Review Detail

Not going to lie, The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter was not my thing, and yet there was this pull that kept me from closing the book and forgetting about it altogether. Two months ago, I would've said that pull was Kate and Henry. Now I realize that it was that looming promise for exciting Greek myth twists and crazy addictive action as a result, and my gut was, fortunately, on the right track and completely accurate. While The Goddess Test was penned in tune with an abominably slow pace, Goddess Interrupted by Aimée Carter is the after to its predecessor's before shots. With all the pulse-spiking action and awesome nods to the original myths (finally!), impatience shimmers as it's nearly impossible to guess what twists Carter's going to unleash. Kate's inner monologuing, with all her insecurities and doubts about her relationships with family and love interest, doesn't diminish the stunning developments of the plot. In fact, they seem to sketch depth and shadows to an already turning-toward-the-dark story, and sympathy is a simple gift to bestow upon a character that seems to have been born into the world for a single-minded purpose after the failure of a ghost still lingering in the hearts of so many cared by her. It's a heavy burden she carries and the doubts that possess her mind are plausible and hard to exorcise.

Kate's relatibility lies within her doubts, her desires, which, to some, may seem demanding and perhaps selfish given the circumstances, but, given her situation, seemed very reasonable to me. She's still young, a bit wide-eyed and wet behind the ears as far as her current job and to demand that she forgo those desires when everything is crumbling into unrecognizable rubble and considering the sacrifices she's made, the loneliness, the loyalty, why blame her for coveting something she's sacrificed normality and typical living for and then becoming frustrated for being denied? She's thrust into an unimaginable situation, has dealt with lies, deceit, and manipulation involving her life, both the living of it and its ability to exist, and all she has to anchor her is kept at a distance and is near-unreachable. Reminders of her simply being created as a replacement are shoved at her at every opportunity, so it would be impossible to remain completely confident in such a situation. Between hurt and loss and bitter enemies, Kate has much going on and rooting for her success and growth is a smooth transition from any preexisting dislike begun in The Goddess Test. While some prefer a more headstrong, kick-butt kind of heroine designed for these situations, Kate's plight is realistic, and maybe that's what people won't enjoy, that tie to reality and likeness to what we ourselves would do (in her situation).

In order to fully appreciate the characters, compassion and patience is required. Both sides of the story are given in Goddess Interrupted, as far as some of the dominant emotional issues between the characters, and we are able to make proper judgements. Who we side with is irrelevant; what matters is understanding the reasons for any hesitancy to forgive and love and enjoy found within the dynamics of the main characters. Hurt often does strange and incomparable things to different people, and with this new knowledge, we can forgive the characters for any missteps, the misconceptions and self-erected obstacles blocking progress for the romance.

Hope survives the chaos of most of the book, but dwindles as we approach the ending, a bridge to the next book half-drowned in water and awaiting repair which can only begin when The Goddess Inheritance's first page is flipped to. All pleasantness evaporates with a mostly shocking revelation that will be the match that sets the god of the Underworld's anger ablaze and will act as the trail to lead him back to the instigator. The promise of retribution is enough to grant goosebumps brought on by equal parts trepidation and anticipation. Although the wait for Goddess Interrupted wasn't agonizing, things are different this time—I can barely contain my rage at the estimated release date! At least there's The Goddess Legacy to look forward to.

Originally posted at Paranormal Indulgence, 4/3/12

Looking for another greek myth twist? Try out Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed.