THE GODDESS TEST by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test
Aimee Carter

Rating: B+


Description from goodreads.com:
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 on the book:

I really enjoyed this book. At first, a lot of things didn't make sense, and I feel that some stuff should have been addressed earlier on in the novel (such as at least mentioning Kate's father... or lack thereof). Some of the events in the beginning made NO sense until about 80% into the book. That kept me from getting fully invested in the story because I kept trying to make sense of some bizarre actions by certain characters. Yes, it all ties in nicely at the end, but I would have liked some hints in the beginning so that I didn't spend the whole book confused and battling with my willing suspension of disbelief. However, Carter surprised me a lot toward the end, and even though this book completely twists Greek Mythology, I really liked it. 

I'm going to address the issue of the Greek Mythology first in this review. I have read many reviews where people are angered that Carter twisted these myths into something almost unrecognizable. They seem to be Greek Mythology purists, and they can't see past the fact that she changed these myths completely. However, I have to wonder if these people read any of the angel stories that are so prevalent in the YA world. The authors who wrote these stories (and I love many of these books) completely twisted Christian mythology into something completely different. Furthermore, the werewolf and vampire books we all know and love? The authors of these books have also twisted these myths, that people took seriously at the time and used to make sense of the world around them, just like the Greeks did with their mythology, into something very much opposite of what the original story was. My point in this is that every fantasy/paranormal/supernatural story we read today is bastardizing some former myth. That doesn't mean that the books aren't good, and it doesn't mean that we can't also enjoy the myths. I realize that Carter mixed Greek and Christian mythologies, but even the characters addressed that as the world changed and more beliefs occurred, things got more complicated. It just means that this is a work of fiction that was inspired by certain stories and people need to lighten up. I personally enjoyed the fact that the gods were likable for once. The book was set in modern times, so the dialogue was fine. However, Henry/Hades still spoke as if he was from a time in the past. This made the book feel much more authentic.

The only thing that kept me from giving this book an A was the fact that I was confused for a good part of it. I just could not wrap my head around some of the actions characters took, and I kept trying to find some sort of logical reasoning behind it. I'm glad that Carter addresses everything at the end, that way I wasn't left feeling like she just threw things out there that made no sense in order to use them as plot devices. It is very obvious that she spent a lot of time making sure that things matched up perfectly, and she did a terrific job. 

I liked all of the characters in this book. They were all very dynamic and more complex than I even realized for most of the novel. The interactions between Kate and Henry were believable and their relationship progressed at a natural pace. My least favorite character was James, and my favorite character (aside from Kate and Henry) was Ava. Toward the end, I had her figured out and pegged. Some of the other characters, though, I had to use the list in the back of the book to guess who they were. That is probably because I didn't see a lot of every single character. Obviously Carter couldn't spend an insane amount of time with each character, or the book would have never ended.

Over all, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Greek Mythology, but won't be angry that Carter deviates from the myths. This book is complex, and it kept me guessing. There's not a lot of action in it, but the mystery and romance more than make up for that fact. I can't wait to read Goddess Interrupted next. 

Want to buy The Goddess Test?