Samantha M. (amethystprincess) reviewed The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, Bk 1) on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Reviewed on Romanceloveranonymous.blogspot.com
As you saw from the GoodReads.com review Greek Mythology was not one of the authors strong suits, she did not follow the story of the Greek Gods very well, but they are myths none of them are actually true and personally I slept through those chapters of reading in high school and I learned more about the stories of the Greek Gods reading this than I ever even thought possible. Personally the stories were confusing to me, too much going on and not enough everyday life. Had the teacher spent time teaching me something using teenage drama I probably would have paid more attention to her than to the dreamy boy in the seat next to me, but don't get me wrong I did learn a few things that the author did change in this book. And as the author keeps repeating throughout the book is that what we know is MYTH none of it is true. It is all stories that people have made up to explain things such as weather changes (yes I have to relate this post to the basis of the story between Hades and Persephone).
Beyond the rant of the Aimee Carter's knowledge of Greek Mythology this book is a great book on what you would do for your family and friends. When Kate Winters is invited to a party by Ava which turns out to be nothing but a trick, because Ava believed that her boyfriend thought Kate was good looking, things go very badly. Ava hits her head on a rock while swimming (something Kate is afraid of) away and is technically dead. But the mysterious owner of the property that Ava was going to leave her alone on asks what she would do to save a girl who was just playing a mean trick on her and going to leave her there. "Anything" is her answer and before her eyes Ava is brought back to life.
Could it be that easy, she promises "anything" and a girl who in reality she should hate is brought back to life? And what is so important about the story of Hades and Persephone that Henry wants her to know about them before the Autumn Equinox? What if she decides not to follow the rules for saving Ava by not spending the six months with him in Eden? Could he save her mom from the disease that has been taking her life for the past few years?
I loved this book and though others have not enjoyed it for the fact that Aimee Carter does not follow the stories of Greek Mythology to perfection, I still believe that Myths are just that something that can be interpreted any way the person wishes too. I think leaving out that in reality all of those Gods were related was a good thing, as this book will appeal more toward the Junior High and High School Girl. JH girls do not need to be learning so much about the incestuous relationships that were had between the Greek Gods. We all know that what they did was wrong but why should we teach sixth graders all of that in a story of fiction. They are going to be learning enough of it later on.
As you saw from the GoodReads.com review Greek Mythology was not one of the authors strong suits, she did not follow the story of the Greek Gods very well, but they are myths none of them are actually true and personally I slept through those chapters of reading in high school and I learned more about the stories of the Greek Gods reading this than I ever even thought possible. Personally the stories were confusing to me, too much going on and not enough everyday life. Had the teacher spent time teaching me something using teenage drama I probably would have paid more attention to her than to the dreamy boy in the seat next to me, but don't get me wrong I did learn a few things that the author did change in this book. And as the author keeps repeating throughout the book is that what we know is MYTH none of it is true. It is all stories that people have made up to explain things such as weather changes (yes I have to relate this post to the basis of the story between Hades and Persephone).
Beyond the rant of the Aimee Carter's knowledge of Greek Mythology this book is a great book on what you would do for your family and friends. When Kate Winters is invited to a party by Ava which turns out to be nothing but a trick, because Ava believed that her boyfriend thought Kate was good looking, things go very badly. Ava hits her head on a rock while swimming (something Kate is afraid of) away and is technically dead. But the mysterious owner of the property that Ava was going to leave her alone on asks what she would do to save a girl who was just playing a mean trick on her and going to leave her there. "Anything" is her answer and before her eyes Ava is brought back to life.
Could it be that easy, she promises "anything" and a girl who in reality she should hate is brought back to life? And what is so important about the story of Hades and Persephone that Henry wants her to know about them before the Autumn Equinox? What if she decides not to follow the rules for saving Ava by not spending the six months with him in Eden? Could he save her mom from the disease that has been taking her life for the past few years?
I loved this book and though others have not enjoyed it for the fact that Aimee Carter does not follow the stories of Greek Mythology to perfection, I still believe that Myths are just that something that can be interpreted any way the person wishes too. I think leaving out that in reality all of those Gods were related was a good thing, as this book will appeal more toward the Junior High and High School Girl. JH girls do not need to be learning so much about the incestuous relationships that were had between the Greek Gods. We all know that what they did was wrong but why should we teach sixth graders all of that in a story of fiction. They are going to be learning enough of it later on.
