The Goddess Test Review (Spoiler-free!)

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Published: April 19, 2011
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 297
Source: Netgalley

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...
Kate's life is up in the air. Her mother is dying and her deathbed wish is to return to her obscure hometown which will, essentially, uproot Kate from everything she's ever known. Nevertheless, she does it, and she's thrown into a brand new world where she is surprised to find she makes new friends and finds herself building a new life for herself. Then Henry promises her the one thing she wants most - her mother to live a long, happy and healthy life. But choosing to follow her heart and save her mother might just be her own undoing.

The Goddess Test is one of the books I've been most looking forward to most this year, and I was so excited to see it featured on Netgalley. Presenting a world where Greek mythology and contemporary fiction collide, The Goddess Test is the perfect blend of fact and fiction, merging a story line with fascinating characters, layers of intrigue and story that sinks its teeth into you and doesn't let go. Aimée Carter has created a fresh debut with equal parts romance and turmoil with a fabulous writing voice that's engaging and moves with a steady, fluid pace.

Kate, the heroine of The Goddess Test, was the perfect character for me. She had this vulnerability about her that made her relatable in her situation, but she was strong, too. She never lost her inner voice or her power, despite her struggles. The secondary characters like James and Ava, though slightly stereotypical as the nerdy best friend and the cynically-tongued friend, respectively, added a touch of humour to a fairly dark and twisty tale. Above all else though, Henry, was perfection. He added a subtle depth to The Goddess Test, rather quietly, through his dark demeanor and hidden agenda. There was much more to him than what originally meets the eye (tall, dark and handsome, of course.)

The Goddess Test was a fabulous debut. It's a whirlwind of twists and turns, and the intermix of Greek mythology was refreshing and interesting. I give it a firm 5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans who enjoy YA fiction, especially those who enjoy fantasy and paranormal stories, as well as Greek mythology.

I received this eARC free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

46 comments:

  1. Great review. I'm very excited about this one. Do you feel like the Greek mythology aspects ever got too complicated? My Greek mythology is limited to Homer and a unit in my 6th grade social studies class. Do you think I'd feel lost? I'm guessing not seeing that you gave it a 5/5 but I'm interested in hearing more about how the mythology played into the book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am reading this at the moment. I love the pace and the mythology. And it is just an effortless and comfy read. Great review Melissa :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've sort of been on the fence about whether or not I wanted to read this one, but I just keep seeing all these positive reviews. You've convinced me, Melissa! I'm definitely going to check it out. =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! 5 out of 5 is wonderful! Honestly, I wasn't expecting a lot from it but now you have convinced me to read it. I have it on Netgalley - must read it soon!
    Thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just finished it last night. I really liked it too.
    NC
    Truly Bookish

    ReplyDelete
  6. YAY! I have been seeing this book all over with great reviews. And I finally got it approved on Netgalley!!! So excited to read it. Thanks for the review!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. My love for this book is a little ridiculous! :) I absolutely adored Henry! Fantastic review!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was a lot more lukewarm about this one, but I enjoyed reading your review :) I do agree, I liked her writing a lot. It had an effortless flow to it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I was excited to see this one on Netgalley too, as I adore Greek mythology. And I've only seen good reviews for it, so I'll have to push it up on my TBR list.
    Great review :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can't wait for this one to be released ! I love Greek mythology and the cover looks gorgeous !! =)
    Thanks for your spoiler free review Melissa =)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great review! I’m so excited to read this one :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm also reading it right now and I'm nearly through with it. I liked it - although I have to say that Henry was a bit too contained for my liking. I wished he would have been a bit more tough and bad-ass.

    Wonderful Review!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a fun review!!

    I just got this one as well, Ill have to move it to the top of the Netgalley reads...which of course are getting out of control. You see I have this thing called a blog and a book addiction...:o

    ReplyDelete
  14. I really like the sound of this book. It's always interesting to me reading about mythology and how authors find a way to make it unique and their own. I'll have to check it out on NetGalley for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am in love with this cover and like always, your review is wonderful. I have a feeling I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this story. I'm even more excited because you said it is 'fairly dark' and I didn't think it would be too dark at all, but happy that it is.

