Review by Alex- Goddess Boot Camp

Goddess Boot Camp by Tara Lynn Childs
*spoilers for Oh. My. Gods. most likely in abundance.*
Phoebe, who recently discovered she’s a descendant of Nike (the goddess, not the shoe), is finding that supernatural powers come with a crazy learning curve. Her stepfather, headmaster of the Academy for descendants of the Greek gods, has enrolled her at Dynamotheos Development Camp—aka Goddess Boot Camp—with a bunch of ten-year-olds for the summer. Embarrassing as that is, hopefully it’ll help her gain control over her powers in time to pass the test of the gods, continue training hard enough to qualify for the Pythian Games, and enjoy her godly boyfriend, Griffin, all while avoiding the ultimate mistake of accidentally misusing powers.

It’s another fast-paced myth-inspired heroine’s quest that’s sure to bring out the goddess in anyone.

First Impressions: Having just finished Oh. My. Gods. I was happy to start up Goddess Boot Camp. I expected it to be the same sort of light greek mythology tale, and it doesn't disappoint.

Following the trails of Oh. My. Gods., Goddess Boot Camp returns to Phoebe and her path to control her powers. Sadly, Phoebe isn't getting far along that path. Her stepfather's solution: Boot camp. For 2 weeks, Phoebe's stuck with annoyingly young girls and her stepsister and enemy as counsellors.

The actual powers of the different descendants of gods are more delved into in the sequel, luckily. At the beginning of each chapter, we have a little info box stating a power of each of the gods. For example, descendants of Poseidon have the ability to move liquids. Each power has a special name that's long and of which I forget. But it's fun to learn about.

Another plus- the characters get more background. Adara, Griffin's ex-girlfriend and Phoebe's enemy, reveals a bit of herself, and turns out -gasp- maybe not to be some souless, conniving, pancake of a character. Phoebe's stepsister, Stella, also gets more time in the novel and the relationship between her and Phoebe evolves.

While Goddess Boot Camp has many good qualities, I found it slightly lacking compared to Oh. My. Gods. Perhaps the novelty of greek gods wore off on me. I just found the plot to be a little less enticing. It has a little more seriousness than Oh. My. Gods., that while good, was slightly off putting to me. A tad less humourous parts, a lot less Griffin, except when Phoebe trains.

Final Impressions: Although falling just a little short of Oh. My. Gods., Goddess Boot Camp is a wonderful addition to my woefully lacking reading of greek mythology. And most likely, it'll please many who love mythology and humour.

Add to Shelf: Same with Oh. My. Gods. Maybe, but still on the fence.

Note This! A lot of the plot involves around the mystery that is Phoebe's dad. In the last novel, Phoebe learns that her dad was smoted for flaunting his powers in the nothos (human) world. But now Phoebe has the chance to figure out exactly what happened to him, and how he chose it so. And some mysterious figure is taunting her with that info...

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.

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

Uh yeah, missed last week's. Was out most of the day with friends and was too tired to do the post. BUT now that we've discovered how to schedule posts (can you tell we're excited? XD) hopefully that will never happen again!

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Publishing date: May 2010
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads | Amazon
Description:
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Alright, so I've never actually read Oh. My. Gods. or Goddess Boot Camp, but I've been meaning to! Forgive My Fins sounds a little like The Little Mermaid- which I LOVE since The Little Mermaid is one of my favourite fairy tales.

Oh, and isn't the cover so pretty? I love the colours! The only thing I don't really like is the model's lips. The blue colour scares me a little. I think I would rather it be pink like the title.