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Kate and her sick mother move halfway around the country on Kate's eighteenth birthday to fulfill her mother's wish. She wants to move back to her childhood home. On top of her mother's declining health, Kate now must also deal with a new school, finding new friends, and figuring out what to do after her mom dies.
Kate soon gets invited to a party. She doesn't want to go, but she attends to appease her mother. Only the party turns out to be a prank - a deadly prank.
Kate meets Henry right after the accident. Henry makes her a deal: he'll bring Ava back from the dead if Kate agrees to become a form of Persephone. Kate agrees to anything if it will just bring Ava back to life.
Now, she's stuck in a bargain where she must live in a mansion for six months out of the year. She must pass seven tests in order to remain there - among the living. Meanwhile, Henry will do his best to help her and also keep her mother alive until the end of the six months.
No other girl has passed the tests in centuries. Kate has no idea what's she's getting herself into. The more time she spends with Henry, the more she grows attracted to him. Can she break through his barriers and capture his heart?
THE GODDESS TEST is the first in a trilogy and leaves the reader breathless. It's a beautifully haunting novel. Kate worries so much about everyone around her that she doesn't realize how different her life will become. Readers watch her new life unfold as she struggles with loneliness, frustration, her growing feelings for Henry, and her fears at failing the tests.
Kate and her sick mother move halfway around the country on Kate's eighteenth birthday to fulfill her mother's wish. She wants to move back to her childhood home. On top of her mother's declining health, Kate now must also deal with a new school, finding new friends, and figuring out what to do after her mom dies.
Kate soon gets invited to a party. She doesn't want to go, but she attends to appease her mother. Only the party turns out to be a prank - a deadly prank.
Kate meets Henry right after the accident. Henry makes her a deal: he'll bring Ava back from the dead if Kate agrees to become a form of Persephone. Kate agrees to anything if it will just bring Ava back to life.
Now, she's stuck in a bargain where she must live in a mansion for six months out of the year. She must pass seven tests in order to remain there - among the living. Meanwhile, Henry will do his best to help her and also keep her mother alive until the end of the six months.
No other girl has passed the tests in centuries. Kate has no idea what's she's getting herself into. The more time she spends with Henry, the more she grows attracted to him. Can she break through his barriers and capture his heart?
THE GODDESS TEST is the first in a trilogy and leaves the reader breathless. It's a beautifully haunting novel. Kate worries so much about everyone around her that she doesn't realize how different her life will become. Readers watch her new life unfold as she struggles with loneliness, frustration, her growing feelings for Henry, and her fears at failing the tests.
OMG, I started this just last night and finished by lunch today. Awesome, simply awesome fantasy romance. I so loved the mythology sprinkled throughout the story and the mystery suspense kept me flipping the pages to see what happened next. The final mystery, I did figure out before the author told me but the rest, wow, not a clue. She kept me guessing right up till the final pages.
I really loved the main character Kate. In the beginning, I felt a bit sorry for her as she had basically given up her teenage years to care for her mother who was dying of cancer. Despite spending her whole life in NYC, she agrees to move to a small town, Eden, because her mom wants to die in the town she was born in. She starts her senior year at a new school amongst kids that she has nothing in common with just to make her mom happy. She is way more mature than most 18 year olds are but her unselfishness was a lot of what made me enjoy this book. I heartily get tired of the typical whiny teen depicted in a lot of the YA fiction.
Kate basically agrees to sacrifice her happiness and freedom so that others may live. She must pass 7 tests to show the council that she is worthy of taking her place beside Henry and ruling the Underworld. While Kate is determined to learn as much about Henry's world, she must be vigilant as the last dozen girls before her died only months into their time in Henry's world.
This is by far the best of the YA books I've read this year and I imagine that even 8 more months down the road, it will come out on top. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series, "Goddess Interrupted" and up to now have only occasionally read fantasy. The romance, mystery, and suspense has upped my enjoyment to the level that I won't hesitate to pick up the next fantasy I come upon.
I really loved the main character Kate. In the beginning, I felt a bit sorry for her as she had basically given up her teenage years to care for her mother who was dying of cancer. Despite spending her whole life in NYC, she agrees to move to a small town, Eden, because her mom wants to die in the town she was born in. She starts her senior year at a new school amongst kids that she has nothing in common with just to make her mom happy. She is way more mature than most 18 year olds are but her unselfishness was a lot of what made me enjoy this book. I heartily get tired of the typical whiny teen depicted in a lot of the YA fiction.
Kate basically agrees to sacrifice her happiness and freedom so that others may live. She must pass 7 tests to show the council that she is worthy of taking her place beside Henry and ruling the Underworld. While Kate is determined to learn as much about Henry's world, she must be vigilant as the last dozen girls before her died only months into their time in Henry's world.
This is by far the best of the YA books I've read this year and I imagine that even 8 more months down the road, it will come out on top. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series, "Goddess Interrupted" and up to now have only occasionally read fantasy. The romance, mystery, and suspense has upped my enjoyment to the level that I won't hesitate to pick up the next fantasy I come upon.
Shannon M. (confuzzledbooks) reviewed The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, Bk 1) on + 486 more book reviews
Kate and her mom are close. Kates mom is also dying. While Kate struggles to deal with losing her mother, she makes friends in a new town. After an accident with a friend dying, Kate is found by Henry, who says he is Hades, and to prove it brings her friend back to life.
I think of this book and the surprise ending is what sticks to memory but I dont want to spoil the book. In my opinion this is one the best retelling of a Greek Myth.
The bond that Kate and her mother have really pull at the heart string and had me tearing up a little. That doesnt happen often with me and books.
I wont give it 5 stars because there was some things that I pretty much guessed was going to happen. Even with the typical scenes you might expect, this a good story. I cant really imagine what comes next in the series, this being the first book.
I think of this book and the surprise ending is what sticks to memory but I dont want to spoil the book. In my opinion this is one the best retelling of a Greek Myth.
The bond that Kate and her mother have really pull at the heart string and had me tearing up a little. That doesnt happen often with me and books.
I wont give it 5 stars because there was some things that I pretty much guessed was going to happen. Even with the typical scenes you might expect, this a good story. I cant really imagine what comes next in the series, this being the first book.
Reviewed by http://bibliophile-bestiary.blogspot.com/
I saw this in the book store and added it to my eBook wishlist. I ended up buying it for my nook a few days later and I am SO glad I did! This book was awesome! The story is so incredible and all the characters are so twisted, in such a good way! Some things you can see coming (or hope that they are) and others WHAM! just hit you out of nowhere! I love books about Greek mythology, and the author really hit the nail on the head with this one. Yea, something may not be "historically accurate" but isn't that what fiction is all about? The author took the baselines and really made it her own.
Another good thing that people should like is that the main character, Kate, was NOT forced to do anything. She always had a choice and was free to do as she pleased. It wasn't raw-emotions that made her feel she had to do it, it wasn't love or blackmail, it was her choice. I really enjoyed that part.
I am SO SO SO excited for the sequel, Goddess Interrupted, coming out around April 2012. Can it be April yet!?!?! 5 out of 5 stars!
I saw this in the book store and added it to my eBook wishlist. I ended up buying it for my nook a few days later and I am SO glad I did! This book was awesome! The story is so incredible and all the characters are so twisted, in such a good way! Some things you can see coming (or hope that they are) and others WHAM! just hit you out of nowhere! I love books about Greek mythology, and the author really hit the nail on the head with this one. Yea, something may not be "historically accurate" but isn't that what fiction is all about? The author took the baselines and really made it her own.
Another good thing that people should like is that the main character, Kate, was NOT forced to do anything. She always had a choice and was free to do as she pleased. It wasn't raw-emotions that made her feel she had to do it, it wasn't love or blackmail, it was her choice. I really enjoyed that part.
I am SO SO SO excited for the sequel, Goddess Interrupted, coming out around April 2012. Can it be April yet!?!?! 5 out of 5 stars!
I have mixed feelings about this one. There were parts of the story that had some potential, but overall the book left me feeling a bit disappointed.
I never really connected fully with any of the characters. By the time the characters actually began showing some emotions towards each other, I was already growing disinterested in their story. If the author had let the main characters "fall for each other" sooner, perhaps it would have been a better story. Other parts of the story simply left me feeling confused.
I'm not sure if I will continue on to book two in this series or not. (To be fair, my teenage daughter read this one and loved it. Maybe it was just me.)
I never really connected fully with any of the characters. By the time the characters actually began showing some emotions towards each other, I was already growing disinterested in their story. If the author had let the main characters "fall for each other" sooner, perhaps it would have been a better story. Other parts of the story simply left me feeling confused.
