Review: The Blessed by Tonya Hurley

Title: The Blessed

Author: Tonya Hurley

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Released: Aug 02, 2012

Buy: The Book Depository

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.

Rating: 2.5 stars

As this is a very subjective rating, it might be worth checking out some different opinions on Goodreads.