Book Angel Book Love List - April 2012

To go alongside my Debut Drool List these are the books I would love to be able to read this month.

Title: Unrest

Series: POSSIBLY!!!!!!!

Author: Michelle Harrison

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Publication Date: 26 April 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn't slept properly for months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Sometimes he half-wakes, paralysed, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around while his body lies asleep on the bed. His doctors say sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences are harmless - but to Elliott they're terrifying.

Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a job at a reputedly haunted museum, determined to discover the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. But, as she and Elliott grow closer, Elliott draws new attention from the dead. One night, during an out-of-body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something that wants to live again - and it wants Ophelia, too . . .

How good does this look!!!!

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Series: The Goddess Chronicles

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication Date: 6 April 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

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 whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Lucky enough to have read this one. Review HERE

Title: Insurgent

Series: Divergent #2

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Publication Date: 1 May 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

War looms in sixteen-year-old Tris’s dark dystopian world as disputes between the factions grow. Tris must now fight against all odds to discover the truth that can save her and the people she loves. Sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge – and the choices she makes will have devastating and unexpected consequences.

Reading this one tonight [ : D ] I am thinking that I may not get much sleep. Review going up next Tuesday for my Faction #EruditeUK

Title: Ghost Flower

Author: Michelle Jaffe

Publisher: Atom

Publicity Date: 12 April 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Eve, a runaway, finds a new job at a coffee shop on the outskirts of Tuscon. When she’s approached by two wealthy teens who claim she bears an uncanny resemblance to their missing cousin Aurora, her life takes a turn for the dark and mysterious. Drawn into a scheme to win Aurora’s inheritance, Eve finds herself impersonating the girl, who disappeared three years ago on the night her best friend Elizabeth died. But when Liza’s ghost begins to haunt Eve, doing harm to the people close to her under the guise of “protecting” her, Eve finds herself in a nightmare maze of lies and deception that leads her to question even her own identity. She realizes her only chance is to uncover the truth about what happened the night Liza died, and to find Liza’s kille—before she’s next.

Musical Moment: Official Book Theme Songs: The Goddess Chronicles by Aimee Carter

It is with great pleasure I welcome Aimee Carter to Book Angel Booktopia today. I asked Aimee to think of a character soundtrack for the books. Here is what she said and what she came up with: 

I am absolutely terrible at soundtracks. TERRIBLE. I could probably name a Kate song and a Henry song, but everyone else – gah. So here are songs I think work pretty well for themes for the three books:

Title: The Goddess Test

Series: The Goddess Chronicles #1

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication Date: 16 Sep 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads

EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN. 

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 that 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 suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

IF SHE FAILS...

Courage Is, by The Strange Familiar 

REVIEW HERE

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Series: The Goddess Chronicles #2

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication Date: 6 April 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

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 whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

 Someone Like You, by Adele

REVIEW HERE

Title:The Goddess Inheritance

Series: The Goddess Chronicles #3

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication Date: 2013

No Synopsis available at this time.

This Time Around, by Hanson

I love this series and cannot wait for more, luckily there are a series of short stories available shortly.

Title: The Goddess Hunt

Series: The Goddess Chronicles #1.5

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication Date: 1 June 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld...until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades' wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is determined to help their cause. But when it comes to dealing with immortals, Kate still has a lot to learn....

Title: The Goddess Legacy
Series: The Goddess Chronicles #2.5
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (USA)
Publication Date: 31 July 2012

No Synopsis available at this time

Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Series: The Goddess Chronicles #2

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication Date: 6 April 2012

Source: Netgalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis from Goodreads

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

The only reason this book didn't get the full 5/5 is that I still have some niggles about Kate's doormat tendencies, she is still needy and insecure, understandable in the face of Persephone. However, I honestly still cant get this story out of my head even week after reading it. The character development, insight and background details provided by this installment just blew me away. Who would have thought that Hades/Henry could be viewed as hot. 

The story picks up 6 months after the end of The Goddess Test following Kate's Summer abroad with her friend James, not realizing that there is a complicated and tense history between Henry and James. She is therefore unsure and insecure when she returns to find Henry even more aloof than when she left. I felt my heart breaking along with hers, wondering if it had all been a cruel mistake. 

I honestly never imagined that in my life I would sympathize with Hades, but OMG I really, really felt for him. As the complicated relationships of the gods is revealed it is easy to understand just why Hades/Henry is afraid to get to close to Kate. He has been hurt so badly by Persephone, then caring for and losing the other girls that didn't survive the tests. It is easy to understand his reasons for keeping his distance and protecting his feelings. Although this doesn't make it any easier for Kate to cope with not knowing exactly how he feels about her. I love, love, loved the progression of their relationship. The ups and downs of their relationship caused swooning and giggling alongside tears creating compulsive page turning.  

The weaving of the Titans into the story created a fabulous addition expanding the use of Greek mythology within the narrative. The history of the creation of the Gods broadened the plot creating a three dimensional world.

The introduction of Persephone alongside the twist to her story and personality was a stroke of sheer brilliance, I have to be honest I literally detested Persephone with a passion. Amazing that the writing can make me feel like that about a fictional character.  

Although Kate is still very needy in this story, her doormat tendencies are lessening, as the plot progresses she does start to stand up for herself *cheers* making her a much, much, much better character and the makings of a true Queen.

The way in which the afterlife was portrayed came as something of a shock. The idea that as an individual you decide the way in which you spend your afterlife was uncomfortable for me to visualize. Imagine your own personal hell even if you hadn't done anything to deserve an eternity of torture but felt that you did OR  imagine someone that deserves to be tortured for eternity for the things they have done in life but gets a paradise. Perhaps this is where Henry and Kate would step in, the dynamics of their roles as King and Queen of the Underworld were not fully expanded within the narrative. I would be interested to find out more. 

There is a really unexpected and utterly amazing twist at the end that has left me SCREAMING for the next book. It is utter torture to wait an entire year to find out what happens. I NEED it NOW. 

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test

Series: The Goddess Chronicles #1

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Mira Ink

Publication Date: 16 Sep 2011
Source: Bought
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis from Goodreads

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.

REVIEW

Loosely based on the story of Hades and Persephone, set in modern day where the Gods characterizations have fabulously quirky twists, the way in which their individual traits associated to their domains  were exaggerated was something I especially adored about this book. Ava/Aphrodite made me giggle. Although it did take me a while to work out which God was which.

Written in first person narrative from Kate's perspective. I will be honest with you, at points I found Kate extremely irritating and this is the reason for my rating. Kate is very much what I would class as a doormat - blaming herself for things that were beyond her control or she had no influence in affecting. Saying that, I sympathized with her over her mother being terminally ill. The emotion was poignantly portrayed. The good thing about Kate is that she always tried to find the best in people, such an admirable quality, which in turn resulted in the positive qualities of people being brought out by Kate and endearing her to others. If I were to sum up Kate in this book I would have to say that she is a bit mopey and emo-ish but with an inner strength she hasn't fully tapped into yet.

Meeting Henry and agreeing to undergo the tests to become a goddess in exchange for spending additional time with her mother added to the portrayal of grief and how hard it is to lose a parent. I felt that the relationship between Kate and her mother was a little extreme, probably due to Kate having been her carer for a number of years. Kate feels she is only defined by her mother, she doesn't know how to be her own person.

The ups and downs of emotions alongside some ingenious plot twists make for a very compelling story-line, seriously my only criticism is Kate's doormat tendencies which made me want to slap her. 

The way in which the tests were conducted, the fact that we didn't know what the tests were or when they were being carried out added to the tension of the narrative. The tests are not revealed until the very  end was a stroke of brilliance.

Overall I adored the characters, the interactions and the plot my rating is a reflection of my dislike of Kate's doormat inclinations more than anything else and I will most definitely be carrying on with this series.