world and the characters became more familiar.
Overall I think the book was a bit drawn out but ultimately the author achieved something quite special, drawn apparently from family stories and personal experience. However, if you are looking for a nice, comfortable easy holiday read then this is not the book for you. It is hard-hitting and does not pull any punches - expect to see life as it is and it is often pretty bad.
July 21, 2016
A gritty northern saga with more than a hint of seriousness is the basis for this novel which starts in 1981 when seventeen year old Christine has her baby boy. This is not the happy event is should be, and as the chasms which open in Christine's family threaten to engulf her, you can't help but be drawn into a story that abounds with tough northern grit. The ties that bind families together are not always the most meaningful or reliable, and Christine, growing up in her dysfunctional family has left her with a void, which this new baby may just satisfy, that is, if she is ever given the chance to get her act together.
I found the story easy to get into and even though the characters were a bit of an mystery to me, having not read the other books in the series, I was soon able to pick up the thread. It's hard hitting and doesn't pull any punches but then that's the trademark of this talented author who writes about what she knows with such honest realism. It's hard to believe that 1981 now seems so far away that it almost feels historical, but not quaintly historical, as this was a time of great social and political change. Families were struggling to keep body and soul together and many council estates such as the one in Bad Blood were a scheming hotchpotch of thwarted dreams and the gradual erosion of family life.
The author does a great job of bringing time and place alive, to a time before mobile phones and social media, taking us to the very depths of despair and to the absolute misery of hopelessness.
I found the story easy to get into and even though the characters were a bit of an mystery to me, having not read the other books in the series, I was soon able to pick up the thread. It's hard hitting and doesn't pull any punches but then that's the trademark of this talented author who writes about what she knows with such honest realism. It's hard to believe that 1981 now seems so far away that it almost feels historical, but not quaintly historical, as this was a time of great social and political change. Families were struggling to keep body and soul together and many council estates such as the one in Bad Blood were a scheming hotchpotch of thwarted dreams and the gradual erosion of family life.
The author does a great job of bringing time and place alive, to a time before mobile phones and social media, taking us to the very depths of despair and to the absolute misery of hopelessness.
September 1, 2016
I didn't know I could both love and hate a book so much - stunning!
A hard hitting, gritty, true life drama that takes you on an exhausting roller coaster of heart breaking emotions.
If you like a good HEA - this is not the book for you. If you like a good romance with plenty of hot sex - this is not the book for you. If you like a book that rips emotion from you page after page making you cringe, cry, gasp in horror, growl in frustration and sit bolt upright in shock then this is most certainly the book for you!
Set in a time that few of us remember, before mobile phones and social media it sucks you straight back to the depression of the time and the area, it is heart breaking to realise just how easy it is for Christine and her peers to stumble slightly and before they know where they are their life is in a downward spiral that just gets faster and faster, with little help and support available from the community or the authorities. It is very easy to jump to quick judgement about 'these people' and the life they live but this book opens your eyes and makes you think, makes you very grateful for the childhood and upbringing you did have.
Fantastic book which is beautifully written despite the traumatic subject, it has left me completely emotionally drained - I loved it!
A hard hitting, gritty, true life drama that takes you on an exhausting roller coaster of heart breaking emotions.
If you like a good HEA - this is not the book for you. If you like a good romance with plenty of hot sex - this is not the book for you. If you like a book that rips emotion from you page after page making you cringe, cry, gasp in horror, growl in frustration and sit bolt upright in shock then this is most certainly the book for you!
Set in a time that few of us remember, before mobile phones and social media it sucks you straight back to the depression of the time and the area, it is heart breaking to realise just how easy it is for Christine and her peers to stumble slightly and before they know where they are their life is in a downward spiral that just gets faster and faster, with little help and support available from the community or the authorities. It is very easy to jump to quick judgement about 'these people' and the life they live but this book opens your eyes and makes you think, makes you very grateful for the childhood and upbringing you did have.
Fantastic book which is beautifully written despite the traumatic subject, it has left me completely emotionally drained - I loved it!
August 13, 2016
It’s 1971 and seventeen-year-old Christine is about to give birth to her son. When her family throw her out, Christine has the biggest fight of her life to bring up her son safe on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford, rife with crime, alcohol and drugs, a place where family is everything and nothing.
It's Friday evening on the Canterbury Estate in Bradford and Christine, who's been rushed to hospital by her friend, Josie, is on the maternity ward giving birth. She's 17 and terrified. Not just of the pain, which is ripping her in two, but because she knows that once the baby arrives, her family is never going to speak to her again.
