Welcome to the Swagbucks Book Club.  Today we have a review of the book The Goddess Test that was submitted by frequent contributor knewren who now finds herself 250 Swag Bucks richer for the effort.  And we are exposed to another great book.  It’s a win-win situation!  If you want to submit a review for future feature just send it to bookclub@swagbucks.com.  It should be 3-5 paragraphs in length and not appear anywhere else on the web.  Choose any book you like that you think other Book Club members might enjoy.  If your review is featured you too will be awarded 250 Swag Bucks.

I will see you next week when we discuss Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.  See you then!

-Becky

Book title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Reviewer: knewren

If you like Greek mythology with a modern twist, this is the book for you. I didn’t find out until after I finished reading the book that it is the first of a trilogy. Luckily, the next book comes out in March 2012 (Goddess Interrupted).
Kate, the main character, has only ever had her mom, and her mom is dying of cancer. Her last wish is to die in her hometown in the middle of nowhere Michigan. The town is small, the people are different, and within the first week or two a prank is pulled on her. The prank turns deadly when the girl pulling the prank dies. Kate then meets Henry, who claims to be Hades, who says he’ll bring the girl back to life if Kate promises to live with him for six months out of the year and marry him (sound like a familiar tale to anyone?), and in return he promises to keep her mother alive while she’s gone. Hoping to save her mother’s life, Kate agrees. Once she joins Henry at his gorgeous and vast estate, she sees things that she can’t believe, and slowly begins to believe that Henry is who he claims to be.
Once on the estate, she has to go through several tests, some she knows about and others she only finds out about after she has finished. But someone doesn’t want her to pass all the tests and become the wife of Henry, so there are pitfalls along the way.
It’s kind of a romance, but not your typical one. The interactions and awkwardness are kind of fun to see develop, as well as the friendships. Also, none of the Gods go by their official name, so it’s fun trying to figure out which character is which god. Sadly, I didn’t figure them all out, but at the end of the book you can find out which character was which god (although you kind of find out most of them by the end of the book). It’s a fast read, and if you like mythology at all you will be excited for the next book.