Review: The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1) by Aimee Carter

Synopsis: 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. Source

Review

Plot: I'm a huge fan of adaptions, including ones that involve Greek mythology. This book really surprised me, I thought that stepping into the history of the gods was a bit dangerous. Since I studied Greek mythology, I was hesitant if they would bring up the dark situations that revolve around the gods. I was happy to see that Carter did explain some of those topics and in a subtle way. The plot was a bit confusing at first because we were going by what Kate was experiencing. In the prologue we got a small hint of what was going on, but we were still clueless. I was waiting for them to reveal everything, but they would reveal some secrets at a time and they were surprising. Luckily, by the end, I was caught up with everything that was going on. The only element of the story I had trouble with was the romance. Henry has this heavy and tall wall up because of his last experience with love as well as "The Test". Kate ties to break down his wall and get him to open up, but even towards the ending of the book, it was hard to know whether or not he truly had feelings for her. Sometimes it would seem as though he was just saying and doing what Kate wanted him to.

Characters: Kate - She was a headache at times. Kate wanted to look at every situation in a logical stand point and pick the logical decision. Well, you can't do that when you're dealing with mythical gods and a test that determines your fate. She was stubborn and distant at times, but halfway through the story, you could tell that she was embracing where she was at.

Henry - I loved how mysterious he was throughout the book and I feel there's still more about him we don't know. He always seemed hesitant or distant from Kate. At times, I could see that he was falling for her. But, even when he said the beautiful three words any girl wants to hear...I didn't believe it.

Cover: I like the cover. The boldness of the green on the leaves and grass is beautiful and seems to compare with the Garden of Eden. The girl fits the description of Kate, however I'm not a big fan on the expression she gives. I wish it was different, like maybe sadness or lovesick, something other than the current one.

Overall Rating: I'm giving this book a three out of four. The plot was great and I loved the mix in of the gods and mythology, but the romance wasn't doing it for me. Also, I wish that the gods were a bit more stereotypical. Not to the point where Zeus had a lightning bolt in his hand and Poseidon was constantly in water, but just more than we were given. When they announced who was who, I couldn't believe that they were seriously that god. I would give this book a try, I like it enough where I'll continue the series, but will be hesitant gong in. If you like Greek mythology, I think this is a pretty good adaption of them.

Peace and Fangs,

Alisha