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Passionaries

(The Blessed #2)

Tonya Hurley (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · Rating details · 320 ratings · 52 reviews

Agnes, Cecelia, and Lucy watched as Sebastian sacrificed himself for what he believed in. Will the girls trust that their destiny as saints and martyrs and perform the miracles as Sebastian instructed? Or lose faith in themselves and each other in his absence? Time is running out for them to make a decision, and the fate of the world lies in the balance.

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Hardcover, 400 pages

Published January 7th 2014 by simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published August 1st 2013)

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· 320 ratings · 52 reviews

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Jan 05, 2014 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, my-library, arcs, young-adult-read

My Summary: Agnes, Cecelia, and Lucy are destined to be saints and martyrs - or so they've been told. Now, with Sebastian gone, they'll have to rely on each other more than ever in order to do as Sebastian wanted and perform the miracles they've been entrusted with. But with him gone, it's harder than ever to believe in themselves, their faith, and their mission ... and time may be running out.

My Thoughts: Having read the first novel in the series, I knew that the second was going to be a wild ...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Cassandra Javier rated it really liked it

Well, the year and a half long wait for this was worth it. (and looks like I'll have to wait for another year before book 3 comes out *cries* but oh, well...)

It was as poignant and as enthralling as the first, and it's hard to put down. What I also enjoyed about this is the fact that Lucy, Cecelia and Agnes' lives were dealt into more, and we learned more about them--their fears, frustrations, flaws, and the things that make them sad.

Oh, and all the mystery is still in here. It's still shocking ...more

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Jan 02, 2014 usagi ☆ミ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook, own-finished-copy, magical-reality, for-review, reviewed, teenage-shennanigans, fairy-tales-retold, 2014, best-of-14

Man. If you guys liked book one, "Passionaries" is definitely going to knock your socks off. Going to places that I didn't think Hurley would go in this retelling/modernization of the lives of three Catholic saints, "Passionaries" shows the lives of three girls forever changed and now with the weight of the world on their backs with all of the creepiness that I was hoping for. If there's an awesome retelling middle trilogy book out there for the year, it's definitely this one.

Read the complete r ...more

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Feb 09, 2014 Uvindex rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014

These Blessed books were promising, but everything is downhill now... the story is lame, I dont have much to say but that. The only thing I wanted was to finish it right away because I was damn tired of it.

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Jan 07, 2014 Louisa rated it it was amazing

Great book! Sad some of the things that happened, and where it ended, I can't wait to read the 3rd and last book! ...more

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Jan 20, 2014 Joana Hill rated it did not like it

Shelves: contemporary

Read more reviews at my blog, Words and Tea Bottles.

Passionaries is the sequel to The Blessed, a book I read last year and reviewed rather… unfavorably. However I did say I’d see it out since I saw potential in it. I kind of regret it, to be honest.

Passionaries continues the story of Lucy, Agnes and Cecelia a few months after their experiences at the Church of the Precious Blood. Despite that they should have been keeping in touch and getting through things together, they haven’t so much as text Read more reviews at my blog, Words and Tea Bottles.

Passionaries is the sequel to The Blessed, a book I read last year and reviewed rather… unfavorably. However I did say I’d see it out since I saw potential in it. I kind of regret it, to be honest.

Passionaries continues the story of Lucy, Agnes and Cecelia a few months after their experiences at the Church of the Precious Blood. Despite that they should have been keeping in touch and getting through things together, they haven’t so much as texted each other since the investigation into the events and Sebastian’s death. That was the first problem I had with it; the fact that I didn’t really sympathize with what had happened to them and then they just abandon each other made me really not believe when they talked about how close they are.

A problem I had with the last book was one that a lot of people seemed to have: the fact that it was hard to tell whether they really were reincarnated saints, or if Sebastian was as mentally ill as suggested and he was just influencing them to believe they were because he had the delusion himself and they happened to share the right names. There’s plenty of proof that there’s something supernatural going on here, but I still found myself doubting who they actually were. For instance, Cecelia actually shreds two men with some kind of whip sword. No mercy. It’s actually really gory. Am I really supposed to believe she’s a saint when she’s so willing to commit gross atrocities like that? Honestly.

The one thing that I liked about the first book was the sequences with Dr. Frey. They were the only thing that I felt was grounded in any sort of reality. I was hoping it would continue in this book so that there would still be something redeeming about it, if nothing else improved. I thought that this series had nowhere to go but up. Unfortunately I was wrong. Dr. Frey goes from a psychiatrist who’s genuinely worried about Sebastian and the girls to a cardboard-cutout villain who has an evil entourage. We even get some backstory for him, but it doesn’t help. All we know is that he used to be a priest, and he defected from religion until he joined the hospital. There’s honestly no reason why anyone’s doing anything they do in the book. Yes, saints are supposed to be disbelieved and persecuted, but this goes way too far.

