Review: Goddess Interrupted

Goddess Interrupted

Aimée Carter
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Released: March 27, 2012

*Don't read if you haven't read The Goddess Test*

Description from back of book:

KATE WINTERS has won IMMORTALITY

But if she wants a LIFE with Henry in THE UNDERWORLD, she'll have to FIGHT for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him:

The king of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 



Henry's first wife, Persephone.

I'm just going to start out and say it. I judged the first book way to harshly. And I am so so so so so sorry. I was being way too picky and after reading this book, I realized that I have become emotionally invested in these characters and the books have quickly risen to my top 10 favorites. Now I just feel so horrible.

And look at the cover. Can I just say GORGEOUS? It is one of the prettiest covers I own.

I finally understand the creativity of Kate's last name. Winters. Ah ha! She's like Persephone and has to stay with Henry during the winter. I'm surprised I didn't get this in the first book. I like it! Now I feel stupid for totally over looking that.

Like all books, there was some parts that bugged me in this one, not as many as in the first one, but some.

What the hell happened in Greece? I don't own a Kindle or Nook so I never read the ebook and I kept finding myself questioning it. The only thing you got was a brief reference and vague hints. I wished there was a little more so I can get an understanding of what really happened. Once I get my Nook for Christmas, I know I will buy it so I can finally find out.

I am still confused by the whole name switch thing. It didn't annoy me as much as it did in the first book, but I'm having a hard time connecting the gods I know to these characters. Ava isn't Aphrodite in my mind. She's Ava, a totally different being. It still bugs me, but I understand the whole reason for the name switch. They take on the names common from each empire. It explains how the same beings became the Roman gods. I like that idea. I just wish they had better names than stuff like Henry. James. Walter. I'm a big fan on exotic names so I really should judge Aimée's choice on names. Plain, boring names can be okay too.

Henry seemed like he was the one in charge. Not Walter who is supposed to be Zeus. I was assuming since he is Hades, he should be the one who was kicked out of Olympus, the one that nobody really cares about. The gods actually seem like a big happy family here, not really bickering and messy. I love how Henry was able to hold some power in his family because technically, he is the eldest one, not Zeus/Walter. Oh my gods. I am sounding like my aunt who love Hades. *Face slap*

Kate needs to realize that Henry actually does care for her. Throughout the whole story, she kept doubting his love for her. The gods had to keep telling her that he does care for her and he has a hard way of showing it. But she never really listened to them and based it on what she observed. A few times in the book, I wanted to yell "Umm...Hello? Kate? You have known him for a year. His family has known him for eons. Trust them!" Nope. She basically just ignored them. And now I can't believe I am semi sticking up for Henry. Good thing I can't see him as Hades in my mind because I can't stand Hades. At all.

Certain characters I wanted to strangle. Persephone is the most annoying, selfish, and possibly slightly crazy character out there. My gods, she annoyed the hell out of me. I wish she would go die again in Tartarus. I hated that Kate lived in her shadow. She was right about being a "hand-me-down". Cronus is just a creeper. There is no getting around that. He's plain old creepy. A lot of the gods are really pessimistic. They wanted to hang around and wait for their impending doom. Seriously? THEY ARE THE GREEK GODS! They aren't supposed to sit around and wait. They are supposed to jump right into action. I'm not talking about the original six (Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, Hera, Demeter) I mean the 'second generation' (Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus, Hephaestus). Only Ava and James would help Kate do anything productive. The rest were basically being cowards.

I am done complaining now. Let's move on to what I liked about the story.

Cronus' description is so so so cool. Even though I thought he was a creeper, he is a really cool ghostly fog. I loved that! He could just sweep in as this misty fog, cause a little havoc, and disappear. So much cooler than having a simple body.

More of actual Greek Myths were showing up into the story. We got more of the original myths in this one and I loved it. You got more of the connections between each god and Cronus shows back up. Aimée still added her little twists, but the original was still present.

