Review by Alex- Oh. My. Gods.

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
When Phoebe’s mom returns from Greece with a new husband and plans to move to an island in the Aegean Sea, Phoebe’s well-plotted senior year becomes ancient history. Now, instead of enjoying a triumphant track season and planning for college with her best friends, Phoebe is trying to keep her head above water at the überexclusive Academy. If it isn’t hard enough being the new kid in school, Phoebe’s classmates are all descendents of the Greek gods! When you’re running against teammates with superpowers, dealing with a stepsister from Hades, and nursing a crush on a boy who is quite literally a god, the drama takes on mythic proportions!

First Impressions: I'd heard some good things about Oh. My. Gods., so I requested it from the library. Didn't get to reading it for a long while, but I was excited for it.

Oh. My. Gods. is a blend of contemporary, romance, believing in yourself, sports, and oh yeah, greek gods. Or really, the descendants of greek gods. Think Hercules and all the other demi-gods. These descendants, from Aphrodite to Zeus, have powers- which puts Phoebe in a difficult situation, her not having powers.

Childs takes the lot of cliches and spins them so they become new and fresh. Phoebe, the bratty teen, is forced to move to another continent because her mother decides to marry a man she's known for a week. In Greece, Phoebe has to deal with a terrible step-sister, and all the cliques etc. at school. But add in special powers and greek gods, and then you've got a barrel of fun.

Phoebe's a great character. She takes the typical angsty and pouting teen and makes it hysterical. She's easy to relate to and has many of those common problems. She also runs cross country. Amazingly. Which, as I run, is majorly inspiring. (Though Phoebe's in a league of her own compared to me.) The running and sports aspect is a definite plus in the novel.

While Phoebe's done well, I found the other characters aren't as fleshed out as I'd like them to be. Griffin, the love interest, acts a little disjointed and strange. Phoebe's old friends are present mostly during emails and IMs, and it's hard to really understand their characters besides the basics. But well, since lots of the characters have superpowers, it makes up for some of the lackings.

Even though the gritty details about the minor characters aren't divulged, the characters do add a lot of humor. That's what Oh. My. Gods. has. That smile-inducing charm that's impossible to resist.

Final Impressions: Super cute and funny novel, lighthearted and quick. It's perfect for an afternoon of reading. If you like greek mythology, you're in for a treat.

Add to Shelf: I'm torn at this one- it's a wonderful read, but to buy... probably in softcover.

Note This: I mentioned this, but Phoebe runs. She hopes to get a scholarship and so therefore, is amazing at it. She's dedicated and hard working. The cross country team is also how she gets to know Griffin. Through running, Phoebe's personality really shines.