The Blessed (The Blessed, #1)

Nov 04, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, extremely-unique, general-fantasy-and-mythology, magical-realism, spiritual-or-religious, super-cheese

I take back every single time in the past that I've said, "what did I just read?" All of those previous times feel somehow inappropriate now, since I've just finished the mother of WTF?!? books.

"You aren't just being followed. You are being hunted."

Seriously...WHAT DID I JUST READ? I'm not sure if I've stumbled upon pure brilliance or sheer insanity.

First off, the book summary and cover were the first things to catch my eye and sucker me into wanting to read The Blessed. The stepback cover w...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, other, paranormal

2.5 stars

This review will contain mild spoilers.

The first word that springs to mind is strange . With dark undertones, an almost surreal plot, and deeply thought-provoking concepts, The Blessed is one of the most bizarre modern-day tales I have read this year. It is, apparently, a retelling of sorts based on the lives of Saint Agnes, Saint Cecilia and Saint Lucy. While I am not familiar with the lives of these martyrs beyond their names, it was interesting to see how Tonya Hurley weaved the anci...more 2.5 stars

This review will contain mild spoilers.

The first word that springs to mind is strange . With dark undertones, an almost surreal plot, and deeply thought-provoking concepts, The Blessed is one of the most bizarre modern-day tales I have read this year. It is, apparently, a retelling of sorts based on the lives of Saint Agnes, Saint Cecilia and Saint Lucy. While I am not familiar with the lives of these martyrs beyond their names, it was interesting to see how Tonya Hurley weaved the ancient religious aspects into a contemporary setting.

Much of this book revolves around Sebastian, an enigmatic character that is equal parts intriguing and confusing. He believes he is a saint. While at Perpetual Help Hospital, he makes sure to distribute intricate bracelets to three girls: Agnes, Cecilia and Lucy. Through these bracelets, the three girls and Sebastian meet in an old church, The Church of Precious Blood. What’s strange about this book, and what really didn’t make any sense to me at all, is Sebastian role. It is suggested that he is mentally ill, but whether or not this is in fact true is never clarified. In turn, there is a lingering sense of uncertainty around the plot. It’s up to the reader to decide if Sebastian is who he claims to be, and if the girls are who he claims them to be, or if he is under the influence of his own unstable mind.

While I had a difficult time trying to discern the true nature of the story, I had an even greater issue with the three main characters. Lucy is a cardboard cut-out of a troubled it-girl, Agnes is an emotional romantic, and Cecilia is an up and coming local musician. All three have distinguishable traits, but it takes a while for the (very poor and inconsistent) third person narrative to let this become apparent. My main concern is that none of these girls are particularly likeable. While reading this book, I felt incredibly distanced from everyone and everything that was happening to them. I wouldn’t call the girls dull exactly, but I did feel they were a difficult group to appreciate. Violence in fiction very rarely makes me squirm, but the actions of the girls near the climax was almost shocking, and quite uncharacteristic given their supposed links to the old saints.

Although The Blessed is quite original, the line between fantasy and credibility is too blurred for me to get a full grasp on author’s intentions. To put it simply, I didn’t get it. This was definitely an interesting change from the usual young adult stories I enjoy, but quite clearly not a novel for me. I imagine others will be more intrigued by the elusive nature of the plot, and perhaps even compelled enough by mystery surrounding the characters to notice any flaws.

(This review also appears on my blog)
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Jan 09, 2013 Wendy Darling marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: ss, 2012-publication, september, young-adult, own-dtb-tbr

DNF After 50 pages, I still don't have a clue who anyone is or what is going on. But the real problem is, I don't really care, either.

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Jan 06, 2013 Reut (reutreads) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally reviewed on reutreads, a young adult book blog.

I am honestly a plain old sucker for cults, everyone. Cults and religious undertones and engimatic boys? YES.

However,THE BLESSEDreally failed to live up to my expectations. I skimmed it and still don't really know what it was about.

The novel is over 400 pages long but it takes at least 250 pages for inciting incidents to occur. Those 250 pages, I kept holding out for something to happen and just had to keep skimming. Novels just shouldn't...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Sam rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, angels-and-demons, i-couldnt-get-into, i-own, not-for-me, not-sure-what-to-think, not-as-good-as-i-expected

The Blessed is a very intriguing and slightly creepy YA novel, that will definitely appeal to some teens.

The Blessed is about three girls, Lucy, Cecelia and Agnes, who all end up in the emergency room at the hospital. Lucy, the party girl; Cecelia, the musician; and Agnes, the girl with a big heart. They're all running away and leaving their lives behind. They meet Sebastian, a hot and mysterious guy who seems to bring each of the girls what they long for. But can they trust him?

