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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
I had high expectations for this book, but it was rather disappointed. I wanted it to be more oriented around the Greek culture and Greek myths. While I did recognize some sprinkling of the old fables, it wasn't enough. For example, the house the gods are all staying in is a mansion in Michigan and doesn't come across as especially Helenistic at all. Then there's the cover. I don't think Kate ever wears a toga. A white dress, yes, but not a toga. Instead, we have her in jeans and t-shirts in the beginning, corsets and hoop-skirts in the middle, and jeans and t-shirts again at the end.
It seemed to take a long time for the romance element of this story to get going. Once it did, I took minor issue with the fact that Kate sleeps with Henry, though I do appreciate that the author didn't show it. There also is the fact that Kate seems to have some interesting views about commitment and relationships and...oh, never mind.
Then there was the issue of the afterlife thing...everyone has a different afterlife depending on his/her expectations after death? Come on! Here the writer again chose to deviate from the Greek legends.
On the plus side, this book had a lot of suspense. It kept me guessing and I did enjoy it in spite of my earlier scathing commentary. I plan to read the next book in the series eventually and I do think that this storyline was a good idea, it just didn't go all the way through. But who knows? You might like it, so don't let the fact that I didn't discourage you from reading it.
Oh, and I have to mention that according to the Greeks, Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, not Ares. (Yes, I am a Greek mythology geek.)
It seemed to take a long time for the romance element of this story to get going. Once it did, I took minor issue with the fact that Kate sleeps with Henry, though I do appreciate that the author didn't show it. There also is the fact that Kate seems to have some interesting views about commitment and relationships and...oh, never mind.
Then there was the issue of the afterlife thing...everyone has a different afterlife depending on his/her expectations after death? Come on! Here the writer again chose to deviate from the Greek legends.
On the plus side, this book had a lot of suspense. It kept me guessing and I did enjoy it in spite of my earlier scathing commentary. I plan to read the next book in the series eventually and I do think that this storyline was a good idea, it just didn't go all the way through. But who knows? You might like it, so don't let the fact that I didn't discourage you from reading it.
Oh, and I have to mention that according to the Greeks, Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, not Ares. (Yes, I am a Greek mythology geek.)
If you like romance novels give this a shot. If you like Greek mythology avoid it.
I had relatively high hopes for this book but it mostly fell short of them. For the first quarter of the book, the characters were all relatively interesting. The insta-friendships and relationships were a bit irritating, but for the most part it was a fairly decent story. After that, however, they all rapidly became bland and boring. The tests that the main character, Kate, went through could hardly described as such.
Actual rating: 1.5 stars.
I had relatively high hopes for this book but it mostly fell short of them. For the first quarter of the book, the characters were all relatively interesting. The insta-friendships and relationships were a bit irritating, but for the most part it was a fairly decent story. After that, however, they all rapidly became bland and boring. The tests that the main character, Kate, went through could hardly described as such.
Actual rating: 1.5 stars.
I read this one in less than a day...I liked it that much. This is a different and modern take on the Greek Mythological story of Persephone. Kate starts as a character who is unsure of herself and the world around her. As the story grows she learns who she is, and what she wants out of life. This is a great and easy read. Loved it!
**Sex is mentioned but not described.
http://dragonflowersandbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/goddess-test.html
**Sex is mentioned but not described.
http://dragonflowersandbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/goddess-test.html
Dear Author,
If you want to write a book on Greek Mythology, Please for the love of God read a book about the Greek myths. Or effing Wiki it. It's not really hard for you to figure out that the Olympians do not give a f**k about mortals to base their existence for six months around one mortal with no special talent or character traits.
You are what is wrong with the writing world.
Sincerely,
Will read the second book only to diss it.
If you want to write a book on Greek Mythology, Please for the love of God read a book about the Greek myths. Or effing Wiki it. It's not really hard for you to figure out that the Olympians do not give a f**k about mortals to base their existence for six months around one mortal with no special talent or character traits.
You are what is wrong with the writing world.
Sincerely,
Will read the second book only to diss it.
