The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

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.

Guys (and girls mind you) This is up there in my top 5 favorite books. It's so different and absolutely amazing.

Kate has been burdened by her mom's cancer that could kill her any moment and it's the least she can do to move to her mom's old home to say good-bye. But when one of her psychotic new "friends" tries to abandon Kate, she, well, dies. Then out of nowhere comes the sketchy and extremely attractive stranger offering to bring said psychotic "friend" back to life if Kate agrees to live with him for half a year, every year. Turns out the stranger named Henry, is actually the Greek god of the Underworld, Hades. And Kate has the choice of becoming the new Persephone (Persephone was Henry's beloved goddess wife that left Henry for a mortal).

I love it when Greek myths take on modern day twists; that is why I'm so in the with the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riorden. And what makes this book my pieste-resistance is the fact that the book focuses .on a possible romance with the "Lord of the Dead". Not exactly romantic, and come on, millions of people believe Hades to be like the devil or just plain evil. But he is FAR from that. He's just a tortured soul (no pun intended) and Kate is trying to fix him and keep him from committing god-ish suicide.

Kate is an amazing and powerful heroine that puts herself and her happiness on the line for people that she loves. Characters in this book seem to find Kate weak and useless, but she is actually not that at all. she handles situations with determination and humor, which help readers to fall in love or despise fellow characters. This book is so well written for such an inexperienced writer and readers just lap it up without complaint.

Overall, please, I'm begging you to get your hands on this book. This is just one of those books that make life a little better and brighter. Luckily, the sequel is already out, and I'll be doing that review on Friday, so you have 5 days to pick up and read this hopeful young adult classic.   Plot: 5/5 stars  Cover: 3.5/5 stars   -Katie