I didn't enjoy...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Alex Sharrock rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, books-recomended-by-ya-blogs, summer-holiday-reads-2012

This book started of with so much promise. I found my self picturing the hospital scenery with ease because the writing was so clear and vivid.

We are then introduced to Lucy. From what I could gather she was a reality star whose life was constantly harassed by the media. She ends up in the hospital due to an overdose. Then we meet CeCe or Cecelia. Her name swaps constantly in the book so you have to guess who is talking. She is a rising musician who ends up in hospital because she drunkenly fell...more This book started of with so much promise. I found my self picturing the hospital scenery with ease because the writing was so clear and vivid.

We are then introduced to Lucy. From what I could gather she was a reality star whose life was constantly harassed by the media. She ends up in the hospital due to an overdose. Then we meet CeCe or Cecelia. Her name swaps constantly in the book so you have to guess who is talking. She is a rising musician who ends up in hospital because she drunkenly fell over in a puddle and ended up drowning. Then, Agnes who is (again from what I could gather) a high school student at a catholic school. She ends up in the hospital due to a suicide attempt because she basically had her heart broken. I think the order we meet them in was: Agnes, CeCe and Lucy.

As far as characters go they are not very likeable. They are also extremely hard to relate to. I thought this was intentional. So we could see a transformation like a huge “Before I Fall” type situation. Turns out they are just plain unpleasant.

It started to pick up at around 130 pages. The part where Sebastian arrived in full and all of the other three girls came together. I got my hopes up and thought that we would get some kind of background to the story.

When it came to character development it was practically non-existent. The person who has the most was Agnes. That was only because we found out that she went to high school and what her relationship with her mother was like. I would have loved to have known more about Sebastian. There is putting an element of mystery in a character (which is cool) and then there is not telling us ANYTHING about him. All of the reading process of this book consisted of me asking why it didn’t care to throw me a freakin’ bone! I’m not asking for biographies. I just want something to hold on to. When things happened in the plot I felt my self not feeling a thing. I couldn’t care less if they all disappeared off the face of the earth.

Finally, I honestly didn’t “get” this book. I hate it when people say that so I’ll try and explain what I mean. At no point in the book we are not told what “The Blessed” are. We don’t know there purpose, what they can and can’t do or where they come from. We also don’t find out what Sebastian actually is. Maybe it was there but I was too busy trying to figure out the the beginning. At the end of the book it says (SEMI SPOILER) “Their purpose clear”. Maybe I wasn’t present for most of the book but I see no purpose! At some points it felt like such a chore to read, so close to putting it down.

This review is practically a rant and for that I am sorry. I am extremely easy to please when it comes to books but this, for me deserved a bad review. (less)

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Jun 06, 2013 Karla Peyton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book tells the story of three very different girls; Lucy, Cecilia and Agnes. All three of them end up in a manhattan hospital after almost dying. They're admitted in halloween and are released in All Saints Day. They don't meet each other that day, they meet a strange guy called Sebastian.

After their release from the hospital, the three of them (unsatisfied with their lives and looking for shelter in a storm) are drawn to a abandoned church where they find Sebastian. The four of them end up...more

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May 13, 2013 Farshyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a lucky find in the book sale shop. I somewhat got creeped out by the cover but the same time, it got all my attention. I knew that it was the kind of the book I'm unconsciously looking for. No, I'm not a cultist or what but I find these kinds of things interesting.

I was completely enthralled the moment I read Lucy's lament. I was a sucker for this kind of story. At the first few pages, I thought I was just reading a contemporary story but it still got all my attention and as the...more This book was a lucky find in the book sale shop. I somewhat got creeped out by the cover but the same time, it got all my attention. I knew that it was the kind of the book I'm unconsciously looking for. No, I'm not a cultist or what but I find these kinds of things interesting.

I was completely enthralled the moment I read Lucy's lament. I was a sucker for this kind of story. At the first few pages, I thought I was just reading a contemporary story but it still got all my attention and as the book progressed, my emotions scattered around. I had not braced myself for what will happen since my expectations for this book was quite low. I like how everything fell into place flawlessly. And the idea of a mental patient leading three other people to what was supposed to be their fate really makes the readers whether to trust that character or not.

I find myself agreeing with Dr. Frey at times since I really get annoyed with Sebastian. He's being described [and acts ] as a lunatic many times that I start to believe it. But Dr. Frey is as annoying as Sebastian but of course, he just acts the way he was supposed to in the story.

Characters in this book are real as they can be, they are sometimes annoying by their choices but sometimes they are the ones you really root for. The author really did made them as humans not some cliche Mary Sues. I did feel bad for Jesse since he was sometimes pushed around by Lucy. He's a potential ally for them so I quite expect him to have a return in the second book. Plus, I ship him with Lucy. His feelings felt more real and quite deep when it comes to Lucy rather than the relationship between Sebastian and the three girls.

