The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1)

My 5-word review: I expected to be amazed…

This was my first book from Harlequin Teen Panel and I was so excited to get it, with its beautiful cover and all the hype. But I was sorely disappointed. I had expected to read something filled with mythological references and enough action to satisfy a bored, carsick teenager. Instead I found a dull romance with weak and depressing characters and a senseless plot.

I read the first few pages of The Goddess Test as soon as I received the book, and since there was also a chat with the author at the Teen Panel, most of us (me included) said we loved it. And I did. In the beginning. First off was the extremely suspenseful prologue, and then you were introduced to the protag with the dying mother and then there’s the guy in the middle of the road who disappeared(!). All very intriguing. I loved the indescribable affection Kate has for her mom, and when she goes to school, all the characters seemed so vivid: the bubbly but jealous Ava, the mysterious jock Dylan, and of course, the unpopular nice guy James. Kate herself seemed highly relatable. I saw myself in her: the way she put up a wall and was disinclined to make friends (she was going to move back soon anyway), her quietly strong personality (I know that sounds like a compliment to myself LOL), and how she never really did learn how to swim. The scene where Ava tries to leave Kate by the river, but hits her head on a rock and dies, and is brought back to life by the hot and mysterious Henry (in exchange for her reading about Persephone and “being ready”) is both scary and gripping. Unfortunately, that was the book’s high point and it just went down from there.
The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, #1)
Awesome alternate cover

Now I hate trashing books and I also hate spoilers, so without going into too much detail, I can say that
compared to the beginning, the rest was very slow-paced and romance was the main element, which bothered me. It might just be my dislike of romance novels in general. It’s possible that it’s my own taste and not the author’s sudden change of writing style, but you know what? I enjoyed Virtuosity. I adored Geek Girl. Heck, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite classics ever. So why not The Goddess Test?
• The slow pace. For most of the book, you’re just slogging through each of her insignificant little problems where I could have been spending time on Henry’s job as Hades, or more of the backgrounds of other characters (I know virtually nothing about Ella) or even a little more action in there somewhere.
• It just flew through the tests. I do like how she quietly inserted them in during every day life, but quickly narrating them in order to hide that they are tests also makes them seem really easy.
• Henry. I’m sorry but Henry just seemed like a watered-down version of Edward from Twilight – the same dark, pessimistic mood, the same extreme protectiveness, the quiet, fierce, inexplicable love.
• Speaking of which, the love. Inexplicable is exactly the right word for it. Just like Edward/Bella, Kate and Henry are just suddenly attracted to each other for some unexplained reason and before you know it, they’re deeply in love. Why? How? *shrug*
• The end. The way the gods’ identities and the judgement and the explanation of the tests was hurried, you’d think there was a tornado coming through when Carter wrote it. Could’ve at least told us why these gods were these specific people.

Overall, I’m very disappointed with how this book turned out. I’ll want to read Book 2 (or rather Book 1.5) just to see what happens, but I’ve kinda lost interest. Sadface.

Very believe retelling of the myth Persephone. The romance blossomed at just the right pace and I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!

I loved this book because it is interesting, romantic, and in a way a mystery. I can not wait for the next book!

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter caught my interest on the very first page. The Goddess Test revolves girl named Kate who is trying to deal with the fact that her mother has terminal cancer and doesn't have very long left to live. Her mother wants to move back to her home town "Eden,Michigan" to live out her last days and Kate wants her mom to be happy, so they move to Eden. While there Kate has to juggle with her mother's illness, a new town, and new kids at school. When she gets invited to a party she thinks that maybe things may be turning around ...until everything goes horribly wrong. She finds herself thrown into a place where no one is who they seem and every decision she makes could be a test that has serious outcomes. This story is laced with Greek Mythology, Betrayal,Love, and Loss. This debut novel is most definitely a MUST READ!!! This is the first Greek mythology book I've read and I can't wait to read more!

I absolutely love this book. I am a Geekaholic[?] (is that even a word? oh well). I have been studying about Geek Mythology since... FOREVER! I was a little bit skeptical about this book but I was totally in love with it after the second chapter. The main character, Kate, was a likable character. She is brave, strong, and independent. Henry was awesome too. He is, uhm, very calm and.. in controlled[?] o_O. The character that i dislike the most, but later i kinda like her, was Ava (Psh! it have nothing to do with the fact that she is Aphrodite :P)I also kind of on the edge with James, he is just so...sad. I felt bad for him, but it is kind of his fault that he like Kate. There is a LOT of twists and turns in this book. I'm not going to say it because i dont want to spoil it to everybody. This is an awesome book and if you don't read it, it totally your lost.

