Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

ISBN: 9780373210459
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Series: The Goddess Test, #2
Page Count: 296 pages
Find it on Goodreads
My past reviews in this series
*Disclaimer - if you havent yet read the first book in the series, please note that this review may have first-book spoilers in it. Please see my past reviews in this series (above) for spoiler-free reviews of each book.

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

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:
WHAT I LIKED:

• The story was short and sweet. The writing is very simple (which is sometimes a good thing, sometimes not so good) and makes it very easy to read this quick novel.
• The character interactions are mostly believable. Unbelievably so, at times. Kate and Henry's fights (because thats basically what they do most of the novel) and even their happy moments felt super real. Carter doesnt sugar coat the real.
• Kate's neediness. Okay I didnt like that she was needy (see below) but I liked that it was a real portrayal of relationships. I, for one, tend to get needy at times, and her constant "just show me that you love me" is something that many women deal with in real relationships.
• Persephone. She is super bad ass. I dont think I like her as a person (...um...character?) but she was a fun character. Sassy and honest and kind of a jerk, but she meant well and I liked that.
• They had... (dun dun dun) sex! And lots of it! I know, its almost crazy to even say it out loud, but in a YA novel, the main characters had sex. Yes, Kate is already 19 and Henry is.. well, yeah. But I like that this was something that really happens when you're young (sometimes) and I think YA authors need to find a way to portray truth (ex: teenagers probably have more sex than we do!) more often without being inappropriate for the younger readers.

WHAT I DIDNT LIKE:

• I didnt like that the story kind of let an almost-cheating incident seem like absolutely nothing when Kate was outraged by the idea of cheating among the "family" as a whole.
• The action was not very...action-y. Frankly, it was kind of boring. The scenes full of dialogue and social interactions were more exciting and emotionally taxing than the action scenes. I mean, the words said that things were happening, but it didnt feel like anything was happening at all. The scenes definitely lack something more.
• I still hate the way Henry talks. I feel like the author is trying too hard to make Henry seem more mature and more distant by making him sound like the story is set in the 1800's, when no one else in the story talks that way. Its annoying!
• Alright, now I know I said (above) that I liked how Kate's neediness was a true portrayal of many relationships - it was still super annoying! Quit crying, Kate! Grow a set. If he doesn't want to show you affection, stop begging for it, cause that ain't gonna make him give it to you!! Ugh...

     RATING: ★★★ (3 stars)

I was slightly disappointed after reading this book because it was kind of boring. I feel like there was not enough plot for this to be an entire book on its own. It kind of felt like a space-filler between the first and last book. The book got better toward the middle to end and I flew right through it because it is a swift and simple read. I really enjoyed the first book though and this one was enough to get me on to the next. I definitely love Kate and Henry's relationship because it feels so real to me, and considering that both of Carter's books made me cry, I think its only fair that I finish up the series.

Have any of you read this series yet? What did you think? Planning on reading the next one?

A.