Pretty much all this book does is prove that it could, in fact, get worse. The exact same bad points from the first book are there, and more are piled on. I really wish Hurley had improved. And clearly there are people who enjoyed it. But I just don’t get why. Not one I’d recommend. ...more

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Jan 15, 2014 Ally rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.

Passionaries has strip down to creepiness. Officially. (Please excuse me, if I misspelled the title. It's quite interesting. Passionaries. Long, but full of...passion?)

Anyway, Passionaires is a horror story, without the horror. Eh...sort of like that. There's still horror, but not as much as ghost stories. Possession is just down right scary. I will never read a ghost story in oh...a few months. I'm not kidding. I'll be back to ghost stories in a few mon I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.

Passionaries has strip down to creepiness. Officially. (Please excuse me, if I misspelled the title. It's quite interesting. Passionaries. Long, but full of...passion?)

Anyway, Passionaires is a horror story, without the horror. Eh...sort of like that. There's still horror, but not as much as ghost stories. Possession is just down right scary. I will never read a ghost story in oh...a few months. I'm not kidding. I'll be back to ghost stories in a few months. Look for a future review on my blog about a ghost story. It's bound to pop up. So Passionaries is about the rebirth of three saints, Lucy, Agnes, and Cecelia. Three girls, one a star, another a girl of sorrow, and last a musician. They are all saints. Saint Lucy, Saint Agnes, and Saint Cecelia.

In the last book, Sebastian died because...well, he was a saint. Moving on, let's talk about the creepiness of sharing one guy with three girls.

On the second thought, let's not. It's too weird.

Passionaires' plot is even crazier than the last book, Precious Blood. In Precious Blood, we are introduced to the mad doctor. Now we meet the rest of the bunch and witness the evil power of the bunch. They are quite powerful, from the police to music. Senators, billionaires, priests, and who knows what else. Despite all that roller coaster locomotion, I love how Passionaires takes me to places I never been. From the regular streets of Brooklyn to the heart of Sebastian. Er...Saint Sebastian, since he's a saint.

The writing of Tonya Hurley made me desperate for more. I love her use of foreshadowing and little hints. It's an old style, but it's one nice to see.

Lucy is...er...was the brightest star in Passionaires. I love how her character changes. From a rude, talk back girl to a loyal and true friend, never the one to burn the bridge. She may had burn out early (and so soon after Saint Sebastian's death), but she's a shining star. An inspiration. The brightest. Even the Vatican calls her "Saint Lucia." And I think you know what this means, if you read the first book. And still remember the details.

Agnes and Cecelia isn't that big. Their characters didn't expand as much as Lucy's.

The ending...ooo! The ending is going to kill me eventually. I want to know what will happen to Agnes and Cecelia. It's a perfect mixture of good things happening and bad things happening.

Rating: Five out of Five ...more

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Dec 04, 2013 Jamie Rae rated it it was amazing

A compelling and edgy story!

Passionaries brings a dark, trendy and unique voice to the Young Adult market with Brooklyn as the perfect backdrop. I’m often nervous to read the second book in a series after I have fallen in love with the first one for fear that it won’t measure up to my expectations. Passionaries not only met those expectations, but soared beyond them. The characters are relatable and bring about a sense of authenticity that make you feel invested as they struggle to accept their ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Tatiana rated it it was amazing

I loved this book! I'm looking forward to the next part of this trilogy and the cliffhanger at the end us very good ...more

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Jan 06, 2018 Adrianne Rosal rated it it was amazing

Not all things that wander all lost!!!

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Apr 10, 2020 Maria Torres rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. [ENGLISH REVIEW - RESEÑA EN ESPAÑOL]

My favorite book of the trilogy. It was a mix of emotions.
It all began well, I loved the opening scene with Cece getting her new tattoo, she´s cool.

They way the story developed was amazing, it was getting darker and darker. But it definitely hit it´s climax almost at the end with Lucy´s sacrice scene. I didn´t knew how to handle it. I could read in between the lines what would eventually happen to them since the first book, but I wasn´t expecting her death t ...more

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Dec 09, 2013 Heather rated it liked it

(This review can also be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).

I loved the first book in this series! Precious Blood was a fantastic read. However, Passionaries was a bit mediocre in my opinion.

