ARC Review: The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication Date: July 31st, 2012

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aime e Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness....

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal....

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another....

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others-but never knew true loss before....

Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope....

Five original novellas of love, loss and longing and the will to survive throughout the ages. 

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I am a big fan of retellings.  I adore a good Fairy Tale Retelling, and lately retellings of Greek myths have really grown on me.  I never paid much attention when we studied Greek mythology in school, and I think that had a lot to do with the fact that my teachers kind of glossed over, or skipped altogether, the more entertaining parts of the lore- the affairs, the debauchery, the betrayals, the sex...  Through my reading of these retellings, I have found a renewed interest, and I look at the original stories in an entirely different light now.  Aimee Carter's series, beginning with The Goddess Test, is one of the ones that sparked this renewed interest.  The Goddess Legacy is the third (actually, it's titled as number 2.5) book in the series, and thus far, is my favorite.  The Goddess Test begins with the story of Henry/Hades and Kate, and her quest to pass the tests set forth by the Olympians so that she may become one of them, Henry's bride, and Queen of the Underworld.  Goddess Interrupted picks up where The Goddess Test leaves off, and ends with one of those horrible cliffhangers that makes the reader ponder and pine for more (read my review HERE).  Both are centered around Kate and Henry's relationship, and while many of the other gods and goddesses have roles, their stories and motivations are not stated.  The Goddess Legacy gives those stories an opportunity to be told.  It consists of five novellas, each telling the story of a god or goddess who had an integral role in the first two books.  Each is told from the POV of the god or goddess in question, and while not all of their stories evoked my sympathy, they did earn my understanding of their motivations and behaviors.

In the first two books Hera/Calliope is painted in a rather negative light.  Her negative traits include bitterness, selfishness, and a manipulative nature, and that is only to name a few of many.  She is cast as the total villain, and rightly so.  In The Goddess Legacy, as her life story and motivations are revealed, it becomes glaringly obvious why she has become the goddess she has become.  Did I ever grow to like her or excuse her actions because of it?  No.  But I can better understand how she came to be the goddess she is in the first books.  She has experienced much pain and suffering at the hands of others, over the course of her eternity.  Because of her pride and principles, she made some very deplorable and misguided decisions, of which there seems to be no end in sight. I still don't like her, but I now feel some pity for her.

Next was Aphrodite/Ava's story, and my opinion of her actually changed, after getting the skinny on who she actually is.  In the first two books, I felt sorry for her.  She showed some selfish tendencies, and she often made some questionable choices, but I honestly thought that those things were mainly a result of her lack of intelligence.  Wrong!  She is one manipulative, cunning girl.  Obviously she is her daddy's (Zeus) favorite, and she milks it for all it's worth.  She is spoiled and self-absorbed, and almost always gets what she wants, come hell or high water.  One scene that sticks out in my mind is when she argues with Persephone over Adonis; she isn't getting her way, and she shouts, "Daddy!", and Zeus immediately arrives to sort things out.  She is like a mythological Veruca Salt (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, for those of you who have been living under rocks).  She is entertaining, but she is a brat.  Her only redeeming quality is the tenderness she shows toward Hephaestus and Eros, but in my mind, it isn't nearly enough.

After Aphrodite, we "meet" Persephone.  Compared to Persephone, Aphrodite's selfishness looks like martyrdom.  That said, I still felt more sympathetic toward her because she was truly a victim of the poor choices that others made on her behalf.  Zeus and her mother, Demeter, arranged the marriage she did not want, Hades allowed it to happen, and Hera clearly cursed the possibility of their union to ever working.  I'm glad Persephone found her happiness in the end, even as badly as I feel for Hades.

Next up is the story of Hermes/James...  In the first two books I didn't care much for him.  It wasn't that I disliked him, I just kind of felt indifferent.  Now, after reading his story, I really like him to the point that he is one of my favorite characters.  I enjoyed his story the most, and I really loved learning how each of the gods/goddesses got their "modern" names and why.  I felt like he had the most depth and humanity.

Finally, we learn more about Hades/Henry, and the circumstances leading up to his story in the first two books.  Having more of his background really helped me to understand him as it pertains to his cautious nature as far as Kate was concerned.  All of the gods/goddesses suffered to some degree, but he had it the worst.  At least they had one another to comfort them in their moments of pain, but he was alone in the Underworld.  Still, he almost always make selfless choices, even ones that the others didn't understand or hated him for.  I like the path Aimee Carter took when telling his story, and it makes me look forward to The Goddess Inheritance all the more.

