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Zoe and Zeus Trilogy #1
The Dig
Zoe Calder has always been an outsider. Stashed away in boarding schools since her parents died, Zoe buries herself in the study of ancient worlds. Her greatest thrill is spending her summers with her archeologist aunt and uncle on digs around the world. And one day, while investigating a newly unearthed temple in Crete, Zoe discovers a luminous artifact that transports her to ancient Greece.
As Zoe quickly learns, the Olympian Gods are real, living people—humans with mysterious powers… Powers that Zoe quickly realizes she has come to possess, as well. However, when the people of ancient Greece mistake Zoe for an Olympian, the Gods must restore the balance of the ancient world… No matter what.
Zoe is forced to play a confusing and dangerous game as Hera rallies the gods against her—all except for Zeus, the beautiful, winged young god who risks everything to save her.
Out of time and out of her element, teenager Zoe Calder finds herself in ancient Greece, battling against the power of the Olympians and the vengeance of a scorned goddess—all for the strange and mysterious boy she has come to love.
As Zoe quickly learns, the Olympian Gods are real, living people—humans with mysterious powers… Powers that Zoe quickly realizes she has come to possess, as well. However, when the people of ancient Greece mistake Zoe for an Olympian, the Gods must restore the balance of the ancient world… No matter what.
Zoe is forced to play a confusing and dangerous game as Hera rallies the gods against her—all except for Zeus, the beautiful, winged young god who risks everything to save her.
Out of time and out of her element, teenager Zoe Calder finds herself in ancient Greece, battling against the power of the Olympians and the vengeance of a scorned goddess—all for the strange and mysterious boy she has come to love.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2011
12 people are currently reading
1863 people want to read
About the author
Audrey Hart
22 books118 followersAudrey Hart, author. Came up with the idea for The Dig while visiting the Minoan ruins in Crete. The Dig: Zoe and Zeus is the first book in a trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
December 16, 2011
I tried really, really hard to like this book. I wanted to, I wanted to so badly. Around the point where our heroine, Zoe, was using her newly-discovered powers to single-handedly take down the Hydra, I found myself thinking, Oh my God, this is what The Goddess Test should have been. Hallelujah, someone answered my prayers. I was excited - here is a book about a modern girl, who is told that she has to face a series of actual life-or-death trials to maybe become a god or something, IDK, but look a HYDRA! And sure, there's a boy and insta!love, but she doesn't need his saving. In fact, she tells him to book it when she thinks there may be danger. And sure, there are some narrative and coherency issues, but I can muscle through those if this turns out to be The Goddess Test that I've been waiting for.
...and then Zoe had finished the trials, and we were only halfway through the book, and things kinda went downhill from there.
But to avoid getting...well, overly rant-y, we're going to look at this in terms of the story. As the summary above suggests, The Dig follows Zoe, a girl who travels to Greece for the summer to assist on her aunt and uncle's archeological dig. Once there, she intentionally wanders off on her first day to explore, and ends up in a room with a giant iPhone mounted on the wall. Except, of course, it's not an iPhone, just some sort of doorway that inexplicably looks like an iPhone, and - again, inexplicably - transports Zoe thousands of years in the past, to ancient Greece. There, she discovers a new-found ability to manipulate the earth, which gets her mistaken for a god.
Yes, she was transported back in time by a not-iPhone. And no, it doesn't really make any sense, nor do we ever get any explanation whatsoever as to why it looked like that, or why Zoe traveled back in time in the first place. But that didn't bother me very much, because let's be honest, any reasoning we get is just going to be an excuse. The author wanted to set a modern story in ancient Greece, it sounded fun, and the rest is just window dressing. Of all the as-yet-unfulfilled plot holes, that concerned me the least.
Plot hole that did bug me a bit? The language. Zoe speaks Greek, I get that, but she mentions briefly that the people she encounters in this ancient era are speaking a much older version of Greek than the one she understands. Her first few conversations are pretty rocky, coming down to awkward one-word exchanges...and then that issue just sort of disappears. Her conversations with every other important character is flawless, natural, to the point that I seriously wondered, "Did I miss some scene where they said that everyone started speaking English?"
I know that language is another one of those time-travel details that gets excused away, but after the initial shock, there's not even an attempt made here at any sort of communication difficulties or "olde" speak. Characters are only confused by the most obvious technological references (movies, Facebook), and many utilize modern idioms and slang. My personal favorite example of this is probably the way the goddess Hera speaks like the teen queen she's supposed to be, passive-aggressively insulting Zoe's clothes and condescendingly calling her "sweetie" and "dear". Does ancient Greek even have an equivalent to those words, with the same kind of catty connotations? And if it did, would Zoe understand it? Dialect is a tricky thing. Ask anyone who's taken a high-school Spanish class and then tried to use it in Mexico.
Then there's Zoe. As far as protagonists go, she kinda gave me trouble from the start. While her characterization is fairly typical for heroines of the YA genre - a Pretty-Ugly loner who doesn't feel she "fits in" with other girls her age - we're blatantly and repeatedly told that this is what Zoe is from the start. By Zoe. Without getting the chance to suss it out for ourselves. It gets old, fast, and gives her a serious likability problem.
I've said it before, but it's incredibly irritating when otherwise potentially likable characters feel the need to drone on and on about how much they don't fit in with other people, and doubly so when they do it with a haughty, condescending attitude. According to Zoe, she isn't like other girls, you see, because other girls are vapid bimbos only concerned with things like Gossip Girl and boys and makeup and celebrities, where as our heroine is sooooooo much better, because she's interested in important and deep things like archaeology.
URGH. This really is the single most unlikable attitude a heroine can have, and I really can't tell if Hart is trying to portray this as Zoe's rationalization for isolating herself from everyone, or if she's honestly trying to capture and express the feelings of neglected bookworms and nerds and teenagers outside the mainstream. Either way, it's incredibly annoying. It turned me off of Zoe's character almost instantly, and the way the plot ultimately ended up going only exacerbated the problem for me.
Fortunately, Zoe's relatively decent sense of humor kept me from wanting to continuously strangle her. She generally reacts to her situation like a normal teenager - sarcasm, fear, despair - and you can relate to her sense of displacement. Her likability issue flares mostly when she has time to reflect on her life at home, so when she's kept otherwise occupied by the plot and other characters, Zoe is generally a tolerable character. Unfortunately, once we hit the romance portion of the book, her actions become a little less relatable.
In a bid to get back to her own time, Zoe is told to seek out the Oracle - and of course, she meets a boy along the way. Almost immediately, Zoe's attraction to the boy begins to detract her from her quest to get home...
Read more at You're Killing.Us.
...and then Zoe had finished the trials, and we were only halfway through the book, and things kinda went downhill from there.
But to avoid getting...well, overly rant-y, we're going to look at this in terms of the story. As the summary above suggests, The Dig follows Zoe, a girl who travels to Greece for the summer to assist on her aunt and uncle's archeological dig. Once there, she intentionally wanders off on her first day to explore, and ends up in a room with a giant iPhone mounted on the wall. Except, of course, it's not an iPhone, just some sort of doorway that inexplicably looks like an iPhone, and - again, inexplicably - transports Zoe thousands of years in the past, to ancient Greece. There, she discovers a new-found ability to manipulate the earth, which gets her mistaken for a god.
Yes, she was transported back in time by a not-iPhone. And no, it doesn't really make any sense, nor do we ever get any explanation whatsoever as to why it looked like that, or why Zoe traveled back in time in the first place. But that didn't bother me very much, because let's be honest, any reasoning we get is just going to be an excuse. The author wanted to set a modern story in ancient Greece, it sounded fun, and the rest is just window dressing. Of all the as-yet-unfulfilled plot holes, that concerned me the least.
Plot hole that did bug me a bit? The language. Zoe speaks Greek, I get that, but she mentions briefly that the people she encounters in this ancient era are speaking a much older version of Greek than the one she understands. Her first few conversations are pretty rocky, coming down to awkward one-word exchanges...and then that issue just sort of disappears. Her conversations with every other important character is flawless, natural, to the point that I seriously wondered, "Did I miss some scene where they said that everyone started speaking English?"
I know that language is another one of those time-travel details that gets excused away, but after the initial shock, there's not even an attempt made here at any sort of communication difficulties or "olde" speak. Characters are only confused by the most obvious technological references (movies, Facebook), and many utilize modern idioms and slang. My personal favorite example of this is probably the way the goddess Hera speaks like the teen queen she's supposed to be, passive-aggressively insulting Zoe's clothes and condescendingly calling her "sweetie" and "dear". Does ancient Greek even have an equivalent to those words, with the same kind of catty connotations? And if it did, would Zoe understand it? Dialect is a tricky thing. Ask anyone who's taken a high-school Spanish class and then tried to use it in Mexico.
Then there's Zoe. As far as protagonists go, she kinda gave me trouble from the start. While her characterization is fairly typical for heroines of the YA genre - a Pretty-Ugly loner who doesn't feel she "fits in" with other girls her age - we're blatantly and repeatedly told that this is what Zoe is from the start. By Zoe. Without getting the chance to suss it out for ourselves. It gets old, fast, and gives her a serious likability problem.
I've said it before, but it's incredibly irritating when otherwise potentially likable characters feel the need to drone on and on about how much they don't fit in with other people, and doubly so when they do it with a haughty, condescending attitude. According to Zoe, she isn't like other girls, you see, because other girls are vapid bimbos only concerned with things like Gossip Girl and boys and makeup and celebrities, where as our heroine is sooooooo much better, because she's interested in important and deep things like archaeology.
URGH. This really is the single most unlikable attitude a heroine can have, and I really can't tell if Hart is trying to portray this as Zoe's rationalization for isolating herself from everyone, or if she's honestly trying to capture and express the feelings of neglected bookworms and nerds and teenagers outside the mainstream. Either way, it's incredibly annoying. It turned me off of Zoe's character almost instantly, and the way the plot ultimately ended up going only exacerbated the problem for me.
Fortunately, Zoe's relatively decent sense of humor kept me from wanting to continuously strangle her. She generally reacts to her situation like a normal teenager - sarcasm, fear, despair - and you can relate to her sense of displacement. Her likability issue flares mostly when she has time to reflect on her life at home, so when she's kept otherwise occupied by the plot and other characters, Zoe is generally a tolerable character. Unfortunately, once we hit the romance portion of the book, her actions become a little less relatable.
In a bid to get back to her own time, Zoe is told to seek out the Oracle - and of course, she meets a boy along the way. Almost immediately, Zoe's attraction to the boy begins to detract her from her quest to get home...
Read more at You're Killing.Us.
Read
November 30, 2011I don't venture much into self-published territory, but I had to after reading the synopsis for The Dig, by Audrey Hart. Time travel? Mythology? Sexy Zeus? Yes, please! But I've got to say that I was really disappointed in this one. While the MC had a cute, spunky voice, I just couldn't get behind the intense insta-love, the egregious historical inaccuracies, and the mismatched plot and pacing.
First, let me give you my schpeal on historical fantasy and time travel novels - yes, this is fantasy. I know that your protagonist is a time traveler. I also know that you don't want to write in an archaic style. But why do you have your historical characters talking and acting like modern people with modern sensibilities?! This is the first rule in historical fiction - YOUR SETTING ISN'T MODERN SO WHY ARE YOU WRITING LIKE IT IS? I found this to be true in both The Dig and the other self-published novel I recently read, Destined, by Jessie Harrell (though at least Harrell's novel was well paced and had an interesting storyline).
It really irritated me that all the Greek gods and the nymphs and everything threw around words like "boyfriend" and "cantina." Uhh...I'm pretty sure that cantina is a Spanish word, and as this is supposed to be ancient Greece, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they didn't have that word.