I felt so bad for Calliope. I know she's supposed to be the bad guy, but I really feel so sorry for her. I blame my 8th grade paper I had to write about Hera. Ever since then, I have had a weak spot for the jealous goddess in my heart. She's the only one I actually connect to the goddess. Nobody likes her in this story. She has to run off to daddy because nobody trusts her. Granted, she tried to kill Kate a bunch of times and she did kill 11 other girls before her, but still, I feel like I should give her a hug. She has every right to be jealous. She watched the man she loved, Zeus/Walter, cheat on her and father a bunch of other children. I would be jealous and a little pissy if I was her too.

I have a lot of respect for Ingrid. She could have completely hated Kate because she failed the tests. Instead, she treated her as a friend. She could have been jealous of her love of Henry like Calliope, but she actually is happy for the both of them. If I was in her position, I would probably be a little resentful and jealous. I probably would have secretly hated Kate, but been nice to her in front of her face. Does this mean that I am a horrible person? Dear gods...

I missed Henry when he was gone. There. I said it and I'll say it again. I MISSED HENRY. I'm actually liking the guy even though he's Hades. *Starts rocking in fetal position* What has the world turned into? In my mind, I seperated the 2 characters. Henry is Henry. He's not Hades. I refuse to admit that. I cannot like Hades. I'm stubborn like that. But, Henry was starting to gain some of Hades' detached, broody, emotionless traits. I know in the first one I was complaining how Henry wasn't like Hades, but here, I really don't want him to be like Hades. I know, I cannot make up my mind. I really wanted him to sweep Kate off of her feet and to profess his undying love. He didn't really. Humph. That's what I get for wishing beforehand that he was more like Hades.

And as I am writing this review, I have One Direction's song, Gotta be You playing. This song sounds a lot like Kate and Henry's relationship. It may just be me who thinks it. I am crazy that way...Hmmmm. (Yes, I am very random sometimes....)

Please Fictional Gods above, LEAVE HENRY AND KATE ALONE. Let them be happy for once. Let them have a happily ever after. That's all I'm begging you for.

Now comes time for me to complain about the ending.

My one and only thought: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My gods, I did not see that coming and the cliffhanger is KILLING ME. I am so glad I waited to read these books later than sooner. I only have to wait a week for the last one. And yeah, I'm going to be reading the last one. This one ended with such a cliffhanger, it left me crying. Crying. *Sniffle* I want everybody to be happy and okay.

So please go out and buy these books! Don't give up after the first one like I almost did. (Thank you Alyss for making me buy this! You deserve a big hug). You will become emotionally attached to the characters after reading this one. I feel so bad for putting so much hate on the first one. I regret it deeply. These books are really really good. I need the last one like now. The week-long wait is going to kill me. Maybe you should wait and buy all 3 as a bundle. That way, you aren't sitting here like a troll sitting in the fetal position as the week slowly creeps by.

Review by Calypso

*UPDATE*

I was assuming that the final book came out next week, The Goddess Legacy. Actually, it's a collection of short stories. And the last one doesn't come up until next April. Now I'm extremely sad
:(

Review: The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test

Aimée Carter
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Released: April 19, 2011





So I am going to be lazy once again and borrow the description from Goodreads.

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 that 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 suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

IF SHE FAILS...

Does anyone else hear the "Dun Dun Duuunnn..." after finishing that? Or is it just me?

*Sigh*

Where do I even start with this one? I am in love with Greek Mythology. I fell head over heels when I read Percy Jackson. I basically died when I read the Starcrossed Trilogy. I think The Covenant Novels ran over my heart with a tractor trailer truck. To say the least, I love modernized Greek Mythology stories, so I was expecting this one to be downright amazing.

*Crickets chirping*

The book wasn't horrible. I expect so much out of it and I found myself a little disappointed in Aimée's story. I love the idea of Hades (Sorry, I mean Henry) trying to find another wife to replace dear old Persephone after she got sick of the crazy, moody god (I have a low tolerance for Hades so please excuse my hatred of the guy). The concept of the book is amazing. Kate has to pass 7 tests in order to become immortal and be Henry's beloved prisoner, I mean wife. Pff. Who am I kidding? I mean prisoner.

