The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Release Date: April 26th, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 297
Source: Netgalley
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it’s Kate’s turn.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and now 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.

If she fails…- Goodreads

Review:
There was a bit of delay in reading this one, so all I can say is: FINALLY. Thankfully the book didn’t disappoint!

Kate is a very unselfish and strong heroine. She has given up so much to take care of her mother and yet she doesn’t regret any of it. Rather than complain of all the things she may be have missed out on, Kate values every moment she has with her mom and, as quickly find out, there’s not much that she wouldn’t do for her. She’s selfless, but she’s also headstrong and a protagonist I took an early liking to.

I was honestly convinced that I wouldn’t like Henry. I couldn’t tell you why I thought that, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. “Tortured” definitely fits him well; it becomes quite clear that he has tired of his existence, having loved and lost, and having lost even more with every girl that came before Kate. He’s distant, but a tentative friendship eventually forms between him and Kate which was wonderful to see unfold. Their relationship was a sweet one, more of a slow burn than a blazing fire, but these two are vulnerable characters and it’s just what they needed.

Even if I had hated everything else in the book – which thankfully I didn’t – the relationship between Kate and her mom would have been an absolute highlight. It is so rare to find a strong parental presence in the majority of YA novels I’ve read, much less a relationship as powerful as the one here. It was so easy to get a real sense of their bond, as well as the heartbreak that Kate endures of knowing she’ll have to say goodbye soon. It’s not all sadness between them, though; we also get to see how happy they can be. Considering the circumstances, I didn’t expect Kate’s mom to have a major presence in the story, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that she was very much a central focus.

If I could single out any one problem I had with the book it would be one of the big god/goddess reveals at the end. I won’t give it away because it came as a shock to me, but I sat there thinking, “Hmm…I’m not sure how I feel about that.” It didn’t work for me, but hey! Lucky for The Goddess Test, there’s more books in the series to come, making for plenty of time to explore that particular direction in the story.

Overall, The Goddess Test proved to be a very addicting read that I couldn’t put down until I finished. The series should have no problem building a loyal fanbase and I’ll be eagerly looking forward to the next installment!

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