The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Book:  The Goddess Test
Author:  Aimee Carter
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Year:  2011
Reason I read it:  This is the 5th book on Greek mythology for my booktalk.
My grade:  A++

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 now 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.

If she fails.. (cover and summary from goodreads.com)

MY REVIEW

You know when you’ve read one of those books that you don’t want to put down and when you finally finish it, the characters won’t leave your head?

The Goddess Test is one of those books!  Wow!  What a fantastic read this book was!  I was curious about it and thought that the premise sounded interesting, but the way Ms. Carter wove a story of mystery, romance and mythology all together was amazing.  I could not put this book down.  In fact, we went on Sunday to buy a new car and when my husband asked me to drive it home, I got upset because I wanted to read, not drive the new car! : )

The story was captivating.  I immediately sympathized with Kate, the main character.  Her mother is dying of cancer and she has to leave New York City and move to a little town in the middle of nowhere.  She is so focused on her mother’s illness, she can’t even be a normal teen.

I liked James a lot as well, especially at the beginning.  He seemed like just a nice guy.  Ava was, of course, the typical mean girl and I sort of predicted what would happen with her at the beginning, but after that, the predictability of the story was non-existent!  There were all sorts of twists and turns that were great but I could never have foreseen.  And I ended up liking Ava A LOT!

And then there was Henry.  ::sighs::  Henry was positively swoon-worthy!  If I had known that the god of the dead could be so fabulous, I would have started looking for one a long time ago!  He was a perfect underworld god:  dark hair, dark moods, dark temper, but oh, so captivating!  By the end of the book, I was ready to go through the  tests myself!

I like to see that some interest in Greek mythology is coming back in vogue.  Rick Riordan did a fabulous job with starting the Greek gods spin-offs in Percy Jackson, and Aimee Carter is continuing in his footsteps.  “The Goddess Test” shares its Greek mythology roots with Riordan’s works, but where Percy Jackson is slightly more juvenile and geared to a younger audience, Aimee Carter kicks it up a notch and really takes the idea to a more sophisticated level.  The story is complex and deals with love, death and sacrifice, drawing the reader into the story wholeheartedly. 

Just as a forewarning to those who like to know, there are several allusions to sex in this book, but nothing inappropriate.  Her fade to black is very well done!

This book is probably going to be on my top 5 of the year.  Right now, the only book ahead of it so far is “Unearthly” and it’s because Tucker Avery owns my heart.

But Henry, god of the underworld, can own my soul, if he wants it. : )

There is one drawback to this book.  I now have to wait until February, 2012 to find out what happens next. ::sobs::

This book is definitely an A++ for me!  Aimee Carter aced it, with lots of extra credit to spare! It arrives in stores on April 26^th.  You should run, not walk, to get it.  Or perhaps find a centaur to take you.

(Much thanks to Harlequin Teen and netgalley.com for the ARC.)