"Hyperion and the Great Balls of Fire' Review

"Hyperion and the Great Balls of Fire" Heroes in Training #4
 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin 
Release Date: Aug 6, 2013
Source: sent by the authors

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars


Summary from goodreads.com:

The action heats up for Zeus and his fellow Olympians in this blazing Heroes in Training tale.Phew, it’s hot! Under the titan Hyperion’s rule, the sun is burning even brighter than normal and scorching everything in northern Greece—including the villagers! The Olympians are forced to play a sizzling “game” of Dodge the Sunbursts as Hyperion hurls giant fireballs that could fry them to pieces!

Armed with some clues, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades set out to figure out why in the world Hyperion has been making things so hot. They also need to rescue Hera, who is still missing. Battling the extreme heat—and some fantastical and scary creatures, courtesy of their old foe Cronus—the boys are off on another epic adventure…and Zeus is one step closer to discovering his destiny.

My Review:


These books are always short and sweet action packed tales of adventure. I love the characters and stories from mythology, I think it encourages young readers to find out more about the classic tales.

This series is written by the authors of Goddess Girls, but it isn't the same 'world' as the Goddess Girls, it is completely separate. I wouldn't really say the two series are that similar, except for the mythology element. There is a lot more action in the Heroes in Training series. This time their foe is Hyperion and his giant fireballs!

I like that the heroes are always meeting new members to add to their group. And girls, don't worry, there are some strong females in their little group of warriors, too! I like how each of the characters have their magical object that makes them even stronger. You can see these on the cover, Zeus has his lightning bolt, Poseidon has a trident, and Hades has a helm. Bolt the lightning bolt is so fun to read about. He has a mind of his own, and usually acts like Zeus' loyal puppy.

There is never a dull moment in this book, with all of the adventures this group of heroes embarks on. The handful of illustrations add a lot to the story, and would be fun for readers of graphic novels. There is a lot of humor in the book too, which makes it so fun to read! The Oracle never fails to make me laugh with her foggy glasses causing her to mix up her visions.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: n/a
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: Another great addition to this fun, action packed series for middle graders!  


If you think this book sounds good, you might want to read my reviews for the other books in the series, as well as my reviews for another series by the same authors: The Goddess Girls.

The Heroes in Training Series:

#1 Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom
#2 Poseidon and the Sea of Fury

The Goddess Girls Series:
#1 Athena the Brain
#2 Persephone the Phony (one of my favorites in the series)
#3 Aphrodite the Beauty (another top pick in the series)
#4 Artemis the Brave
#5 Athena the Wise
#6 Aphrodite the Diva
#7 Artemis the Loyal 
#8 Medusa the Mean (another of my favorites)
#9 Pandora the Curious 
#10 Pheme the Gossip 
#11 Persephone the Daring (another favorite)
Super Special: The Girl Games 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

"Persephone the Daring" Goddess Girls #11 Review

"Persephone the Daring" Goddess Girls #11
 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin 
Release Date: Aug 6, 2013
Source: sent by the authors

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Summary from goodreads.com:

Mortal rock star Orpheus steals the spotlight in this Goddess Girls tale of love and lyres!Orpheus is a mortal rock god, and the girls at Mount Olympus Academy are wild about him! With his lyre and singing voice, Orpheus can charm pretty much anything—even things like stones and trees. But Hades and the other MOA boys aren’t charmed. In fact, they are less than thrilled that the girls are so gaga over this guy.

His fans are especially excited about his latest song about the girl he loved and lost, Eurydice. Orpheus was devastated when he lost Eurydice to the Underworld, so he asks Persephone to help get her back. Though it means breaking some very serious Underworld rules, Persephone pushes Hades to return Eurydice to the living world. But restoring Orpheus’s one true love might jeopardize Persephone’s own chances with her biggest crush...

My Review:


I love this entire series, and this is one of the best installments yet. It's definitely one of my favorites, if not my overall favorite, and that's saying something! I think I literally read this book with a huge smile on my face!

