Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

***      Happy Release Day to Aimee Carter!

From Harlequin:

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.

The Good:

This is a very interesting sequel to The Goddess Test.  I thought Interrupted was better written and executed than Goddess Test.  The story moved more quickly and seemed to flow better than the first in the series.  Kate's a little whiny, but that is pretty true to a teenager turned immortal.  I thought the relationship and interraction between Kate and Persephone was fun and has the potential to become even more so in the next installment. 

The Bad:

I just cannot buy into Carter's mythology.  As an avid lover of Greek Mythology, I generally love books spinning mythology (see Greek Week posts from October if you don't believe me), but I really have a hard time with this one.  It is certainly a unique take on the Greek gods and I applaud the effort, but something holds me back from losing myself in the spin.

If you enjoyed The Goddess Test, you will enjoy Goddess Interrupted.  If you haven't checked out the series and you enjoy stories about the Greek gods, I say give it a chance and let me know what you think - am I crazy for not getting into it?

~Shel

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

***1/2

From HarlequinTeen:                                           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 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 succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

I have read a lot of mythology related books and this is probably the most unique take on the gods I have read.  Kate is a teenager, all alone in the world, except her terminally ill mother.  They move back to her mother's hometown and Kate meets two boys.  One dark, handsome and mysterious.  The other the cute, geeky boy from school.  When she meets the dark and mysterious Henry, she agrees to his test because she thinks she has nothing to lose, but there's always something to lose. 

Kate must come to terms with losing her mother and dealing with the consequences of her bargain with Henry.  If she 'fails' the test she loses everything she cares for, even Henry. In true Greek Myth style, Kate is manipulated and deceived, while the puppet-masters watch from a distance. 

The Goddess Test is very well written and keeps you guessing until the very end (seriously, right up to the last few pages).  I am looking forward to seeing where Goddess Interrupted takes us in the Spring... 

~Shel 

Interview with Aimee Carter Author of The Goddess Test

As our final author interview of the week, we are so happy to give you Aimee Carter, who is joining us despite being sick.  A huge thanks to Aimee!

Without further adieu, we give you Aimee Carter, the author of The Goddess Test and the upcoming sequel, Goddess Interrupted.  See our review of The Goddess Test posting today for more information.

BiblioJunkies:  Since it is Greek Week, we will start out with a couple "theme" questions. The Goddess Test has a very unique take on Greek Mythology and the gods. Do you have a favorite god, hero or monster?

Aimee Carter:  Thank you! There are several different stories I love, but I'd have to say that two of my favorite figures from mythology are Hades and Aphrodite. Hades intrigues me, and Aphrodite supplies an endless amount of mischief and entertainment that is prominent throughout the Greek myths.

 

BiblioJunkies:  The Goddess Test is a retelling of Hades & Pershephone or more precisely, I suppose a retelling of Hades' story. Do you have a favorite myth?

Aimee Carter:  Other than the myth of Hades and Persephone, one of my favorites is the myth of Orpheus' journey to reclaim his wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld.

 

BiblioJunkies:  And, since we REALLY do have the mentality of 16 year old girls here at BiblioJunkies, what fictional character would you most like to go on a date with?

Aimee Carter:  Remus Lupin! Or Bill Weasley. Probably Remus.

 

BiblioJunkies:  Our obsessions here at BiblioJunkies HQ are books, boys & pie (or cupcakes if you are me) - we have covered the first two, so now for the last... do you have a favorite treat to take the edge off a tight deadline or to celebrate a day that ends in "y"? 

Aimee:  Nearly anything sweet and chocolate-y and I'm there! I love cupcakes. And pie, especially banana cream pie with chocolate drizzle. I have an entire drawer dedicated to stashing sweets, and I always keep it stocked.

 

BiblioJunkies:  And finally, any chance you will give us a hint (or two) about what is in store for Kate in Goddess Interrupted (releasing in March 2012)?

Aimee:  I can't say much about it, but I will say that it starts off in September, after Kate's six months away from Henry, though that time she's away is definitely brought up several times throughout the story.

Thank you so much for answering our ridiculous questions!  We cannot wait to read Goddess Interrupted!  You can learn more about Aimee and The Goddess Test series at Aimee's website http://www.aimeecarter.com/. 

To round out our Greek Week celebration, tomorrow we will discuss the coming attractions from the authors featured on the blog this week.  Stop by to find out about the coming releases! 

~Shel

Greek Week Update!

We are hard at work attempting to bring you fun and frivolity for our Greek Week celebration next week.  Just to give you an update (these are subject to change, but this is our tentative schedule):

October 3, 2011:

Interview with Jennifer Estep!  We are so excited to have our first author interview.  Jennifer's book Touch of Frost features students from Mythos Academy (lots of fun spin on all types of mythology, not just Greek).  Shel's review of the book and Jennifer's interview will kick off our Greek Week!

October 4, 2011:

The much anticipated release date of Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan.  To celebrate, Nat will review The Lost Hero and I am sure there will be plenty of general giddiness over the release of Son of Neptune.

October 5, 2011:

Shel reviews Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. This was one of her favorites of 2011, so far.

October 6, 2011:

The Furies themselves agreed to an interview!  I know, I know.  I am nervous too.  We will post our review of Fury by Elizabeth Miles and celebrate her take on the Greek scorekeepers. 

October 7, 2011:

Sweet Venom and the Oh.My.Gods. series by Tera Lynn Childs take center stage on Friday.  We were lucky enough to meet Tera recently and are super excited to have her come play with us on the blog! 

October 8, 2011:

We will post our review of The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter and discuss her very unique take on the Greek gods and mythology.

October 9, 2011:

We are still working out the details for how to end our Greek Week celebration, but I am sure we will come up with something ridiculous and fun!

Oh and did I forget to mention you should check back for information on giveaways during Greek Week?  Oh, my bad...

Get your togas and ambrosia ready people!  See you next week!

~Shel

** It is entirely possible that I forgot a fun Greek/mythology inspired series and if I did - please tell me.  I do not want to leave anyone out.  AND if it is a book I have yet to discover, I definitely want to check it out!  You can comment here or send an email to bibliojunkies @ gmail.com