The Goddess Test ~ Aimee Carter eARC review

The Goddess Test
Harlequin(TEEN)

April 19, 2011

304 pages
Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

For several years, Kate's mother has had just a few months to live. You see, Kate's mother is dying of cancer and the doctor's have told Kate and her mother over and over again that it's only

a matter of months before Kate will lose her mother, a mother who's all she has. A mother Kate's put her own life on hold to take care of, forgetting about school, friends, and everything else for several years now.

But now they're moving back to Kate's mother's home town as her dying wish. It's going to mean a new school, new friends, new everything for Kate.

She's doing it, though, knowing that once her mother dies--and this time it probably will be soon--she can leave this tiny town and go back to New York where she belongs.

One night, soon after her arrival in town and starting school, a series of events leads to Kate meeting Henry. He claims to be Hades, the God of the Underworld. Of course Kate doesn't believe him, after all, who would? But then she sees something that might just prove his claim.

And Kate's made a bargain with Henry--or Hades--he'll keep her mother alive while she attempts to pass seven tests.

If she succeeds she'll become his wife--and a Goddess.

But if she fails...


The Goddess Test (which is thankfully, thankfully the first in the series--I'd probably go crazy if there weren't more to this, I love it so much), is not quite a retelling of any myth. It's more of a twist of the Greek myth with Hades and Persephone; it's half a retelling and half something entirely new. It also does not at all require you have any knowledge of mythology (Greek or Roman)--just rewards you a little if you do.

Certain things in the beginning seemed really just implausible and not how actual people would react--but it did get worked out later in the story.

It's actually hard for me to review this because I want to tell you all the ending and how it wove everything together and tied up all these little loose ends you didn't even recognize there were but that would be spoilery. That sentence might even be spoilery.

I can say that I wish there had been more we got to see of Henry. Things were told from Kate's perspective so we only got her side of things--and sometimes Kate would know things that it felt like the reader was being told but not quite shown.

This is definitely a book you need to read when you don't have any pressing deadlines! The closer I got to the end, the more I knew I wasn't going to be able to concentrate on anything else until I finished. It was just that good. Everything builds up to an amazing finale.

I'm dying to see more of this series and more from Aimee Carter (and so excited that she's going to have another series that sounds amazing!cakes). I have no idea how I'm going to wait for the next book in the series . .. time travel anyone?


9/10

Read with super, super thanks to NetGalley & HarlequinTeen