Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Review ~ GODDESS INTERRUPTED (Goddess Test, #2) by Aimee` Carter

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test, #2)
Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, 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. ~From GoodReads


Book two in the Goddess Test series, GODDESS INTERRUPTED begins six months after THE GODDESS TEST. Kate is returning to the Underworld after spending her first summer away from Henry in Greece, with James. Kate is hoping for a loving welcome from her reserved husband, and happy start to her new life as Queen of the Underworld. But an old threat has returned, and Henry is in danger. Kate must navigate the Underworld to find the one soul who can help her save her husband and the other gods, her sister, Persephone. And she also happens to be Henry's former wife. But even if Kate can save Henry, will she be able to save their marriage?

[Sidenote: Can I just say it's kind of weird to have a YA novel with a married heroine? There's nothing wrong with it, actually, just a thought I wanted to throw out there. Now that I've said my random bit, I'll get to my thoughts.]

There are a lot of things I liked about GODDESS INTERRUPTED, and a few aspects that I didn't. I'll start with what I didn't like so I can end on a happy note, okay?

What I liked:

-The overall story. Greek Mythology was my favorite area of study in Literature. I have read The Iliad and The Odyssey many times, for fun. Author Aimee` Carter took timeless "characters" and has given them an updated, lively spin. I love how Carter assigned new names, but identifiable traits for the gods and goddesses.

-I also liked the slow-building relationship between Kate and Henry. Henry is extremely mired by the pain of losing Persephone to a mortal. He has deemed himself unlovable and is slow to trust, even his wife. It would have been easier for the author to make Henry into a happy, loving person once he met Kate, but it would have also made getting to know him less interesting, because emotionally damaged boys (even those who can smite you) are usually the ones who steal your heart.

-Aimee` Carter is an excellent author. Her words flow in an easy manner that makes reading her books a pleasure. The dialogue is never stilted. Her words never sound awkward or ill-placed while reading.

What I didn't like (as much):

-Okay, so I know I said before that I liked the relationship between Henry and Kate, and I do. What I don't like, however, is Kate spending the entire book wringing her hands over Henry's feelings for Persephone and the fact he'll never love her as much as his first wife. I do get that Kate is still a teenager, newly married, and dealing with a load of emotional baggage. But enough. I don't want to literally spend every page listening to it.

-My least favorite part of the story was some of the events that take place in GODDESS INTERRUPTED. And what makes this tough is that I can't defend that position without spoiling parts of the book, particularly the last few chapters. Kate has a real talent for throwing herself into unnecessary positions. But what really got me was the last few pages. It felt rushed, forced, and didn't wholly make sense.

All in all, GODDESS INTERRUPTED is a book that I didn't love, but I liked it well enough. I felt a bit disappointed because it felt like the story didn't advance, but actually regressed, in regards to Henry and Kate's relationship, until the very end of the book. I didn't love the ending, but it does provide a great setup for book three in the series, THE GODDESS INHERITANCE.


Favorite Quote(s):

"I'm not leaving you for him. I'm not leavig you for anybody, and I never would have gone looking for something better. You are my something better, and I wish- I wish I was yours, too." (ARC, 79%)


"If I were a better man, I would be able to show you the love and affection you deserve. As I am not, I can only offer you what I am capable of giving. But I assure you, just because I do not show it doesn't mean I do not feel it." (ARC, 93%)

You can pre-order GODDESS, INTERRUPTED at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Source: Received from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley.

10 comments:

  1. That was my main thing with this was the constant "does he love me" and I do get it but as you said on every page (well not EVERY page but you know what I mean) it does get annoying. I did enjoy it though and can't wait to find out what happens next. Great review.

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  2. Great review hon!! I am going to read it this weekend. I really liked The Goddess Test and The Goddess Hunt, so I am looking forward to it. I think that her obsessing over whether he can love her enough will get annoying to me too.

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  3. Ah, the hand-wringing. It got old, didn't it? And that ending. Gah! I loved the first book but I only liked this one. And it wasn't the second book slump because plenty happened. Great review...I think you hit on everything that bothered me, too.

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  4. Oh gosh, I really need to read this over the weekend and get a review up. eeep! Nice review babe!

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  5. I was really dissapointed with GI. Henry annoyed me, and the constant "does he love me??" from Kate got on my nerves too! That along with the ending left me feeling a little "bleh"...I did however like that James played a bigger role in this book!

    Great review. =)

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  6. I absolutely love that first quote you posted. So beautiful. "You are my something better"...Love it! I haven't read this series at all yet, I've heard some mixed reviews of it.

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  7. I still intend to read the first book in this series, but I'm doubting I'll get on to the second one if it's that 'meh.' That might be a good thing, since there are just too many series to keep up with. Great review! Thanks....

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  8. Great review, as always! I'm intrigued by the modern names given to Greek Gods. By the way you describe the book and its themes, it sounds like it might be more adult than YA, despite how the publisher positioned it.

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  9. Okay, first... You know I love you and I read your reviews thoroughly. You said you were going to start with the things you didn't like first, so you could end on a happy note, but then you jumped into the likes. I had to go back, I thought I had read it wrong. :) your adorable. <3

    I'm still reading this one, and I totally get you about her and Henry.. maybe it's just because I finished 50 and I crave reading about a healthy relationship. lol. But she is annoying me already and i'm only 20 percent through. For one, I woudlnt' have married his ass if I didn't think he would love me, and well, if I did, it would be for the title. Bitch! our immortal and now queen of the underworld! If he doesn't "love" you who cares. find someone who does if it's that important to you. I'm going to stop before this becomes a real rant.

    Oh, and yes, weird.. married couple in YA.

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  10. Sounds like this one might suffer from middle book syndrome. :( I've heard great things about this series as a whole, though, so I really do want to read it--but it sounds like it might be a good idea to wait for the third one before I start it! Nicely reviewed, Andrea, thank you.

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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