I liked the story, and how it was beautifully written. I did have lots of quotes from the book to make a note for. This book has the impression of Florence + The Machine and Kerli songs. Beautifully haunting and dark. And then there's the fact that I read this book only at night, between 10pm and 2:30am. It really did gave me creeps from time to time.

Almost all the elements I wanted to appear in a book appeared in this book. I've seen lots of negative reviews about this book but I guess they are just not into this kind of book. But for me, the book's totally okay.(less)

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May 09, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Summary:
Three girls end up in the hospital for acts they have committed against themselves. Agnes attempted suicide, Cece drowned in a pothole, and Lucy is a celebrity who overdosed. Sebastian is a rather mysterious character that attempts to help these three ladies out while they are in the emergency room. During several parts with Sebastian, I had to Wikipedia to figure out what was going on, but I believe he gives each of the girls their personal destinies.

My thoughts:
I wish I had some backgr...more

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Apr 05, 2013 The Itzel Library rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, boring, awful, series, religion, ya, to-review

Reseña cortesía de: TIL |The Itzel Library

Éste libro es una rareza total. Cuando leí Ghostgirl, me gustó. No que la fantasmita fuera el mejor personaje, en realidad era bastante patético, pero de alguna manera me atrajo la trama, aunque no lo suficiente para seguir la saga. Cuando recibí "Las Bendecidas", pensé que tenía la portada más horrible que pudieron conseguirle. Quiero decir, en Goodreads podemos ver las otras y son mucho mejores.

Continuando... La trama es de lo más complicada, inverosím...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Diane Ferbrache rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: catholic, death, miracles, religious-theme, self-discovery, washyarg, young-adult

Halloween night finds three girls in a hospital emergency room – Agnes who has slit her wrists in an attempted suicide, Lucy with an apparent drug/alcohol overdose, and Cecelia who was found almost drowned in a gutter. Their encounters with a psychiatrist, another patient and a mysterious small boy and the sudden appearance of three identical bracelets with religious symbols lead them on an adventure like no other. Although the girls are strangers to each other, they find that they may be tied...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Smithjamest rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Blessed by Tonya Hurling was absolutely bizarre. It really was the mother of all What the Flip is Happening books. However one good feature of this book was Hurling's vivid writing style. Although many of the scenes were abstract and crazy I could envision most of them....

It definitely took me at least half of the 400 pages of Gothic thriller seductiveness to start to understand and get involved in the plot. Once I did get sucked in I was well and truly wrapped in its sticky black tentacles...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Chinelo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: back-of-the-closet, action-adventure

The plot of the book was good, but it was really strung out over 300+ pages and it was hard to stay interested. Also, the 'action' part of the novel was kind of thrown in at the end, which was a surprise.
It bothered me a bit that the writing style seemed to change at different points in the book. I understand that the writing had to be changed purposely a few times to fit the character or the situation, but a complete change in writing between one chapter and the next doesn't make much sense....more

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Dec 23, 2012 Basma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well. This book was... memorable.

You've probably already guessed by reading the blurb that The Blessed is quite a dark book. To be honest, I was really reluctant to start this one. I don't think it was because of all the goth vibes it gives out - it was more due to the fact that I'd buy some other, more known, book and read it. Plus, most of the reviews I read for this one were quite negative.

I'm really glad the UK has a different cover for The Blessed. The original creeps me out. A lot. I'm no...more Well. This book was... memorable.

You've probably already guessed by reading the blurb that The Blessed is quite a dark book. To be honest, I was really reluctant to start this one. I don't think it was because of all the goth vibes it gives out - it was more due to the fact that I'd buy some other, more known, book and read it. Plus, most of the reviews I read for this one were quite negative.

I'm really glad the UK has a different cover for The Blessed. The original creeps me out. A lot. I'm not even going to show you it, but if you really want to see, be my guest: creepy cover. Personally, I think the cover I've posted above is much nicer than the one in the link.

With all that in mine, I wasn't sure I'd like the book once I started it. It wasn't bad in the beginning. In fact I was pretty determined to get more than 80 pages read, because I remember seeing a review where the person only got as far as 80 pages. Perhaps that's what drove me to finish it - I just wanted to prove to myself that I could.It takes place in Brooklyn, and I don't think I've ever read a book set there.

It was for that reason I found myself wanting to actually enjoy the book. One thing that I did manage to love about The Blessed was Tonya Hurley's style of writing. At times it did lag a bit, but her writing techniques are really clever. I don't think we see enough of descriptive techniques in YA novels sometimes. I still love them, though.