I'm not sure if I will continue on to book two in this series or not. (To be fair, my teenage daughter read this one and loved it. Maybe it was just me.)
A very interesting take on the story of Hades & Persephone as well as the Gods/Goddesses of Olympus. I enjoyed this book, and can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Pretty good read! Though it started of kinda boring imo. If it weren't for that I might have given it a better score. Also it wasn't terribly long. That is a plus because had it been stretched out I think it would have been overkill. Love the Greek mythology. Loved the ending! Can't wait to see what happens next!!!
Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
Umdid I read a different book than many others? After reading rave reviews all over Goodreads and the Internet, I was expecting something swooningly romantic and highly inventive. Instead, THE GODDESS TEST read like a first draft of sorts, fully of character clichés and a meandering plot that takes the excitement out of, well, excitement.
I stopped reading about a quarter of the way into the book because, at that point, still nothing pertaining to the main plot had occurred. Its actually quite impressive how little plot this book got away with, considering its YA audience. The first quarter of the book consists of a really confusing series of exchanges that go something like this:
I can save her life if you agree to do [STATIC] for me.
Okay, um, but what is it you want me to do?
*ominous voice* You know what I mean.
Well, um, actually I dont, but, um, okay, whatever you say.
*days later*
Wait, WHAT did I promise I would do for you?!
You know what you promised.
Actually, I do not, but, um, sure, let me know what you want me to do.
It is too late. She dies.
*she dies*
Noooooo! Now I must go and save (again) the life of this girl who treats me like shit.
Or something like that.
Thats the other thing that completely boggled my mind about this book: the characters. They are tropes. Kate is a total Bella Swan, the new girl whom guys are falling over to accommodate for no real reason. Her friend, James, is like this awkwardly done combination between male-best-friend-whos-in-love-with-the-female-protagonist and male-best-friend-who-seems-to-be-hiding-a-secret-that-may-changing-the-female-protagonists-life. And Ava. Oh God, Ava. One minute she hates Kate, the next she seems to suffer amnesia and think theyre chummyno, really, theyre actually chummy, not just because Ava wants to seduce Kate into trusting her. So yeah, I quite clearly dont get James and Ava and what purpose they serve in the story except to maybe press Kate into the path of Henry. Whatever. So unnatural.
I hesitate to recommend this even to people who enjoy Greek mythological retellings or who dont have a problem with clichéd characters because its just so poorly structured, in my opinion. I requested this for review, but I think Im going to stop there, because, as far as I can tell from similar reviews, the rest of the book isnt going to get better.
I stopped reading about a quarter of the way into the book because, at that point, still nothing pertaining to the main plot had occurred. Its actually quite impressive how little plot this book got away with, considering its YA audience. The first quarter of the book consists of a really confusing series of exchanges that go something like this:
I can save her life if you agree to do [STATIC] for me.
Okay, um, but what is it you want me to do?
*ominous voice* You know what I mean.
Well, um, actually I dont, but, um, okay, whatever you say.
*days later*
Wait, WHAT did I promise I would do for you?!
You know what you promised.
Actually, I do not, but, um, sure, let me know what you want me to do.
It is too late. She dies.
*she dies*
Noooooo! Now I must go and save (again) the life of this girl who treats me like shit.
Or something like that.
Thats the other thing that completely boggled my mind about this book: the characters. They are tropes. Kate is a total Bella Swan, the new girl whom guys are falling over to accommodate for no real reason. Her friend, James, is like this awkwardly done combination between male-best-friend-whos-in-love-with-the-female-protagonist and male-best-friend-who-seems-to-be-hiding-a-secret-that-may-changing-the-female-protagonists-life. And Ava. Oh God, Ava. One minute she hates Kate, the next she seems to suffer amnesia and think theyre chummyno, really, theyre actually chummy, not just because Ava wants to seduce Kate into trusting her. So yeah, I quite clearly dont get James and Ava and what purpose they serve in the story except to maybe press Kate into the path of Henry. Whatever. So unnatural.
I hesitate to recommend this even to people who enjoy Greek mythological retellings or who dont have a problem with clichéd characters because its just so poorly structured, in my opinion. I requested this for review, but I think Im going to stop there, because, as far as I can tell from similar reviews, the rest of the book isnt going to get better.