So yeah, I was really tripped up by the historical inaccuracies. But I was also bothered by the almost product placing. Seriously, Apple should have paid Hart for publishing this book. It's practically a commercial for the iPhone! She's always talking about all the cool apps it has, and a freakin' iPhone is what transports her back in time! Wow, I didn't know they had an app for that! It was all very weird, that.
Then there's the issue of characterization. While I enjoyed reading about Zoe because she was a little snarky and funny, I really kind of hated all how all the other characters are portrayed. I was excited to see that Zeus was getting more facetime in this book, as he's usually overlooked in YA. But what I found here was a spineless teeny bopper that magically falls in love with our average heroine, playing into the ultimate YA stereotype. He's supposed to be centuries old, but all I could see was a ninth grader who's too cute for his own good. He's so cookie cutter, it hurt my heart a little. This is Zeus, a.k.a. god of lightning and king of the Pantheon who's a classic womanizer and castrated his dad for rule of Olympus. SUCH good material to work with here. But it was all wasted in The Dig.
And while I'm on the gods, can I just say that Hermes was not a girl! WHAT?! I understand that this gender reversal was used as a plot device so that everyone could be all matchy matchy, but if you're going to do that, just swap him out for a goddess or something. I mean, that's practically blasphemy (well...it would have been if this were ancient Greece, I suppose...). And while I appreciated that Hera was the vengeful shrew that she often is in myth, I felt like she was shrunken so much that she became petty. In fact, they were ALL petty. It was just weird.
And do I even have to mention the bit about Kim Kardashian? And Rihanna? Oh, and more iPhones? Yeah, I don't think so. You're getting the picture. All these really weird elements came together in an awkward plot with bad pacing and too much telling, and it was just all-around NOT entertaining. The beginning had promise; Hart should have just kept Zoe in modern times. This book needs some SERIOUS renovations before I would recommend a big time publisher picking it up; but then again, books get published every day that I don't think should have been...
I almost feel bad giving such a scathing review, but this one pushed my buttons. I had high hopes, and I love to support authors who don't get hype. But I'm sorry. This one wasn't for me.
First, let me give you my schpeal on historical fantasy and time travel novels - yes, this is fantasy. I know that your protagonist is a time traveler. I also know that you don't want to write in an archaic style. But why do you have your historical characters talking and acting like modern people with modern sensibilities?! This is the first rule in historical fiction - YOUR SETTING ISN'T MODERN SO WHY ARE YOU WRITING LIKE IT IS? I found this to be true in both The Dig and the other self-published novel I recently read, Destined, by Jessie Harrell (though at least Harrell's novel was well paced and had an interesting storyline).
It really irritated me that all the Greek gods and the nymphs and everything threw around words like "boyfriend" and "cantina." Uhh...I'm pretty sure that cantina is a Spanish word, and as this is supposed to be ancient Greece, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they didn't have that word.
So yeah, I was really tripped up by the historical inaccuracies. But I was also bothered by the almost product placing. Seriously, Apple should have paid Hart for publishing this book. It's practically a commercial for the iPhone! She's always talking about all the cool apps it has, and a freakin' iPhone is what transports her back in time! Wow, I didn't know they had an app for that! It was all very weird, that.
Then there's the issue of characterization. While I enjoyed reading about Zoe because she was a little snarky and funny, I really kind of hated all how all the other characters are portrayed. I was excited to see that Zeus was getting more facetime in this book, as he's usually overlooked in YA. But what I found here was a spineless teeny bopper that magically falls in love with our average heroine, playing into the ultimate YA stereotype. He's supposed to be centuries old, but all I could see was a ninth grader who's too cute for his own good. He's so cookie cutter, it hurt my heart a little. This is Zeus, a.k.a. god of lightning and king of the Pantheon who's a classic womanizer and castrated his dad for rule of Olympus. SUCH good material to work with here. But it was all wasted in The Dig.
And while I'm on the gods, can I just say that Hermes was not a girl! WHAT?! I understand that this gender reversal was used as a plot device so that everyone could be all matchy matchy, but if you're going to do that, just swap him out for a goddess or something. I mean, that's practically blasphemy (well...it would have been if this were ancient Greece, I suppose...). And while I appreciated that Hera was the vengeful shrew that she often is in myth, I felt like she was shrunken so much that she became petty. In fact, they were ALL petty. It was just weird.
And do I even have to mention the bit about Kim Kardashian? And Rihanna? Oh, and more iPhones? Yeah, I don't think so. You're getting the picture. All these really weird elements came together in an awkward plot with bad pacing and too much telling, and it was just all-around NOT entertaining. The beginning had promise; Hart should have just kept Zoe in modern times. This book needs some SERIOUS renovations before I would recommend a big time publisher picking it up; but then again, books get published every day that I don't think should have been...
I almost feel bad giving such a scathing review, but this one pushed my buttons. I had high hopes, and I love to support authors who don't get hype. But I'm sorry. This one wasn't for me.
March 15, 2012
Que me ha encantado! Si,fueron 100 paginas para conocer a Blondie pero oh como lo ame!
Amo totalmente libros sobre dioses, no soy experta en ellos,es mas solo se lo que representan(algunos) pero es que tienen unas batallas de lo mas interesantes!
Obviamente tenia otra imagen de los Dioses; Sherrilyn hizo de Artemisa una diosa perra, guaperrima pero super mala; aquí es mala & hippie..loco pero le queda Jajaja.
Ares lo acabo de leer, bueno por el que tomo el nombre pero que odioso ¬¬'
Apolo es un cerdo en Dark Hunters así que todo bien
-SPOILER por si te interesa empezar con DH pero no lo has hecho
Afrodita tiene sus etapas bipolares pero la amo porque es la madre de Julian de Macedonia♥
En fin; Zeus totalmente nada que ver con lo que he leído de el;pero Oh como lo ame! Blondie es una cosita tierna, divina, carismática pero con ese liderazgo propio de un Dios! Lo odie en algunas partes,pero ash típicos de los hombres tener dos caras ¬¬' pero esos últimos momentos luchando fueron lo mas ;)
Zoe me agrado, a mi también me habría shockeado viajar 1000 a.C. & descubrir que tengo poderes! & luego ver a Artemisa así en vivo&en directo? HORROOOOOOR! Pero aw la forma en la que lucho con Zeus, como enfrento los sentimientos..hermoso!
&lo repito; El amor esta donde menos lo esperas ♥
quiero los otros dos libros ya! porque se que Hera encontrara la manera de perseguirlos ¬¬
Amo totalmente libros sobre dioses, no soy experta en ellos,es mas solo se lo que representan(algunos) pero es que tienen unas batallas de lo mas interesantes!
Obviamente tenia otra imagen de los Dioses; Sherrilyn hizo de Artemisa una diosa perra, guaperrima pero super mala; aquí es mala & hippie..loco pero le queda Jajaja.
Ares lo acabo de leer, bueno por el que tomo el nombre pero que odioso ¬¬'
Apolo es un cerdo en Dark Hunters así que todo bien
-SPOILER por si te interesa empezar con DH pero no lo has hecho
Afrodita tiene sus etapas bipolares pero la amo porque es la madre de Julian de Macedonia♥
En fin; Zeus totalmente nada que ver con lo que he leído de el;pero Oh como lo ame! Blondie es una cosita tierna, divina, carismática pero con ese liderazgo propio de un Dios! Lo odie en algunas partes,pero ash típicos de los hombres tener dos caras ¬¬' pero esos últimos momentos luchando fueron lo mas ;)
Zoe me agrado, a mi también me habría shockeado viajar 1000 a.C. & descubrir que tengo poderes! & luego ver a Artemisa así en vivo&en directo? HORROOOOOOR! Pero aw la forma en la que lucho con Zeus, como enfrento los sentimientos..hermoso!
&lo repito; El amor esta donde menos lo esperas ♥
quiero los otros dos libros ya! porque se que Hera encontrara la manera de perseguirlos ¬¬
June 20, 2012
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
- Zeus is adorable. I never ever thought that I would ever say/type/think that but there it is. He's a hottie with a sensitive side that makes me want to ship him and Zoe until I can't possibly fangirl anymore!
- Zoe is so strong, internally. She's a great heroine and I admire her selflessness and wonderful modern way of thinking!
- The jokes were hilarious
- Every story I read about the Greek Gods, Hera is always the nasty *itch. Always. And this book is no different!
I can't wait to read book 2!!
- Zeus is adorable. I never ever thought that I would ever say/type/think that but there it is. He's a hottie with a sensitive side that makes me want to ship him and Zoe until I can't possibly fangirl anymore!
- Zoe is so strong, internally. She's a great heroine and I admire her selflessness and wonderful modern way of thinking!
- The jokes were hilarious
- Every story I read about the Greek Gods, Hera is always the nasty *itch. Always. And this book is no different!
I can't wait to read book 2!!
March 19, 2012
**A 3.5 Review**
My son once asked me why I love to read. He sat there, perched on the edge on my bed, (me sprawled out with my Kindle,) and just laid it on me. “Tell me mom…tell me the truth.” So I did. “I like to read because it takes me away from here. First of all…not the best response when you are talking to a 5 year old. I meant…”I get to visit cool and exciting places from the comfort of my own bed.” He heard…”Mommy doesn’t want to be here…with him.” Not a fun thing to back peddle from, I assure you. But yesterday, (almost 3 years later) something clicked with him, and he got it. See…B is now a reader. Much to the dismay of my husband, (who is not a reader, and would rather he be knee deep in Boy Scout dirt) B never goes anywhere without a book. He likes the adventure of it all, loves to learn new things and paint pictures in his head.
Why is this important? Well…besides the obvious, (watch what you say around your kids) “The Dig” is a very good example of escapism.
“Zoe Calder has always been an outsider. Stashed away in boarding schools since her parents died, Zoe buries herself in the study of ancient worlds. Her greatest thrill is spending her summers with her archeologist aunt and uncle on digs around the world. And one day, while investigating a newly unearthed temple in Crete, Zoe discovers a luminous artifact that transports her to ancient Greece.
As Zoe quickly learns, the Olympian Gods are real, living people—humans with mysterious powers… Powers that Zoe quickly realizes she has come to possess, as well. However, when the people of ancient Greece mistake Zoe for an Olympian, the Gods must restore the balance of the ancient world… No matter what.
Zoe is forced to play a confusing and dangerous game as Hera rallies the gods against her—all except for Zeus, the beautiful, winged young god who risks everything to save her”
Some books are designed to tug on your heart-strings. Some are designed to teach you a lesson, or convey a message. Some are designed to scare the living bejeezus out of you, and some are meant for one and one thing only…entertainment.
“The Dig” by Audrey Hart is not going to change the world, or end life long suffering, but what it will do… is take you away from reality’s harsh existence for a while. Is this a bad thing? Of course not. Reading shouldn’t be a chore, and while it’s self-fulfilling to dive into deep books like “The Book Thief” or “The Storyteller” from time to time, (because they ARE deep and meaningful) sometimes it’s necessary to reboot. (Oh dear Lord…I sound like my husband.) One of the best ways to do this is with a book that is fun. And… what is more fun than a bunch of pissy Greek Gods, and a girl all hopped up on Ambrosia?
Now, while this book is in no way perfect, (She travels through time by way of a 7ft iPhone? Really?) and does have a few holes, (I’d REALLY like to fall in love that fast!) that doesn’t (by any means) make it bad. Just…quirky. As a matter of fact…it was very reminiscent of Rick Riorden’s Percy Jackson series, in a let’s-throw-every-thing-but-the-kitchen-sink-at-this-girl-and-see-what-happens sort of way. It was funny in some places, serious in others, and without a doubt, 100% action packed!
