The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

Release Date: April 26, 2011

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 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...

You have to buy this book. No, seriously.

The Goddess Test is, without a doubt, the BEST book I've read this year. I know I just said that a few posts ago about Hex Hall, but I hadn't read this yet.

Can I just tell you how sick I am of werewolf/vampire books?? The Goddess Test was like a breath of fresh air! It's based on the story of Hades and Persephone in Greek mythology, but you finally get to hear it from Hades' point of view. The story as it is told (in a nutshell) is that Hades kidnapped Persephone and tricked her into eating a few pomegranate seeds, thus making her immortal and forcing her to stay in the Underworld for six months of every year. This is how the seasons were explained. Fall and Winter were the seasons Persephone spent with Hades. The other six months, Persephone stayed with her mother, Demeter (Hades' sister). Persephone ended up falling in love with a human man and when the man died, Hades' allowed Persephone to die with him, leaving Hades to rule the Underworld alone.

This book picks up after the Persephone drama, when Hades is searching for a new Queen to help him rule the dead. However, not just any girl will do. She must first pass seven tests. I have to say that from the book description, I thought it would talk about the tests more in depth while they were happening, but by the end of the story it all made sense to me and I was completely head over heels for this book.

I really felt for Kate. She missed out on all four years of high school while she voluntarily took care of her sick mother. She never went on dates, never hung out with friends, and even dropped out of high school her senior year to take care of her mom full-time. You might be thinking, What an irresponsible mother--letting her daughter drop out of school!?? I thought that at first, but I think it was am important part of Kate's character development.

I also loved Henry (Hades). Go figure, right? When I started reading this, all I could picture in my head was the Hades from Disney's Hercules, with the James Woods voice-over and blue flame hair. But as I read more, I fell in love with this sad, lonely, misunderstood character. It made me think that maybe all these years, Hades has just gotten a bad rap. Maybe he's really not as bad as everyone wants to make him out to be. Maybe he just needs someone to share his burden with. Really? Do you want to rule over a bunch of dead people?? No! But someone has to do it. So, thank you Hades for being the Waste Management of the gods-- the job no one else wanted.

I seriously loved, loved, loved this book. Can it be April NOW please, so I can go buy my copy??

Happy Reading!


**I received this egalley from the publisher for the purpose of review.