The characters Hurley created seem too much like adults. They're all meant to be about 16-18, but with the things they go through and they way they handle situations, I just couldn't imagine them as their age. I'm pretty sure that no teenager I know goes through things like that.

So, I was reading this at night, before bed. And then it started to get scary. And I started to get scared. There was like, demonic possession stuff going on. To call it creepy would be an understatement. However, I actually found the plot OK. It was enjoyable at times. Rare, rare times.

I don't think I'll forget how scared I got. I get scared really easily.

I think that the book was paced too slowly for my taste. If the author had only sped things up, the book wouldn't have been as lengthy and it wouldn't have dragged. If dark, gothic novels are your type, then by all means, read this. It's actually quite clever. Nevertheless, the book wasn't for me.
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Dec 03, 2012 Sophia C rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating: 2.5
Writing: 3
Plot: 2
Characters: 1

Theme: Saints

Worth the buy? No.

Whew! Okay, so recently, I've been trying to read a book (one whole book, like 400 pages) in one school period. That's 60 minutes, about. So anyway, I've been trying, and this was my first baby test-run. Yeah, 400 pages is a lot to read in an hour. Did I finish the book? Nope. I was literally 20 pages short! But that won't stop me from blowing off my homework to reach my goal :D Yay procrastination? Okay, enough about me, o...more Rating: 2.5
Writing: 3
Plot: 2
Characters: 1

Theme: Saints

Worth the buy? No.

Whew! Okay, so recently, I've been trying to read a book (one whole book, like 400 pages) in one school period. That's 60 minutes, about. So anyway, I've been trying, and this was my first baby test-run. Yeah, 400 pages is a lot to read in an hour. Did I finish the book? Nope. I was literally 20 pages short! But that won't stop me from blowing off my homework to reach my goal :D Yay procrastination? Okay, enough about me, onto the review.

So this book was sorely disappointing to me. I love Tonya Hurley and her Ghostgirl series, but thus book didn't cut it for me. Have you read the description above? It tells me NOTHING. Just that the book is about three girls and a boy...a foursome? Yup. So they all get hurt and wind up in the hospital, but they all miraculously get out the next day. And this hot guy comes in their hospital room and gives each girl a bracelet. Guess what it's made of? Bones! And not ivory, either. Human. Because that's not creepy, it's endearing.

After I read the book, I was just like, "Holy unicorn poop, what just happened?!". Now, that may or may not have been because I was reading so fast, but still. The book took place in very little time. So the girls end up being drawn to this old creepy church by their bracelets. The ones I mentioned earlier made of bone. So they all meet and hate each other, very emotional. At least they're honest: Lucy is an attention hog, CeCe is one of those singers who believe that they are going somewhere because they got one gig, and Agnes is that girl with the sob story. Actually, in the beginning of the book, Agnes cuts herself to make people feel bad for her. Um....yay.

The plot was really fast, then slow throughout the whole book, then very fast at the end. Nothing was well explained and it was a major information dump in some areas (an information dump in books is exactly what it sounds like: too much information at one time). The quality writing and description was good, and it was semi-realistic for a YA fantasy, except where all of the leads are in love with one boy. One has a dream about her and the guy, Sebastian, getting married. One convinces herself that she deserves him because she obviously has the most in common with him. She's rich, and famous and loves attention while he is on the run and was in an asylum. So much in common!

I love/hate Lucy. She was a good character but a horrible person. She was very blunt but whiny and annoying, as was CeCe and Agnes; all of the girls have their own personalities, which was nice, and they all contradicted each other. There was just too much estrogen in the book. It was actually hard for me to enjoy it. I hated everyone but Agnes for most of the book, then I finished the book and I hated her too.

The book has great themes, but it is NOT a love story by any means. The book was like the author plotted the whole book, then she started to write accordingly to the plot, but she strayed from it. When she strayed from it, she would eventually realize it and write her way back. The end was sad and realistic, but the 'take the world by storm' thing was a total cliche. I am sad I didn't like the book, but the thing that bothered me the most was that nothing was really explained at all. Do I want info dumps? No. Do I want more information over time? Um, YES!(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had an opportunity to get a copy of the audiobook for review. It was a book that I was semi-interested in because the physical book as a cover that is interchangeable, the blue side that looks very heavenly, but the other side is dark, black and mysterious. This gave me the idea that maybe the book could be darker than I was originally thinking it might be from the summary.