Her beautiful baby boy is about to start a chain of events that will lead to tragedy - and only her own family can save her.
If you like Martina Cle then you will enjoy this author.
It's Friday evening on the Canterbury Estate in Bradford and Christine, who's been rushed to hospital by her friend, Josie, is on the maternity ward giving birth. She's 17 and terrified. Not just of the pain, which is ripping her in two, but because she knows that once the baby arrives, her family is never going to speak to her again.
Her beautiful baby boy is about to start a chain of events that will lead to tragedy - and only her own family can save her.
If you like Martina Cle then you will enjoy this author.
August 5, 2016
Absolutely Harrowing
I didn't realise when I read this book that there were 4 others before as they didn't show up on my Kindle store. Only Blood Ties did. I must admit I was a bit confused when Bad blood said book 5,but I couldn't find the others. Plus I assumed it was a fictional story.
What makes this book so harrowing is when you find out that it is based on real people. So instead of reading Blood Ties next I have purchased the first book "Our Vinnie",as I don't want to read them backwards.
So. If you are wondering whether to read the series of books I truly recommend it.
So well written,it makes you feel like you are witnessing these people's lives as a bystander who is actually there watching from a distance.
Thankyou Julie for opening my eyes,we all think we've had problems but I feel truly grateful and lucky to have led the life I've had.
I didn't realise when I read this book that there were 4 others before as they didn't show up on my Kindle store. Only Blood Ties did. I must admit I was a bit confused when Bad blood said book 5,but I couldn't find the others. Plus I assumed it was a fictional story.
What makes this book so harrowing is when you find out that it is based on real people. So instead of reading Blood Ties next I have purchased the first book "Our Vinnie",as I don't want to read them backwards.
So. If you are wondering whether to read the series of books I truly recommend it.
So well written,it makes you feel like you are witnessing these people's lives as a bystander who is actually there watching from a distance.
Thankyou Julie for opening my eyes,we all think we've had problems but I feel truly grateful and lucky to have led the life I've had.
August 28, 2016
It's a really good book,but quite emotional and hard-hitting.It's not a easy read for holiday.The main character-Christine finds herself in a difficult situation with a newborn baby boy.She struggles to live in world of drugs addiction and poverty,the only person to help is her friend Josie.Progressively her situation is getting worse leading to tragedy.
August 11, 2016
This is such an interesting book, sad yet thought provoking. It's about a young girl who gives birth to a son only to be rejected by her mother and the father of the child. What is she to do? She loves Joey and wants to care for him well but can she? How will they survive?
What's best for Joey? What can be done to help?
Easy book to read and highly recommended.
What's best for Joey? What can be done to help?
Easy book to read and highly recommended.
February 11, 2017
I received a free copy of tgis book as a Goodreads giveaway
I didn't expect this was going to be down my alley but actually, it was well-written, credible and gave a good insight into a world I knew little about.
The storyline held my attention throughout.
I didn't expect this was going to be down my alley but actually, it was well-written, credible and gave a good insight into a world I knew little about.
The storyline held my attention throughout.
August 24, 2016
Found this book alright but not brilliant,its a goodreads book.maybe not my type of book.
August 17, 2016
A great read . Characters true to life with plenty of action and emotions
June 12, 2022
This is the 5th book to the series, but I’d definitely say that these books can be read as stand alone as each story is individual with no continuing characters from previous books.
It was a enjoyable and entertaining story, from start to finish and very well written. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, most of whom were very likeable but there was one who you automatically dislike, but pretty sure that was the author’s intention. There was lots of drama and emotions throughout the story.
Very much looking forward to reading the 6th book.
It was a enjoyable and entertaining story, from start to finish and very well written. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, most of whom were very likeable but there was one who you automatically dislike, but pretty sure that was the author’s intention. There was lots of drama and emotions throughout the story.
Very much looking forward to reading the 6th book.
July 10, 2018
Not a favorite for me. First time reading this author and seems this is book 5 in a series, of which none I've read before. This is a story of a young girl, having a baby at 17. It is sad and depressing throughout. Her family, especially her mother, are the worst. Her situation is very sad and unthinkable. Even she doesn't make the greatest choices in her young life. I found many of the characters unlikable, some you may even hate a little. Not a recommended read for me.
