Review: Oh. My. Gods.

Oh. My. Gods.

By Tera Lynn Childs

Publication date: May 1, 2008

Synopsis:

If Phoebe Castro can keep her grades up and have another stellar cross-country season, her dream of attending USC with her best friends is only a track scholarship away. She’s made all her plans, so it’s a complete shock when her mom announces she’s marrying a mysterious stranger and moving them half-way around the world—to Greece. Phoebe’s stuck on a secret island in the Aegean attending the super-exclusive Academy, where her new stepfather is the headmaster and the kids are anything but your average students—they are descendants of the Greek gods, super powers included. That’s right, Greek gods are no myth! If Phoebe thought high school was hard, she knows this is going to be mortal misery. Securing that scholarship seems like Phoebe’s only ticket out of Greece, but training and maintaining her grades will be grueling, even without a sabotaging stepsister from Hades and a gorgeous guy—what a god!—who just might be her Achilles heel. One thing is for sure—summoning the will to win and find her place among the gods could be Phoebe’s toughest course yet.

My review:

I love Greek mythology and after reading the Percy Jackson series I was eager to try this one. Oh. My. Gods. is not heavy on mythology although the students at Phoebe's new school are the modern day descendants of the gods. On the island of Serfopoula Phoebe is called a nothos, someone who is not descended from the gods. It is hard enough to fit in at a new school but now she sticks out as the only nothos on campus. She is already trying to adjust to a new stepdad and having to leave behind her friends when she finds out the truth about her new home and its residents.

I really liked Phoebe's character and the spunk she exhibits in a tough situation. At first she only complains and doesn't like her new stepfather at all. Gradually Phoebe starts to mature which was really nice to see. I liked the way her relationship with her stepfamily improved throughout the book.  Phoebe's love of running is very clear and a big part of her character. Her determination to succeed in track at her new school was inspiring. Phoebe's romantic interest is Griffin Blake, a guy who also loves running and is on the track team at the Academy. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow especially after the early antagonism. It made things fun. The other character I really liked was Phoebe's new friend Nicole. She is the kind of girl who doesn't care about what others think of her-she is just herself. I loved that about her and the way she took Phoebe under her wing.

I thought this was a fun book with some good messages about family and friendship.  I have the sequel, Goddess Bootcamp and look forward to reading it. Oh. My. Gods. is a great read for when you are in the mood for something lighthearted and humorous. Fans of YA chick lit would probably enjoy it.