Persephone was already one of my favorite characters from the series, she's so shy and adorable, but she's actually really strong too. This book had a great story about Persephone trying to be more daring. She even made a new friend, Eurydice-Orpheus's back up singer, who was super brave. However, Persephone soon found out that Eurydice was more than daring, she was out of control! Maybe it's not such a bad thing to be the dependable one.

While the book does teach girls a valuable lesson about responsibility, there is so much fun to be had in this book, too. Orpheus is a cute pop star, who has a cute personality to boot. But fans of Persephone's cute romance with Hades need not get too nervous! It would take more than a cute mortal pop star to break up Mount Olympus' favorite couple!

I just love this series and the more books that I read, the more I love all the characters. It was great to see quite a bit of Medusa in this book. Ever since she got her own book, she's no longer 'Medusa the Mean', but she sure is spunky and so much fun to read about!

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: A fantastic new addition to my favorite middle grade series. This one is a must read for fans of the books, and for new readers alike!

If you think this Goddess Girls book sounds great, check out my reviews for ALL of the books in the series!  

#1 Athena the Brain
#2 Persephone the Phony (one of my favorites in the series)
#3 Aphrodite the Beauty (another top pick in the series)
#4 Artemis the Brave
#5 Athena the Wise
#6 Aphrodite the Diva
#7 Artemis the Loyal 
#8 Medusa the Mean (another of my favorites)
#9 Pandora the Curious 
#10 Pheme the Gossip
Super Special: The Girl Games 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

"Pheme the Gossip" Goddess Girls #10 Review

"Pheme the Gossip" Goddess Girls #10
 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin 
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Source: sent by the authors

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars


Summary from goodreads.com:

Get to know Goddess Girl Pheme…the original “gossip girl”!As the goddess girl of rumor and gossip, Pheme prides herself on being “in the know” and having the most up-to-date info on anyone and everyone at Mount Olympus Academy. To make sure that people really get her VIP messages, her words tend to linger in cloud letters above her head—just in case people don’t catch what she says!



But not everyone is thrilled with Pheme’s insider knowledge on everything MOA—including the Goddess Girls. Can Pheme ever be trusted? Or will this “gossip girl” find herself on the other end of the rumors?

My Review:

In my opinion, this is one of the very best book series out there for younger girls, and this a great addition to the series. I love getting to know the other girls besides the main four Goddess Girls. They all have a little something different to add, and a little bit of quirkier personalities!

Some may think, what good can come from gossip? But the authors have found away to explain that in moderation, gossip can actually be helpful. Pheme is trusted by Zeus to be his eyes and ears around Mount Olympus Academy. He wants to be the first to know if there is any suspicious activity. While Pheme does take it to an extreme at times, she and her friends learn that her job is important. By always being watchful, she can tell when something suspicious is going on that may cause harm to the students (and in this case-the world!). It's also important for her to 'gossip' about it, or to let Zeus know asap.

It's a different sort of message than we usually get about gossipping. But actually it may be an important one for young girls to learn. It is a good idea to 'report back' to an adult if they notice anything strange going on. While it's not great to gossip, it is important to speak up. It's a fine line, and I think the authors explained it quite well!


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: I love seeing the supporting girls from The Goddess Girls get their own books! It's so fun to read about their different personalities!

If you think this Goddess Girls book sounds great, check out my reviews for ALL of the books in the series!  

#1 Athena the Brain
#2 Persephone the Phony (one of my favorites in the series)
#3 Aphrodite the Beauty (another top pick in the series)
#4 Artemis the Brave
#5 Athena the Wise
#6 Aphrodite the Diva
#7 Artemis the Loyal 
#8 Medusa the Mean (another of my favorites)
#9 Pandora the Curious
Super Special: The Girl Games 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway and Review: "Pandora the Curious" Goddess Girls #9

"Pandora the Curious" Goddess Girls #9
 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Dec 4, 2012
Source: sent by the authors

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Summary from goodreads.com:

Is Pandora about to open up a box of trouble?

