The Blessed

Written by Tonya Hurley

Narrated by Kara Hayward

From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a dark and thrilling trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy. Previously published as The Blessed.

What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?

Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Sep 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781442355583

Tonya Hurley

Tonya Hurley is the author of the New York Times bestselling series ghostgirl and the Blessed trilogy. She has worked in nearly every aspect of teen entertainment: creating, writing, and producing two hit TV series; writing and directing several acclaimed independent films; and developing a groundbreaking collection of video games. Tonya lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews for The Blessed

[Kathleen Warren · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

No me gustó tanto. Es un libro oscuro y en ocasiones gracioso pero avanza extremadamente lento

[sch_94 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Agnes, Lucy, and Cecilia are three girls struggling to come to terms with all life has dealt them. All seems hopeless... until the girls each find a bracelet, linking them to a boy who claims he is a living saint. As the three become more and more involved with this strange young man, they begin to question all that they know about saints, martyrs, and their faith. And as one of them begins to fall in love with him, the girls will discover just how entangled their fates have become.To put it simply, this book blew my mind. It was like nothing I've ever read before, and I'm not ashamed to admit I stayed up half the night reading. There's an element of suspense in the novel that keeps you hooked, and the author poses some questions that stay with you long after you've finished reading. The novel itself is rich in spirituality and religious pretenses, but it never feels preachy - it's simply part of what makes the story so unique. I really loved the way the author developed the characters of Lucy, Cecilia, and Agnes, as well as the way the romance was written (I'm not going to give away who it's between, so I'll leave it at that).I definitely recommend you check out The Blessed if you're looking for something unique and refreshing - especially if you're a fan of paranormal romance and YA novels. I can't wait for the next installment!

[lydiasbooks · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Couldn't get into this. Very weird and didn't work for me.

[ayleeargh · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In short: The Blessed by Tonya Hurley was a bit too strange and abstract for me, but it may be enjoyed by someone looking for an unusual read.How do I even begin to describe The Blessed? This book is so utterly BIZARRE. I had no idea what I was going to be getting into when I started this book - the synopsis was incredibly vague. The Blessed has three protagonists - Lucy, Cecelia, and Agnes - with three unique and well defined personalities. They aren't exactly relatable - because they're not particularly likeable - but I don't believe Tonya Hurley means them to be in the beginning. These three reprehensible girls have been "chosen" to take up the roles of their namesakes - Saints Lucy, Cecelia and Agnes - by the enigmatic Sebastian, who believes he is a Saint.The Blessed is just not my kind of read. The writing, the plot, the random interludes of poetic dreams - it was all so weird. Way too strange for my tastes. I mean, I like different and unique, but some scenes in The Blessed were positively hallucinogenic. I'm surprised I didn't end up DNF-ing this one at any point, but admittedly I was strangely compelled to read it through to the end, searching in vain for answers, anything to make sense of this psychedelic trip of a book. My overwhelming reaction upon finishing The Blessed was simply, WTF did I just read?!So yes, The Blessed was a bit too abstract for me. I will say though that I think it has the potential to be enjoyed and appreciated by a certain very niche audience. I would recommend The Blessed to anyone looking for something different - like, WAY different - or looking to read outside their comfort zones.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & 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 that it took me a while to get into this book. And I had to start from the beginning several times. The Blessed is about Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. One catastrophic night has landed them into the emergency room, each one with their own life-threatening incident. To the doctors, Agnes is a teenager who attempted suicide. Cece drowned head first in a pothole. And Lucy? She is a social celebrity, overdosing on the last party. Each girl different, but with one thing in common. They all meet Sebastian, an enigmatic person who believes he is a saint. While at the emergency room, he hands each girl a bracelet. A bracelet that later leads them at the doors of Our Lady of Perpetual Blood on a dangerous stormy night. Together, they all become involved in a higher purpose, a modern-day martyrdom. And the real fun begins. Agnes is the girl who loves and has a big heart. She was sensitive, maybe a little too much, but as a reader, I felt her pain the most. She is the only one who attends a religious school, and who also has an overbearing parent. And instead of supporting her pain, Agnes? mother is worried about what everyone will think. Cecelia is musician gifted with music. My friend would have considered her a strung-out musician, running away from her problems. Cecelia lives on her own, willing to sleep with anyone and anywhere. And Lucy is the party girl, always looking for the next big thing. She only cares about herself and how high she can bring her social status. Lucy came from a terrible family, but follows in her fathers footsteps. I couldn?t connect to any of the characters. I felt that everything going on was a little much. I didn?t have time to really understand the characters because I was trying to keep the details together. There were slow moments at times, but when the pace quickened, the violence was extreme. I didn?t understand where Hurley was going with the characters. Difficult to grasp? Possibly, but maybe I wasn?t at the right place to read this book. Hurley?s writing didn?t connect with me. I found it hard to stay focused reading her story, and I felt that each twist and turn added to the level of my disconnect. While I felt that The Blessed was thought provoking, I really couldn?t connect to any particular thing. The subject matter is specific, and it just wasn?t for me. Notable Scene: The sudden touch of the sheer curtains blowing away from the sill and lapping her cheek seemed to her like the billow in a sail that had just caught a breeze and was ready to leave port. I pine and wane, pale and wan, never knowing when it?s dawn, curtains drawn, hiding in my room, wasting away, cutting myself. The song was over. She opened the window, fastened her bracelet tight under her bandage, and climbed out into the garden of her Park Slope parlor floor brownstone, hopped the fence that bordered her yard and her neighbors? and ? She was gone.FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Blessed. No goody bags, sponsorships, ?material connections,? or bribes were exchanged for my review.