Overall, this compilation of novellas really added to my enjoyment of this series.  If you've read and enjoyed Aimee's books to this point, make this one a priority on your TBR.  If you haven't read the first two books, that's okay, you can still read this one and fully understand what is going on.  The stories stand alone, but I will warn you, once you get a taste of Aimee's take on these characters, you will want to read more!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  There is definitely some sex (Aphrodite is the goddess of it, after all) and a few of the characters definitely have some issues with morality, but otherwise this book is clean.  I stand by my grade level recommendation for the first two books.  Grades 6 and up (ages 11+).

**Don't forget to check out my giveaway for a chance to win a hardcover cop of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry!  Click HERE to enter!  Ends at 12:00am, August 14th, 2012**

WWW (30) and Waiting on Wednesday (March 28th, 2012):

W. W. W. Wednesday is hosted by Should Be Reading a great blog that I subscribe to. Here's how it works... Each Wednesday I will answer the following questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you'll read next?


I wasn't really planning on doing a post this week because not a whole lot has changed from last week.  I'm doing the same reads with my kids that I have been doing for weeks, and I haven't gotten to do a huge amount of other reading with Spring Break beginning Friday and the arrival of relatives on Saturday.  That said, this is one of my favorite memes, so...


What are you currently reading?

Dead to You by Lisa McMann~ I've put this one off for far too long... I'm almost finished, and it is really good.  I'm a Lisa McMann fan, and this is my 2nd favorite of her books (my favorite is her MG Fantasy, The Unwanteds).  Keep an eye out over the next day or two for my review.  In the meantime, you can read my review of The Unwanteds HERE.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen~  I knew I wasn't going to have time to read this before its release, so I had my hubby and daughter do a buddy-read of my ARC, with the intention of them guest review it.  After hearing them talk about how much they both loved it (and my husband is a REALLY hard sell on MG/YA fiction!), I decided that I really MUST read it myself.  Stay tuned.

What did you recently finish reading?

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter~ I liked The Goddess Test, I loved Goddess Interrupted.  The unexpected twist and cliffhanger ending pissed me off a bit, but it served its purpose because I will be begging HarlequinTeen for a chance to review The Goddess Inheritance.  Read my review of Goddess Interrupted HERE.

After the Snow by S.D. Crockett~ This is one of those books that it written in local dialect/slang, and I had a really hard time with it.  I felt the same when I read Blood Red Road by Moira Young, but when I listened to it in audio format I loved it. That said, I am reserving my review of this book with the hope that it will come out in audio because I liked the premise, but hated the writing style...

Croak by Gina Damico~ Hands down, one of my favorite debuts of 2012.  Croak was made of AWESOME, and I am thrilled that HMH has fast tracked the sequel, Scorch, because I am SO excited to read more.  Do yourself a favor, and read this book ASAP.  Read my review HERE.


What do you think you'll read next?

Revived by Cat Patrick~ I just got this in the mail the other day, and it is next on my TBR.  I really enjoyed Cat's debut from last spring, Forgotten, and I am looking forward to reading this one.  I love the idea and the cover is compelling.  It's release date it May 12th, 2012, so look for my review at the end of April.

Life Is But a Dream by Brian James~ I'm a little behind on my ARCs...  This one came out yesterday and I should have already read it, but time management has definitely been somewhat of an issue.  This is getting read after Revived, for sure...

The Selection by Kiera Cass~ I got this one in the mail rather unexpectedly yesterday, and it is taking all my willpower not to dig in right now!  Since I am a grown-up, I am exhibiting self-control and reading my other books first.  Stay tuned!

"Waiting On" Wednesday is another fun blog event. Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, this event gives us a chance to talk about the books we anxiously await the release of. Since there is ALWAYS a looooooong list of books I'm waiting on (I actually keep a spreadsheet), I figured this is one that I MUST do.


Lots, and I mean LOTS of publishers have released their Fall 2012 catalogs over the past couple of weeks, and it's like I was when I was a kid and the Sears Christmas Catalog would come.  There are so many great books coming out! 

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction edited by Carrie Ryan

Have you ever been tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question fate?

It’s human nature to wonder about life’s twists and turns. But is the future already written—or do you have the power to alter it?

From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life’s unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by 14 of young adult fiction’s brightest stars.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Instead of gushing over the many reasons I am excited for this book, I will just list who the writers of the 14 short stories are, and that should cover it.  I will say that I am a HUGE, HUGE Carrie Ryan fangirl, so anything that has her name on it is a MUST read for me.  Now for the list...  Ready?  (Click the author's name for the Goodreads profile)  Richelle Mead, Simone Elkeles, Meg Cabot, Heather Brewer, Saundra Mitchell, Diana Peterfreund, Laini Taylor, Margaret Stohl, Matt de la Pena, Kami Garcia, Malinda Lo, Lisa McMann, Michael Grant, and, of course, Carrie Ryan.  Need I say more?!?!?