I think that with a little more time, and maybe a tad more focus on the development of the characters inside the story, this could have been a great book. Instead, you have a fun little read that is sure to entertain you when you are feeling blue. Just remember to not take it too seriously…if you do, you’ll be disappointed.
My overall thought…this would be a GREAT book for younger female audiences…say around 12-13. It will teach them to respect themselves, as well as whisk them away into hot boy territory, (which let’s be honest…all 12-13 year old girls LOVE.)
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: if you can suddenly form the Grand Canyon with your MIND… chances are you’re not normal Norma from Normandy. (geez…that was lame, even for me. *sigh*)
My son once asked me why I love to read. He sat there, perched on the edge on my bed, (me sprawled out with my Kindle,) and just laid it on me. “Tell me mom…tell me the truth.” So I did. “I like to read because it takes me away from here. First of all…not the best response when you are talking to a 5 year old. I meant…”I get to visit cool and exciting places from the comfort of my own bed.” He heard…”Mommy doesn’t want to be here…with him.” Not a fun thing to back peddle from, I assure you. But yesterday, (almost 3 years later) something clicked with him, and he got it. See…B is now a reader. Much to the dismay of my husband, (who is not a reader, and would rather he be knee deep in Boy Scout dirt) B never goes anywhere without a book. He likes the adventure of it all, loves to learn new things and paint pictures in his head.
Why is this important? Well…besides the obvious, (watch what you say around your kids) “The Dig” is a very good example of escapism.
“Zoe Calder has always been an outsider. Stashed away in boarding schools since her parents died, Zoe buries herself in the study of ancient worlds. Her greatest thrill is spending her summers with her archeologist aunt and uncle on digs around the world. And one day, while investigating a newly unearthed temple in Crete, Zoe discovers a luminous artifact that transports her to ancient Greece.
As Zoe quickly learns, the Olympian Gods are real, living people—humans with mysterious powers… Powers that Zoe quickly realizes she has come to possess, as well. However, when the people of ancient Greece mistake Zoe for an Olympian, the Gods must restore the balance of the ancient world… No matter what.
Zoe is forced to play a confusing and dangerous game as Hera rallies the gods against her—all except for Zeus, the beautiful, winged young god who risks everything to save her”
Some books are designed to tug on your heart-strings. Some are designed to teach you a lesson, or convey a message. Some are designed to scare the living bejeezus out of you, and some are meant for one and one thing only…entertainment.
“The Dig” by Audrey Hart is not going to change the world, or end life long suffering, but what it will do… is take you away from reality’s harsh existence for a while. Is this a bad thing? Of course not. Reading shouldn’t be a chore, and while it’s self-fulfilling to dive into deep books like “The Book Thief” or “The Storyteller” from time to time, (because they ARE deep and meaningful) sometimes it’s necessary to reboot. (Oh dear Lord…I sound like my husband.) One of the best ways to do this is with a book that is fun. And… what is more fun than a bunch of pissy Greek Gods, and a girl all hopped up on Ambrosia?
Now, while this book is in no way perfect, (She travels through time by way of a 7ft iPhone? Really?) and does have a few holes, (I’d REALLY like to fall in love that fast!) that doesn’t (by any means) make it bad. Just…quirky. As a matter of fact…it was very reminiscent of Rick Riorden’s Percy Jackson series, in a let’s-throw-every-thing-but-the-kitchen-sink-at-this-girl-and-see-what-happens sort of way. It was funny in some places, serious in others, and without a doubt, 100% action packed!
I think that with a little more time, and maybe a tad more focus on the development of the characters inside the story, this could have been a great book. Instead, you have a fun little read that is sure to entertain you when you are feeling blue. Just remember to not take it too seriously…if you do, you’ll be disappointed.
My overall thought…this would be a GREAT book for younger female audiences…say around 12-13. It will teach them to respect themselves, as well as whisk them away into hot boy territory, (which let’s be honest…all 12-13 year old girls LOVE.)
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: if you can suddenly form the Grand Canyon with your MIND… chances are you’re not normal Norma from Normandy. (geez…that was lame, even for me. *sigh*)
April 30, 2020
Zoe Calder tiene diecisiete años y como todos los veranos, desde que sus padres fallecieron, se va con sus tíos de excavación a Creta. Desobedeciendo a los adultos y movida por la curiosidad (y la vergüenza), entra al templo recientemente descubierto, en dónde encuentra un extraño objeto que la lleva a la Antigua Grecia. Desorientada y con ganas de ponerse a llorar, las cosas empeoran cuando al salvar una ninfa ocurre un extraño accidente y los habitantes de Grecia la consideran una diosa ¿Puedo ser eso verdad? A Zoe no le parece alucinante y ni siquiera le importa, sólo quiere volver a casa. Pero claro, no será tan sencillo.
Zoe es una chica sarcástica, tímida y solitaria, que tiene una fascinación por los libros y la arqueología, una romántica empedernida. En un principio me agradaba, aunque era demasiado romántica para mi gusto, en muchos pensamientos me sentía identificada con ella. Y cuando enfrenta situaciones desesperantes tiene una actitud fuerte que es admirable. Pero de la nada, se pone increíblemente incoherente e irritante. En vez de crecer, como se supone que hacen los héroes en las aventuras, yo sentí que retrocedía. Me agradaba pero terminé detestándola.
Y mejor no hablemos de Zeus, es un personaje tan plano y ridículo. ¿Dos días y ya ama a la protagonista? Claro, porque ni siquiera hace falta que la conozcas para jurarle amor eterno. Por favor.
El libro empieza realmente bien, con buen ritmo, misterios y una actitud heroica de parte de la protagonista. Lamentablemente decae hacia la mitad, se pone pesado, patético y predecible, las ganas de seguir leyendo desaparecen. Los últimos capítulos los sentí de puro relleno, párrafos que decían una y otra vez lo mismo.
Es que el problema principal es el mundo creó la autora. Quiero decir, entiendo que cada autor quiere darle su toque, es su libro claro. Pero eso no significa que puede patear a un costado todos los mitos griegos, destrozarlos y convertir a los dioses en adolescentes bobos sin ninguna explicación razonable.
No. No. No. No. No. ¿Poseidón con Atenea? ¿Artemisa con Ares? ¿Hermes mujer? ¿Hera diosa de la oscuridad? Eh, no. Y podría seguir y seguir con cambios sin razón... Dios, que ganas de llorar.
Otro problema es la falta de desarrollo (había temas que pudieron sacarse mucho más jugo) y de descripciones, la obsesión de la autora por las marcas y por emparejar a todos los dioses con alguien, y los patéticos monólogos de la protagonista.
Ha sido una lectura decepcionante, porque como decía, venía muy bien, lo estaba disfrutando y entonces todo se derrumbó, vino el dolor de cabeza y las ganas de llorar. ¿Continuación? No, gracias, no la quiero. He tenido suficiente.
Zoe es una chica sarcástica, tímida y solitaria, que tiene una fascinación por los libros y la arqueología, una romántica empedernida. En un principio me agradaba, aunque era demasiado romántica para mi gusto, en muchos pensamientos me sentía identificada con ella. Y cuando enfrenta situaciones desesperantes tiene una actitud fuerte que es admirable. Pero de la nada, se pone increíblemente incoherente e irritante. En vez de crecer, como se supone que hacen los héroes en las aventuras, yo sentí que retrocedía. Me agradaba pero terminé detestándola.
Y mejor no hablemos de Zeus, es un personaje tan plano y ridículo. ¿Dos días y ya ama a la protagonista? Claro, porque ni siquiera hace falta que la conozcas para jurarle amor eterno. Por favor.
El libro empieza realmente bien, con buen ritmo, misterios y una actitud heroica de parte de la protagonista. Lamentablemente decae hacia la mitad, se pone pesado, patético y predecible, las ganas de seguir leyendo desaparecen. Los últimos capítulos los sentí de puro relleno, párrafos que decían una y otra vez lo mismo.
Es que el problema principal es el mundo creó la autora. Quiero decir, entiendo que cada autor quiere darle su toque, es su libro claro. Pero eso no significa que puede patear a un costado todos los mitos griegos, destrozarlos y convertir a los dioses en adolescentes bobos sin ninguna explicación razonable.
No. No. No. No. No. ¿Poseidón con Atenea? ¿Artemisa con Ares? ¿Hermes mujer? ¿Hera diosa de la oscuridad? Eh, no. Y podría seguir y seguir con cambios sin razón... Dios, que ganas de llorar.
Otro problema es la falta de desarrollo (había temas que pudieron sacarse mucho más jugo) y de descripciones, la obsesión de la autora por las marcas y por emparejar a todos los dioses con alguien, y los patéticos monólogos de la protagonista.
Ha sido una lectura decepcionante, porque como decía, venía muy bien, lo estaba disfrutando y entonces todo se derrumbó, vino el dolor de cabeza y las ganas de llorar. ¿Continuación? No, gracias, no la quiero. He tenido suficiente.
November 10, 2011
I have always had a love of Greek mythology. I don't consider myself an expert on it or anything, but the stories of the gods and all the crazy creatures has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I've seen a whole lot of interpretations of the stories, and the The Dig is definitely one of my favorites. All of our favorite gods are there--Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hermes--but they're human teenagers. I really love this idea, because I always felt like the gods seemed like big, powerful teenagers anyways, with their scrabbling over stupid things and falling in love with their own reflections. Audrey Hart has incorporated all of the things we love about Greek mythology within the coming-of-age story of Zoe Calder, and it's a fun ride.
Zoe was definitely a highlight of the book. I know there are a lot of "introverted" young adult protagonists, but Zoe felt like the most genuine and realistic interpretation of this, and I felt like she and I would get along. She's smart and intuitive. Sure, she freaks out about somehow ending up in ancient Greece, but she doesn't whine about it for the whole book: she does something about it. Her insecurities felt real and much like how I felt in high school. She doesn't have the same interests as her classmates, and can't quite relate, but somehow knows there's really nothing wrong with that. At the same time, Zoe's journey is a trip to find herself. Though she knew she was strong, she never had to really show it, and she learns just what kind of person she is.
I also thought the relationship between Zoe and Zeus was well-developed, which is a rarity recently. In true teenager fashion, Zoe rushes into labels for what they are and thinks she's way more in love than she really is, but their real relationship (not the one in Zoe's head) moves at a good pace. There's no insta-love, just attraction, and their relationship develops over time spent together having a good time, not brooding stares. Zeus is also a very worthy love interest. I'm definitely looking forward to more of him.
The Dig is a very fast-paced and fun read. At just above 200 pages, you can read it in one sitting and be very satisfied with how you've spent your last few hours. It is packed full with action, mythology, and romance that all blend together for a great adventure, and I can't wait for the rest of the trilogy!
A big thanks to Audrey Hart for contacting me and providing me with an advance copy of The Dig!! :)
You can read more reviews and other fun stuff on my blog: Paper Cuts.
Zoe was definitely a highlight of the book. I know there are a lot of "introverted" young adult protagonists, but Zoe felt like the most genuine and realistic interpretation of this, and I felt like she and I would get along. She's smart and intuitive. Sure, she freaks out about somehow ending up in ancient Greece, but she doesn't whine about it for the whole book: she does something about it. Her insecurities felt real and much like how I felt in high school. She doesn't have the same interests as her classmates, and can't quite relate, but somehow knows there's really nothing wrong with that. At the same time, Zoe's journey is a trip to find herself. Though she knew she was strong, she never had to really show it, and she learns just what kind of person she is.
