{Review} The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

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.

Title : The Goddess Test

Author : Aimée Carter

Publication : 19th April 2011

Publisher : Harlequin Teen 

293 pages

My review

A gorgeous cover, a pristine summary, Greek mythology, I didn't need more arguments to want this book. I was lucky enough to win it on A Book Vacation Blog and I want to thank her once again for this one. It was a refreshing and original read and I really liked The Goddess Test.

Even if I really love books with Greek mythology, as the Percy Jackson saga for instance, I'm clearly not an expert. I would totally be unable to tell you about Persephone's myth, or about the Gods' characters, and so on. I prefer to warn you, I've seen a lot of negative reviews due to its inaccuracies or because it doesn't respect the old mythology. My lack of knowledge in this area may explain why I loved this book so much. In fact it's mostly a combination between Greek and Christian myths, with modern day twists.

The writing is smooth and pleasant and the storytelling is compelling. I was spellbound all along and I was curious to know what would happen next. I read it really fast, in only a few hours. Even if it's not faithful to Greek myths, the mythology developed by the author is really interesting, unique and original. I totally loved discovering it with Kate.

The characters are touching. I loved them all. Kate is witty, nice, smart and real. It was very moving to see her deal with her mother's illness. Her feelings are very well described and I loved her dedication, it was heartbreaking to see her go through this. She has some flaws, she's sometimes a bit annoying as she's always feeling guilty for everything. However it really didn't bother me because she's mostly brave and strong. Henry is quite mysterious but I love mysterious and dark guys, so I liked him despite all his mysteries. The secondary characters are also interesting and are well depicted.

The world developed by Aimée Carter looks so vivid and alive that it was easy for me to dive in it. The plot is fast-paced and The Goddess Test is packed with punches, twists, romance and mysteries. Even if it's sometimes a bit predictable I had some surprises, especially near the end.

To sum up, I really liked this novel which is quite unique. The Goddess Test is totally different from other Young-Adult books and it's a great debut for Aimée Carter. If you're looking for something that remains faithful to the traditional myths perhaps you will be frustrated and disappointed in this book. As I was looking for a refreshing story, something pristine with a captivating storyline and a pleasant writing, it has totally met my expectations. I'm now really looking forward to reading the sequel, The Goddess Interrupted in 2012.