    ReplyDelete
  16. YAAAAAY! I can't wait to read this one, I'm so glad you gave it the full Melissa stamp of approval:) Just as soon as that Kindle button comes back, I'm going to be all over this one:) I adore Greek mythology so I'm really glad to know it's done well in this book!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Woo-hoo! Five stars! I really need to start reading this one!
    It's good to hear that you liked Henry--from the blurb I assumed that he'd be the typical brooding bad-boy. I'm so happy that he's much more than that!
    Thanks for the review! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I just got this on NetGalley, too! Your review has me itching to read it!! Thanks, Melissa!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This seems to be one of the most coveted NetGalley arcs lately! I just got my request accepted a few days ago...now I just need to get around to reading it!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kate sounds like the return of the strong female protag I've been yearning for.

    Brilliant review Melissa. I'm looking forward to this one.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Honestly..I read Hades and was sold ;) I truly do not need anything more than that

    ReplyDelete
  22. I was approved for this one on NetGalley and am trying to wait to read it until the Kindle option gets fixed. :( I love mythology and this book sounds right up my alley! I'm glad you loved it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. So happy that you liked it. Wait,5 out of 5?, you adored this one! I need to get this book as soon as it comes out. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm about to review this one, too! I also enjoyed it, though not quite as much as it seems you did. The mythology *was* very cool, and I agree Kate was a fantastic heroine. Great review. :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Great review! And I'm really liking that cover. :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'm so excited to check out this one - the mythology angle looks fun!

    ReplyDelete
  27. 5 out 5! Awesome. I'm with you, I've been waiting to read this. Yay for NetGalley! The characters sound great. Tall, dark and handsome, huh? Woohoo! Fab review :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. i defintely need to read this! i love the greek myths! thanks so much for the review, melissa!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have this one set to be read next month and now can't wait to read it since you gave it a 5 out of 5. I love Greek myths and am glad to see that this one has it incorporated very nicely into the story.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ok I seriously want this book like right now. You completely sold me!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh, wow! Greek mythology plus strong heroine plus incredibly positive review, and I'm totally sold!! Thank you so much for the review, Melissa!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I am excited about reading this one since it blends mythology and reality and I am so glad to hear that the character is strong and relatable. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great review!

    ReplyDelete
  33. can't wait to read this book, your review makes me even more excited. So glad you enjoyed it!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Amazing review! I recently finished this one as well, and I really enjoyed it! Working on my review ;)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Five out of five? Hot damn. I have this on my Nook. NEED TO READ! All I've heard about this book has been amazingly positive!

    ReplyDelete
  36. A firm 5 with a great heroine? Sounds like a major winner :) Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Wow! 5/5 - I really must request this one soon! I've been putting it off because my TBR list is huge already!

    ReplyDelete
  38. LOVE your review! I new I wanted to read this book before. but now I cannot wait! I literally want it right now. Great review, beautifully written and just all around awesome lol
    KelseyAnne

    ReplyDelete
  39. Stopping by on the hop. New follower too. I loved the Goddess test and reviewed it on my blog also:

    www.donotdisturbmybooks.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. Got this from NetGalley a while ago and I'm excited to start reading it! I'm glad that you loved it - great review!

    ReplyDelete
  41. This looks like a fun book to read. I'll have to look into it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I enjoyed this one as well but I thought that Ava's character was a bit inconsistent... Even if it is "explained", it was too all over the place for me. Great review. :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. I seriously cannot wait to read this one and was so excited to see it on NetGalley. I appreciate the lovely yet spoiler-free review :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. I can't wait to read this book! Kate and Henry and the side characters sound awesome! The cover is so gorgeous and I so love books with Greek mythology in them. I'm definitely going to be reading it when it's released!

    ReplyDelete
  45. I'm exited to read this one. I'm glad it's got good reviews.

    Happy book hop

    ReplyDelete
  46. Great Review! Can't wait for this one!

    Heather

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I always do my very best to return the favour :)

Please note that this blog is an award-free zone!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pin It button on image hover