Publisher:  Random House Children's Books

Publication Date:  August 28th, 2012

My Expected Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ +++

What are YOU Waiting On this week?

Review: Guys Read: Thriller edited by Jon Scieszka

Publisher: Walden Pond Press

Publication Date:  September 20th, 2011

A body on the tracks.

A teenage terrorist.

A mysterious wish-granting machine.

The world’s worst private detective.

The second volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading is chock-full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, and compiled by certified guy Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Thriller is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I really enjoyed the first two Guys Read books, Guys Write for Guys Read and Guys Read: Funny Business.  I admire Jon Scieszka for his dedication to the Guys Read initiative; I think it's really important to find ways to get boys reading as much as girls do, and the only way to do this is to find ways to make more boys LIKE to read.  This series of books are awesome for introducing boys to some of the many awesome MG and YA authors that write novels that boys like; they are full of short stories by popular authors like James Patterson, Anthony Horowitz, M.T. Anderson, Tony DiTerlizzi, Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, Patrick Carman, Adam Rex, and Margaret Peterson Haddix.  All of this said, I wasn't terribly impressed with this latest installment.  There were a couple of stories I really liked, but most fell flat for me.  Granted, I'm not the audience this book was intended for, but I felt a little let down.  These stories weren't really scary, and when I think "thriller", that's what I expect... 

As you would expect, M.T. Anderson (The Old, Dead Nuisance) and Patrick Carman (Ghost Vision Glasses) wrote the two best stories for this genre.  Walter Dean Myers wrote the fabulous Pirates (which was probably the best written story in the collection), but it was not at all what I would call a "thriller".  I guess I didn't DISLIKE any of the stories, but these are the only three real standouts for me.

Do I think MG boys should give this book a shot?  Absolutely!  It is still a GREAT choice for a reluctant reader, I just had very high expectations after reading the other two Guys Read books.  If you want to know more about the Guys Read initiative, click HERE.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is a Middle Grade book and is appropriate for most children with the ability to read it.  That said, my daughter COULD have read this at age four, but a she would have been scared by it, and I would NOT have wanted her to read Pirates yet (even if the scariness weren't a factor with the other stories), so I am going to to say that content-wise this is for ages 8 and up (3rd grade+).

**Don't forget to enter my international GIVEAWAY for your chance to win a SIGNED hardcover copy of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins!  Click HERE to enter!**

Review: The Poison Eaters by Holly Black

Publisher: Big Mouth House Books

Publication Date: February 9th, 2010

Poisonous girls whose kisses will kill. A fateful eating contest with the devil. Faeries who return to Ironside, searching for love. A junior prom turned bacchanalia. In twelve short stories, eerie and brimming with suspense and unexpected humor, Holly Black twists the fantastical creatures you thought you knew in ways you’ll never expect.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I am a huge fan of Holly Black. I discovered her several years ago when I read The Spiderwick Chronicles with my oldest daughter; at that time, I had no idea that she wrote YA. When I heard about her other books, I was eager to them. I absolutely loved the anthologies Zombies vs. Unicorns and Geektastic (she was a contributor and co-editor of both). When her newest series, The Curse Workers began, I was eager to to start reading it, and I haven't been disappointed by either White Cat or Red Glove. When I stumbled up on The Poison Eaters, this past spring, I was surprised because I hadn't heard of it. I was also delighted because, unlike the many other short story collections she's been involved with, these stories are all hers.

I finally got around to reading this recently and I really enjoyed it. Usually when I read a collection of short stories, there are at least a few that I don't like. This is typically even more of a fact if the entire anthology is by the same author. Fortunately, this was not the case at all with this book. While I didn't LOVE every story, there was not one single story of the 12 that I disliked. I had favorites, for sure, but I thought they were all well written and entertaining.

My favorite story was a hard call, but I think I have to go with A Reversal of Fortune, in which a girl challenges the devil to an eating contest in order to save her beloved dog. It was very well done and I liked the smart protagonist. An extremely close second was The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. It was a very different take on the whole vampire thing. Scott Westerfeld's novel, Peeps, is one of my favorite vampire stories ever, and this reminded slightly of it. Also near the top of the list were Vodka Veritas, The Coat of Stars, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and The Night Market. Again, all in all, I liked every story, but there were definitely standouts. Some of the stories could have easily been drawn out into novels, but were just fine as short stories because of Holly Black's talent for writing them.

Anyone who is a fan of Holly Black and/or Urban Fantasy will love this book. Short story aficionados won't be disappointed either. This is a quick read, and a very solid collection that I wish were more well known.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Grade Level Recommendation: The subject matter is rather mature in some of the stories, much like the anthologies that Black has edited; there's sex, teen drinking, and drug use. I would probably say this is a HS book. Ages 14+ (grades 9 and up).