May 15, 2018
Amazing read
Real life down and dirty living to be lifted like a Phoenix from the flames. Addictive reading like the heroine for the mind. Brilliant cannot wait to read more and more and more. Thank god the Hudson family is huge with plenty of gritty stories to tell. Well done on yet another amazing masterpiece.
Real life down and dirty living to be lifted like a Phoenix from the flames. Addictive reading like the heroine for the mind. Brilliant cannot wait to read more and more and more. Thank god the Hudson family is huge with plenty of gritty stories to tell. Well done on yet another amazing masterpiece.
April 19, 2020
This is the first book I have read of this author and I did really enjoy it. I will definitely be reading more written by her in the future and therefore would definitely recommend it as a great read.
October 23, 2017
Depressing.
June 22, 2023
Sorry this wasn't for me, I was hoping for a gritty gangland story but it's more Eastenders Bradford style. The writing is fine and it's a quick easy read.
August 18, 2016
This is the first (but not the last) of Julie Shaw's books that I have read. Her books focus on the Hudson family and if you read Julie's Bio you realise these books are not borne from imagination, more like experience. In Bad Blood its the seventies and the young and inexperienced 17 year old Christine is about to launch herself into the unknown. She gives birth to a baby boy and has no idea that her Mum is about to kick her out to go it alone. What ends up happening is she literally has to fight for her life as she struggles to survive as a new Mum.
The world she is thrown in to is one that sadly rings very true and shockingly it's probably more commonplace than people realise, or at least it would have been back then. Christine ends up with her son on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford. She finds herself in a situation where drugs, alcohol and violence are par for the course.
I would say that this is a pretty hard-hitting book and one that borders on the realistic more so than anything else. Christine's tale is a sad one, and one that certainly had me absorbed from the first few pages. There were a few occasions where characters that clearly feature in previous books are mentioned but there was enough information to get the general gist of what had happened in the past. Having said that, I think it would have been helpful had I read the previous books to get an idea of the history with featuring characters
It took me just over a day to read this and found the writing was easy to follow and flowed well making it an enjoyable read. The characters were realistic and I found myself wanting to know so much more even when the book had finished. This is definitely a series I will be following in future and think Julie Shaw is a good author.
The world she is thrown in to is one that sadly rings very true and shockingly it's probably more commonplace than people realise, or at least it would have been back then. Christine ends up with her son on the infamous Canterbury Estate in Bradford. She finds herself in a situation where drugs, alcohol and violence are par for the course.
I would say that this is a pretty hard-hitting book and one that borders on the realistic more so than anything else. Christine's tale is a sad one, and one that certainly had me absorbed from the first few pages. There were a few occasions where characters that clearly feature in previous books are mentioned but there was enough information to get the general gist of what had happened in the past. Having said that, I think it would have been helpful had I read the previous books to get an idea of the history with featuring characters
It took me just over a day to read this and found the writing was easy to follow and flowed well making it an enjoyable read. The characters were realistic and I found myself wanting to know so much more even when the book had finished. This is definitely a series I will be following in future and think Julie Shaw is a good author.
September 24, 2016
I did not like this book. Idid not like the bad language that peppered its pages. I did not like the story line. I did not like many of the main characters. In the end the continous profanities meant I was unable to finish it. Gritty it may have been , but it was not for me. I warn anyone of a sensitive nature not to read " Bad Blood"
March 10, 2017
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY WIN.
A grim slice of verite drama following the (mis)fortunes of a new young mother in the early 1980s, living on Bradford's infamous Canterbury estate - a place rife with poverty, crime, and drug abuse.
A grim slice of verite drama following the (mis)fortunes of a new young mother in the early 1980s, living on Bradford's infamous Canterbury estate - a place rife with poverty, crime, and drug abuse.
August 22, 2016
Wasn't sure was going to like this book,its a young girl having a baby.emotional story.won this book on goodreads.
August 10, 2016
A gritty tale about a teenage mum set on the early 80's.
August 20, 2016
This was an enjoyable read, the style and characters were really good.
Read
September 20, 2016A very depressing and pointless story. Not my cup of tea at all I'm afraid.
April 22, 2017
Took me awhile to get into, but enjoyed the storyline and how Christine's situation played out
Left feeling there could be more to the story, so I will be looking to see if there is a follow up, especially as I went from wanting to hug Christine to wanting to shake some sense into her.
Left feeling there could be more to the story, so I will be looking to see if there is a follow up, especially as I went from wanting to hug Christine to wanting to shake some sense into her.
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