I also thought the relationship between Zoe and Zeus was well-developed, which is a rarity recently. In true teenager fashion, Zoe rushes into labels for what they are and thinks she's way more in love than she really is, but their real relationship (not the one in Zoe's head) moves at a good pace. There's no insta-love, just attraction, and their relationship develops over time spent together having a good time, not brooding stares. Zeus is also a very worthy love interest. I'm definitely looking forward to more of him.
The Dig is a very fast-paced and fun read. At just above 200 pages, you can read it in one sitting and be very satisfied with how you've spent your last few hours. It is packed full with action, mythology, and romance that all blend together for a great adventure, and I can't wait for the rest of the trilogy!
A big thanks to Audrey Hart for contacting me and providing me with an advance copy of The Dig!! :)
You can read more reviews and other fun stuff on my blog: Paper Cuts.
December 20, 2011
My review:
Cover:
I adore the cover. It's cute and represents the story. The little wings on the feet is CUTE!! I love how the way the title and the picture is set on the cover!
4 Forget-me-not flowers for the cover!
Story:
Indiana Jones meets Percy Jackson with a sweet romance! When Zoe first arrived in Ancient Greece, the book progressed quite slowly, with Zoe meeting some new characters and trying to adapt with her new situation. I almost didn't enjoy it since I really wanted Zeus to appear and read the romance! (I know, I know, I'm so silly for wanting the romance barely in the beginning already!) There's a character who Zoe called Blondie and I didn't expect he was going to be the main character. I am surprised. After Zoe meets with Zeus, I am completely into this book. I loved meeting the Greek gods and godesses as young adults (about seventeen years old). Even though the gods are remake by making them younger, unlike the Greek myths illustration we've seen with Zeus and his beard, it is still true to the mythology like how Zeus likes to disguise as a regular mortal and he had a jealous wife or 'girlfriend', Hera who became an antagonist in this novel. I also enjoyed reading about the use of modern technology back in ancient times such as how Zoe uses her iPhone for compass to help her escape the labyrinth. It's an interesting blend of modern and ancient times. Zoe uses phrases like FB, Twitter in the book and even singing Umbrella by Rihanna song with Zeus! The book is filled with adventures and I really enjoyed it after Zoe meets Zeus!
Characters:
I love every single characters in this book, particularly Zoe and Zeus of course! I love their relationship, they are so cute together and their powers. Their story of when they first met was simply funny and interesting! Zeus being young compared to how we originally know the Greek myths make me like him a lot. He seemed innocent, kind and loving. Zoe is also a very funny character who also has powers like the gods. Reading about their relationship makes me really enjoy the book!
Overall:
Indiana Jones meets Percy Jackson with a sweet romance! I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the sequel and the ending was great. If you love Greek Mythology, you'll love this book as much as I do!
5 Forget-me-not flowers for The Dig!
Cover:
I adore the cover. It's cute and represents the story. The little wings on the feet is CUTE!! I love how the way the title and the picture is set on the cover!
4 Forget-me-not flowers for the cover!
Story:
Indiana Jones meets Percy Jackson with a sweet romance! When Zoe first arrived in Ancient Greece, the book progressed quite slowly, with Zoe meeting some new characters and trying to adapt with her new situation. I almost didn't enjoy it since I really wanted Zeus to appear and read the romance! (I know, I know, I'm so silly for wanting the romance barely in the beginning already!) There's a character who Zoe called Blondie and I didn't expect he was going to be the main character. I am surprised. After Zoe meets with Zeus, I am completely into this book. I loved meeting the Greek gods and godesses as young adults (about seventeen years old). Even though the gods are remake by making them younger, unlike the Greek myths illustration we've seen with Zeus and his beard, it is still true to the mythology like how Zeus likes to disguise as a regular mortal and he had a jealous wife or 'girlfriend', Hera who became an antagonist in this novel. I also enjoyed reading about the use of modern technology back in ancient times such as how Zoe uses her iPhone for compass to help her escape the labyrinth. It's an interesting blend of modern and ancient times. Zoe uses phrases like FB, Twitter in the book and even singing Umbrella by Rihanna song with Zeus! The book is filled with adventures and I really enjoyed it after Zoe meets Zeus!
Characters:
I love every single characters in this book, particularly Zoe and Zeus of course! I love their relationship, they are so cute together and their powers. Their story of when they first met was simply funny and interesting! Zeus being young compared to how we originally know the Greek myths make me like him a lot. He seemed innocent, kind and loving. Zoe is also a very funny character who also has powers like the gods. Reading about their relationship makes me really enjoy the book!
Overall:
Indiana Jones meets Percy Jackson with a sweet romance! I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the sequel and the ending was great. If you love Greek Mythology, you'll love this book as much as I do!
5 Forget-me-not flowers for The Dig!
July 2, 2014
Dig is perhaps the most annoying and ridiculous book I'd ever read. And I read over thousands of books, so this is saying something. (Of course, there are tons of annoying books, but none of them are as ridiculous as this one. Oh, by the way, I'm following the genres of Greek Mythology or stories/books based on Greek Mythology. I'm going back to Percy Jackson. There is a bunch of fangirls and Percy Jackson fans).
Dig ignores everything of Greek Mythology. The author horribly bashed Greek Myth in the head and changed everything. The gods became annoying insecured teenagers. Hello? They are thousands of years old and most of them, especially Athena, are much wiser than that. Honestly, if the Olympians were real, they would had bashed Audrey Hart's head. Athena, especially. That girl is toasted by the time Athena, the goddess of wisdom and owls, is through with her. Then Hera is going to send cow poop.
Zoe Calder reminds me of Gaia. Her powers over the earth is relatively similar to it. However, I have no idea why she is hanging out with Olympians. She should be a hippie. Okay, maybe not a hippie, but she definitely doesn't deserve this great and awesome power. She is an idiot. Remember how Zeus always cheat on his wife (or girlfriend in this book)? Well, guess what will happen if you get involved with him. Or any of the gods. None of them are truly faithful to their marriage, with the exception of the virgin goddesses and Hera.
World building is terrible. Like I said before, nothing is really based on Greek Mythology. It is only the names that were taken. Oh, I forgot! Apparently, Athena is the girlfriend of Ares while Poseidon is dating someone who is not his wife. Even Artemis is dating. Artemis! Can you believe it? Hello? Athena and Artemis are two virgin goddesses. It means they don't date and they could barely tolerate the male species. So, in short, Audrey Hart (the author of this damn book) really bashed the head of Greek Mythology.
The writing is terrible, too. I couldn't stand it. Don't know why I even bothered.
Was there anything good?
Hmm... There was this part... Actually, I'm just joking. I hate The Dig. And it somehow ripped off archaeological reasoning, too!
Ridiculous! (And I remember why I bothered to finish this book. It was because I felt like I abandoned too many books).
Rating: One out of Five
Dig ignores everything of Greek Mythology. The author horribly bashed Greek Myth in the head and changed everything. The gods became annoying insecured teenagers. Hello? They are thousands of years old and most of them, especially Athena, are much wiser than that. Honestly, if the Olympians were real, they would had bashed Audrey Hart's head. Athena, especially. That girl is toasted by the time Athena, the goddess of wisdom and owls, is through with her. Then Hera is going to send cow poop.
Zoe Calder reminds me of Gaia. Her powers over the earth is relatively similar to it. However, I have no idea why she is hanging out with Olympians. She should be a hippie. Okay, maybe not a hippie, but she definitely doesn't deserve this great and awesome power. She is an idiot. Remember how Zeus always cheat on his wife (or girlfriend in this book)? Well, guess what will happen if you get involved with him. Or any of the gods. None of them are truly faithful to their marriage, with the exception of the virgin goddesses and Hera.
World building is terrible. Like I said before, nothing is really based on Greek Mythology. It is only the names that were taken. Oh, I forgot! Apparently, Athena is the girlfriend of Ares while Poseidon is dating someone who is not his wife. Even Artemis is dating. Artemis! Can you believe it? Hello? Athena and Artemis are two virgin goddesses. It means they don't date and they could barely tolerate the male species. So, in short, Audrey Hart (the author of this damn book) really bashed the head of Greek Mythology.
The writing is terrible, too. I couldn't stand it. Don't know why I even bothered.
Was there anything good?
Hmm... There was this part... Actually, I'm just joking. I hate The Dig. And it somehow ripped off archaeological reasoning, too!
Ridiculous! (And I remember why I bothered to finish this book. It was because I felt like I abandoned too many books).
Rating: One out of Five
November 29, 2011
Finally--a female Percy Jackson! I have been waiting and waiting and wondering when an enterprising author would hit upon the idea and I have finally found it. Zoe is all the best of Percy--funny, spunky and prone to a lot of trouble which made for one great read.
After wandering into a forbidden temple while on a trip with her archaeologist uncle and aunt, Zoe is transported to ancient Greece. Really ancient Greece-1000 BC or so. To find her way back, she must travel to the oracle (isn't there always an oracle) and follow said directions. Of course, along the way, she must endure trials on Mt. Olympus, rescue various creatures from destruction and get in a catfight with a teenaged Hera.
Did I mention she also meets and falls in love with a cute teenage boy who saves her on more than once occasion. Maybe because he's Zeus and, like, the god of everything. His friends and girlfriend Hera are not happy with the arrangement and throw even more deadly obstacles in the path of the star-crossed lovers.
There is so much to like about this book. Right away, from the very first paragraph, I felt like I knew Zoe and she was talking straight to me. That kind of connection isn't often found in books and I relished it, reading way past the time I usually give to myself and burning a few dinners in the process. It has a great message in it for young girls and isn't just mindless drivel like many of the girly books out there. This is one heroine a young girl could really sink her teeth into and learn a valuable message about to boot; namely, that, the trials and obstacles in life often teach us about what we are made up of and teach us what we want in life and what is really important. The perfect combination of romance and adventure.
The book is a first in a trilogy so be prepared to keep reading--the first one ends in a cliffhanger that wasn't satisfying at all. Now, I just have to wait for the next installment!
After wandering into a forbidden temple while on a trip with her archaeologist uncle and aunt, Zoe is transported to ancient Greece. Really ancient Greece-1000 BC or so. To find her way back, she must travel to the oracle (isn't there always an oracle) and follow said directions. Of course, along the way, she must endure trials on Mt. Olympus, rescue various creatures from destruction and get in a catfight with a teenaged Hera.
Did I mention she also meets and falls in love with a cute teenage boy who saves her on more than once occasion. Maybe because he's Zeus and, like, the god of everything. His friends and girlfriend Hera are not happy with the arrangement and throw even more deadly obstacles in the path of the star-crossed lovers.
There is so much to like about this book. Right away, from the very first paragraph, I felt like I knew Zoe and she was talking straight to me. That kind of connection isn't often found in books and I relished it, reading way past the time I usually give to myself and burning a few dinners in the process. It has a great message in it for young girls and isn't just mindless drivel like many of the girly books out there. This is one heroine a young girl could really sink her teeth into and learn a valuable message about to boot; namely, that, the trials and obstacles in life often teach us about what we are made up of and teach us what we want in life and what is really important. The perfect combination of romance and adventure.
The book is a first in a trilogy so be prepared to keep reading--the first one ends in a cliffhanger that wasn't satisfying at all. Now, I just have to wait for the next installment!
July 20, 2017
4.7 stars. I liked the spin on the gods and goddesses; it was interesting. Zoe and Zeus were cute together. I'd really like to read the next one.