When I first started listening to the audiobook I noticed right away the narrator, actress Kara Hayward, has a very distin...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Dakota rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book for Halloween and I spent the next day and a half reading it. I clung to the fictional words that transported me to the gritty, but beautiful New York City that some people only see in their dreams. Mrs. Hurley used the perfect amount of reality and fiction in this story and I loved every word. This was an awesome book and I recommend it to everyone.
In this book the main characters are: Agnes, Cecelia, Lucy, Sebastian, and Dr. Frey. The three girls, Lucy, Agnes, and Cecelia, ar...more I got this book for Halloween and I spent the next day and a half reading it. I clung to the fictional words that transported me to the gritty, but beautiful New York City that some people only see in their dreams. Mrs. Hurley used the perfect amount of reality and fiction in this story and I loved every word. This was an awesome book and I recommend it to everyone.
In this book the main characters are: Agnes, Cecelia, Lucy, Sebastian, and Dr. Frey. The three girls, Lucy, Agnes, and Cecelia, are the main protagonists and they are... Wait for it saints, but they don't know that yet. Wouldn't that be something-- to be a saint. The girls are what gets the wheels really turning in the book. Agnes tries to commit suicide, Cecelia almost drowns, and Lucy almost ODs, this leads to them all being in the hospital on the night of Halloween, October 31st. This is what leads them to getting their bracelets, one for each of them. Stunning white bracelets, each with a charm, one for each of the saints.
Their bracelets lead them all to a church, the Precious Blood Church. They aren't together when they arrive. Lucy comes first, then Cece, then Agnes; they do, however, meet Sebastian there and he's a saint too. He can't tell them about why they're there or what they're there to do. For three days, it's a mystery and the girls go missing. Wait, before we go any further we have to talk about somebody first. If you thought that Jafar from Aladdin or the Stepmother from Cinderella was bad, well this gut will make you want to curl up in the fetal position and cry for your mother. Dr. Frey is evil, manipulative, and simply rude. He used the girls and some other people as bait to get to Sebastian. He wanted him dead, they had a sort of vandetta going on. In the end, Sebastian gets shot, the girls live, and Frey escapes.
The best part about this book wasn't that someone took the time to make it simply amazing, although that's a plus, it's the fact that the characters are real. They aren't something that you can make up details about, they're real. Every detail about them was there and that was what made the story so appealing to me. The very best apart about this book that'll have me like a kid on Christmas morning is that there will be a sequel. I can't wait to see how the world is saved by the three saints in the next book.
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Oct 30, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: An interesting take on three martyrs with an enigmatic plot and violent characters. It may not be for everyone.

Opening Sentence: “Agnes!” Martha wailed, clutching the pale arm of her only daughter.

The Review:

I’ve never read any of Tonya Hurley’s book, but when I saw the cover of The Blessed, I was really interested to see what it was all about. The synopsis isn’t very long, but it still intrigued me nonetheless. I have to be honest and say t...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Parajunkee.com rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

PJV Quickie: Within the first words of this book, I was creeped out. And the feeling never ended. This book as odd, out of sorts and just too abstract to connect with. Tonya Hurley is a well-versed author that can tell a story, but maybe I just don’t get her very dark mind. Which is not the usual fare for me.

Review:

The beginning of the books starts with a Lament by the character of Lucy.

“I am alone. Cornered. next to nothing and the dogs are at my door. The assembly of the wicked surrounds me. I...more PJV Quickie: Within the first words of this book, I was creeped out. And the feeling never ended. This book as odd, out of sorts and just too abstract to connect with. Tonya Hurley is a well-versed author that can tell a story, but maybe I just don’t get her very dark mind. Which is not the usual fare for me.

Review:

The beginning of the books starts with a Lament by the character of Lucy.

“I am alone. Cornered. next to nothing and the dogs are at my door. The assembly of the wicked surrounds me. I am mocked and shunned. Abandoned. Lies and pain, my sole companions.”

Then after the lament it starts into a very blurry picture of three teen girls in a hospital. One committed suicide, one drowned in a puddle (yes!) and the other overdosed. All of the characters are quite out it and from their POV, so the narrative conveys their frame-of-mind, quite brilliant that the author can capture this, but not exactly my cup-of-tea. The whole book followed this dreamy strange narrative, with the characters in and out of functioning like normal people. Then the depiction as adults but technically children didn’t work for me, along with the fact that I never connected with the characters had me putting this book down over and over again.

Then as far as personal views, I had heard this was a religious book and it actually drew me to it. I was raised Catholic, most of my schooling was done in Catholic school so I’m pretty versed on Saints. (Not the football team - even though I’m well versed on them too -- #FreePayton) And I’m also aware that most saints were completely reprehensible before they found redemption. Or at least a few of them. But, the whole teens stealing cars, driving drunk...just left me feeling dirty in the beginning. This book just wasn’t for me. But, other readers might enjoy Hurley’s odd perspective, especially if you’ve enjoyed her other titles as well.

Recommendation:

Because of the violence and bad behavior I recommend this to more mature teens. (less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I heard mixed reviews of THE BLESSED before reading the book, but I never quite understood what it was about. But there's something intriguing about books that people either love or hate. And based on my experiences with Tonya Hurley's debut series, there was still a 50-50 chance for me.

But, y'know, I didn't love or hate THE BLESSED.

(And I'm still not entirely sure what it's about.)

One fateful night in Brooklyn, three young women - Agnes, CeCe, and Lucy - end up in the hospital. They have little...more I heard mixed reviews of THE BLESSED before reading the book, but I never quite understood what it was about. But there's something intriguing about books that people either love or hate. And based on my experiences with Tonya Hurley's debut series, there was still a 50-50 chance for me.

But, y'know, I didn't love or hate THE BLESSED.

(And I'm still not entirely sure what it's about.)

One fateful night in Brooklyn, three young women - Agnes, CeCe, and Lucy - end up in the hospital. They have little in common. Agnes is a typical teen who attempted suicide. CeCe is a musician who drowned in a pothole. Lucy is a celebutante who overdosed. But by the time they leave, they all have something in common. The three girls each leave with an expensive antique chaplet. (All of them know what a chaplet is, despite the fact that only one of them is a Catholic school girl. I had to look it up.) Only CeCe saw Sebastian, the boy who left them behind. But soon enough all four of them are drawn to Our Lady of Perpetual Blood during a fierce three-day storm. That's when things get weird.

I liked that THE BLESSED doesn't stick to one interpretation of events. It gets inside the head of many of the characters, including the possibly villainous psychiatrist Dr. Frey and the paparazzo Jesse, who is sometimes Lucy's ally. All of the characters have their own agendas and their own ways of seeing the world, and the truth lies somewhere between how the individuals present it. That doesn't mean I've figured out the truth.

I don't know what I think. THE BLESSED is a fever dream of a book, jumbling rock and roll, celebrity, and religious iconography together with abandon. But I know I'll be back for the second book. Hurley's created an intoxicating version of Brooklyn, one populated by saints and prophets, and I can't wait to see where she's taking this crazed thrill ride of faith and violence next. I don't think THE BLESSED is for everyone, but I appreciate that. I like that a book this strange is getting a big marketing push. Like Lucy says, you gotta go big. (less)

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Aug 28, 2012 Janet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

The Blessed is the first novel I've ever read that I think should be censored from school libraries. The reason is that I'm not sure that it would be healthy for all teens in extreme emotional states to read. The story can read as a validation of dark emotion and suffering,which is powerful for teens to relate to, but can be taken too far.

The Blessed is the story of three girls with variations of horribly empty lives (the hated 'it' girl, the strung out musician on the edge, the sensitive who h...more The Blessed is the first novel I've ever read that I think should be censored from school libraries. The reason is that I'm not sure that it would be healthy for all teens in extreme emotional states to read. The story can read as a validation of dark emotion and suffering,which is powerful for teens to relate to, but can be taken too far.

The Blessed is the story of three girls with variations of horribly empty lives (the hated 'it' girl, the strung out musician on the edge, the sensitive who has attempted suicide), who are brought together by gorgeous messianic teen Sebastian, and sucked ever deeper into a vortex of modern-day martyrdom. They're opposed by a sinister psychiatrist. The story is fascinating and repulsive. It glues your eyeballs to the pages and will not let them go. I was impressed and thoroughly creeped out. I'm not one to enjoy hours of being disturbed and appalled (I don't watch horror either), so I couldn't personally give it 5 stars, and the novel's abrupt ending dropped it from 4 to 3 for me. (view spoiler) The intensity of the girls' experience was enthralling, but I wasn't convinced that the violent suffering took them into a greater connection with the divine. It felt too much like suffering was the point, instead of part of repentance and forgiveness and becoming new. This isn't the message I'd want to send to someone into cutting, for example - it could help drive a reader further into the behavior. When the story ends after an ecstatic, violent experience, it could even give the impression to someone vulnerable and at the tipping point that life should end in such a place - more as an emotional impression than conscious thought. Of course the author didn't intend this, but it's worth taking care against even the outside possibility. While a novel this dark should be handled with caution, the author accomplishes something unique in contemporary YA fiction. She strips away the sanitized church-window way we view our saints and shines a light on how disturbing and terrifying martyrdom was for those living it.
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Aug 24, 2012 BurningYourBooks added it · review of another edition

Shelves: bad-life-choices-got-me-here, teenage-girls-as-hamburgers

Good lord this book! Mamas gonna need a stiff drink and a damp towel to keep over her eyes for this review. In the mean time have a looksie at the junk my boss was sent!

