Author: Aimee Carter
ISBN-13: 978-0373210268
Publication Date: April, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Book Length: 304 Pages
Acquired by Me: NetGalley
Description Courtesy of Goodreads:
“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.”
My Thoughts:
Fantastic! I got sucked in to this story from the very start and loved every minute of it. A little background for me: I grew up in love with Greek mythology. So much so that I even traveled to Greece in junior high to see the temples and absorb the culture. Clash of the Titans was my favorite movie at the time. How could a girl not fall in love with the adventures, tragedies and romances of the Greek gods? So…when I saw that Aimee Carter had written a young adult novel with mythological elements – Greek mythological elements – I could only grin. I knew I was going to like this book.
At the center of the story is Kate. She’s a strong young woman who is dedicated to caring for her ailing mother. Mom’s dying wish is to spend her remaining days where she grew up. Kate is willing to do whatever it takes to make her last moments comfortable and gives up her old life to move to a tiny town where everybody knows everybody. Kate becomes a self-imposed outcast immediately – choosing to keep to herself and not form friendships that she knows she’ll only break later. Her time spent in school isn’t covered for very long until we get to the heart of why she’s been brought to Eden: she’s been selected for something special that only she can choose to do.
Circumstances bring Kate together with a mysterious man called Henry. Henry strikes a deal with Kate that leads her to Eden Manor, a place of neither here nor there. Henry reveals himself as Hades, god of the Underworld. He needs a Queen and is running out of time. Candidates must past a test – thus far, they’ve all failed. Now, Kate is his last hope. But, will she do it? If yes, can she succeed? Is she willing to give up her freedom for those she loves?
Much of the book surrounds Kate’s relationships with individuals she encounters while in Eden and at Eden Manor: her mother, Henry, as well as a few questionable characters (James & Ava) that cozy up to her. I cannot forget to mention the TEST: but it would be remiss of me to go into any detail, for I do not want to spoil to twists that go along with it. Suffice it to say that everything in the book has a purpose, all of which are ultimately revealed through the course of the story.
Kate’s first impression of Henry:
“I could see his face clearly now that he was closer, and something about it looked off. He couldn’t have been more than a few years older than me, twenty-two at the most, but even that was pushing it. And he was too beautiful to be out in the middle of the woods like this. He should’ve been on magazine covers, not spending his time hidden away in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”
On a final note: I’ll just mention that I adore Henry as a leading hero. He’s soulful, deep, complex, and tragic – everything you love in the guy you want to root for. I want to see Kate win for him. I want to see them develop further!
The best part of The Goddess Test is that there are two more books coming out in the series. I’ll leave out the details for those, because to mention it would be to give away some of what transpires in the first book. But, take it from me – this is a great young adult fiction to get lost in.
I highly recommend this book to young adult fiction enthusiasts, teenage girls and those who are mothers of teenage girls. It is a whimsical story that has some clever subtlety thrown in…will not disappoint!
The thoughts expressed in this post are solely based on my personal opinion and have not been influenced by any other entity or being. Use of my statements may not be reproduced without permission from me, the author of Fall In Love With Books.
-
Every time I try to commit to moving away from YA lit, I read about a fantastic new YA series! It seems almost impossible for me to completely move away from the YA genre, there are just way too many great books out there luring me in. And this one definitely sounds like one of them. Maybe if I can actually get a few classics in this summer, I will reward myself with this.
ReplyDelete