Blog Tour: The Blessed by Tonya Hurley - Interview, Review & Giveaway (UK)

Hi Guys!  I'm really excited to be part of The Blessed blog tour.  Coming up for my stop of the tour I have a review of the book, an author interview with Tonya Hurley and a giveaway.  One lucky UK follower will be able to win themselves a paperback copy of this book.

The Blessed by Tonya Hurley

Released: 2nd August 2012
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Source: From Publisher for review purposes
Find At: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository
Author Site: Tonya Hurley

Goodreads Synopsis:

Brooklyn teens Lucy, Cecelia and Agnes find themselves in the emergency room at Perpetual Help Hospital at the lowest point in their lives. Lucy, the superficial party girl; Cecelia, a drop out rock chick; and Agnes, a hopeless romantic. All rebels running from their lives and themselves, plagued by broken hearts and broken dreams. Enter Sebastian. Mysterious, compelling, seductive. He seems to bring each of them what they long for...
 But in the battle for his heart, will they lose their souls?

My Review:

This is a very dark and edgy book. At times it comes across quite dark but there are some meaningful and deep moments. From the word go when the three girls all come into the emergency room, the mood is set. They all have their problems and they are all at their lowest ebb.

 This one was certainly a rollercoaster, it has moments of being brilliant and moments where I thought it was okish. I think this was mainly to do with the fast speed of the plot; it seemed to be like a whirlwind. I really wanted to stop and just take in a bit more detail. 

The three girls Lucy, Cecelia and Agnes all had their fair share of problems. Sebastian the compelling and mysterious boy comes along and gives each girl what they are craving. He is almost like a drug to them. It is quite uncomfortable to see how needy these girls are, but then again we are talking about a book that is not at all fluffiness and light. It’s gritty and certainly nothing is glossed over. 

I have got some favourite parts of the book; I will just mention them as they won’t spoil the story for you. The first chapter when all the girls arrive at the emergency room was excellent and also when the girls first come to the church. There, that’s all the details I’m giving. 

My favourite character would have to be Lucy; I certainly didn’t like her ego at the beginning of the book. She is selfish, she is egotistical and everything has to be for her benefit. But I loved the stark comparisons to the other girls, Lucy really stood out for me. A girl that you would love to hate in real life.

I have to mention the artwork in the centre of the book; the pictures are so pretty and detailed. There are pictures of the three female saints and there is also some verse which corresponds to each of them. I thought this was a lovely addition to the book. 

I’m rating this book as a four star because at times it was really really good, but there were times that let it down a bit and I certainly think that giving it three stars does not do justice for this book. I have never read a story like it, so it is really unique. 

Overall: 

Edgy, dark and gritty this book is certainly a tale of how when things can go wrong in your life you don’t know what is really at stake. 

 My thoughts on the cover:

 I love the artwork on the cover; the tattoo on the back of the girls back is so detailed and pretty. It would certainly stop me in my tracks at the book store. The title is embossed red foil and really adds effect. I just love it!

Author Interview:  Tonya Hurley

1. Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. 
 Because it's different to every other young adult book out there.

 2. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
 Know yourself. Accept yourself. Be yourself. Have faith in yourself.

 3. What was the hardest part of writing your book? 
Dealing with revered religious icons in a modern context can be tricky.

4. Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? 
I'm writing the second book in The Blessed trilogy right now and I've just completed a ghostgirl Christmas novella which will be out this Fall. Fingers crossed for a ghostgirl film and a THE BLESSED project in the near future.

 5. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 
I was amazed at how young the saints that I've chosen to re-imagine for this trilogy were when they were martyred. Just teenagers. The more I learned about them, the more it seemed to me that theirs were some of the first great young adult stories ever recorded.

Giveaway:

Chance to win your very own paperback copy of The Blessed by Tonya Hurley.

As the book is kindly being provided directly from the Publishers it is open to UK only. 

So here are the details: 

• There will be 1 winner - The winner will receive a paperback copy of The Blessed  directly from the Publisher.

• ·         Open to UK Followers·      

• You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
• Giveaway will end 14th August 2012
• Please don't leave your email address in the comments box

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