One of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy, Pandora is famous for her mega quizzical nature—not that she thinks there’s anything wrong with being curious, of course!

Her curiosity kicks into high gear when a godboy named Epimetheus brings a mysterious box to school. Epimetheus is the nephew of an MOA teacher in whose class Pandora once opened another box that sent a few weather disasters to earth. Still, Pandora can’t help but take a peek inside this new box when it unexpectedly lands in her lap. What could be the harm in that, right? Little does she know that opening the box will open up far more trouble than she ever expected!

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

My Review:

This installment of one of my favorite series, The Goddess Girls, tells the infamous story of Pandora opening the box of troubles. I love that these books are inspired by the Greek myths, but also make them appealing to young girls. I realized that even though everyone knows Pandora and her box, I really didn't know the actual story at all, so I was inspired to look it up. I hope that young girls reading these books will do the same and expand their knowledge of classic tales by reading something so modern and fun.

I love the books about the supporting Goddess Girls, the characters outside of the main four girls. I think the other girls, like Medusa and Pandora, might have a few more flaws, and might appeal to girls who feel a little more different. Pandora doesn't really fit the mold of 'sporty', 'brainy', or 'popular', so it's fun to read about her thoughts and feelings too. She has a flaw, she can't help but ask so many questions that it becomes nosy, and she can't hold back from snooping where she doesn't belong sometimes. But it's great to see her find a balance of the times when it's great to ask questions, not just accepting answers without knowing why. But then she has to know when to hold back too, as she learned by releasing all of the trouble bubbles on her schoolmates.

I thought it was so fun to see the trouble bubbles affect the other Goddess Girls, and we got to see them act in the complete opposite way that they normally would. I won't give away too many of the trouble bubbles, but the first bubble turned brainy Athena into a ditz! It was too cute to see the smartest, most disciplined girl in school get lost in the school hallways.

As with all of this series, I love the sweet first love stories. Pandora doesn't really like Epimetheus at first, because she is smitten with Posiedon. But Epimetheus really proves that he is the godboy for her when he appreciates her, flaws and all. He actually helps her to realize that her curiosity isn't really a flaw, when used correctly, it's a strength.

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: The Goddess Girls books just keep getting better and better! I love learning more about the supporting characters from the series!

This is the first Goddess Girl book to be available in both hardcover and paperback!

GIVEAWAY RULES

The authors have generously provided an autographed copy of "Pandora the Curious" for a lucky follower of my blog!

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :)

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Books will be mailed out by the publisher
• Must be 18 or over 

• Ends Jan 5

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you think this Goddess Girls book sounds great, check out my reviews for ALL of the books in the series!  

#1 Athena the Brain
#2 Persephone the Phony (one of my favorites in the series)
#3 Aphrodite the Beauty (another top pick in the series)
#4 Artemis the Brave
#5 Athena the Wise
#6 Aphrodite the Diva
#7 Artemis the Loyal 
#8 Medusa the Mean (another of my favorites)
Super Special: The Girl Games 

Giveaway and Review: "Goddess Girls Super Special: The Girl Games"

"Goddess Girls Super Special: The Girl Games"
 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Source: sent by the authors

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Summary from goodreads.com:

The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series—let the games begin!Athena, Medusa, Artemis, and Persephone are sick and tired of being left out of the annual boys-only Olympic Games. Their solution? The Girl Games! But as the Goddess Girls work to make their dream into a reality, they come up against plenty of chaos and competition. Told in alternating points of view, this superspecial is packed with Olympic spirit!

My Review:

"The Girl Games" is the first Super Special edition of the Goddess Girls series, and hopefully it won't be the last! Just in time for the Summer Olympics in London, the girls are hosting the very first Olympics just for girls! They have come up with some super cute finishing touches for their girl games including pink sand in the long jump pits, and the most adorable stuffed beanbag animals to hand off in the relays instead of batons.

The book is extra lengthy for those of us who can't get enough of the Goddess Girls and it features chapters told from the four main girls' alternating points of view. This style (which I like to call "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" style) is so great because everyone can read about their favorite character's point of view in the same book. Also, it makes the pages fly by, with so many different story lines to read about, there's never a slow moment.

My favorite storyline in this installment was probably the new kitten, Adonis. As soon as I saw the cover, I was wondering who the adorable little kitten was. Just like Aphrodite and Persephone, I was smitten with him from the beginning. The girls learn about responsibility, as well as sharing and jealousy, because of the new kitten.

I also really liked Artemis' story as the girl in charge of the Girl Games. She wants everything to be perfect, and thinks in order to get the results she wants, she has to do everything herself.

As always, I love the girls' crushes. Their romances are so adorable and age appropriate. Also, instead of taking center stage, they are mixed into the stories in perfect amounts.

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: A perfect read this summer during the Summer Olympics, and a great way to learn about competition and friendship.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have generously provided a finished copy of "Goddess Girls Super Special: The Girl Games" and a bookmark for one lucky reader of my blog!

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this post with your email address! Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy

Extra Entries:
+1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
+1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)



Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Books will be mailed out by the authors, In the Hammock is not responsible for lost or missing books, or the amount of time taken to ship the books
• Must be 18 or over 

• Ends Mon Jul 30

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

If you think this Goddess Girls book sounds great, check out my reviews for ALL of the books in the series!  

#1 Athena the Brain
#2 Persephone the Phony (one of my favorites in the series)
#3 Aphrodite the Beauty (another top pick in the series)
#4 Artemis the Brave
#5 Athena the Wise
#6 Aphrodite the Diva
#7 Artemis the Loyal 
#8 Medusa the Mean (another of my favorites)

"Medusa the Mean" Goddess Girls #8 Review

"Medusa the Mean" (Goddess Girls #8)
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: April 3, 2012

Source: sent by the authors

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Medusa is the ultimate mean girl in this series that blends modern drama with ancient myths.Well researched and true to the original myths, each volume in the Goddess Girls series addresses contemporary issues, like friendships and relationships, from a classically accurate—and entertaining—perspective.
In Medusa the Mean, Medusa is sick and tired of being the only mortal at Mount Olympus Academy. Not only is she surrounded by beautiful, powerful, immortal classmates, but she also has snakes for hair and a reputation for being mean. Immortality, she thinks, will solve everything. So when she finds out about a necklace that promises just that, she’s sure it will help her get the two things she covets most: to be as popular as the four Goddess Girls and to have her supercrush, Poseidon, finally notice her. But when the necklace brings about popularity in the totally wrong way, things go from bad to worse. Can Medusa overcome her “meanie” status and prove that there’s more to her that meets the eye?

My Review:

I love all of the Goddess Girls books, but this one is possibly even tied for overall fave along with Persephone the Phony. I was almost wary of a book about the 'Queen of Mean' Medusa, but now I absolutely love her! We really got to see why she acts the way she does and understand her motivations for being so grouchy.

I totally love her snakes as well. After Athena caused her hair to turn into snakes, Medusa doesn't even see it as a bad thing, she loves her snakes like pets! The snakes hiss at people who are mean to her and always have her back when she needs help. They have their own little personalities and they were just too fun to read about.

The other Goddess Girls did make appearances in this book, but maybe not as much as in the other installments. Medusa isn't exactly best friends with them! But she does make improvements in her social skills and all of the girls do become closer in this book.

Her age-appropriate flirtation with both Poseidon and Dionysus is super cute to read about. I loved her crush shrine to Poseidon and her obliviousness that Dionysus was interested in her.

I really liked the message that comes across when Medusa tried to come out of her shell a little and actually had to make an effort to make some friends and take some risks in trusting people. I'd love to see another installment of the series from Medusa's point of view.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: Run, don't walk, to read this installment of the Goddess Girls series, it's one of the best books in an already series!


If you think this Goddess Girls book sounds great, check out my reviews for ALL of the books in the series!  I will be having a giveaway for the first SUPER SPECIAL edition later this summer!

