The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, #1)

by Aimée Carter

[Stephanie]

Originally posted at Once Upon a Chapter

Life couldn't get any worse for Kate Winters right now. She and her mother are moving from New York City to Eden, Michigan. A town so small it's not on the map. Kate's mother was diagnosed with cancer when Kate was a freshman in high school. Kate's been taking care of her ever since. Four years later it's her mother's wish to pass in the place she was born and for Kate to experience small town life.

Henry is on the brink of losing leadership of his realm. He was granted a century to find his beloved's replacement. Since then eleven girls have been tested and eleven have been sabotaged or murdered. Henry is ready to face defeat when his sister concocts a last ditch effort plan. Henry agrees to give it one more try but his heart isn't truly in it.

Kate is offered the chance of a lifetime, whose lifetime remains to be seen. She agrees to take a series of tests over the next six months. If she passes, Kate will be granted immortality and Henry for a husband. The most important part? Her mother remains alive for the next six months until Kate is ready to say goodbye. If she doesn't pass, Kate will be taken back to live with mortals and no memory of her time spent with Henry in his manor. That is if she survives the tests.

The Goddess Test has quite an array of characters. I didn't find it hard to keep them separate and I could remember each character distinctly. Kate wasn't as strong as I'd thought she would be. She's been caring for her very sick mother for the past four years on her own. She's been strong and supportive for her mom but underneath all that she's a scared eighteen year old girl. Kate's had a lot on her plate, no doubt about it. While it was refreshing to not have a kick ass heroine, Kate's constant insecurity did wear a little towards the end. We don't get to see much of a development in Kate and Henry's relationship because of the large cast. I found that it didn't detract from the story though. I really did enjoy all of the different people and what they added to the story.

The Goddess Test flowed pretty well throughout the novel. I didn't notice that it lagged anywhere. It also contained a lot of Greek mythology which I find fascinating. The pages fairly flew while I was reading. There was one part that threw me for a loop but I think it was just me!

I'd recommend The Goddess Test for someone looking to spend some time with a teen girl trying to find herself. Take a good story and add in some Greek mythology and you've got a win!