So, perhaps one of the most disturbing promotional items I’ve seen - the YA prayer candle!

That’s right ladies, complete with a blinged out copy of the cover on the front (those be REAL rhinestones right thar) and a prayer for fans to say after lighting, you too can send up offerings to a completely fictitious character. Anyone at...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Carris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Hmm… this book I had mixed feelings about and its one I’m not sure of however its beautifully presented! The book includes a little insert which includes a illustration of each the characters Lucy, Cecilia and Agnes as well as a poem to go with them!!. This really impressed me as I’m not used to books being put together with such care ( it entertained my childish mind!)
Now for the bit I don’t like writing about ( L ) although the quality of the actual book impressed me the actual writing didn’t...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I probably won't be popular here and I'm sure I'll be in the minority on this one but that's okay with me. I'm asked to give my honest opinion on books and this is my honest opinion. I did not like this book at all! It was just bizarre and didn't flow well for me.

The story begins with three teen girls all in the same Catholic hospital E.R. Agnes has just tried to committ suicide, Cecilia was found face down in a mud puddle, drowning and Lucy was highly intoxicated. They are all kept overnight fo...more

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May 31, 2013 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars
I absolutely loved the clever, quirky and gripping writing in Hurley's other series - The Ghostgirl books. Since then I've looked out for something else by her and then this was released. It took me a while to get a copy but it came in at the library and I brought it home to read.
My first feeling whilst reading this book was 'what on earth am I reading? I'm not even sure I like this', but I kept reading. The blurb actually sounded pretty interesting, I wasn't sure what I was going to ge...more 2.5 stars
I absolutely loved the clever, quirky and gripping writing in Hurley's other series - The Ghostgirl books. Since then I've looked out for something else by her and then this was released. It took me a while to get a copy but it came in at the library and I brought it home to read.
My first feeling whilst reading this book was 'what on earth am I reading? I'm not even sure I like this', but I kept reading. The blurb actually sounded pretty interesting, I wasn't sure what I was going to get from this book but what I did get was not at all what I had expected to come out.
We are introduced to 3 girls, Agnes, Cece and Lucy. They all meet in the Perpetual Help Hospital, Agnes tried to commit suicide after her boyfriend dumped her, Lucy is a mini celeb who overdosed in a club and Cece is an aspiring musician who was found face down in a puddle - nearly drowned. My only problem with these girls is that they are all quite shallow and I never really cared about any of them. You don't really get to know all that much about them but to be honest I didn't really want to anyway. Agnes is probably the one you get to know the most, she's a hopeless romantic who doesn't get on well with her 'controlling' mother, but she seemed to be very self centered and very stubborn and just caused trouble for herself.
Then we have Sebastian, the 'mysterious' stranger, he pulls the three girls to him, through 3 bracelets, something about him draws them to him, but I couldn't personally see the appeal, he was rumoured to be a psychopath and to be honest he did come across that way. He believes himself to be some sort of saint sent on a mission but he was just delusional and trippy.
I was so confused with this story, apparently it was supposed to be a sort of re-telling of three saint stories - (Agnes, Lucy and Cecelia) which means it does have a religious aspect to the book, and I got the basic undertones of that and wondered what would become of them but that was mixed with a whole load of strangeness that made me go 'What?!'
For one, at one point in the abandoned church they are all hiding out in Agnes is feverish and her wrist wounds are infected and she is what seems minutes from passing out and dying. Next thing you know they are all walking away from the church and Sebastian and she goes home and she has 'fading incisions' and only 'scars' to remind her of her experiences. How on earth did they heal that quickly, with absolutely no medical help? Unless I missed something.
The easiest way to sum up this book is just Weird, I felt like there was a good plot line in there but for me it just didn't come through. I did finish the book and worked my way through it, at over 400 pages it felt quite long.

Others more into Cult stories or books with religious aspects or even more sort of Gothic fiction would probably like this, but for me it just left me feeling confused. Just wasn't for me.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Michelle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: would-not-recommend, books-i-own, bff-book-club-picks

What just happened? ..... This is just awful.

Here is a list of why I did NOT like this book:

*The plot was SO SLLOOOWWW. It took 3/4 of the book to get to the point! The vagueness surrounding why these 3 girls have come together was annoying and unnecessary.

*The gratuitous swearing was.... gratuitous. There was also a lot of adult content which even as an adult, I thought was just uncalled for. This book does not belong in YA

*The repetition of the color descriptor: garnet. There are MANY OTHER...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: s-s-pulse, 2012-september-release

Thank-you to Simon & Schuster Pulse It for the opportunity to read The Blessed by Tonya Hurley.

