Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

"Goddess of Rain" by Jane Frkovich presents a unique and atmospheric narrative that draws readers into a world of myth and mystique. Frkovich's descriptive prose skillfully evokes a sense of time and place. While the storytelling is rich, the pacing may feel uneven at times, impacting the overall flow. The exploration of cultural themes adds depth, yet some aspects might require more clarity for a broader audience. "Goddess of Rain" earns a respectable three and a half stars, acknowledging its distinctive qualities while noting areas that could enhance the reading experience.

This book was good! I liked the characters and the setting. The author writes good too!!
I hope to read more by this author in the future! Looking forward to it!

Goddess of Rain is a wild mix of mythology and sci-fi elements, which kept my interest more and more with every page. Once I was able to navigate the plot I did enjoy the fast paced story telling. Zoe was an interesting character to explore, the love interests felt a bit short and were not able to attract my interest. The writing itself was not too complex and helped to enjoy the story. An interesting book with a lot of potential once the reader has adapted to the fast story-telling.

Dive into "Goddess of Rain" by Jane Frkovich, narrated by the captivating Danielle Fliller, for a whirlwind of Greek mythology, climate change conundrums, and teenage infatuation. While the concept promises an enticing mix, the execution occasionally stumbles along the way. The narrative, like a patchwork quilt, weaves intriguing elements together but at times struggles to sew them into a seamless whole. It's a bit like a rollercoaster, with highs and puzzling loops that might leave you wanting more. However, if you're up for a literary adventure that fuses mythology, environmental concerns, and young love, this story might just be the intriguing journey you're looking for.

The story follows Zoe, who discovers the existence of Greek gods and their connection to climate change when her truly irresponsible and negligent mother miraculously comes back from the dead. She becomes entangled in a supernatural struggle for her destiny while seeking true love. However, the character development feels somewhat lacking, making it challenging to fully invest in Zoe's journey.

Frkovich's writing offers moments of creativity, but the pacing and plot development could benefit from further refinement. Danielle Fliller's narration highlights the youth of the characters, bringing extremes to most of their emotions.

In conclusion, "Goddess of Rain" has an interesting concept that could resonate with certain readers. While it falls short of its young adult categorization and the pacing could use improvement, it offers a lighthearted introduction to Greek mythology, space travel, and first crushes for those seeking a unique blend of genres.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial Audio via NetGalley for the advanced audio copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Um... I don't even know where to start.

This is probably one of the most bizarre books I've read in awhile, and not for the reasons you may be thinking. The idea of Greek gods and space ships and Martians had potential (I love me some sci-fantasy), but Frkovich just executed it very poorly. I don't think I frown left my face for the entire duration of the book. I was confused and weirded out and unsettled (uncanny-valley type unsettled because these human characters just did not seem human). I wanted to DNF this book so many times but morbid curiosity kept me going.

To start off on a good note, Frkovich described depression really well. As someone who's suffered threw major depressive episode and studies it on a neuroscientific level, the way she described Zoe's actions and feelings during her depression really resonated with me. At one point, she talks about how when someone is suffering from depression, a part of them has died and how much effort it takes to get that part back. I really do applaud her on that.

Now onto the not so good aspects of the book...

Main character Zoe (whose head we're trapped in for the duration of the book) sounds like she's hyped up on cocaine for the entirety of the narrative. She just didn't speak like a normal human being does... in fact none of the characters do. They say absolutely everything that's on their mind in the stiffest language possible. I think Zoe is meant to be 19? She doesn't sound like a 19 year old.

Another thing that's super bizarre is that characters will go off on these long, info-dumpy mobologues that are just really hard to follow. At one point while Zoe is passed out, she reads the mind of her love interest Brandon as he's looking down at her passed out and he basically recites their entire history and why he loves her. It was just... bizarre. I genuinely cannot think of another word to describe what I was feeling while reading this.

It was all telling and no showing. Every character bluntly states how they feel, no body language described, so all I could see was them talking to eachother with straight faces standing stock-still with their arms by their sides (🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️). Zoe is also in love with this guy, Colton, that she's never actually talked to, but oh wait they have talked but she doesn't remember because it was when she was depressed and only part of her actually talked to this guy and fell in love with him... or something. Here's what he said to her on their first date (and this date happens in a dream that turns out to be real): "A snowflake is beautiful, perfect and unique. So I agree. You have snowflake syndrome. You have it bad." And then Zoe says that she loves him. I wish I were joking.

Frkovich also tried to make things exciting by throwing in random action scenes out of nowhere. Like, Zoe and Brandon were sitting in an underground Martian meadow talking about mushy stuff (showing no emotion of course) and then all of a sudden they're being attacked by dinosaurs... on Mars. And then Athena comes and save them by hearing the dinosaurs with her hummer. There are several scenes like this that just come out of nowhere.

