The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1)
by Aimee Carter
Summary: EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED. NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.
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 that 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.
IF SHE FAILS...
Source: I borrowed a digital copy of this book for Kindle through my local library.
Review:
Oh. My. Gosh. I LOVED The Goddess Test. So much. I can’t even.
I’m pretty sure The Goddess Test is, like, THE book for me. Because I love Greek mythology and of all the Greek gods, how on EARTH did the author know I had a huge soft spot for Hades?! And to see Hades the way he is portrayed in The Goddess Test.. my heart just melted. I needed this book and I loved every single moment of it. I am so glad I read it!
In the beginning, Kate moved to the town of Eden with her dying mother and began her senior year. It started out like most YA paranormal books and I must admit, there was a brief moment when I thought it would be predictable and possibly lame. But when Kate made a deal with Henry in exchange for the life of her friend, things started to pick up and the real conflict began.
This was a bit of a spin off of the Hades and Persephone story. I’ve always enjoyed the myth and have always thought Hades could use a good guy persona, even though I also enjoy stories in which he is an evil villain. I love what the author did with Henry’s character and found it to be original, interesting, and captivating. I didn’t feel like he was lame or emotional or wimpy, as I’ve seen other reviews mention, but instead he was thoughtful and a little bit sad, with good reason.
There was tons of romance in The Goddess Test and I thought each moment was amazing and sweet and heart wrenching. There was no love triangle and no insta-love like I was expecting. The romance was slow, yet I felt the pace was perfect. The book really touched my heart with this love story.
Kate was a likeable character who was lacking direction in life and was having a hard time being herself with the possibility of her mother’s death looming above her. Despite her woe-is-me and I-don’t-want-to-be-alone moments, she wasn’t annoying or depressing. I found myself appreciative of her strength and resolve. She was driven to succeed and cared about others.
The author took elements of Greek mythology and peppered in her own details and other elements. I loved this aspect because she took characters I am familiar with and made them completely different and new. The added elements that weren’t from Greek mythology made the story less predictable and more interesting, regardless of whether they “fit” the Greek mythology stories. Some people don’t seem to appreciate the mixture, but I thought it was creative and well done. I don’t understand the negative reviews for the book at all, but I suppose if you were thinking The Goddess Test was more along the lines of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, you might be disappointed. It’s much different and less traditional.
I definitely recommend this book. I adored it. And there is no question that I will continue the series.
The short novella The Goddess Hunt (Goddess Test #1.5) is FREE on Kindle
Labels: paranormal romance, Review, YA