July 24, 2012
2.5 Stars
So let me start off by saying I am a huge Mythology buff. It's to the point where i wonder myself why i haven't sat down to write my own spin on the infamous Greek Gods...I remember picking up one book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians...finishing it and the second one...but by the time i reached the third book i couldn't take it anymore...It lost me. Why? No idea...it was probably the only book/movie that tried to stick to the century old stories...yet it failed somehow during the end for me. With that being said..."The Dig"...i'm so thoroughly confused. I honestly have no opinion. I didn't dislike it...nor did i like it persay. Here are my reasons...
1. As stated before i am an avid historical/mythological nerd. I feel as though some stories are so old and well known they just should not be touched. I loved the idea of "The Dig", but i wasn't too hyped about the idea of all the Gods being viewed as stuck up snobby teenagers. We just deleted an entire history with this book. In almost every story that i've ever read...Zeus is who he is...Zeus...the unfaithful hardly ever loyal unrepentant God of Thunder. Yet in this...he is not seen as such...that didnt bother me as much. I thought the love between Zoe and Zeus were cute...honestly i liked the side of Zeus when it came to Zoe...but i'm getting track. We've just deleted stories and stories and stories of mythology in 200 pages. They've obviously lived 500 years in this book...so why is Hera Zeus's girlfriend...and why on earth is it that Zoe knew Hera as the Goddess of Marriage but it escapes her mind that Zeus has a "girlfriend"? Why is it that Zeus and Hera have no kids...? When we know darn well that everyone on Mount Olympus is related in some kind of way. I don't fault Audrey Hart for the changes that she's made. For some of you this may not be such a big deal...but for me it killed my fire for this book. Another aspect....The Giant Iphone...was not even half way explained...we still know nothing of it...there were things that just weren't explained as well. I feel as though NOTHING happened in this entire book. Zoe was transported back in time...she did 3 quick tests...water, fire, air (4 if you include the hydra)and then the rest of the book was mostly metaphors and reminiscing about things that in no way helped us understand how or why Zoe was transported to ancient greece with the power of the gods. If we took out half of the random memories she brought on during something as simple as a peanut butter sandwhich...the book would be 10 pages long. The first page captivated me for some reason. I immediately bought it after reading the first page! I never do that. But the rest of the book is exactly like those first couple of pages full of comparisons and too short a story. She literally tells us how she feels about every single thing and how it all relates back to present day Earth...which was all fine...but if you're going to fill the book with metaphors...please add an extra 200 pages so that i can walk away feeling like i learned more about her situation. :-( I'm in the exact same spot i was before i started the book. So assuming i assuming i remember to read book 2....please give us a little background. Right now i don't know if Zoe was what she was simply because she found the small circular disk oject...or if her history somehow already indicates that she would have been a god anyways. I also didn't enjoy watching how utterly scared and defenseless Zeus seemed. He's the King of Gods! I mean of course in every aspect of Greek Mythology...his family goes against him...but they are damn well smart enough to do it behind his back than to his face....knowing Zeus could literally smite them with a blink of an eye. So many Gods were missing...it was as if Mount Olympus only had 12 Gods...when we all know there were many more missing. Which is fine because hey this was only book 1! But she never even so much as mentioned the other Gods. It's like she literally had no questions. She was the a lone leaf...she just went wherever the wind took her.
Sooooo to sum it all up. This was not an awful book though i know my previous writing will have you raising your eyebrows asking me if i've bumped my head...but it wasn't. I am just an extremely biased (i guess) harsh critic because it is dealing with mythology. Its a hit or miss for me. It was a quick read...i read it all...i haven't refunded my money...that's an extremely good sign for me.
Just if you are an A V I D mythology fan...go into this book with wary eyes...if not and you're just here for the fantasy element...you'll probably enjoy it.
So let me start off by saying I am a huge Mythology buff. It's to the point where i wonder myself why i haven't sat down to write my own spin on the infamous Greek Gods...I remember picking up one book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians...finishing it and the second one...but by the time i reached the third book i couldn't take it anymore...It lost me. Why? No idea...it was probably the only book/movie that tried to stick to the century old stories...yet it failed somehow during the end for me. With that being said..."The Dig"...i'm so thoroughly confused. I honestly have no opinion. I didn't dislike it...nor did i like it persay. Here are my reasons...
1. As stated before i am an avid historical/mythological nerd. I feel as though some stories are so old and well known they just should not be touched. I loved the idea of "The Dig", but i wasn't too hyped about the idea of all the Gods being viewed as stuck up snobby teenagers. We just deleted an entire history with this book. In almost every story that i've ever read...Zeus is who he is...Zeus...the unfaithful hardly ever loyal unrepentant God of Thunder. Yet in this...he is not seen as such...that didnt bother me as much. I thought the love between Zoe and Zeus were cute...honestly i liked the side of Zeus when it came to Zoe...but i'm getting track. We've just deleted stories and stories and stories of mythology in 200 pages. They've obviously lived 500 years in this book...so why is Hera Zeus's girlfriend...and why on earth is it that Zoe knew Hera as the Goddess of Marriage but it escapes her mind that Zeus has a "girlfriend"? Why is it that Zeus and Hera have no kids...? When we know darn well that everyone on Mount Olympus is related in some kind of way. I don't fault Audrey Hart for the changes that she's made. For some of you this may not be such a big deal...but for me it killed my fire for this book. Another aspect....The Giant Iphone...was not even half way explained...we still know nothing of it...there were things that just weren't explained as well. I feel as though NOTHING happened in this entire book. Zoe was transported back in time...she did 3 quick tests...water, fire, air (4 if you include the hydra)and then the rest of the book was mostly metaphors and reminiscing about things that in no way helped us understand how or why Zoe was transported to ancient greece with the power of the gods. If we took out half of the random memories she brought on during something as simple as a peanut butter sandwhich...the book would be 10 pages long. The first page captivated me for some reason. I immediately bought it after reading the first page! I never do that. But the rest of the book is exactly like those first couple of pages full of comparisons and too short a story. She literally tells us how she feels about every single thing and how it all relates back to present day Earth...which was all fine...but if you're going to fill the book with metaphors...please add an extra 200 pages so that i can walk away feeling like i learned more about her situation. :-( I'm in the exact same spot i was before i started the book. So assuming i assuming i remember to read book 2....please give us a little background. Right now i don't know if Zoe was what she was simply because she found the small circular disk oject...or if her history somehow already indicates that she would have been a god anyways. I also didn't enjoy watching how utterly scared and defenseless Zeus seemed. He's the King of Gods! I mean of course in every aspect of Greek Mythology...his family goes against him...but they are damn well smart enough to do it behind his back than to his face....knowing Zeus could literally smite them with a blink of an eye. So many Gods were missing...it was as if Mount Olympus only had 12 Gods...when we all know there were many more missing. Which is fine because hey this was only book 1! But she never even so much as mentioned the other Gods. It's like she literally had no questions. She was the a lone leaf...she just went wherever the wind took her.
Sooooo to sum it all up. This was not an awful book though i know my previous writing will have you raising your eyebrows asking me if i've bumped my head...but it wasn't. I am just an extremely biased (i guess) harsh critic because it is dealing with mythology. Its a hit or miss for me. It was a quick read...i read it all...i haven't refunded my money...that's an extremely good sign for me.
Just if you are an A V I D mythology fan...go into this book with wary eyes...if not and you're just here for the fantasy element...you'll probably enjoy it.
November 15, 2011
Also posted on http://whatyareading.com/?p=202
You’ve seen Disney’s Hercules.
You’ve read Percy Jackson and The Olympians.
You’ve marveled at the special effects of Clash of the Titan‘s remake.
Greek mythology is not new. You must have heard the gods mentioned at some point; Athena’s intelligence, Hera’s jealous wrath, Zeus’s power.
Zeus. What with his scraggly beard, eternal state of irritability and fatal lightning bolts, he is definitely the world’s oldest bad boy.
But take away the age, the sourness, and the bad attitude and you’ve got–that’s right, ladies,– a hot, immortal, teenage boy. Who can fly. Yep, that’s the whole package.
But wait–teenage gods? That’s right. Mix Greek mythology, high school cliques and a sarcastic heroine and you’ve got The Dig: an action-packed adventure with a hint of romance and a much-needed fresh take on the classics myths you thought you knew.
Zoe Calder is that introverted teenager who frequents your high school. She skips school dances in favor of reading books, lives the bare minimum of a social life, and spends her summers digging up history. But on an archeological dig in Crete, her life changes when she breaks the rules and goes beyond the safe area cordoned off with red tape. Curiosity killed the cat… but it transported Zoe back in time to ancient Greece. Within minutes of arriving, Zoe sees a Nymph being attacked. This leads her to discover two things: 1, she’s actually in ancient Greece, not some festival or movie set, and 2, she has magical super powers. Zoe sets off to visit the Oracle in order to inquire about her newly revealed powers, and is sent by the Oracle to Mount Olympus (which is not the heaven you thought it was.) She meets the gods and gets entwined in a drama that could will probably end her life. And all in an effort to get back to the future… but when the time comes, will she really want to?
The thing I most liked about Zoe is the fact that she’s not just playing the part of the introverted teenager–she is the introverted teenager. How many plot lines involve a ‘shy’ girl getting swept off of her feet by a hot guy? Too many. The Dig is not one of them. Zoe actually prefers spending time by herself, and her passion for archaeology rings true. And although she does fall in love, she kicks some behind and saves herself. She may be introverted, but she is a strong heroine.
I equally enjoyed her sense of humour. I was giggling throughout the whole novel…
Victory only lasts a few seconds, however, since, despite all the books I’ve read and movies I’ve seen, I seem to have forgotten the most essential truth about multiheaded Hydras. Cut off one head and another grows back with a friend in tow. It’s like trying to pluck eyebrow hairs.
See what I mean?
Zeus was a… conflicted character. On the one hand, he was really sweet and nice and patient. But that completely changed whenever he was with his friends. Zoe noticed this, however, and quickly made it clear that she was bent on avoiding superficiality. Whenever they had problems, they talked it out. Such a cute couple! Be that as it may, I don’t see how Zeus was ready to give up so much for Zoe. I understand that he was fed up with his god friends, but what he sacrifices during the finale of this book is crazy.
And completely unpredictable. And riveting. And sweet. But crazy.
Let me just talk about the world building for a while. My absolute favourite part of ancient Greece is the vale of the Nymphs. It reminds of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and I love it! I must also applaud Audrey for the world building of Olympus’s society. Hera’s monarchy and the way the 6 couples interacted– you will not expect who dates whom! — was entertaining in a high-school-clique sort of way, with just enough jealousy and power that you know that what you’re dealing with is not bickering teenagers, but rather gods and goddesses that could kill at any given moment. Mount Olympus was quite the escape!
One more thing that I need mention is the reference to our media; the comments on Rhianna’s Umbrella and Kim Kardashian’s TV show were really quite amusing. Or maybe it’s the way that the gods reacted to them. Either way, this had me chuckling.
Finally, The Dig deserves 4.1/5 stars. A light read, a fresh take on Greek myth, and a hilarious, action-packed plot. Love it.
You’ve seen Disney’s Hercules.
You’ve read Percy Jackson and The Olympians.
You’ve marveled at the special effects of Clash of the Titan‘s remake.
Greek mythology is not new. You must have heard the gods mentioned at some point; Athena’s intelligence, Hera’s jealous wrath, Zeus’s power.
Zeus. What with his scraggly beard, eternal state of irritability and fatal lightning bolts, he is definitely the world’s oldest bad boy.
But take away the age, the sourness, and the bad attitude and you’ve got–that’s right, ladies,– a hot, immortal, teenage boy. Who can fly. Yep, that’s the whole package.