#1 Athena the Brain
#2 Persephone the Phony (my other favorite in the series)
#3 Aphrodite the Beauty (another top pick in the series)
#4 Artemis the Brave
#5 Athena the Wise
#6 Aphrodite the Diva
#7 Artemis the Loyal 

Review and Giveaway! "Artemis the Loyal" Goddess Girls #7

"Artemis the Loyal" (Goddess Girls #7)
 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Dec 6, 2011 
Source: sent by the authors

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Summary from goodreads.com:

It's time for the annual Olympic Games, and the four goddessgirls are not happy! It's boys only--and the girls at MOA are not pleased.
Led by Artemis, Athena, Persphone and Aphrodite, the ladies of Mount Olympus hatch a plan to get Zeus to open up the games to everyone. Will they succeed--or end up watching from the sidelines again?
These classic myths from the Greek pantheon are given a modern twist that contemporary tweens can relate to, from dealing with bullies like Medusa to a first crush on an unlikely boy. Goddess Girls follows four goddesses-in-training – Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis – as they navigate the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most priviledged gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

My Review:

This is yet another excellent addition to the Goddess Girls series. The entire gang of Goddess Girls is back in this story told from Artemis' point of view.

This installment really explores Artemis' relationship with her twin brother, Apollo. Artemis wants things to be like they always have been, but Apollo is starting to need his own space.  Artemis tries to understand that just because Apollo wants to see if he can succeed on his own and do things for himself instead of relying on Artemis, it doesn't mean that they have to grow apart.

I like that Artemis has a crush, but she also has a boy who is just a friend. It's nice to see boys and girls as friends but not in a romantic way. Of course, there's a cute romance too, with plenty of pitfalls.

The main conflict in the book is that girls aren't allowed to participate in the Olympics at school. It's great to Artemis fired up about equal rights for girls. Hopefully, it will encourage girls to speak up for themselves in their own lives.
 

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: Another fantastic installment of one of my favorite series. The Goddess Girls are such great role models for girls.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have generously provided a finished copy of "Artemis the Loyal" for one lucky reader of my blog!

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this post with your email address! Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy

Extra Entries:
+1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
+1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)



Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Books will be mailed out by the authors, In the Hammock is not responsible for lost or missing books, or the amount of time taken to ship the books
• Must be 18 or over 

• Ends Sun Jan 1

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

Giveaway and Review: "Aphrodite the Diva" Goddess Girls #6

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have generously provided awesome Aphrodite the Diva swag and an autographed copy of the book for one lucky reader of my blog! See contest info after the review!

"Aphrodite the Diva" (Goddess Girls #6)

by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Aug 9, 2010
Source: sent by authors

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

In book 6, an exchange student from Egypt, Isis, is encroaching on Aphrodite's match-making turf. Will she also edge Aphrodite out of her group of friends?

These classic myths from the Greek pantheon are given a modern twist that contemporary tweens can relate to, from dealing with bullies like Medusa to a first crush on an unlikely boy.

Goddess Girls follows four goddesses-in-training: Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis and their friends as they navigate the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

  

My Review:

This was another funny, sweet, and romantic installment of one of my favorite series! In this book, Aphrodite finds out she may not be the only goddess of love when she meets Isis in Egypt. A friendly rivalry results where Aphrodite and Isis compete to be the first to find the perfect love match for Pygmalion.

I love that the girls aren't mean spirited in their competition, even though the mortals are spreading vicious rumors that they are literally fighting. There's a lot to learn about healthy competition, while respecting each other's differences.

Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, gets to play matchmaker a lot in this book. In fact, I would have loved to have seen more of her matchmaking and the results! The couples she chose to put together were just so adorable! It would have been so fun to see more of the love matches sprinkled throughout the book.

I'm glad we got to see some old favorites from "Aphrodite the Beauty", Hephaestus and Ares. It was great to see them back for another story.

As always, with the Goddess Girls series, there's a lot to love about this book, and I would definitely recommend it to all tween girls. While this wasn't the strongest of the series, it was definitely a welcome addition. All of the books are fun with lots of age-appropriate romance, and they also have a great message about friendship, doing the right thing, and girls being strong.


Main Characters: 4/5 
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: Another can't miss installment of the Goddess Girls series, this time with lots of love matches and some friendly rivalry. 

Check out my reviews for the first five books in the series:

"Athena the Brain"
"Persephone the Phony"
"Aphrodite the Beauty"

"Artemis the Brave"

"Athena the Wise"

More info on the series at:

http://www.joanholub.blogspot.com/

http://www.suzanne-williams.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY RULES:
Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams are generously providing one lucky reader an autographed copy of Aphrodite the Diva and swag!! The swag was carefully put together by the authors and includes:

* GODDESSGIRLS bead necklaces made by Joan and Suzanne.
Strung on colorful stretchy cord, they can be shortened into bracelets. (Beads & cord packages purchased at Michaels say they're not for under age 14. Actual colors will vary.)
* Aphrodite the Diva book signed by Joan and Suzanne
* Bookmark featuring six Goddess Girls books
  
All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address!Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy.

Extra Entries:

• +1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
• +1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Must be 18 to enter (you can have your parents enter :))
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Ends Monday August 15

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

Review and Giveaway! "Goddess Girls: Athena the Wise"

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have generously provided an awesome Athena the Wise Swag Bag and a copy of the book for one lucky reader of my blog! See contest info after the review!

"Athena the Wise" (Goddess Girls #5)

by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: April 5, 2010
Source: sent by author

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with this new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Athena the Wise (April 2011): Zeus says Heracles has to do 12 tasks or get kicked out of MOA. Athena's not sure it's wise, but she agrees to help out.  

My Review: 

The Goddess Girls series is one of my favorites, and "Athena the Wise" is an especially sweet installment! As a romance fan, I love the cute romance blooming between Athena and Heracles. I also love Athena's relationship with her so embarrassing dad, Zeus. 


As with the previous Goddess Girls books, there's a subtle but important message woven throughout the story. The book takes a look a the varying shades of right and wrong. It also explores anger and revenge. The authors are never preachy but instead ask the reader how far is too far when it comes to revenge and retribution.


Readers of the series get to revisit all of our old friends from Mount Olympus Academy, including the animal companions. Athena's relationship with her dad, Zeus, the principal at MOA, was first explored in the first book in the series, and I loved the way it was developed here. You can tell he just embarrasses her so much in all the classic ways that parents can embarrass their kids. But she loves him so much no matter how embarrassing he gets. 


Heracles is a great mortal hero. His list of 12 labors that he must accomplish are pretty impressive for a 12-ish year old! I love that Heracles is a great guy but he's not perfect. Instead of fighting or arguing though, Athena and Heracles talk it out to understand their differences and learn about each other. 


The romance in this book is oh-so-sweet! I couldn't help but get a serious case of the warm fuzzies when I finished the book. The romance will keep the most boy crazy goddessgirl interested while still being completely age appropriate.

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5 (love it)
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5 (LOVE all the covers!!)
Writing: 5/5



Bottom Line: Another wonderful book in the Goddess Girls series, "Athena the Wise" is not to be missed!

Check out my reviews for the first four books in the series:

"Athena the Brain"
"Persephone the Phony"
"Aphrodite the Beauty"

"Artemis the Brave"

More info on the series at: http://www.joanholub.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY RULES:
Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams are generously providing one lucky reader an Athena the Wise Swag Bag!! The swag bag was carefully put together by the authors and includes:

* GODDESSGIRLS bead necklaces made by Joan and Suzanne.
Strung on colorful stretchy cord, they can be shortened into bracelets. (Beads & cord packages purchased at Michaels say they're not for under age 14. Actual colors will vary.)
* Plush lion (Heracles comes up against a fierce lion in the book!)
* Athena the Wise book signed by Joan and Suzanne
* Bookmark featuring six Goddess Girls books

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address!Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy.

Extra Entries:

• +1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
• +1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Ends Sunday May 1

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

Review and Giveaway! "Goddess Girls: Artemis the Brave"

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have generously provided an awesome Artemis the Brave Swag Bag and a copy of the book for one lucky reader of my blog! See contest info after the review!

"Artemis the Brave" (Goddess Girls #4)
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Dec 7, 2010

Source: sent by author

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

The Goddess Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

My review:

"Artemis the Brave" is book #4 in the awesome age 8-12 series "The Goddess Girls." When I received this book, I was so excited to see that it's longer than the previous books-more to read, more to love!

All of the Goddess Girls have their own vivid personalities and Artemis is no exception. Artemis is very into her sport, archery, which she and her twin brother, Apollo, excel at. I loved seeing Artemis's great relationship with her brother. She really feels terrible when they argue because they are so close.

I love that all of the girls are so different but they all respect and appreciate their differences. None of the girls try to change each other, they accept that they're all different. Artemis's friends aren't into archery or sports, but they value her skills and never try to change her.

As with the other Goddess Girl books, there's a healthy dose of girl power. Artemis quickly learns that Orion's handsome face isn't all it's cracked up to be. Artemis also learns about her inner bravery. Everyone thinks she's very brave, but she has to work hard in order to actually feel brave herself.

This book would be great for girls who love animals because Artemis has three dogs who go with her everywhere.

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5 (perfectly age appropriate)
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5 (LOVE all the covers!!)
Writing: 5/5

Bottom Line: Another fantastic installment of the Goddess Girls series, with lots of friendship, fun, and a great message.
Check out my reviews for the first three books in the series:

"Athena the Brain"
"Persephone the Phony"
"Aphrodite the Beauty"

More info on the series at: http://www.joanholub.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY RULES:Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams are generously providing one lucky reader an Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag!! The swag bag was carefully put together by the authors and includes:

* Artemis's puppy! An 8 1/2 inch plush dog named Amby--short for ambrosia, food of the gods! (Yomiko)
* Nail polishes (Sally) * Bangle bracelets (mudd)
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Artemis the Brave

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address!
Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy.
Extra Entries:

• +1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
• +1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Ends Sunday Dec 19

How cute is that puppy?? Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

"Athena the Brain" Review

To celebrate the "Aphrodite the Beauty" Swag Bag Contest, here is my review of the first book in the Goddess Girls series!! Don't forget to enter the contest!

"Athena the Brain" (Goddess Girls #1)
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Apr 6, 2010

Source: sent by author

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

My review:
The first installment in the Goddess Girls books is a great introduction to the series. The reader is introduced to the school at Mt. Olympus at the same time that Athena first sees it. We are thrust into this brand new world of immortality and magic just like Athena is.

The book has a great message for girls about dealing with mean girls and also how to deal with boys. I loved Athena's attitude towards the cocky Poseidon as she realizes he's not so crush-worthy after all.

Book lovers will love Athena's brainy personality, and how she's always carrying around tons of scrolls (books). Her relationship with her dad, Zeus, is played out with love and comedy.

The only reason I marked this one 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because I really liked books 2 and 3 a lot better than this one. But sometimes that's what happens in the first book of a series, because the world has to be set up and introductions to the characters need to be made.

The covers of these books are fantastic. The bright colors and cartoony girls are so eye-catching, but the beauty is really in the details. Each cover has many small elements from the book that are woven into the picture. It's so fun to see Persephone's missing ball of yarn or Athena's pile of homework scrolls that she's never seen without. It's so nice to see a cover where the artist has clearly read the book instead of using a stock photo.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5 (LOVE all the covers!!)
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: This is another great installment of the Goddess Girls series, fun, sweet stories for girls with a fantastic message!

"Goddess Girls: Persephone the Phony" Review

To celebrate the "Aphrodite the Beauty" Swag Bag Contest, here is my review of the second book in the Goddess Girls series!! Don't forget to enter the contest!