I like the title, and I believe it is quite fitting for the book. A minor character in the book defines what passionaries are. They are some kind of books related to the Catholic religion. I don't know if that's fictitious or not (I did try searching for it and found n (This review can also be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).

I loved the first book in this series! Precious Blood was a fantastic read. However, Passionaries was a bit mediocre in my opinion.

I like the title, and I believe it is quite fitting for the book. A minor character in the book defines what passionaries are. They are some kind of books related to the Catholic religion. I don't know if that's fictitious or not (I did try searching for it and found nothing).

The cover is very gorgeous as are all of the covers of Tonya Hurley's books. The cover fits the book especially with the guitars and the sword.

The world building was a bit hit and miss. There were times when it seemed like something like this could happen. I mean, who says we can't have modern day saints? However, there were also times when it seemed a bit too unreal such as when people were getting murdered. For example, in one scene, the girls get attacked so they end up killing their attackers. They don't get arrested because there's no evidence. Surely they would've caught them on CCTV or someone would've seen the girls with blood all over them. Plus, there'd be so much forensic evidence. I also felt that sometimes there was sometimes some fight scenes just for the sake of having a fight scene.

The pacing started off slow but eventually find a decent pace. The pacing isn't as good as the first book in the series, but it still held my attention.

As for the plot, I don't really know what's going on. At least in the first book, it was the girls finding out they were saints. However, after reading this book, I don't know what's going on! I realize the girls are saints and there are some people that don't want the world to know that, but what I don't know is the why. Why do these people not want the world to know these girls are saints? I felt that the answer is just not very clear. Passionaries did have a plot twist that I never saw coming. There's also a big cliff hanger at the end of the story as to make way for the third book in the series.

The characters were all fabulously written. The girls are stronger in this book, and their saintly personalities show through. Saying that, Cecelia is more hardcore in this book then in the first one. At least I thought so. Dr. Frey is still very cunning as ever in Passionaries. One thing that did irk me was that Hurley brought in the character of Finn. To me, Finn is a totally pointless character. I really didn't see the relevance in bringing him into the story.

There were times when the dialogue did seem a bit awkward although this was mostly in the beginning of the book. I felt that the meeting between Dr. Frey and some of his associates at the beginning of the book had painful dialogue. It just didn't seem to flow naturally. Luckily, the problem is quickly solved. There is some swearing in Passionaries as well as graphic violence.

All in all, Passionaries fell short of my expectations. It was a little bit too confusing, and the world building just didn't seem all that realistic. I do want to read the next book in the series because I've invested so much time in this series. However, the expected publication is some time in 2015, so I may give it a miss since I tend to forget things that happened in books after so long.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who want to know more about Lucy, Cecelia, and Agnes. ...more

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Jan 06, 2014 Elyssa Marie added it

I found this book just as exciting as the first installment to the series. I really enjoyed the development of the plot as well as the twists and revelations within the plot. The feel of the book matches the plot really well, just like the first book. I think that the author did such an amazing job with the setting and emotional description that pulls the audience alongside the characters throughout the story. I haven't read a lot of "dark"- ish themed books (althoughI'm ...more

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Aug 18, 2014 Eleanor rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If I'm being very honest, if I hadn't picked this book up from the library I wouldn't have bought it to read it. However after reading it, I would definitely recommend that people buy it.
I found the different ways that they dealt with the aftermath of what happened in the church very interesting and the way that each of them did deal matched their personalities well.
Whereas in the first book they were being rivals over Sebastian, in a way, in this book they came together to work together again ...more

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Dec 10, 2013 Marata rated it it was amazing

I am not sure what type of book to call this. Tonya has written a genius novel and very thought provoking. The artwork by Abbey Watkins on the inside and outside cover and on some pages is really beautiful.
The story brings up the issues of what roll religion, doctors, business men and social media play in people's lives. There are many layered aspects to this story and much tension is created because we see all of the different character's thoughts and movements. Good and evil seem blurred. Bot ...more

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Dec 25, 2013 Amber rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 01, 2014 Shelby Naylor rated it liked it

Shelves: goodreads-first-reads

I received this book through Goodreads Firstreads. I must say I wasn't very impressed by this book. This book starts off where the first book, Precious Blood, ended. Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy are now viewed as saints and have their own followers. They all know that soon they'll meet up again and something big will happen. I didn't really see the point of these books. It seems like throughout this book they're never on the winning side and always being attacked left and right. Also, judging by the ...more

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Apr 27, 2014 Lavender Sparrow rated it really liked it

Passionaries’ starts after the court case following what happened in Precious Blood Church. We find Lucy, Agnes and CeCe all grieving Sebastian in their own ways, whist trying to come to terms with the unbelievable truth that they are all living Saints.