This book was so fantastic! It was really similar to Meg Cabot's Abandon, except that in Abandon there's no test, the girl just gets kidnapped. It's different enough for me to o not feel like I'm reading the same story, by a different author. Hades is my favorite god for some reason, and I love reading about him. I don't like the name Henry that much. This is the third book in the past month I've read with a guy named Henry. I mean, seriously people, there are better names than Henry. No offense to you people out there named Henry. I liked Calliope; it made me so mad when she almost killed Kate. I don't want Calliope to be evil. Diana just disappeared until the end f the book, but it's for a good reason. I feel like if Kate refers to the council as their god and goddess names,i'm going to get confused. i don't think Calliope should be Hera; Kate's mom should be. Calliope can be Demeter. I almost burst into tears when we thought that Kate failed the test, but I managed to restrain myself. I keep wondering what kind of dog Cerberus and Pogo are. I would hope Cerberus wouldn't get bad ideas with a girl puppy... I'm so excited to get the next book from the library.
I struggled with what to rate this book. I landed on three stars, which I think is fair enough.
I listened to it on Audible, and I honestly did not like the narrator. She wasn't terrible, but at a lot of parts, her tone and voice made "intimate" and "Exciting" parts cheesy which really Affected my connection to the story. I think I may have enjoyed the story better if I had actually read the book, but I'm not certain. It was a decent storyline and I love the overall theme, but it was be also incredibly predictable. I am currently debating if I want to read the next one or not. If I do it will most definitely be an actual book.
I listened to it on Audible, and I honestly did not like the narrator. She wasn't terrible, but at a lot of parts, her tone and voice made "intimate" and "Exciting" parts cheesy which really Affected my connection to the story. I think I may have enjoyed the story better if I had actually read the book, but I'm not certain. It was a decent storyline and I love the overall theme, but it was be also incredibly predictable. I am currently debating if I want to read the next one or not. If I do it will most definitely be an actual book.
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Harlequin Teen, 2011
293 pages
YA; Mythology
3/5 stars
First in planned trilogy
Source: Received a free e-galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to see a book combining Greek mythology into YA literature. The premise sounded promising too: Kate's mother is about to die but she makes a bargain with Henry (Hades) that she will attempt to become his queen in exchange for her mother's survival until Kate is ready to say goodbye. I imagined something like the 12 labors of Hercules or something equally excited. Alas disappointment.
The Greek mythology was very subtle. The fourteen Olympians are represented but because they used other names and generally lacked personalities, I had trouble identifying more than half of them. Much more could have been done to weave in the great stories of the Olympians.
Then there are Kate's tests. They relate to the seven deadly sins, which is odd as that's associated with the Christian faith and would seem unrelated to the Greeks. They also weren't very exciting, leading to a pretty monotonous story.
However I liked Henry and Kate's relationship; he is heartbroken from Persephone's leaving him but Kate does her best to cheer him up. She also has friends in Ava and James, the former who plays more of a role in the story but James will probably appear more in the second book.
Overall: Odd mythology and general lack of excitement.
Cover: The colors are very beautiful and I like that Kate's dress is sort of Grecian. I also like the title font.
Harlequin Teen, 2011
293 pages
YA; Mythology
3/5 stars
First in planned trilogy
Source: Received a free e-galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to see a book combining Greek mythology into YA literature. The premise sounded promising too: Kate's mother is about to die but she makes a bargain with Henry (Hades) that she will attempt to become his queen in exchange for her mother's survival until Kate is ready to say goodbye. I imagined something like the 12 labors of Hercules or something equally excited. Alas disappointment.
The Greek mythology was very subtle. The fourteen Olympians are represented but because they used other names and generally lacked personalities, I had trouble identifying more than half of them. Much more could have been done to weave in the great stories of the Olympians.
Then there are Kate's tests. They relate to the seven deadly sins, which is odd as that's associated with the Christian faith and would seem unrelated to the Greeks. They also weren't very exciting, leading to a pretty monotonous story.
However I liked Henry and Kate's relationship; he is heartbroken from Persephone's leaving him but Kate does her best to cheer him up. She also has friends in Ava and James, the former who plays more of a role in the story but James will probably appear more in the second book.
Overall: Odd mythology and general lack of excitement.
Cover: The colors are very beautiful and I like that Kate's dress is sort of Grecian. I also like the title font.
