The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter (Goddess Test Series #1) | Review

As a huge fan of Greek Mythology and the Olympic Gods, as well as romance, I had to get the Goddess Test Series, the moment I heard about it. That was in 2014 so it’s been a while since I first read it. I have read the book pretty much once a year since. And what can I say apart from I fell in love with Kate and Henry immediately.

With the series, American author Aimée Carter created a world I never really want to leave. If I am being totally honest and you know I will always be that, I want to be like Kate. (And I wouldn’t mind a Henry in my life as well.)

Kate is someone who hadn’t had an easy life. When she was 14 her beloved mother was diagnosed with cancer and the next four years she would take care of her. Her mum is her best friend and she dreads the moment she will loose her forever. As someone who is very close to their mum as well, I can relate to Kate on that level. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to my mum. Thankfully she enjoys a healthy life.

Anyway, since it is just Kate and her mum it makes the looming death even harder. As her mother’s last wish, Kate agrees to move to Eden in Michigan, where her mum was born. On her first day of high school Kate meets James and Ava, who become her friends. With Ava friendship takes a bit longer. Actually, it takes Ava dying while playing a prank on Kate for them to become friends. Henry, or Hades rather, promises to raise Ava from the dead if Kate comes and lives with him for six months and tries to pass tests to become – you guessed it – a goddess and his Queen of the Underworld in return.

And Kate, being the caring person she is, agrees. Of course, it takes a while for her to accept her fate but when she moves in to Eden Manor, Henry’s mansion, she discovers that someone wants her either to fail the tests or die. I don’t want to give too much away, in case you want to read the book too, so I try to keep it spoiler free.

Kate and Henry’s blooming romance is one of my favourite aspects of the book. Kate is pretty inexpirienced due to always taking care of her mum the better part of her teenage years. Henry only ever loved his late first wive Persephone and for the most part has difficulties opening up and letting Kate into his heart. That and the fact that he already has given up on existing make him an intruiging charakter.

It also makes for an interesting romance and I fell in love with Henry just as Kate was. Their relationship never felt rushed or forced because both of them needed time to adjust and get to know each other and so does the reader. It helps, of course, that the book is out of Kate’s perspective.

The book also features one of my all time favourite female characters. Ava. She is flirty, plays with the men around her and pretty much does as she pleases and that unapologetically. She is a very good friend to Kate as well and my love for her grew only with each book of the series I read.

Another thing I really enjoyed about the book is Carter’s take on Greek Mythology. She doesn’t follow all the stories and myths and creates some of her own, all while honouring the mythology. Just so I have something negative to say about the book as well, and I don’t gush the entire review, I didn’t like James or his storyline at all. Or rather I didn’t trust him most of the book and that does not change even though Kate eventually forgives him for his deception. So apart from James, the book is perfect in my eyes. (Yes, I am back to gushing!)

The Goddess Test Series, which includes two more books (Goddess Interrupted and The Goddess Inheritance), a short e-book story (The Goddess Hunt), as well as a book full of short stories on what all the gods have been up to (The Goddess Legacy), has to be on of my favourite book series, probably only falling short to the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling and the Seven Sisters Series by Lucinda Riley. So I would really recommend the series to anyone who likes Young Adult novels, romance and Greek Mythology.

Have you read the book? And if you have did you love it as much as I did or were you disappointed? Let me know in the comments.

Information:
Title: The Goddess Test/Das göttliche Mädchen
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen/HarperCollins
Publishing Date: 19-04-2011/13.11.2017