But wait–teenage gods? That’s right. Mix Greek mythology, high school cliques and a sarcastic heroine and you’ve got The Dig: an action-packed adventure with a hint of romance and a much-needed fresh take on the classics myths you thought you knew.
Zoe Calder is that introverted teenager who frequents your high school. She skips school dances in favor of reading books, lives the bare minimum of a social life, and spends her summers digging up history. But on an archeological dig in Crete, her life changes when she breaks the rules and goes beyond the safe area cordoned off with red tape. Curiosity killed the cat… but it transported Zoe back in time to ancient Greece. Within minutes of arriving, Zoe sees a Nymph being attacked. This leads her to discover two things: 1, she’s actually in ancient Greece, not some festival or movie set, and 2, she has magical super powers. Zoe sets off to visit the Oracle in order to inquire about her newly revealed powers, and is sent by the Oracle to Mount Olympus (which is not the heaven you thought it was.) She meets the gods and gets entwined in a drama that could will probably end her life. And all in an effort to get back to the future… but when the time comes, will she really want to?
The thing I most liked about Zoe is the fact that she’s not just playing the part of the introverted teenager–she is the introverted teenager. How many plot lines involve a ‘shy’ girl getting swept off of her feet by a hot guy? Too many. The Dig is not one of them. Zoe actually prefers spending time by herself, and her passion for archaeology rings true. And although she does fall in love, she kicks some behind and saves herself. She may be introverted, but she is a strong heroine.
I equally enjoyed her sense of humour. I was giggling throughout the whole novel…
Victory only lasts a few seconds, however, since, despite all the books I’ve read and movies I’ve seen, I seem to have forgotten the most essential truth about multiheaded Hydras. Cut off one head and another grows back with a friend in tow. It’s like trying to pluck eyebrow hairs.
See what I mean?
Zeus was a… conflicted character. On the one hand, he was really sweet and nice and patient. But that completely changed whenever he was with his friends. Zoe noticed this, however, and quickly made it clear that she was bent on avoiding superficiality. Whenever they had problems, they talked it out. Such a cute couple! Be that as it may, I don’t see how Zeus was ready to give up so much for Zoe. I understand that he was fed up with his god friends, but what he sacrifices during the finale of this book is crazy.
And completely unpredictable. And riveting. And sweet. But crazy.
Let me just talk about the world building for a while. My absolute favourite part of ancient Greece is the vale of the Nymphs. It reminds of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and I love it! I must also applaud Audrey for the world building of Olympus’s society. Hera’s monarchy and the way the 6 couples interacted– you will not expect who dates whom! — was entertaining in a high-school-clique sort of way, with just enough jealousy and power that you know that what you’re dealing with is not bickering teenagers, but rather gods and goddesses that could kill at any given moment. Mount Olympus was quite the escape!
One more thing that I need mention is the reference to our media; the comments on Rhianna’s Umbrella and Kim Kardashian’s TV show were really quite amusing. Or maybe it’s the way that the gods reacted to them. Either way, this had me chuckling.
Finally, The Dig deserves 4.1/5 stars. A light read, a fresh take on Greek myth, and a hilarious, action-packed plot. Love it.
June 12, 2014
Ok, where do I begin? Let's start with our main character, Zoe. Zoe's that typical loner girl who has that friend that gets all the boys and that Zoe seems to have NOTHING in common with. Sure friends have differences, they like things the other person doesn't like, but generally there has to be at least ONE thing they have in common, one thing that they first bonded over. CeeCee and Zoe don't have that, or at least we don't get shown that, so that makes me feel like that friendship was utter bullshit. I felt like Hart went "Shit she needs a friend. I know, I'll go with the classic girl-that-could-be-popular-but-never-will-be-because-she's-not-ruthless-enough-and-is-nice-enough-to-even-consider-talking-to-this-weird-freak-girl." Really broke the mould on that one. I haven't seen that before.
Zoe also seems to have this problem of saying the stupidest things possible. Yes, I know, we come out and make idiots of ourselves for saying the wrong thing, but not EVERY fucking time we open our mouths. It made the character sound like a complete tool. She also falls for it when the mean girl suddenly turns nice, how stupid can you get? Not to mention she seems pretty dense about the most obvious things, like the fact that Zeus is with Hera. Zoe said herself she knows the myths, so how does she not know that Zeus is with fucking HERA???She also seems to inconveniently forget pieces of these myths when her life depends upon it and then miraculously remember -_- Yes, Zoe I'm sure it's very easy to forget that the key rule when fighting a hydra is to NOT CUT OFF ITS FUCKING HEAD.
Another thing that SERIOUSLY annoyed me, and pretty much wrecked the book for me, was the gods. Where the fuck was everyone? And why did the gods that were in the story get revamped into some shitty teen archetypes? Fair enough, the author is entitled to poetic license blah blah blah, but SERIOUSLY? Honey, you do not call them the Greek gods, use the names of the Greek gods and then create completely different gods! Sure you can say that some details in the myths were wrong and come up with your own creative way to explain certain things away, but you do not fuck with who they are at the core. I mean come on, Hera? I'm supposed to forget all about what I've previously known about the the gods and buy into THIS. No, just no.
I didn't like the way Zoe suddenly didn't want to go home anymore because she was going gaga for Zeus, either. Seriously? Your going to give up your aunt and uncle who care about you for some hot guy with a good tan and some nice highlights? Yes, what girl wouldn't give up her friends and family (not to mention TV, Internet and good indoor plumbing) for some guy they've know for a few days? Admittedly, it does seem that Zoe has a shitty social life at school and has like only one friend (if you can call CeeCee a friend), but still AUNT SOFIA AND UNCLE ALEX. Sure they may spend years searching for her before eventually giving up, admitting to themselves that she must be dead and then spending the rest of their lives blaming themselves for what they believed happened to her and grieving for her, but, hey, Zoe has a hot boyfriend, who cares?
I'm not even going to go into the plot because then I really will rant ;) All in all, I was extremely disappointed and I thought it was shit. There's a giant, magic iPhone for fuck sake, that says it all!
Zoe also seems to have this problem of saying the stupidest things possible. Yes, I know, we come out and make idiots of ourselves for saying the wrong thing, but not EVERY fucking time we open our mouths. It made the character sound like a complete tool. She also falls for it when the mean girl suddenly turns nice, how stupid can you get? Not to mention she seems pretty dense about the most obvious things, like the fact that Zeus is with Hera. Zoe said herself she knows the myths, so how does she not know that Zeus is with fucking HERA???She also seems to inconveniently forget pieces of these myths when her life depends upon it and then miraculously remember -_- Yes, Zoe I'm sure it's very easy to forget that the key rule when fighting a hydra is to NOT CUT OFF ITS FUCKING HEAD.
Another thing that SERIOUSLY annoyed me, and pretty much wrecked the book for me, was the gods. Where the fuck was everyone? And why did the gods that were in the story get revamped into some shitty teen archetypes? Fair enough, the author is entitled to poetic license blah blah blah, but SERIOUSLY? Honey, you do not call them the Greek gods, use the names of the Greek gods and then create completely different gods! Sure you can say that some details in the myths were wrong and come up with your own creative way to explain certain things away, but you do not fuck with who they are at the core. I mean come on, Hera? I'm supposed to forget all about what I've previously known about the the gods and buy into THIS. No, just no.
I didn't like the way Zoe suddenly didn't want to go home anymore because she was going gaga for Zeus, either. Seriously? Your going to give up your aunt and uncle who care about you for some hot guy with a good tan and some nice highlights? Yes, what girl wouldn't give up her friends and family (not to mention TV, Internet and good indoor plumbing) for some guy they've know for a few days? Admittedly, it does seem that Zoe has a shitty social life at school and has like only one friend (if you can call CeeCee a friend), but still AUNT SOFIA AND UNCLE ALEX. Sure they may spend years searching for her before eventually giving up, admitting to themselves that she must be dead and then spending the rest of their lives blaming themselves for what they believed happened to her and grieving for her, but, hey, Zoe has a hot boyfriend, who cares?
I'm not even going to go into the plot because then I really will rant ;) All in all, I was extremely disappointed and I thought it was shit. There's a giant, magic iPhone for fuck sake, that says it all!
May 9, 2015
WARNING: THIS IS NOT A REVIEW. THIS IS A MAJOR RANT ABOUT THE MAIN CHARACTER
This is why I tend to shy away from Greek myth retellings. (With the sole exception of Rick Riordan's books, of course.) Some books just twist the myths into bizarre and unrecognizable tales that you can't connect them to the original stories anymore. And then you'll just feel like you're reading an entirely different story from the one it's supposed to be based from. That's exactly what happened with The Dig.
I really wanted to like this book. I love Greek mythology, so I always try to give retellings a chance. Hence, The Dig. But I was disappointed! Half the time I was reading this I wanted to strangle myself because I couldn't believe I was still reading the book! Ugh! Frustration overload!
Zoe is so irritating and most of the time stupid. There were a lot of bad decisions and poor judgment on her part throughout the book that I'm not even going to mention them. Also, I'd expect someone who's well-versed in archeology to know, or at least be familiar with, the history and culture of the places she's been. And Greek mythology is quite popular, right? So I don't understand WHY ZOE DOESN'T KNOW THE OLYMPIAN GODS, THEIR POWERS AND CONNECTIONS WITH EACH OTHER! I honestly think her brain fried when she went through the portal. And it didn't help that she's head over heels in love with Zeus practically since she first saw him. *sigh* The horror of insta-love.
It was a bad experience being in Zoe's head, too. She's shallow and judgmental.
"Obviously, Zeus sees right through this cookie-cutter girl (Hera) and would never in a million years go out with her."
Did I already mention that Zoe's stupid? Duh. Zeus has been married to Hera for, like, ever.
"Hera runs her hand over Zeus's forearm and he pulls away. Maybe they're not together. Maybe they're just brother and sister!"
Keep on dreaming, Zoe. That's really pathetic. They ARE brother and sister, yes. But they're also husband and wife. See, Zoe doesn't know her myths so yeah, negative points for her.
The writing doesn't help either. If half the time I wanted to kill myself, the other half I was actually dying. Of boredom. I couldn't picture the scenes in my head because some of them were outright unbelievable and impossible even for a fantasy book. Some were just silly. I didn't like what the author did with the gods. It's okay that they're portrayed as teens but portraying them all, except Zeus, as mean? No way. Even Athena and Artemis came off as jealous and power-greedy goddesses. And what is Persephone doing there? She's not even an Olympian. Hades, too. Those two live in the Underworld so why are they in Mt. Olympus? And really, Hermes is a girl? Please! And what's with the pairing? Just because you have six pairs of gods and goddesses, it doesn't mean you have to actually pair them with each other! Seriously, this book nearly killed me.
And what's with the ending? Is that supposed to be a cliffhanger? Believe me, cliffhangers only work when the book is really good. Will I recommend this book? No. Will I read the sequel, if ever there was one? Never.
This is why I tend to shy away from Greek myth retellings. (With the sole exception of Rick Riordan's books, of course.) Some books just twist the myths into bizarre and unrecognizable tales that you can't connect them to the original stories anymore. And then you'll just feel like you're reading an entirely different story from the one it's supposed to be based from. That's exactly what happened with The Dig.
I really wanted to like this book. I love Greek mythology, so I always try to give retellings a chance. Hence, The Dig. But I was disappointed! Half the time I was reading this I wanted to strangle myself because I couldn't believe I was still reading the book! Ugh! Frustration overload!
