Review of Sirenz Back In Fashion by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

Publisher: Flux Books
Series: Sirenz #2
Release Date: June 8, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

 It's Hell on heels--again.

When Shar tries on a ring from Hades, it activates an obscure contractual clause that puts Shar and former-frenemy-now-friend Meg in Hades' service once more. Shar is whisked away to the Underworld to prepare a ball for Persephone, while Meg is sent to retrieve the errant soul of spoiled rich girl Paulina Swanson and send her to the abyss. Just when it appears the girls will be doomed to serve Hades for eternity, Shar meets two possibly helpful demi-gods who also happen to be gorgeous. Can the girls finally ditch the Lord of the Dead once and for all?


Teaser:

I was prime bait. And a good hostess. And a husband stealer, failed beauty queen, unmissed roomie and pathetic mortal. Mother would be proud. So far I'd felt like a mannequin on display for everyone who knew what Hades wanted. Worse was wondering if they thought I was giving it. Still, a binding, lethal, unfair contract is a binding, lethal, unfair contract. I played my part to storybook perfection.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I had the pleasure last summer of reading and reviewing the first back, Sirenz, and of interviewing both ladies. Today, I'm reviewing the second book, "Sirenz Back in Fashion". SBIF is even funnier than the first, and though they're about the same length, this one, for me, was a much faster read.

Shar and Meg have become friends after events of the last book and are still roomies at their private high school (which sometimes felt more like a college). Once again, they're out shopping when Hades comes back into their lives. Hades tricks them, no surprise there, but I didn't expect the full extent of it. I figured out Caz's real identity pretty quickly but, I'm embarrassed at how long it took me to figure out who Paulina was.

I didn't completely buy into Hades' reasoning behind the job he tricked Shar and Meg into doing but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story. It was fast, enjoyable, funny, and gives us new, and interesting, takes on Tartarus, Cerebus (also spelled Cerberus, and I'm glad I don't have to scoop up HIS poop!), the dead in Greek mythology, and even Zeus. Bennardo and Zaman don't make major changes to traditional Greek mythology, just tweak it a bit to update it, and it works well. They keep the basics, including personalities, while making them modern and relatable. Tartarus particularly seems like it could be a fun place, not what you would expect to find in the underworld, and is an intriguing version of the afterworld.

The ending of the story is a bit pat, but the authors set up an intriguing storyline for the next book involving Kronos aka Chronos, one of the Titans, who is even sneakier than Hades. