The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Category: Teen

Release Date: 4/19/2011
Rating: 

   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.

    Have you ever heard that history is written by the winner in any conflict? If you think about it, this is actually true. How we feel about a certain war, or event is based on the impression we are given by those who wrote the history. As the loser rarely survives, our feelings and knowledge comes from those who kept the power to spread that knowledge. The same could be true for mythology. What if Persephone was just some twist we were given. What if Hades didn't trick her and Persephone was just some spoiled brat who got to the history books first. People tend to fear death, so it would be far easier to side with the "innocent" maiden that the embodiment of such a scary subject. 

     Kate moves to a new town with her dying mother and meets the mysterious Henry. He claims to be Hades and in search of a new wife, but what sane person would believe such a strange tale. One day, she is out with a girl from school. When the girl falls to her death, Henry releases her and Kate is not so sure what to believe anymore. She moves in with Henry to undergo a series of tests (and buy her mother a little more time). If she succeeds, she will become the Queen of the underworld. If not, well, let's just hope that she does.

      As the story progresses Kate begins to fall for Henry, and as she learns more about his past, she becomes more determined to succeed in her mission. This is a heartwarming tale in which the reader learns what it takes to become a goddess and how far one young woman will go for love and justice. A great read! I wrote this review in honor of the two books coming out soon. One the short Novella (e-book) The Goddess Hunt set to be released 3/1/2012 and Goddess Interrupted, the second installment of The Goddess Test series, set to be released 3/27/2012. If you need something to hold you over until then, you should check out Abandon by Meg Cabot or The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon. Happy reading!!!