The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 26,2011
Pages Paperback; 297 pages
Series Goddess Test #1

The Goddess Test was a mesmerizing and gripping tale that I read in one sitting. I can only say that author Aimee Carter did a fantastic job putting an intriguing new twist on this fascinating mythological tale.

Kate Winters, our protagonist, has not had an ordinary teenage life. At 18 she’s taken care of her cancer stricken mother for the past four years. Leaving New York at the request of her mother, they head for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where her mother grew up and where she wishes to die. Kate leaves behind everything familiar and finds herself in Eden, Michigan; Kate is surprised that the town itself is so small that to blink one would miss it, not to mention the home they bought is out in the woods with the closest neighbor a mile away. Kate agrees to go to school there, entrusting the care of her mother to an in-home nurse. The people that Kate meets in Eden are a little off but she just can’t put her finger on it and it’s only after a tragic accident that Kate’s destiny starts to unfold. This is when Kate meet’s Henry who performs what can only be called a miracle and in exchange for said miracle he exacts a promise from Kate, one she believes will never come to pass. She was wrong! Kate’s story begins in Eden but her unique and altruistic personality makes her the perfect choice for Henry, whose looking for someone special to help him rule Hades as both his wife and Queen. Kate’s journey begins here and there is so very much at stake, if she passes all that she dreamed could come true but if she fails…

The main characters were so well portrayed that I found myself either really liking them, really disliking them or being incredibly annoyed with them! I found myself getting emotionally invested in the main characters and the plots twists and turns. There were times I was certain I knew what was going to happen but I was completely wrong and other times I could see what was going to happen from the obvious clues.

The things I really liked about the books would be spoilers but what I will say is that Ms. Carter’s unique story telling was both joyfully wondrous and heart wrenchingly sad. Her words have the power to evoke strong emotions that many will identify with.

The only thing I disliked about the book was that Kate and Henry didn’t behave exactly the way I wished they would have but I understand now why it was important they didn’t. It wasn’t enough to discourage my reading enjoyment; in fact, I enjoyed the book so much that, again, I read it in one day because I just couldn't put it down until I was finished.

In Summary, I was really impressed with Ms. Carter’s beautifully adapted novel that took the mythology regarding Hades and the Underworld and made it into her own extremely entertaining version. While there was a very modern aspect, Ms. Carter skillfully intertwined this along with the well known mythological lore into an extremely entertaining book. I look forward to the sequel, Goddess Interrupted!