**BELOW ARE SPOILERS SO DON'T READ AHEAD IF YOU HATE THOSE PESKY SPOILERS!**

The 7 tests are based off of the Seven Deadly Sins. Okay. Cool idea. I like it. Except for the fact that the Seven Deadly Sins are Christian. Am I wrong? I guess they did exsist back then when the Greeks were sitting in togas creating all of their brilliant myths. I mean, pride is a big Ancient Greek no-no. And don't even get me started on lust. Is anybody else thinking of Zeus and Aphrodite? Couldn't the test be something like, I don't know, Heracles's? I mean, why mix the two different concepts from two very different religions? But now I'm becoming WAY TOO PICKY.

Then there's the whole thing were Henry DOES NOT HAVE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST ATTRIBUTES THAT HADES IS SUPPOSE TO HAVE! -_- Okay. So the guy is broody, and moody, and is crazy obsessed with Persephone. He even has his slight anger problems. But that's about it. Nothing at all like the big, dark, terrifying god who I have come to know and deeply despise. Maybe that's why I warmed up to Henry just a little. A wee little bit. And maybe it did help melt some of my frozen heart that I have set aside just for Hades. But really? Henry a virgin? A VIRGIN? By all the Gods in Olympus alone, I did not see that one coming. Ummm...That sounds nothing like the god I have read so much about. Seriously. Okay. I will let this one slide I guess. Yeah.

Finally, Kate failed the test on lust. *Snickers* Kate, perfect Kate who was all like "I will never date any boys because my mama is dying and I have no time for guys at all". And yet she failed lust. *Starts to snicker again* Talk about irony. Okay, I'll cave. She was spiked with an aphrodisiac but still, I started laughing after I read that. It was everything she said she would never do and yet, BAM, she failed. Okay. Thanks for the laugh Aimée. I needed that. Then she fell madly in love with Henry and I was like "The guy barely talks to you, sees you, and he kidnapped you. AND YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM?? WHY GIRL? WHERE ARE THOSE BRAINS YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO HAVE?" Stockholm Syndrome much?

I am done complaining now.

**END OF THOSE DARN PESKY SPOILERS**

I love Kate's relationship with her dying mother. I made me be on the verge of tears in some parts because the love she had for her mother was *sniffle* touching. But at some points, I was wondering if Kate even had a life outside of her mother. She dropped high school to take care of her, she refused to make any other friendships. Her life revolved around her mother. Granted, her mother was dying of terminal cancer and could go any second. I cannot relate to that at all, but I know I would probably go crazy if I had to watch my mother go through that without any friends or high school to ground me. (I cannot believe I just said something like that about high school. Wow.)

The thing that bugged me the most was the name change. The original names are seriously fine. I don't understand why Aimée would change perfectly good names. I was so glad that there was a guide in the back for me to flip back and forth to because otherwise, I would probably be confused with everybody. Like Ella and James. They did not have the personality of the god/goddess they were supposed to be. I guess at the end I understood why the names were all changed because it was finally explained. But it doesn't mean I had to like it.

What was the point of placing a mini love triangle between Henry, Kate, and James? I know James stands no chance at all but really? I know love triangles are seriously popular right now, but it's okay not to include them in a story. Just once I want to read a book that has NO LOVE TRIANGLES. YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE A TRIANGLE IN YOUR STORY. Be different, keep it a line! I am done ranting about that now.

It took me about 160 pages in before I started to actually want to read more of the book. I was a little bored at first, but it did pick up in the end and I'm actually curious at how the stories will continue. I know that she wrote novellas that happen during Kate's summer stays away from Eden and that book two is out. So I may just have to pick them up eventually. I want to know how they end, even though the book drove me crazy for half of it.

So if you want a book that will drive you absolutely crazy... Haha. Just kidding. If you are a fan of modernized Greek Mythology stories, try these. They aren't my favorite stories ever, but are a pretty decent read for anyone interested in Greek myths. They are a tad bit predictable but hey, I love it when I guess everything correctly. So that's a plus I guess. But seriously, if you are curious about reading them or for some reason I cannot possibly fathom, are in love with Hades, go out to your local bookstore and pick them up. Enjoy a cute little read.

Review by Calypso