ISBN: 9780373210268
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 293

Become immortal or die trying.
It's always been just Kate and her mum - 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 mesmerising. 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.

At first I wasn't keen on reading The Goddess Test because of some of the reviews I had read, but I actually really enjoyed reading this book! I loved Aimee Carter's modern twist Greek mythology! My favourite character was Diana Winters, Kate's mum was my favourite character because despite everything that appears to be going on in her life she still has time to listen to her daughter's worries & problems. Diana was also my favourite character because of her determination and faith. I really like the cover of The Goddess Test! The image alone is great, but coupled with the text and the Greek patterns it's amazing and suits the book perfectly!

Available at Amazon.co.uk.

I have never really been into Greek Mythology, but this book really made me interested! I absolutely loved the mystery, myths, and history interwoven into this book. The world the author created was believable, yet magical. She took the myth of Hades and Persephone and created a new engrossing tale, which doesn’t require you to be a Greek Myth guru. The story is complicated, yet easy to follow.

When I read a book, it is essential for me to have some sort of connection with the protagonist. Kate was perfect! She has given up a good chunk of her life to take care of her mother. Once her mother’s care is out of her hands, it is exciting to see Kate find out who she is without the burden of worrying every moment about her mother’s well-being (although she can never really stop worrying). As Kate goes through these tests, she is never scared for her own life, she is constantly worried about the people she loves, and how her actions will affect them. To me this really makes Kate likable, as well as admirable.

Another thing that I loved about this book was that the author managed to surprise me! There were several things that happened throughout the book that I did not see coming. The reader often discovered secrets right along with Kate, which made me feel a stronger connection with her.

The next thing I read will be The Goddess Hunt (Goddess Test 1.5) and Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test 2)!

Aimee Carter is a debut author (and only 24 years old!) and her Goddess Test series is definitely one to watch for (planning on being a three book series...so far; GODDESS INTERRUPTED will follow in February 2012).

To start with, I felt abashed that this book made me cry so easily! The book opens with protagonist Kate and a rundown of her role as caregiver for her dying mom. Carter's description of this heart-wrenching process is mature and well-written.

This book also pays homage to one of my favorite myths, the myth of Persephone. I've been in love with pomegranates ever since first reading this myth, but Kate feels different about the seeds. She also feels differently about the prospect of spending eternity with Hades (who is a hottie!), but I won’t give away whether she disdains or enjoys his company.

But I will say, there is one big twist at the end and of course, the ending of the novel has me reeling to read the next book in the series, GODDESS INTERRUPTED.

Background: Kate is about to loose her best friend, her mother, who has been sick for a long time. Since the time is near, her mother decides to move them both back to the town where she grew up, Eden. Once there Kate's mother takes a turn for the worst and Kate is left feeling alone in a new place, with a new school, and new people. Then, Kate meets James, a kid that follows her everywhere and Ava, the head cheerleader; both of her new acquaintances are a little strange and eager to hang out with her. On a trip with Ava, Kate meets Henry, who says that he can help her mother live for just a bit longer, all she has to do is agree to live with him and take some tests. If she passes, she becomes immortal, if she fails... all is lost...

Review: I started this book and in a few hours was finished with it and really enjoyed this modern take on Greek mythology. Kate was a strong female lead and the other characters had very distinct personalities.
Carter gives the characters modern names in place of their Greek god and goddess names, which I found interesting and a little intriguing.

OK - on to it: Characters- awesome, storyline- awesome, mythology- a little off but it worked.

Carter's story of a young girl striving to keep her mother alive is very touching, I found that a few times I was almost in tears because of the affection Kate has for her mother. I was happy that this was finally a book where the girl goes for the 'bad' guy, in this case Hades. Yay bad boys. The way the tests were incorporated into the story were entertaining and it was great to see Kate grow throughout her journey.

Already have Goddess Interrupted ready to read soon

I really enjoyed this book.

this is my first ever greek myth book and so far i loved it.

It kinda reminds me of picking up the pieces - a song by Paloma Faith
The relationship between Kate, Henry and Persephone is just like that.

I liked how it was modernised to fit the 21st century and not the normal traditional one.

My favourite character is Ava. Even though she was a bit mean at the begining, she's still my favorite. She's a bit wild but she's a faithful friend and she helped Kate out of the river even after Kate punished her.

I recommed this book to anyone.