Book Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test

By Aimee Carter

Release Date: April 19, 2011

Summary: 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 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 that 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 suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

IF SHE FAILS...

Review: Right after I finished this book, I was going to give it a five. Seriously, it was a great story with great characters. After I looked at the other reviews on Goodreads, though, a few details were pointed out that got me thinking and I had to knock it down a star. 

Let's start with the good things. First, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I knew I had to read it even before I read the back cover. The next thing that was awesome about this book was the beginning. You jump right into Henry talking about a girl who had just died and how he's only going to try one more time until he gives up. Hmmm a girl died? And this is happened before? And this may happen again? I want to know more! So from the first page I was intrigued and the story held my interest until the very end. 

The characters were likable enough. Kate was such a selfless character and all she wanted was for those around her to be happy, even when they try to kill her or abandon her in the middle of the woods...Needless to say she is a very good person and I enjoyed reading about her. However, here's where the bad parts come in. Throughout her "test" to become a goddess, she really didn't have to do anything. You would think that a test for immortality and to be a God would be all about action and having to do extreme, crazy things. But all she did was sit around. Seriously. She didn't even know the tests were going on and they weren't even explained until the very last chapter when they Gods were like, "Oh, well how you reacted to these situations was the test." Seriously? I wish there was more action and more of a struggle towards her journey to being a Goddess instead of the anti-climatic situations she actually faced. 

The second part that dropped this down to four stars was the whole Greek Gods interpretation. Greek Gods are supposed to be kick butt, do what they want, anything but pure kind of people. But in this book, they were nice, following the rules, and Henry was even a virgin. I know the last part bugged a lot of people because the Gods slept with whoever they wanted to, even their own siblings, so how would Hades be a virgin in this book? Henry's lack of experience wasn't that big of a deal to me, but I think the Gods should have been more self-centered and rule-breaking than they actually were. And I'm not really sure how the seven deadly sins (more of a Christian morality thing) fits in with all of the Greek Mythology stuff, but it worked in the story as a whole. 

So looking at all of those aspects together, The Goddess Test was an enjoyable enough story, it was just lacking in some areas, specifically action. If you're up for a good story with a new twist on Greek mythology, but aren't a big stickler for the details, then this book is definitely for you!