The Goddess Test: a new perspective on Greek mythology

The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter is a captivating story of love, betrayal, and Greek mythology.

Katherine “Kate” Winters, a high school student, has only known one parent her whole life: her mother. When she was a freshman in high school, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and Kate has been taking care of her ever since. To honor her  mother’s last wish before she dies, Kate brings her mother back to her hometown: Eden, Michigan.

There she meets a man named Henry, who declares himself to be Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld. Although she is dubious at first, her opinion changes when she sees Henry bring a girl back to life. However, in order to save the girl, Kate was forced to agree to an unknown deal. When Kate doesn’t hold up her part of the agreement, the girl dies. She goes to visit him at his mansion, and he offers her an opportunity to keep her mother alive until she is ready to say goodbye. In exchange, Kate must stay with Henry at his mansion six months a year, from September to March, for the rest of her life.The story keeps you wondering if Kate will survive, what is happening with her mother, and how things that are seemingly impossible can happen. It keeps several questions in the reader’s mind: Is Henry really who he claims he is, who is trying to kill Kate, and why?

The story is relatively short. It helps to have a little bit of background knowledge of the Greek gods to understand some of the references, (for example, in addition to being the sea and earthquakes, Poseidon is also god of horses) but not required to understand the story.

The Goddess Test is a magical book with twists and turns; the plot consists of moments that draw tears and heartwarming moments that bring happiness.