Proceed With Caution
This book contains attempted suicide, substance abuse, blood, and mentions of rape, torture, and death.
The Basics
The narration is in third person present tense and mainly told from the perspective of our three leading ladies: Agnes, Lucy, and Cecilia. There are occasional scenes told from other supporting characters such as Agnes' mother, Dr. Frey, and Sebastian.
The setting is Brooklyn, New York, USA. Most of the book is set in one location: The Church of the Precious Blood.
Precious Blood opens on Halloween night in the emergency room. Agnes has been admitted for her attempted suicide. After receiving a blood transfusion, she is kept in the psychiatric ward overnight for observation. Cecilia was found nearly drowned in a pothole after a show. Lucy was found ODing at a club and is being bombarded with paparazzi. All three girls receive a mysterious bracelet before being released. Upon returning to their normal lives, something drives them to The Church of the Precious Blood where they're stuck for three days while a tornado rages through the city. This is where they meet Sebastian and are told their purpose.
My Thoughts
Precious Blood was super weird as other reviews have mentioned. I was expecting weird, but I wasn't quite ready for this. It was also quite boring at times. It opens with a bang. I was immediately hooked and wanted to know what was going to happen to these girls. I didn't like any of them, but I was intrigued, which is what's important. However, once they're out of the hospital, I was bored. It was until they meet Sebastian in the church that my attention was piqued again. Particularly, when they venture to the chapel in the basement and all hell breaks loose. Possibly, literally.
Once again, after the girls leave the church, it feels like it drags. It's obvious that they need to go back and fulfill their purpose, but I just wasn't interested in these in-between scenes. The author was also setting up some twists, people not being who they pretend to be, and trying to make us question if Sebastian is suffering from delusions or if everything is real. It didn't quite work. It just felt messy.
In the end, I finished Precious Blood feeling more confused than disturbed. What the heck just happened?! Did any of that actually happen? Are the saints real? Were the ghosts real? Was Sebastian telling the truth? Was all of this a big coincidence? I don't even know. The ending didn't leave me feeling satisfied or wanting more. I was just glad to put this madness away.