Goddess Interrupted by Aimée Carterpublisher: Harlequin Teen
release date: March 27th, 2012
paperback, 304 pages
intended audience: Young adult
series: Goddess Test, book 2 (review of book 1)
rating:
source: Netgalley
Spoiler alert! Description and Review may contain spoilers for book one, The Goddess Test. If you haven't read book 1, stop here!
description: Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, 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.
Review: In Goddess Interrupted, we find Kate Winters in another emotional roller coaster. She has just returned from her six months in the mortal world, traveling with her best friend, James. She is excited to see her new husband, Henry, again and expects to be welcomed to her new home in the Underworld with kisses and wide open arms. What she comes back to instead is a cold, standoffish Henry who is in the midst of planning for war. One of their own has turned against them, wielding the only power that can kill the immortal Gods and Goddesses---the Titans who created them all.
For about 100 pages in, I had mixed feeling for Kate and her plight. There were times I really felt for her and the lack of love she was feeling from Henry, and times I thought her whining got to be a little much, considering he was a little preoccupied trying to figure out a way to protect them all to make sure she was settling into her new home. But she did have it rough---a new world, and not exactly sure what her role as Queen of the Underworld entails, nothing is being explained to her aside from the little information she can get from James and Ava, a Titan seems to be targeting her specifically, she discovers she has a new disorienting and uncontrollable power, and worst of all, she has to turn to the last person she wants to involve---her sister and Henry's first wife who she thinks he still loves, Persephone. It actually wasn't until they reach Persephone that the story really pulled me in. Up until then, it's the journey there, some exploration of the Underworld, and bit of back story on how the Gods came to be.
Its in the second half that the fight gets more exciting, the danger gets closer to the surface, and the tension between Henry and Kate builds and builds to the breaking point. Kate continues to be an incredibly admirable and relatable character---brave in the face of danger and vulnerable in the face of love. Like I said, there were definitely times she got a bit self-pitying, but there were also times I wanted to punch Henry right in the face for crossing the line between being distant and being downright cruel. Still, I think it says a lot that I got so invested in these characters and their turbulent romance. I won't say too much, but they did eventually get a little swoony heart-flutter out of me...and that always makes for a good read. :)
While I may not have loved this one as much as the first book, I will definitely be sticking with this great series about love, war, and immortality.
Visit Aimée Carter's website: www.aimeecarter.com
Purchase Goddess Interrupted at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepository • Indiebound