More of my reviews at http://fantasia-books.blogspot.com/ :)
I adore Greek mythology and it’s my favourite part of history to learn about. I love any mythology really because I love finding out about different cultures beliefs with their Gods and Goddesses by Greek mythology is one of my favourites! So when I found this book, based on Hades – one of my favourite Greek Gods – I knew I had to get it. There are some amazing Greek mythology novels out there, some of my favourites being the Goddess Summoning series by P. C. Cast and now The Goddess Test is apart of that special VIP group!!
Kate and her mother move to Eden, a request made by her mother as her last dying wish. There she enrols at Eden High and once there a prank is pulled which goes horribly wrong. But there is a good point as it leads her to meet a dark, handsome and mysterious stranger named Henry. He offers Kate a deal that she can’t afford to turn down, but is it too good to be true? After her life is thrown into chaos and the choices she makes will decide the fate of everyone around her.
This book had everything and I mean EVERYTHING! It has danger, sacrifice, mystery, heartache, romance, betrayal, suspense and best of all it is based on one of my favourite Greek tales of all time: Hades and Persephone. If everyone had the kind of imagination Aimee Carter had then...I’d be lost for words (I would also fall madly in love with every book). This novel felt real and I could relate to the characters (I even had tears in my eyes).
Kate was a beautiful character and she was so strong with all the obstacles she had to overcome and no matter how hard it got she kept on going. I could appreciate her for who she was and what she did and I connected with her. And Henry...my lovely Henry. I fell in love with him and I loved that he was Hades. He was such an amazing character and was very lovable too. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him as well for all he’s been through with his past and I was so happy when they met!
I think I knew how it would end but the problem was, Aimee kept throwing us all these twists and turns and I found myself thinking ‘Is the ending I want going to happen?’ or ‘NO! That can’t be happening!’ But this book was amazing and nothing disappointed me. I found my heart faltering on certain bits, afraid of what was going to happen, and at one point I actually cried! And crying is a big thing for me because I never do it.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves Greek Mythology and tales of love that’s so strong because this book is amazing. I cannot wait until 2012 when I get to read the next book, Goddess Interrupted. I wonder what will happen next for Henry and Kate :)
I adore Greek mythology and it’s my favourite part of history to learn about. I love any mythology really because I love finding out about different cultures beliefs with their Gods and Goddesses by Greek mythology is one of my favourites! So when I found this book, based on Hades – one of my favourite Greek Gods – I knew I had to get it. There are some amazing Greek mythology novels out there, some of my favourites being the Goddess Summoning series by P. C. Cast and now The Goddess Test is apart of that special VIP group!!
Kate and her mother move to Eden, a request made by her mother as her last dying wish. There she enrols at Eden High and once there a prank is pulled which goes horribly wrong. But there is a good point as it leads her to meet a dark, handsome and mysterious stranger named Henry. He offers Kate a deal that she can’t afford to turn down, but is it too good to be true? After her life is thrown into chaos and the choices she makes will decide the fate of everyone around her.
This book had everything and I mean EVERYTHING! It has danger, sacrifice, mystery, heartache, romance, betrayal, suspense and best of all it is based on one of my favourite Greek tales of all time: Hades and Persephone. If everyone had the kind of imagination Aimee Carter had then...I’d be lost for words (I would also fall madly in love with every book). This novel felt real and I could relate to the characters (I even had tears in my eyes).
Kate was a beautiful character and she was so strong with all the obstacles she had to overcome and no matter how hard it got she kept on going. I could appreciate her for who she was and what she did and I connected with her. And Henry...my lovely Henry. I fell in love with him and I loved that he was Hades. He was such an amazing character and was very lovable too. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him as well for all he’s been through with his past and I was so happy when they met!
I think I knew how it would end but the problem was, Aimee kept throwing us all these twists and turns and I found myself thinking ‘Is the ending I want going to happen?’ or ‘NO! That can’t be happening!’ But this book was amazing and nothing disappointed me. I found my heart faltering on certain bits, afraid of what was going to happen, and at one point I actually cried! And crying is a big thing for me because I never do it.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves Greek Mythology and tales of love that’s so strong because this book is amazing. I cannot wait until 2012 when I get to read the next book, Goddess Interrupted. I wonder what will happen next for Henry and Kate :)