Precious Blood

Kara Hayward

"I loved the unexpected twists in the plot and suspense. I felt really invested in the characters and I felt like it’s one of those books you could read over and over and never tire of. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down!"

Bust Magazine

"The Blessed is creepy-cool."

Beyond Books

"The Blessed is raw and gritty. It's keep you on the edge of your seat, trying to remember that you actually need to breathe."

The Book Passage

"A good story that uses faith as a powerful narrative device. Combine that with first-rate characters, scheming powers that be, and a harrowing plot you have a book that has bestseller written all over it, in big gothic letters."

SugarScape.com

“Our new favorite dark, sexy rock-n-roll thriller.”

A Midsummer Night's Read

"Hurley has given me the story I’ve wanted for years—one with strong females accepting their lot and living to their full potential.

I will be sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the second installment. For readers looking for a new story and for new characters to love and cheer for, then Agnes, CeCe, and Lucy are your next favorites."

MTV Hollywood Crush

"...Hurley brings her deadpan wit and blackest humor to the first tale in this trilogy about spirituality, sacrifice and supernatural romance."

Bookalcious Pam

"...A masterpiece. I wholeheartedly recommend The Blessed to you if you are interested in good writing, expert story telling, quirk and circumstance, or rock and roll.

Publishers Weekly

Hurley, creator of the ghostgirl series, launches a trilogy with a slow and muddled story based on the legends of martyred young saints. On Halloween, three very different girls end up in the same emergency room in Brooklyn: 16-year-old Agnes, who tried to kill herself after yet another failed romance; Cecelia, a rock musician who is struggling to hold her life together; and 17-year-old tabloid favorite Lucy, who overdosed in a club. Each is given a bracelet with a decorative charm that draws her to a decommissioned church and a boy named Sebastian who believes it is their destiny to join in a battle between good and evil. Hurley spends a significant amount of time on character development before letting the story get underway more than halfway through, yet her characters remain flat and unsympathetic. Despite an intriguing premise, fiery dialogue, and digs about celebrity-obsessed culture that moves at the speed of Twitter, the plot lacks clear direction, the pacing lags, and the verbose writing, while stylish, saps the story's energy. Ages 14–up. Agent: Andy McNichol, William Morris Endeavor. (Sept.)

VOYA - Debbie Kirchhoff

Looking for the next big trend in supernatural fiction? There are no mermaids in this story. Instead, in a unique vision, this first book in a trilogy introduces a new supernatural being: martyred Christian saints. Saint Agnes, patron saint of young girls; Saint Cecilia, patron of musicians; and Saint Lucy, patron of the blind are mystically linked with three contemporary namesakes in New York City. A mysterious young man named Sebastian becomes protector and defender of these three girls. The story begins as he seeks them out when each of the girls is taken to a hospital emergency room on the same fateful night. The separate events that have brought them there give them cause to examine and question the choices they have made so far in their young lives. Agnes has survived a suicide attempt over a lost love. Cecilia is a struggling musician with a cult following, and Lucy is an attention-seeking socialite. Sebastian seeks them each out in order to give them exquisite antique bracelets and leaves them with a promise that they will meet again. It is a fascinating, complicated idea that just gets started in this book. The violence escalates, and the language becomes more profane toward the end. Although there is much confusion and ambiguity, this will likely leave teen readers wanting more of the story of the girls' connection to these martyred virgin saints. Reviewer: Debbie Kirchhoff

Kirkus Reviews

Brooklyn is the perfect setting for this dark, gritty thriller with heavy religious overtones and breathtaking violence. The story of three teenagers--a suicidal Catholic schoolgirl, a narcissistic socialite and a beautiful, street-smart musician--who find themselves thrown together by fate and forced into an epic battle against evil, it is just as likely to thrill some as it is to offend others. After a clever opening in which readers are introduced to Agnes, Cecilia and Lucy, who are in varying states of distress in the hospital emergency room, Hurley initially spends too much time focusing on the girls independently and too little time exploring their implied connection. While each of the characters is compelling in her own right (particularly the beautifully crafted Cecelia), it's when their lives and destinies finally intersect that the story really takes off. Their struggles become far more compelling when Agnes, Cecilia and Lucy discover that they are the living avatars of three saints, each martyred when she was exceptionally young and after horrific suffering. Indeed, this creates a unique and powerful bond that emboldens them as they are thrust into a battle for their souls. Readers can rest assured that while these young women may be saints, they are definitely not angels. This first in a planned trilogy isn't for the faint of heart, but readers with strong stomachs will find themselves swept up. (Paranormal thriller. 14 & up)