Author: Aimée Carter
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal
Source: NetGalley
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal
Source: NetGalley
Overall Grade:
B-
Would I read it again?
No.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, for a fast, fun read!
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Summary (from Goodreads):
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.
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My Thoughts:
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.
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My Thoughts:
WARNING: There are frequent SPOILERS in this review!
While The Goddess Test was a fun, thrilling, and compelling paranormal novel, my enjoyment of the novel was hindered by the protagonist's flippant reactions to serious events, as well as the contrivance of the overall concept.
For instance, Kate learns at the very end of the novel that everyone she is close to in life, both her human and immortal existences, is actually a God or Goddess, including her mother. When hearing this information, Kate, rather than being rightfully angry and utterly inconsolable, is only frustrated for a moment's time. This is not the normal reaction of a teenage girl, or any human for that matter, and the reader's disbelief can only be suspended through a certain amount of plausibility throughout any one work.
Kate Winters, the main character of The Goddess Test, is strong, forced to age well beyond her years while caring for her mother who is dying from an aggressive form of cancer. While Carter mostly succeeded in creating a character that extends beyond the limited scope of the YA heroine, i.e. the weak damsel in distress that experiences extraordinary events despite her own ordinary-ness, Kate was still subject to odd emotions, overreactions, and distinct under-reactions that will most certainly be evident to readers.
For instance, Kate learns at the very end of the novel that everyone she is close to in life, both her human and immortal existences, is actually a God or Goddess, including her mother. When hearing this information, Kate, rather than being rightfully angry and utterly inconsolable, is only frustrated for a moment's time. This is not the normal reaction of a teenage girl, or any human for that matter, and the reader's disbelief can only be suspended through a certain amount of plausibility throughout any one work.
Kate Winters, the main character of The Goddess Test, is strong, forced to age well beyond her years while caring for her mother who is dying from an aggressive form of cancer. While Carter mostly succeeded in creating a character that extends beyond the limited scope of the YA heroine, i.e. the weak damsel in distress that experiences extraordinary events despite her own ordinary-ness, Kate was still subject to odd emotions, overreactions, and distinct under-reactions that will most certainly be evident to readers.
Another area of mixed success is with the romance itself between Kate and Henry. Other than the fact that Henry is a God, is eerily gorgeous, thoughtful, and seems to care for Kate, the reader is not able to get to know his character at all, or even like him. The reader most certainly feels compassion for him after Kate learns the truth about Persephone, but still does not know even the most basic things about him. What he does or does not like, why he likes Kate so much, and how he manages to be so incredibly patient all the time.
While it is easy to dissect the successes and failures of this fun paranormal novel, I was certainly engrossed by Carter's storytelling ability. I was immediately drawn into this new take on classic mythology and engrossed with the plot, although it was fairly easy to guess and left little to the imagination.
In other words, I liked this book despite itself, despite the weak characterization and predictable plot, and am extremely anxious to read about Kate's next adventure in Goddess Interrupted!
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Overall Grade:
B-
Would I read it again?
No.
Would I recommend it?
Yes, for a fast, fun read!
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