www.crackingthecover.com
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • Home
    • Picture
      • Ages 0-3
      • Ages 2 and up
      • Ages 3 and up
      • Ages 4 and up
      • Ages 5 and up
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 8 and up
      • Author Interviews
      • Bedtime Stories
      • Gift Guide
    • Middle Grade
      • Author Interviews
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 7 and up
      • Ages 8-12
      • Ages 9-12
      • Ages 10 and up
      • Gift Guide
    • YA
      • Author Interviews
      • Reviews
      • Adult Crossover
      • Gift Guide
    • Seasonal
      • Back to School
      • Christmas
      • Earth Day
      • Easter
      • Fall
      • Father’s Day
      • Mother’s Day
      • Gift Guide
      • Halloween
      • Spring
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Winter
    • Diversity
      • Asian American and Pacific Islanders
      • Autism Month
      • Black History
      • Chinese New Year
      • LGBT Pride Month
      • Women’s History
    • Crossover
    • About
      • Review/interview policy
      • About our reviewers
    www.crackingthecover.com

    Aimee Carter’s ‘Goddess Test’ is pleasant surprise

    1
    By Jessica on April 25, 2011 YA review, young adult

    “THE GODDESS TEST,” by Aimee Carter, Harlequin Teen, April 19, 2011, $9.99 (young adult)

    The Greek myth of Demeter, goddess of harvest, her daughter, Persephone, and Hades, the god of the Underworld, is one dating back thousands of years and known the world over. It’s the mythological explanation for winter.

    Hades kidnaps Persephone, Demeter mourns her loss and the world’s vegetation dries up. Hades allows Persephone to leave, but because she ate six pomegranate seeds, she must return to the Underworld for six months every year. During that time, Demeter grieves for her daughter.

    Even, Kate, whose mom is dying, has heard of it. But it’s just a myth. Everyone knows that. Or is it?

    Mom’s dying wish is to move back to her childhood home. Kate doesn’t want to leave New York, but she can’t deny her mom’s desire. So they move to Eden, Mich., and Kate enrolls in a new high school.

    Kate’s whole life is her mom, and time is running out. Kate would do anything to save her, to just have more time. But is it worth it if she has to give up her own freedom in the process?

    When Kate meets Henry, it seems he might be the answer she’s looking for. But then tells her he’s Hades, god of the Underworld. And he has a proposition — stay with him for six months out of the year and he’ll keep her mother alive.

    It’s a bit much to swallow. Kate’s pretty sure he’s lost his marbles. But then he brings someone back to life, and the possibilities suddenly become endless.

    The online hype surrounding “The Goddess Test” made me a bit wary. There was a lot of “I loved this book” without a lot of information to back it up. Upon reading it, I was, however, pleasantly surprised.

    Using myths and fairy tales as a jumping off point is not uncommon. Often the books end up feeling like bad clones of each other. That’s not the case with “The Goddess Test.” It’s interesting and has a unique feel to it. The pacing is fairly even, though there were a few parts toward the beginning that were a bit slow.

    Author Aimee Carter’s premise is believable as are her characters. I would have liked to more character development with Henry, but Kate felt spot on.

    “The Goddess Test” is fun, fast read that fans of mythology and novices alike will enjoy.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Jessica
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Jessica Harrison is the main reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. Prior to creating Cracking the Cover, Jessica worked as the in-house book critic for the Deseret News, a daily newspaper in Salt Lake City. Jessica also worked as a copy editor and general features writer for the paper. Following that, Jessica spent two years with an international company as a social media specialist. She is currently a freelance writer/editor. She is passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices.

    Related Posts

    Tessa Barbosa draws from Filipino traditions in The Moonlight Blade

    Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is heartfelt contemporary romance

    Trang Thanh Tran’s She Is a Haunting is skin-crawling creepy

    1 Comment

    1. Pingback: crackingthecover.comGet personal with Greek mythology in Aimee Carter's 'Goddess Legacy' » crackingthecover.com

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • goodreads
    • amazon
    • bloglovin
    • mail
    Subscribe by email
    Follow
    Recent Posts
    March 23, 2023

    Art and Life of Hilma AF Klint is fascinating picture book biography

    March 22, 2023

    Beowulf gets modern update in delightfully silly graphic novel Bea Wolf

    March 21, 2023

    Learn power of equal access in sports in Matt Tavares’ Hoops

    March 20, 2023

    Black Death takes center stage in Diane Zahler’s excellent Wild Bird

    March 20, 2023

    Tessa Barbosa draws from Filipino traditions in The Moonlight Blade

    Archives
    Categories
    On Writing

    “The dance with words and the way the hair on the back of my neck raises when it works right is what I live for.”

    —Gary Paulsen

    “I write because I exist. Because I read. Because I breathe.”

    —Lindsay Eager

    “Books are kind of like the sense of smell: inhale one page and memories come rushing back.”

    —Keir Graff

    Cracking the Cover is a website dedicated to picture, middle-grade and young adult books. It features reviews, author interviews and other book news. PLEASE NOTE: We are not currently accepting self published books for review.

    Copyright © 2010-2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

    Reviews Published Professional Reader 2016 NetGalley Challenge 100 Book Reviews

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.