The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Harlequin Teen, April 19, 2011

304 pages

Book Source: This copy was an advanced reader's copy provided by the Early Reviewer program on LibraryThing.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.

--Summary from GoodReads.com 

Judging by the cover...: Not a big fan of the cover. It's a little too seductive and surreal for my tastes. Luckily I had an ebook copy.

Favorite Elements:

• Persephone and Hades - What if the story we have been told for thousands of years wasn't the correct version? That somewhere down the line, Hades was turned into a villain and Persephone won everyone's sympathy? It's not completely without reason, considering history has a habit of rewriting itself.
• The Gods - The big kahunas of Greek mythology are featured within these pages. Brings to mind Percy Jackson's "family" of Gods and how they have their own unique personalities.
• Biggest Wardrobe Ever - I almost fainted when Kate was offered every possible piece of clothing ever available in history. And I love that all she wanted were the jeans and sweaters (because let's face it, that's what I'd go for, too).

Overall: C-
Ouch, I know, but after all of the hype given to this book, I really don't get it. The premise had major possibilities, but once the story got going, we are made to believe improbable plot points (who really just accepts that their friend saw someone bring another human back from the dead?) and root for a character who makes such uncharacteristic choices. There are plot holes galore, and the tests fail to live up to their reputation.

Recommendation: Meh. If you want a light and fluffy romance without having to think too hard about it, choose this one. If you're looking for something with more substance, keep searching.

Similar Books: Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (action packed, tiny amount of romance, crazy thrills) or Abandon by Meg Cabot (sa-woon!).

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Scholastic, April 26, 2011

304 pages

Book Source: Public Library

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

-- Summary from GoodReads.com

Judging by the cover...: This is a guilty pleasure cover, one you believe with all of your heart to be beautiful, but you know you'd face ridicule if anyone actually saw you read it. But that's not going to stop me from reading!

Favorite Elements:

• Persephone and Hades - Though not quite a retelling of the story, this book carries elements of the Greek myth throughout the story. And who isn't fascinated by The Underworld?
• Near Death Experiences - Pierce may have come back from the great beyond changed, but that doesn't make her experiences any less cool. She's spent quite a bit of time researching what other NDEs have gone through, and it's very interesting. White light? Voices? Your loved ones? No one knows what exactly is waiting for us on the other side, and that makes those who have been there and come back much more interesting than us regular folk.
• Brooding, Traumatized Boy with Hidden Charm - Should a gatekeeper for The Underworld start taking an interest in me, I would be sure to not offend him in any way. However, I'd react the same way as Pierce and run like hell should I find myself in his bedroom...in hell...

Overall: B-

Having heard all sorts of great things concerning Meg Cabot, I was preparing to be wowed. More likely I just had my hopes set too high. The bouncing back and forth between the past and present was a bit unsettling, but I got over it by the end. It will be interesting to see where this story goes in the next two books, but if you only read this one, you'd still get a pretty good story.

Pierce is hard to relate to, but I think I'd have a hard time finding friends if I was in her position. She's the filthy, disgustingly rich daughter of a corporate magnate, one who almost destroyed the Gulf Coast with his miracle oil absorbing chemical. She's the victim of her own demise, and is one of the lucky ones to have come back to tell the tale. She fails disastrously at an attempt to help her best friend, and every personal relationship takes a nose dive after that. Add to that an eerie boy who keeps showing up and making things better and worse at the same time. Yeah, I'd probably not be able to fit in to society after that, too.

Recommendation: For those ladies who need a swoony, heart-pounding, disturbing love affair, this one's for you!