And finally, everyone was physically flawless. If it were just the gods that were that way I'd understand because they're gods, right? But no, as soon as Zoe and other humans interacted with the gods, they were given extreme makeovers (think hair extensions, false lashes, manicures, ballgowns, etc.). In true 2010s YA-heroine pick-me style, Zoe outwardly complains about this (but secretly loves it). Frkovich had the chance to make a comment on how certain circles are obsessed with outward appearances and how that can be damaging to an individual's mental health, but of course she didn't. It was just another cocaine-fuelled aspect of this book.

Frkovich was clearly trying to evoked Percy Jackson-nostalgia, but it fell flat... kinda made me hate Greek mythology because of how the characters were portrayed. Sigh, time to play Immortals Fenix Rising again to reignite my love for Greek mythology.

Ich weiß gar nicht, wie ich hier anfangen soll.

Die Sprecherin hat mir leider absolut nicht gefallen, weswegen ich die Protagonistin auch noch unerträglicher fand als sowieso schon. Diese ist einfach unmöglich, stumpf und unsympathisch. Dass gleich 2 Männer sie gut finden sollen, war für mich absolut unglaubwürdig.
Dazu kommt der Plot - bzw. das Fehlen von exakt diesem. Worum es in dem Buch geht? Griechische Raumschiffgötter und ein nerviges Mädel, dass die griechische Mythologie auswendig gelernt hat.
Weder Pacing noch Beziehungsdynamiken konnten hier etwas retten. Für mich wirklich verwunderlich, dass dieses Buch vertont wurde.

Goddess of Rain is a contemporary fantasy novel about a wayward young woman who finds herself whisked off to Mars and embroiled in the Greek gods' drama. There's time travel, spaceships, gladiator battles and, of course, a love triangle. It there's one thing that can be said in the book's favor, it's that it's intentionally funny. Goddess of Rain is campy and self-deprecating, and even the narrator has an exaggerated NYC accent (despite the main character being from California). Unfortunately, it's still not quite funny enough to overcome the inherent cringey-ness of such a story. Goddess of Rain reads more like something you'd find on Wattpad than a hit YA fantasy story. And yet, even as I write this, I could still see this appealing to a lot of people looking for a lighthearted read, so all hope is not lost for Jane Frkovich. I just wasn't the right person for this story.

Inspired by Greek mythology, the story focuses on the parallel existence of humans and Greek gods residing on separate planets.

I quickly defined it as a fantasy novel, but I was happy to see that all the characters were patiently introduced. By that I mean that the author showed us why a certain character is the way they are by sharing their background and not just telling us one trait about them. My only issue was that I felt like they should have completed 1 part of the story before finishing the book. But it ended... and now I don't know what will happen!!!

Dealbreaker: There are also a few references of famous modern-day human personalities who are depicted as Olympic athletes, and it was too much for my brain to process, so I just ignored what I heard and moved on.

thanks for netgalley
for this opportunity to read this book.
#goddessofrain, # JaneFrkovich, #netgalley, #fantasy

I tried really hard to get through this audio book but I couldn't! The story and the narrator fell flat for me. I wish I could have enjoyed it more.

There are lots of mythology retellings out there, but this one was not really worth the time; it really fell flat for me. I have read plenty of mythology retellings and Hades and Persephone retellings in particular, some better than others, but this is not one that makes the list for me. I would not choose this one to recommend or revisit. The alien race/end of the world plot came across too hokey in this one. I've read good mythology/alien race series, and have read it done well. Sadly, Goddess of Rain was not one that will entice me to read the next book.

Thank you so much for letting me listen to this audiobook. Sadly I have to say that this one wasn't one of my favorites. I have no idea what I just listened to. This was so bizarre.

2.5 stars for the story and a solid 3 for the narration. This was so cringy and reads on the very young end of young adult. The story starts with a young woman who was reunited with her mother and thought she was dead, things go fast from there, and before the reader knows it the mother has disappeared again. The descriptions are a bit overdone and the know-it-all information Zoe has gets annoying about the Gods. If one wanted to read something to do with mythology but not read better written young adult/middle grade (i.e. Percy Jackson) this could work if you can get over the cringe.

What a fun story about greek mythology! I really thought that I read everything on this topic but authors keep surprising me with new storylines like this one. I totally recommend this easy and fun story for the summer.

I just reviewed Goddess of Rain by Jane Frkovich. #GoddessofRain #NetGalley
https://www.netgalley.com/book/289356/review/330635

Think Greek mythology meet’s science fiction! I would consider this book lower YA due to the writing style and emotional depth but it fun. It’s lighthearted and different from your usual mythology fiction.

The audiobook production was good but the narrator enunciated words a little too much for my personal liking.

But like I said it’s cute, it’s fun, it’s a light lower YA fantasy. If that sounds good to you definitely check it out!

Interesting YA mythology fantasy story containing Greek mythology. 19 year old Zoe is plunged into a world she didn't know exist by her mother whom she though had died. I like the spin of climate change being caused by the Greek gods.
Zoe is your average 19 year old and I did warm to her character as the story progresses.
The story is fast paced towards the middle and end of the book and was an enjoyable book to listen too. Will definitely look out to listen to the second book.

Goddess of Rain by Jane Frkovich is a young adult fantasy or paranormal romance story. The story is about Zoe, a young woman who was at a crossroad in her life and is seeking true love. The story integrates members of the Greek Pantheon with modern Americans. In the company of Greek Gods, Zoe traveled to unexpected places and had some unusual experiences. She was haunted by dreams of a man in an iron mask. There was a goddess who wanted her dead and a God who wanted to possess her. She received sage advice from several Gods along the way. By the end of the book, when Zoe faced a big decision for her future, she applied the lessons and information she had learned to make her choice.

The narrator of this audiobook was a great choice as the voice of our young heroine despite having mispronounced a few words. This didn’t detract much from her overall performance, which included distinct voices for the many characters Zoe encountered. It was a worthwhile way to experience this work of fiction. However, it took a bit for me to really engage with this audiobook. Zoe’s mother seemed rather self-absorbed and overly concerned with superficial appearance. Many of the goddesses were likewise focused on Zoe’s hair, clothing, and makeup. Zoe was focused on boys and love. As the story progressed, Gods that Zoe met did share more meaningful interactions with her and provided her with a sounding board for her thoughts and feelings. Once the story went beyond initial world-building, it became easier for me to connect to the story and its’ characters. Zoe also broadened her focus beyond boys. She was exposed to wisdom which helped her gain a wider perspective. Zoe made good use of what she learned about herself and human relationships and made a decision for her next step in life that was most true to what she really wanted and needed. The author shared a many Greek myths as backstory, which would be quite helpful for a reader who was less familiar with these stories. I often enjoy reading YA literature because it can have more universal appeal. However, Zoe’s single-minded focus on boyfriends and first love is very appropriate for her developmental stage, but less so for a woman in her fifties. While many YA novels delve into such topics while appealing to a wider audience, I recommend this book for readers between the ages of 12/13 - 17 who enjoy fantasy/paranormal romance stories and to fans of series such as Percy Jackson where the Greek Gods are brought forward to modern times. I am rating this 3.5/5 stars, deducting 0.5 due to the rough start to the book. I am voluntarily submitting this honest review after listening to an advanced complementary copy of this audiobook thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial Audio.

I picked the audio version up to see if it would be useful to encourage girls to read this Greek Gods/climate change Sci-fi fantasy with a crushing romance slant. I personally enjoyed the audio book. The story is inventive, (up to date not an ancient Greek God tragedy), fun and the narrator is perfect. Should older YR and YA girls read it? I think if they like romance and adventure then they will enjoy this audio book too. Thank to BooksGoSocial audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine freely given.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley. I really enjoyed the story. I found the characters engaging and the plot compelling. The blending of the Greek Myths and the story made it very interesting. I am eagerly awaiting the next book to continue the story and find out what happens to the characters. It was so easy to get lost in the story and forget anything else going on around me. I have already recommended that several of my friends keep an eye out for the book.

Where do I start with this review? I just....ok let's start with my go to, the cover. I like it! Doesn't really have anything to do with the book, but I like the aesthetic, and it's very similar to the book I'm reading next.

We are going to begin with the positives. I think the idea of this book is interesting. The Greek gods are not really gods but aliens who live on a planet called Olympus and they travel worlds on a space ship. This story definitely had that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy beginning. The world is ending, come with me! Then you're now in a world that you didn't believe could exist. You're mom (who you thought was dead) came to rescue you with her main man Zeus. So we have some Greek myths mixed with some sci-fi elements.

I don't know if I may have rated this higher if I read the physical book over listening to the audio. I just don't. The narrator did an alright job with the characters, creating the voices and portraying all the emotions. That was great. It was just the pronunciations. I just couldn't, I almost didn't finish this book because it drove me up the wall. I even started looking up the actual pronunciations in case I was crazy and I was not. Hephaestus was one that was pronounced HeFACEtus, then HeKATE, Cyclopeas, Skythe, These were how they were pronounced in the book. These are just a few of the words. I actually went through several reviews and NO ONE has commented on this. NO ONE, there were so many words that I was yelling about. This is what tanked my rating the most because it completely takes me out of the story.

This book is marketed as a YA, and I've read this in other stories but it definitely reads younger than YA to me. Most likely middle-grade level. Everything is spoon fed to you and it was very repetitive. So very very very repetitive.

The pacing was off for me as well. This very short book occurred over the span of a year....but nothing really made sense, not only did Zoe's mom abandon her once she abandoned her a second time. What a shit mom! Any way, there were great concepts, it just wasn't for me. AND I normally adore anything Greek mythology.