The Blessed is the story of three young girls, Lucy, Cecelia and Agnes, who each end up in the emergency room for differing reasons; Lucy overdosed, Agnes tried to commit suicide and Cecelia almost drowned in a pothole but each of their lives are somehow intertwined and their destinies linked.

After they leave the hospital, they are eventually reunited at ‘The Church of the Precious Blood’ where th...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r-complete, read-2012

(Source: I borrowed a copy of this book.)
Three girls are all admitted to A&E the same Saturday night. Agnes who slit her wrists because her boyfriend cheated on her, Cecilia who accidentally drowned herself in a puddle after her band had played because she drank too much, and Lucy who accidentally overdosed whilst at a party.

The three girls have never met each other before, and although they are all admitted at the same time, still do not meet then. Whilst all of them have different problem...more (Source: I borrowed a copy of this book.)
Three girls are all admitted to A&E the same Saturday night. Agnes who slit her wrists because her boyfriend cheated on her, Cecilia who accidentally drowned herself in a puddle after her band had played because she drank too much, and Lucy who accidentally overdosed whilst at a party.

The three girls have never met each other before, and although they are all admitted at the same time, still do not meet then. Whilst all of them have different problems, they also have some similar ones. Each girl has someone that’s getting to her in some way, and each girl is given or finds a strange bracelet at the hospital – one with cream coloured stones and a small charm.

One night all three girls find themselves drawn to a church called ‘The Church of the Precious Blood’, where they meet a boy called Sebastian - a boy who claims to have given them the bracelets. He claims that the bracelets are ‘Chaplets’, and the charms on each are ‘milagros’, and they are what has drawn the girls to the church.

What the girls don’t know is that Sebastian has just escaped from the psychiatric wing after a 3 year stay, instigated by the priest who used to worship in the very church that Sebastian and the girls are now in.
Why has Sebastian gone to such lengths to get the girls to the church? What secrets are hidden within its walls? What answers will they find there? And why are both the psychiatrist and the priest so desperate to get Sebastian back?

This was an okay read. I found it quite dull and didn’t really see where it was going most of the time. I persevered, and was slightly interested in Sebastian’s background and why he had been sectioned and spent 3 years in a psychiatric hospital, but I found that even that was 100% explained.

I felt like I could most relate to Agnes, with her selfish attention-seeking mother, and uncaring boyfriend. Both Cecilia and Lucy were themselves selfish and attention-seeking though, and I didn’t really like them at all. Both seemed to be only out for what they could get, and although the author tried to show their good sides, neither of them were people that I would want to be friends with.

At 57% the book took quite a gruesome turn, and turned into more of a horror novel which I totally wasn’t expecting! There were actually quite a few gory scenes that I really didn’t appreciate.

There is also quite a lot of religious talk in this book. Obviously it takes place in a church, and there are loads of sayings and stuff from the bible littered about, and quite a bit about different saints and stuff. I can’t say that I was over impressed by all this. I’m not overly religious, and the religious undertones just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t read this book expecting to have to wade through religious mumbo-jumbo.

The one good thing about this book was the fact that the author used the phrase ‘I couldn’t care less’ correctly. So often people say ‘I could care less’ – if you could care less, that means that you care!! Thank you to the author for actually using this phrase correctly!

Overall; I’m sure other people will enjoy this book but I personally was not a fan.
4 out of 10.
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Nov 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zz-2012, dark-fantasy, surreality, young-adult, urban-fantasy, impulse-shopping, demon-incubus-etc, goth-eyeliner-plz, reviewed, pleasantly-surprised

THE BLESSED has the distinction of being one of the strangest books I've ever read. From the very first page it's wrapped in a cloud of surreal mysticism, & the close of the novel shows no signs of grounding in future installments. For my own part, I've got no problem unhooking my tether to reality, particularly in urban fantasy. But in the interest of defending THE BLESSED against the onslaught of outraged reviews, let me issue some very specific reader warnings:

1) If you don't like surreal...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

Tonya Hurley’s captivatingly addictive debut novel, The Blessed, tells the meeting of three young women in a hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Cecelia, Agnes, and Lucy are all in the hospital from different close encounters with death. A mysterious stranger, Sebastian, makes himself known to the girls and give each girl an antique chaplet upon exiting the hospital. The three girls figure out what Sebastian is, or at least what they think he is. Going on their separate ways, all four eventually end...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
sequel?	2	13	Feb 28, 2013 05:37am
The BFF Book Club: The Blessed Discussion Thread SPOILERS	4	10	Feb 13, 2013 11:06am
Vampires>> Werewolves>> Angels>> And now the Saints?	1	10	Jan 12, 2013 08:55am
This book has angels?	3	14	Dec 29, 2012 08:37am
Brilliant, horrible or misunderstood?	3	34	Sep 04, 2012 02:07am

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