Select one of the keywords
Sirenz    by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman Amazon.com order for
Sirenz
by Charlotte Bennardo
Order:  USA  Can
Flux, 2011 (2011)
Paperback, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto

Fashion and myths collide in Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman's debut collaboration, Sirenz. Shar and Meg are about as mismatched a pair as you can get. Shar is the quintessential prepster and Meg leans more to the goth/hipster/emo end of things. However, the two are roommates as part of a prestigious program at their high school. So they have been managing to live together ... but just barely.

Over Christmas, Shar decides to invite Meg out for some retail bonding. When an argument over a pair of shoes turns deadly for an incredibly hot guy, the two desperate girls make a deal with Hades to reverse the situation. Hades brings the guy back to life in exchange for Shar and Meg collecting on one of his earlier deals. All the two have to do is deliver the fashion icon, Mr. Romanov, to one of the portals to Tartarus; if they fail, they will be going there themselves – as Hades' two newest sirens. The task sounds easy enough, but can this odd couple work together or will they turn into birds before winter break is over?

Bennardo and Zaman's mixing of Greek myth and high fashion is truly original. Alternating chapters between the two girls is also clever and adds to the fun. However, this also creates some unevenness to the novel. Meg is definitely the more solid character, and her chapters have more polish to them than Shar's.

Sirenz was a fun and enjoyable story, but it is definitely a fluff read, perfect to take in over a break. Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman have released the second Sirenz book this year, Sirenz Back in Fashion, and I am curious to see what predicament Shar and Meg have gotten themselves into this time.

Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.

Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews