Rating: 3 stars

Eighteen-year-old Kate Winters has been taking care of her dying mother for four years. When they move back to Eden, Michigan, her mother’s home town, Kate’s mother shows her the iron gates of Eden Manor, but gives no further explanation.

In an attempt to graduate, Kate attends the local high school and does her best to keep a low profile. However, the nerdy-but-loveable James insinuates himself in her life, making it nearly impossible to keep to herself.

Despite her best efforts to stay under the radar, Kate meets football star Dylan and his very clingy, cheerleader girlfriend, Ava. Later, James proved to be a buffer, but not a protector, when Ava insisted Kate join her and some friends for a party by the river. Despite her inability to swim, Kate realizes Ava won’t take no for an answer and reluctantly agrees.

As expected, the party is a ruse. Knowing Kate can’t swim, Ava takes her across the river, and before abandoning her on the other side, warns Kate to stay away from Dylan. As Ava dives in to swim back, she crushes her skull on the rocks. Despite her fear, Kate jumps into the water to save her, but it's too late.

Realizing they are just outside the gates of Eden Manor, Kate screams for help and a very handsome young man named Henry appears, granting Kate her wish to bring Ava back to life—but in return, Kate must read the myth of Persephone, promise to return to the manor in two weeks and remain with him for six months of the year.

With Ava back, Kate begins to think that the whole thing was a hoax and Henry is just playing with her. As a result, Kate doesn’t hold up her end of the bargain. However, when the dark and mysterious Henry proves just how serious he is, Kate’s life will never be the same again.

The first in a new series, The Goddess Test puts a fresh twist on the YA paranormal genre by infusing it with back-to-the-basics Greek Mythology. Though Ms. Carter does a good job giving the genre a breath of fresh air, she stays close to the tried and true profiles of the typical character.

Kate is very relatable and likeable and at 18 is being asked to make a very life-altering decision. It seems at times that she takes things a little too lightly and without much thought. Henry is the usual male lead: dark, brooding and handsome. Although he is affable and interesting, he often runs hot and cold. When he finally does begin to warm up to Kate, it’s so quick it almost seems contrived.

Luckily, many of the story’s snags are short-lived as Ms. Carter deftly recovers, moving the story forward, and smoothing over all the wrinkles.

Despite a few quirks, The Goddess Test is a good beginning to a great new fantasy series.
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Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (April 19, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0373210268