"Persephone the Phony" (Goddess Girls #2)
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Apr 6, 2010

Source: sent by author

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My review:I really loved this installment of the series. I think it deals with a really important tween issue for girls-standing up for yourself. This is an age where girls really start to feel pressure to be like everyone else and it's hard to remember to speak up.

Persephone is always agreeable, she wants to go along with everything just so she won't make anyone mad. She drags along to the mall when she would rather be home. She always agrees with her group of friends, even when she thinks differently. She even buys things she doesn't want in order to fit in and please others. For this reason, Persephone feels like a phony.

When she gets to know "bad boy" Hades, Persephone knows her friends and her mother don't approve. But for the first time, she wants to do what she wants, not what everyone else wants her to do. Persephone finds herself in danger by ignoring too many rules and she finally realizes there needs to be a balance between always agreeing and being too wild.

I think this age is when girls start submitting to peer pressure and start to lose themselves. This book could really be a helpful tool in teaching girls that they can still speak up for themselves and be an individual. Speaking up seems to be praised in boys but not girls, so I'm glad to see it addressed in a book targeted to girls. I can identify with Persephone even now and I hope I can learn to try to be less of a people-pleaser like she did.

Hades and Persephone's romance was just too adorable, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship continue to blossom in the third book.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 5/5 (so sweet!!)
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5 (LOVE all the covers!!)
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line:Persephone's story was another great addition to the Goddess Girls series, with fantastic elements of young love, friendship, family, and most of all learning about yourself.

Review and Giveaway! "Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty"

Contest is Closed
Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have generously provided an awesome Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag for one lucky reader of my blog! See contest info after the review!

"Aphrodite the Beauty" (Goddess Girls #3)
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Aug 3, 2010

Source: sent by author

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com: The Goddess Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aphrodite, the goddess girl of love, can hardly believe she's jealous! But after giving her best friend, Athena, a makeover, she's definitely feeling a little green. It just doesn't seem fair that the god boys who usually fawn over Aphrodite, are now paying more attention to Athena, who doesn't even care. When Aphrodite finds out the nerdy Hephaestus has a crush on her, she learns that love comes in many forms.

My review:

I love reading about the Greek myths and the tales in this series are perfectly told for young readers to learn how fun and exciting the myths are. Each of the characters are lovingly crafted as a young, modern version of the classic figure. The modern twist is there, even while being fully contained on Mount Olympus. The books teach the ancient stories and also teach valuable life lessons to young girls.

After reading the first three books in the series, "Aphrodite the Beauty" was possibly my favorite in the series. It was so much fun while still containing a great message.

Aphrodite has all the boys in school wrapped around her finger. She especially loves the attention from handsome Atlas. Aphrodite decides to give her friend, Athena, a makeover but doesn't really enjoy the result-all of the boys giving Athena attention instead of her. The only boy who still talks to her is Hephaestus, who walks with a limp. She likes Hephaestus but when rumors swirl about them, she starts avoiding her friend. But Hephaestus may be the only one who can help her with a special project.

I loved how this book told the story of Atalanta's race with the golden apples, one of my favorite myths. Hephaestus was such a sweet character, I loved reading about him.

This story was so fun, with crushes on boys and jealousy over other girls getting attention. But the focus was on friendship and being true to yourself before falling for a boy who doesn't deserve your attention. I love the girl power message of these books.
Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5 (perfectly age appropriate)
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5 (LOVE all the covers!!)
Writing: 5/5

Bottom Line: I can't' recommend this series enough, both to young readers, fans of Greek myths, and those who want a sweet, fun read with a great message for girls.
Check out my blog for the rest of the week for reviews of the other two books in the series!

More info on the series at: http://www.joanholub.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY RULES:


Contest is Closed
Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams are generously providing one lucky reader an Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag!! The swag bag was carefully put together by the authors and includes:

* 24-color eye shadow from Claire's
* 7 lip glosses with faux rhinestones
* Multi-color bracelet
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Aphrodite the Beauty

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address!
Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy.
Extra Entries:

• +1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
• +1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Ends Sunday Nov. 7

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!