Zoe is so irritating and most of the time stupid. There were a lot of bad decisions and poor judgment on her part throughout the book that I'm not even going to mention them. Also, I'd expect someone who's well-versed in archeology to know, or at least be familiar with, the history and culture of the places she's been. And Greek mythology is quite popular, right? So I don't understand WHY ZOE DOESN'T KNOW THE OLYMPIAN GODS, THEIR POWERS AND CONNECTIONS WITH EACH OTHER! I honestly think her brain fried when she went through the portal. And it didn't help that she's head over heels in love with Zeus practically since she first saw him. *sigh* The horror of insta-love.
It was a bad experience being in Zoe's head, too. She's shallow and judgmental.
"Obviously, Zeus sees right through this cookie-cutter girl (Hera) and would never in a million years go out with her."
Did I already mention that Zoe's stupid? Duh. Zeus has been married to Hera for, like, ever.
"Hera runs her hand over Zeus's forearm and he pulls away. Maybe they're not together. Maybe they're just brother and sister!"
Keep on dreaming, Zoe. That's really pathetic. They ARE brother and sister, yes. But they're also husband and wife. See, Zoe doesn't know her myths so yeah, negative points for her.
The writing doesn't help either. If half the time I wanted to kill myself, the other half I was actually dying. Of boredom. I couldn't picture the scenes in my head because some of them were outright unbelievable and impossible even for a fantasy book. Some were just silly. I didn't like what the author did with the gods. It's okay that they're portrayed as teens but portraying them all, except Zeus, as mean? No way. Even Athena and Artemis came off as jealous and power-greedy goddesses. And what is Persephone doing there? She's not even an Olympian. Hades, too. Those two live in the Underworld so why are they in Mt. Olympus? And really, Hermes is a girl? Please! And what's with the pairing? Just because you have six pairs of gods and goddesses, it doesn't mean you have to actually pair them with each other! Seriously, this book nearly killed me.
And what's with the ending? Is that supposed to be a cliffhanger? Believe me, cliffhangers only work when the book is really good. Will I recommend this book? No. Will I read the sequel, if ever there was one? Never.
April 16, 2013
I identify with the loner girl persona so in theory Zoe is exactly the kind of character I would get along with just fine, and in the beginning I did. What the dig has going for it is a female protagonist that can hold her on and I will always get behind that. Zoe's internal streams of conscious were the highlight of the book for me. The thing is I had to keep reminding myself that this was a YA novel, that's not so good. I read a lot of YA fantasy and I think that a good book is a good book regardless of it's target audience While reading The Dig I couldn't get away from the feeling that I was being pandered to. as if an interesting premise a good looking male lead and a whole lot of no he's my by friend tug of war drama is all it takes to make the pages turn. To be fair I'm in the minority here, The Dig is being very well reviewed all over the place. so maybe I just over think things.
It's just that to establish a relationship with the main character you have to get to know her in order to walk in their shoes and cheer them on. I didn't get that with Zoe, the reader gets little tastes of who she is and where she's coming from but there was no sense of connection for me. this I think may have been helped by more back story. which may be forthcoming in the next books, but without that initial connection I have to say I was't really invested in the outcome.
I feel like the issues presented in Zoe's story were over simplified self esteem, personal identity, the need to belong while staying true to one's self are I think supposed to be the driving force of this story. Zoe's journey of self discovery, but it didn't really ring true because there was no process of getting there just action and result. Also there are distinct similarities between Zoe and Hera that glossed over or ignored or glossed over again maybe saved for the next installment. but it made Zoe have serious likability problems and consistency issues. Hera was power crazy yes, but she believed know less strongly then Zoe that she and Zues were meant to be and was prepared to fight just as hard to keep things the way they had been with mirror's Zoe's initial need to get back to the stability of her old life. I think Hera and Zoe are dark and light reelections of each other and using that would have added a lot more to a story that is sort of shallow.
as Far as Zoe and Zues go, I'm actually ok with the instatraction because being 17 makes things seem that intense. but where it fell apart for me was that if Z&Z really are soul mates were's the chemistry, no not sex, chemistry. For the premise to work it needed to jump off the page at you. I got tepid at best.
the only places where the story came alive for me were the vivid descriptiveness of the veil of nymphs Creusa was my favorite chactactor in the book. In the end I wanted, really wanted to like The Dig much more then I actually did.
It's just that to establish a relationship with the main character you have to get to know her in order to walk in their shoes and cheer them on. I didn't get that with Zoe, the reader gets little tastes of who she is and where she's coming from but there was no sense of connection for me. this I think may have been helped by more back story. which may be forthcoming in the next books, but without that initial connection I have to say I was't really invested in the outcome.
I feel like the issues presented in Zoe's story were over simplified self esteem, personal identity, the need to belong while staying true to one's self are I think supposed to be the driving force of this story. Zoe's journey of self discovery, but it didn't really ring true because there was no process of getting there just action and result. Also there are distinct similarities between Zoe and Hera that glossed over or ignored or glossed over again maybe saved for the next installment. but it made Zoe have serious likability problems and consistency issues. Hera was power crazy yes, but she believed know less strongly then Zoe that she and Zues were meant to be and was prepared to fight just as hard to keep things the way they had been with mirror's Zoe's initial need to get back to the stability of her old life. I think Hera and Zoe are dark and light reelections of each other and using that would have added a lot more to a story that is sort of shallow.
as Far as Zoe and Zues go, I'm actually ok with the instatraction because being 17 makes things seem that intense. but where it fell apart for me was that if Z&Z really are soul mates were's the chemistry, no not sex, chemistry. For the premise to work it needed to jump off the page at you. I got tepid at best.
the only places where the story came alive for me were the vivid descriptiveness of the veil of nymphs Creusa was my favorite chactactor in the book. In the end I wanted, really wanted to like The Dig much more then I actually did.
November 18, 2011
My own speedy summary…
Zoe...young...just a tad different from an average high school student...does not really fit in…not at school, not with her “friends”, pretty much not anywhere. She is studious and quiet and prefers to sort of watch life as opposed to being a real participant. Zoe doesn’t get a lot of things…why she has a cowlick in her curly hair, why relationships are so hard, why everyone else has more cosmetics than she does. She spends most of the year away at school and spends summers on digs with her archeologist aunt and uncle. This has been Zoe’s life since the death of her parents years ago.
My thoughts during and after reading The Dig…
Ok…Zoe goes off exploring and touches or pushes at something that she perceives to be a huge iPhone. When she wakes up she is in the past to the time when gods and goddesses ruled while chilling out on top of Mount Olympus. Zoe finds herself with some powers…unfortunately nothing glam…she is powerful with dirt…lol…and under the scrutiny of these gods and goddesses who are her age and remind Zoe of the people she goes to school with. These gods are described with a keen sense of humor. There is a really cute guy and mean girl and a bully and followers…sort of a typical high school in crowd…only with names like Zeus, Artemis, Poseidon and Hera…among others. There are two who remind Zoe of a couple on MTV’s Jersey Shore, one who could be in a Lifetime movie and no one is very nice to her other than Zeus.
When Zoe tries to explain to Hera that gods don’t exist in the real world and that if anyone is worshipped it is someone like Kim Kardashian…she sort of sets off a rage in the gods that cannot be stopped…and Hera is especially furious and enraged because Zeus seems to prefer Zoe and not her. These narcissistic high schoolers in god and goddess bodies want Zoe gone…in the worst way.
I totally loved this book. The combined wit and humor and cleverness in the dialog was so much fun. Favorite line? Hera describing Zoe as “dangerous and unpredictable” and Zoe responding by stating that in her world those are the names of celebrity perfumes. I loved the mix of teaching and humor. I think readers will learn and laugh while reading this book.
I did.
Target audience for this book? That would be anyone…middle grades , high school grades and anyone who loves YA with a little bit of a hit…funny snarky good humor.
I adored that part of this book.
Audrey Hart has her own style. I loved reading about these characters. She made a book about mythology interesting and lively. There was adventure and danger and excitement.
There was an ending that is making me crave more…but it is a trilogy so hopefully that will happen in a timely manner.
November 18, 2011
Powerful and passionate. The Dig brings such life , such mystical creativity and vibrance with a unique ancient twist. I just loved how different this one is and sank right into the storyline. Audrey really knows how to capture her readers.
Every year Zoe always goes across seas to visit with her aunt and uncle, Sophia and Alex. Not only does she go to visit, she goes to dig. She loves to find artifacts hidden away from years ago. All the other kids find this weird. All the kids at school seem to know Zoe as the outcast, so they just ignore her. She's ok with it. Always has been. It's almost time to go to Greece again and usually Zoe is just crazy excited and yeah, she is. But this time something feels just a little off. Like maybe she shouldn't go. Of course, that would be nuts because she always goes. This is what she spends all year looking forward to. Spending the final days at school socializing when she spent the whole year hidden away, she is now ready to head on out!
Once the plane finally lands and she meets with her relatives, goes through the lowdown about the new dig site and the other college kids that are helping out, she is ready to get started. She has been warned not to wander in the red zones, not to do this or that. She knows those rules don't actually apply to her though. So when she goes her own way and finds a hidden room and a strange object and um, touches it when she um, knows better, she just so happens to find herself... in a whole new world of problems, and dilemmas.
All she wants to do is get home, yet she is told that she is home, and not only that but they think she is a goddess. Let's hope both worlds don't collide. Let's hope Zoe finds that inner goddess everyone seems to be talking about. So much confusion, and so much beauty lie in this world she is stuck in, but she has to get out. Matters only gets worse when she realizes that the Gods want her dead. This world isn't fit for Zoe and she is falling in love with a guy she doesn't even know. Now, her life is being threatened. How can she escape?
Every year Zoe always goes across seas to visit with her aunt and uncle, Sophia and Alex. Not only does she go to visit, she goes to dig. She loves to find artifacts hidden away from years ago. All the other kids find this weird. All the kids at school seem to know Zoe as the outcast, so they just ignore her. She's ok with it. Always has been. It's almost time to go to Greece again and usually Zoe is just crazy excited and yeah, she is. But this time something feels just a little off. Like maybe she shouldn't go. Of course, that would be nuts because she always goes. This is what she spends all year looking forward to. Spending the final days at school socializing when she spent the whole year hidden away, she is now ready to head on out!
Once the plane finally lands and she meets with her relatives, goes through the lowdown about the new dig site and the other college kids that are helping out, she is ready to get started. She has been warned not to wander in the red zones, not to do this or that. She knows those rules don't actually apply to her though. So when she goes her own way and finds a hidden room and a strange object and um, touches it when she um, knows better, she just so happens to find herself... in a whole new world of problems, and dilemmas.
All she wants to do is get home, yet she is told that she is home, and not only that but they think she is a goddess. Let's hope both worlds don't collide. Let's hope Zoe finds that inner goddess everyone seems to be talking about. So much confusion, and so much beauty lie in this world she is stuck in, but she has to get out. Matters only gets worse when she realizes that the Gods want her dead. This world isn't fit for Zoe and she is falling in love with a guy she doesn't even know. Now, her life is being threatened. How can she escape?
April 26, 2012
3.5
The good: the heroine actually has to work at getting her powers working, is tested and it's not the kind of tests like in the awful The goddess Test. She's likable, she's smart. The plot moves fast. The action scenes are good. The premise is great. I love time travel, mythology and seeing how someone from our times would fare in the past. And Zeus- it's hard to write a romance with Zeus, so I was curious.
The not so good: some language struck me as too modern. While the ancient folks in the book didn't know stuff about iPhones and Facebook, they shouldn't have been using modern methaphors and american teenager speech patterns. I suppose I could try to explain this as Zoe's mind translating things to sound more modern...
The gods - ok, they are powerful, spiteful and selfish - I can buy them acting a bit like teenagers, but they lacked some more nuance, depth. the cliques and the typical high school, popular couples behavior as seen in american films was a bit much. Not subtle at all. I get that we're ment to find out that history has changed some things about them, but I'd have thought there'd be some more similarities - basis for why Zeus is known for his cheating ways, etc.
