The Goddess Test, by Aimée Carter. (website, twitter)

I couldn’t put this book down. I started reading it during my lunch break at work, and I read until I had to start working again. Then, I read it on the train to an appointment, and waiting in the reception area, and on the train back home from my appointment. Then, I read it while making dinner, while eating dinner, and finished it off just before bed.

So, to put it simply: You Must Read This Book.

Kate would be your typical teenager, except that she’s having to care for her dying mother and that leaves little time for much else. They return to her mother’s hometown of Eden for her last days, and from there, things take a very strange turn. A girl she meets at school dies unexpectedly and Kate meets Henry, who claims to be a god. He brings the girl back to life upon Kate’s promise to read the story of Persephone and agree to his bargain. She doesn’t believe him at first, but sees the possibility of keeping her mother alive. The catch? She has to stay with Henry for six months and take seven tests.

The drama and twists in this novel were what kept me reading. Will Kate manage the tests? What is Eden manor? Who is trying to kill Kate? Will her mother live? You’ll be thoroughly satisfied by this fantastic book. This is Aimée Carter’s debut novel, but from reading it, I can hardly believe that it’s only her first. I’m already looking forward to her next!

The Goddess Test will be released by Harlequin TEEN on April 19, 2011 (or April 26, according to NetGalley). I know, it’s going to be a tough wait. (You can pre-order it on Amazon too.)