Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Book: The Goddess Test by Amiee Carter
Stand Alone or Series: Goddess Test #1
Pages:  304

Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository

Available Formats: Ebook & Paperback 
Publication Date: April 26th, 2011

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

How Did I Get This Book: From Netgalley for Review

First Line: “I spent my eighteenth birthday riving from New York City to Eden, Michigan, so my mother could die in the town where she was born."

Preview Book: Google Preview

Description: It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

 

Those of us who are familiar with Greek mythology, know that most of the stories involve the gods and goddesses doing what they want they want, no matter the consequences – especially when it comes to humans. I was really looking forward to a modern interpretation, because I thought it would  include a strong, independent heroine. Someone who wouldn’t take kindly to being pushed around, someone who would stand up for herself. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Kate.

Which, made her a very strange character to understand. She was strong enough to deal with what life handed to her, but she wasn’t strong or independent enough to carve her own path – or at least be upset (I  would be livid), that she wasn’t given to option to make her own choices.  I would have been a tad more upset than Kate when the truth finally comes out. I don’t think I would have handled that particular plot twist well. 

Kate is also a very kind character, she has a very giving nature. She spends most of her time and energy caring for others, rather than worrying about herself.

I liked Henry, but I don’t love Henry. At least not yet. He takes  long time to break out of his shell, so readers do not get a lot of time to warm up to him. Hopefully, in the second book he will show us a bit more that will inspire my full-fledged devotion.  He isn’t what I would normally associate with Hades, God of the Underworld, but that is what makes this book fun and unpredictable. In Henry, readers are introduced to the softer side of the infamous God.  While I liked seeing this sensitive side of him, I do wish we would have seen a bit more of his other, darker nature. I mean, we’ve all heard the myths, the gods and goddesses were not nice. Especially, Hades. I would have loved to see him freak out and actually do something. That would have made for a more interesting love story – Kate falling in love with the harsh, somewhat crazed God of the Underworld.

Despite these flaws with the characters, I did enjoy the Goddess Test. I am always down with Greek Mythology and I thought it was a cute story. I am hoping that in the sequel, Kate will begin to develop into her own character. I desperately want her to stand on her own two feet. 

The ending involved a rather large twist; which I can always appreciate. I love when you think you have everything all figured out and then the author throws you for a loop. On a final note, I wanted to clarify something for you guys - this not the story of Hades and Persephone, it’s the story of Hades after Persephone. That minor detail is definitely imperative to the storyline, especially how the character of Henry reacts towards Kate.

 Favorite Quotes

“She might’ve been smiling, but with the way she was leaning against him and clutching his arm, she might as well have peed on him. He was clearly marked territory.”

“He made me happy, and tonight of all nights, I didn’t want to be alone. Most of all, I didn’t want him to be either.”

“It’ll take more than a knife-wielding murderer to make me give you up.”

“There is no way they could make me forget you.” I said. “No matter what they do to me.”