No Demeter and Hermes as a woman... ok. Why not a gay couple?
This Zeus as the leader of gods - I'm not sure I buy. Perhaps if they were much younger... I guess it's the problem of having readers who already have some idea what to expect of the mythological figures. I kind of liked the character of Zeus in this book, as long as I stopped reminding myself he was supposed to be the mythological Zeus. And so the Romance while being ok overall, just didn't work for me for Zeus. I guess I hoped for more conflict stemming from what we know of him from mythology.
For teens. For someone without much knowledge of greek myths, or less conservative about them ;) this would be a good book, though. Light, romantic, entertaining. This would make a great teen movie, actually.
The good: the heroine actually has to work at getting her powers working, is tested and it's not the kind of tests like in the awful The goddess Test. She's likable, she's smart. The plot moves fast. The action scenes are good. The premise is great. I love time travel, mythology and seeing how someone from our times would fare in the past. And Zeus- it's hard to write a romance with Zeus, so I was curious.
The not so good: some language struck me as too modern. While the ancient folks in the book didn't know stuff about iPhones and Facebook, they shouldn't have been using modern methaphors and american teenager speech patterns. I suppose I could try to explain this as Zoe's mind translating things to sound more modern...
The gods - ok, they are powerful, spiteful and selfish - I can buy them acting a bit like teenagers, but they lacked some more nuance, depth. the cliques and the typical high school, popular couples behavior as seen in american films was a bit much. Not subtle at all. I get that we're ment to find out that history has changed some things about them, but I'd have thought there'd be some more similarities - basis for why Zeus is known for his cheating ways, etc.
No Demeter and Hermes as a woman... ok. Why not a gay couple?
This Zeus as the leader of gods - I'm not sure I buy. Perhaps if they were much younger... I guess it's the problem of having readers who already have some idea what to expect of the mythological figures. I kind of liked the character of Zeus in this book, as long as I stopped reminding myself he was supposed to be the mythological Zeus. And so the Romance while being ok overall, just didn't work for me for Zeus. I guess I hoped for more conflict stemming from what we know of him from mythology.
For teens. For someone without much knowledge of greek myths, or less conservative about them ;) this would be a good book, though. Light, romantic, entertaining. This would make a great teen movie, actually.
May 31, 2013
Oh God - Not Hera - !! What a great book.I don't have a huge expectations but I like the book.It's a wonderful story. In the Greek myth,My favorite God is The Hades but now maybe I can change my mind...
I like,Looking like seventeen year old but five hundred year old Zeus - Blondie -.
I've always image The Zeus Like a Black hair but here He's Blonde.But ı like this either.
Everybody talks about falling in love like it‘s
the greatest thing in the world. All the songs,
all the movies, all the books—they tell you
over and over that when it happens to you,
it‘ll be the best day of your life.
You‘ll never stop smiling.
You‘ll be so happy.
Who knows? Maybe they‘re right. I‘m sure I
would be a lot happier about falling in love if,
when it finally happened to me, I wasn‘t actually
falling.
Fast.
Cold air rushes over me as I hurtle through
the sky. The mysterious black fog surrounding
me is so dense that I can‘t see anything.
For a second, I think I can feel water crystals
on my skin as I plummet through clouds, but
it might just be my imagination.
If only it were my imagination. If only
everything that‘s happened to me, all the
strange and wonderful and scary encounters,
were nothing but a dream…
But if it were all a dream, then he would be a
dream too. And I wouldn‘t trade my time
with him for anything. Even though it‘s left
me tangled up in this mysterious darkness,
crashing toward the earth.
I can feel the air getting warmer. Any second
now it‘ll be over. I try one last time to save
myself, summoning a power I‘ve only recently
possessed.
But I‘m falling too fast, and I‘m disoriented
by the inky fog.
It‘s no use. This is it.
And then I‘m flying.
I like,Looking like seventeen year old but five hundred year old Zeus - Blondie -.
I've always image The Zeus Like a Black hair but here He's Blonde.But ı like this either.
Everybody talks about falling in love like it‘s
the greatest thing in the world. All the songs,
all the movies, all the books—they tell you
over and over that when it happens to you,
it‘ll be the best day of your life.
You‘ll never stop smiling.
You‘ll be so happy.
Who knows? Maybe they‘re right. I‘m sure I
would be a lot happier about falling in love if,
when it finally happened to me, I wasn‘t actually
falling.
Fast.
Cold air rushes over me as I hurtle through
the sky. The mysterious black fog surrounding
me is so dense that I can‘t see anything.
For a second, I think I can feel water crystals
on my skin as I plummet through clouds, but
it might just be my imagination.
If only it were my imagination. If only
everything that‘s happened to me, all the
strange and wonderful and scary encounters,
were nothing but a dream…
But if it were all a dream, then he would be a
dream too. And I wouldn‘t trade my time
with him for anything. Even though it‘s left
me tangled up in this mysterious darkness,
crashing toward the earth.
I can feel the air getting warmer. Any second
now it‘ll be over. I try one last time to save
myself, summoning a power I‘ve only recently
possessed.
But I‘m falling too fast, and I‘m disoriented
by the inky fog.
It‘s no use. This is it.
And then I‘m flying.
August 16, 2014
Buscando libros de dioses me topé con este. Quería leer algo distinto a lo que suele encontrarse por allí. La sinopsis me pareció llamativa pero me equivoqué... y mucho. Para empezar, ¿Que obsesión tiene la autora con los IPhone? Y muchas otras marcas comerciales que fueron nombradas a lo largo de la historia. En ciertas ocasiones me sentí identificada con el personaje de Zoe: una chica introvertida que es vista como el bicho raro. Pero luego la odié. Es demasiado dependiente. Y eso me exaspera. La forma en como son relatados los dioses tal vez es innovadora pero no me pareció correcta. La mitología ya está escrita, cambiarla tan abruptamente es algo pertubador en muchos sentidos. Esta parece ser una saga pero no me quedaron ganas de continuarla. Hay muchos libros interesantes por leer y no quiero perder tiempo con este. Es todo lo que puedo decir.
desafio-no-recomendaciones
March 6, 2015No-recomendado por Violante.
Me propongo leer de principio a fin libros considerados "malos". Mi intención es encontrar al menos UNA cualidad buena en ellos y reseñarlos objetivamente siguiendo 20 puntos a desarrollar brevemente. (Los puntos varían según el género del que se trate.)
Si tienen ganas de No-recomendarme otros libros
pueden comentar acá o ACÁ. ¡Cualquier género es bienvenido! Cuanto más variado, mejor :)
Me propongo leer de principio a fin libros considerados "malos". Mi intención es encontrar al menos UNA cualidad buena en ellos y reseñarlos objetivamente siguiendo 20 puntos a desarrollar brevemente. (Los puntos varían según el género del que se trate.)
Si tienen ganas de No-recomendarme otros libros
pueden comentar acá o ACÁ. ¡Cualquier género es bienvenido! Cuanto más variado, mejor :)
November 12, 2011
It's a great book! I love it.
Zoe is a cross between Percy Jackson and Lara Croft. She's not the usual teen-ager who uses Facebook and tweets her daily routine. Instead of going to summer camps and having summer flings, she spends her vacation in the ruins of Greece digging artifacts with her aunt and uncle.
What I love about the plot?
* An interesting love triangle
* A twist in the gods & goddesses - Hart has an amazing perspective about Greek Mythology
* Iphone & Petros has something in common?
* Hart made Zeus lovable and different. I never thought I could fall in love with him.
Can't wait for the next book!!!
Zoe is a cross between Percy Jackson and Lara Croft. She's not the usual teen-ager who uses Facebook and tweets her daily routine. Instead of going to summer camps and having summer flings, she spends her vacation in the ruins of Greece digging artifacts with her aunt and uncle.
What I love about the plot?
* An interesting love triangle
* A twist in the gods & goddesses - Hart has an amazing perspective about Greek Mythology
* Iphone & Petros has something in common?
* Hart made Zeus lovable and different. I never thought I could fall in love with him.
Can't wait for the next book!!!
May 22, 2018
Wow, het is alweer een tijdje geleden dat een boek zoveel negatieve gevoelens bij mij wist op te roepen. Dit kwam voornamelijk door onze o zo geweldige hoofdpersoon zombie en de manier van schrijven. Met beide kon ik het totaal niet vinden. Voeg daar nog insta-love en een totaal onteerde Olympische geschiedenis aan toe en je hebt iets wat ik graag naar het andere eind van de kamer wil gooien.. The Dig was dus overduidelijk niet voor mij bestemd!
Ga voor een uitgebreidere recensie naar mijn website!
Ga voor een uitgebreidere recensie naar mijn website!
March 15, 2013
This wasn't a bad read. It's just not a very good read, either. The main character's bipolar fluctuations between immaturity and maturity are hard to understand. She is an inconsistent character, so it is difficult to see if any growth takes place. The fact that she falls for a 517-year- old Zeus is reminiscent of Twilight (old dude who looks like a teen instantly infatuated by modern-day teen). What's more disturbing is that Zeus acts like a teen. An odd mix of gods who respond like modern-day teens despite being over 500 years old is just disconcerting.
March 12, 2016
Honestly, this is the type of book that has everything I don't like in a book. Usually I connect with the character even if they are quirky. But there was no way for me to connect to the main character in this book or any for that matter. I hated the other gods in the book and just the flow of the book in general was off. Plus, to me there were to many flash backs to memories for the main character and it just became relentless. I also didn't feel any love or connection within the characters. I was just disappointed.
Read
November 26, 2011For those who love Greek mythology, come travel back in time to 1000 AD and enjoy a romance by an awkward teen who discovers her powers and a love with a boy who has his own "skills" and friends to contend with when they feel threatened by the newcomer, Zoe. Lots of familiar characters from ancient Greek mythology presented in a whole new way, reminiscent of the kids found in high schools today. The nymph is a fun character that adds an interesting spark to this story. A fast, easy read.
August 12, 2012
I sadly cant review this, i tried to read it, i really did but i had to give up about 25% in.
i usually devour any book on Greek mythology but this one was just too weird for me.
i didn't manage to connect with the characters, the story was confusing and as a general rules if i was not requested to review a book and I still don't care 1/4 in I have to stop.
I expected a lot and felt let down :(
i usually devour any book on Greek mythology but this one was just too weird for me.
i didn't manage to connect with the characters, the story was confusing and as a general rules if i was not requested to review a book and I still don't care 1/4 in I have to stop.
I expected a lot and felt let down :(
December 26, 2015
I just wouldn't read it, not even for fun... not again.
The book just plays with greek mythology as it wants, keeping only the names and making of it all a whole high school drama without even a good plot. It takes you to a big "adventure" and problems just to nothing, everything is for nothing. It doesn't show you a good end where everything makes sense or connects, or even explains, it just ends. Honestly, a very bad love story.
The book just plays with greek mythology as it wants, keeping only the names and making of it all a whole high school drama without even a good plot. It takes you to a big "adventure" and problems just to nothing, everything is for nothing. It doesn't show you a good end where everything makes sense or connects, or even explains, it just ends. Honestly, a very bad love story.
April 12, 2012
I wanted it like it, heck I wanted to finish the book but I couldn't. The main character Zoe gets on my nerves, I think her character is random. One minute she is okay with being a loner to why is the world so cruel.The backflashes are annoying, and so is Zoe's best friends voice. Zoe voice sounds younger, like a 13 or 14 year old instead of a 17 year old. Just not my type of book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews