Blessed

Gr 8 Up—Lucy, Cecilia, and Agnes have more in common than they can imagine, and as more unfolds about their lives, the darker their circumstances appear. The plot of the first title (S & S, 2012) in Hurley's trilogy does little to show how these three characters are interconnected until halfway through the novel. What is most obvious from the start are the bizarre, strange, and Gothic overtones to the characters, their personalities, and their relationship to a mysterious boy named Sebastian who appeals to each of them in different ways. Listeners will be drawn into the story from the beginning as the girls re each taken to the emergency room for various reasons. Hurley delivers a modern-day religious mystery as listeners learn that the three characters are based on the martyred saints-Saint Lucy, Saint Cecilia, and Saint Agnes. Kara Hayward does a convincing job of expressing the distinctive personalities of each of the girls but, at times, her voice becomes a bit distracting.—Sheila Acosta, Cody Public Library, San Antonio, TX