This is a great sequel just as dark as the first book, although it is slow in some places. That being said the ending blow me away. I won’t spoil it for you but Saint Lucy is hard core! Her part at the end of the book was amazingly vivid and haun ...more

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Feb 01, 2015 Cristina Isabel rated it it was amazing

The three girls are still lost about what they're supposed to do. And now, with Sebastian gone, they have no one to turn to but each other. It seems that no matter what happens things are going from bad to worse. Not knowing who to trust and the dangers that face them if they continue to venture deeper into what Sebastian meant about being saints, their true purpose in this life. Time is of the essence. Passionaries truly shines as it delivers a new meaning on what we really believe our true wor ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 Leadie rated it really liked it

This is an interesting story that takes an old biblical tale and puts it in the modern day world. Three young women who are not likely to be saints are considered so. The story picks up after an incident happened that threw these women into a limelight they didn't really wish to be part of.
Living in a city that is controlled by one man who is part of an international 'conspiracy' related to the bible these women are put in situations they have no control over while trying to live normal lives. ...more

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Dec 09, 2013 Beth rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads. I really couldn't put this book down. I loved finding out what was going to happen next to each of the girls. Are they saints or just killing machines? Saints Lucy, Cecilia, and Agnes all died martyrs so I can assume how this will all end but getting there is proving to be quite a journey. They are the main characters so will they really all die in the end? That is the question. I will have to wait for the next book to find out how it will end. And wha ...more

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Apr 21, 2014 Deana The Queen rated it really liked it

Shelves: supernatural

Mature YA Supernatural/Suspense
Part Two of The Blessed

Another phenomenal book! The story opens with all three girls learning to live with the death of Sebastian, the mysterious saint in their midst, as well as their own potential sainthood. The evil Dr. Frey, however, is bent on stopping the girls and their followings. Lots of Catholic symbolism and imagery presented in a gorgeous way, but also plenty of violence. The story ends at a cliffhanger with a third in the series certain to follow.

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May 07, 2014 Nicole rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-read-unhauled, 2015

I love snow days where I can catch up on reading! The only main issue I had about this book was there was barely any recap about what happened in Blessed. I read that book about a year ago and didn't really remember much about it other than I really enjoyed it. This book only referred back to one of the events that happened in that book over and over again. It doesn't take much to quickly recap in the first chapter of a book. I still enjoyed it overall though. ...more

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Dec 09, 2013 Thigani rated it really liked it

The book Dragged the story for almost all of it, while still keeping it interesting, having the story that was missing in the blessed, it actually started doing a lot of things, to then have a twist almost at the end, I liked it and think is really good, will definitely look for the last book when it comes out

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Mar 17, 2014 Barb Wild rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

this book was so good. i love the three characters and how the author takes the three to three different locations. They are unique. I was not sure I would like this book as I thought it would be science fiction and i do not normally read that genre. I loved both the books in the series and highly recommend! Received this copy from Goodreads.com! loved it

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Dec 20, 2013 Barb Wild rated it it was amazing

This was so interesting with the female characters meeting in the hospital. I loved the plots, the different locations where things too place and it was very easy to follow along. I read both books i won in two days and now sent them off to my daughter to read...

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May 01, 2014 Michael-Ann marked it as to-read

I really don't want to read this book. The first one was awful,but I will force myself to finish at least the first chapter. If I can survive that, maybe I can get to the end without my mind shattering. ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 EmpressFey rated it really liked it

role on the 3rd book I am just loving this series

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Jan 08, 2014 Jody Wibberley rated it really liked it

Shelves: awesome-reading

I really enjoyed reading this book so much that I didn't want to put it down when I got reading it and the story was a great addition from the first book
...more

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Mar 18, 2014 Isabella Doran rated it liked it

Hurley's second book in this sequel was good, but this ending was better. It was dramatic, full of action and tragety. Enjoyable. ...more

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About Tonya Hurley

Tonya Hurley

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Tonya Hurley is a New York Times and international bestselling author of the ghostgirl series (Little, Brown) and The Blessed trilogy (Simon & Schuster). Her books are published in nearly 30 countries and in more than 20 languages. Ms. Hurley has a worked in virtually every aspect of teen entertainment: creating, writing, and producing two hit TV series; writing and directing several acclaimed ind ...more