OMGS (Oh My Gods) by Alexandra Sheppard

I really enjoyed this story. Teenage me would've devoured this book in one day. Adult me took a little more time with this between the holiday season and reading other stories. But it had that carefree nostalgic feel to it that reminded me of stories I read as a preteen and teen. I really hope this gets released in America soon because it's a light hearted fantasy story that black girls can see themselves in and relate too.

Oh My Gods centers around Helen Thomas, a 14 year old girl who is half  British Jamaican and half Greek God who moves in with her father Zeus(Yes, King of the Gods) a couple of years after her mother's death when her grandmother is now too old to take care of her. As if starting a new school wasn't enough! Helen has to deal with her older sister Aphrodite using her as a guinea pig for her random beauty experiments, her nephew Eros hipster ways, and her bother Apollo chasing musical stardom. Not to mention her father's strict set of rules. He won't let her invite friends to the house which is declared a no mortal zone and is quick to take her phone away over the most minuscule things.

I'm not highly knowledgeable about Greek Mythology but I though this did a decent job combining some of the gods most people are familiar with alongside typical teen girl drama. Helen is a mixed race girl living in North London. Her brown skin and curly hair stand out compared to most people around her including her family who choose to appear white. She already feels like an outsider because of their extraordinary powers("My family has these incredible gifts and talents. Gifts that made the world a better, more interesting place") but not resembling them continues to remind her of how much of an outsider she is. She also recalls being in spaces when she was a little kid where she felt out of place as the black girl among white kids. I like that Helen is allowed to voice her feelings about feeling different.

The letters to her mother function similar to diary entries where Helen recaps what's going on in her life with the only person she can truly tell all her secrets to. I thought they were very sweet and a nice way to keep her mother's memory alive and also allow Helen to let out feelings she tried to bottle up.

The romance aspect of the story is handled very well. Helen like many girls who get their first boyfriend is all about her boyfriend. He's gorgeous, says all the right things ("A girl who's happiest in the library is one I think I'd get along with"), and allows her to be herself around him. She even blows off her girlfriends for him which causes them to give her the cold shoulder. But maybe her mystery man is a little too perfect?

I would love to see this expanded on in a series whether it's more books or a TV series. I feel like there's so much that can be done with Helen and her family.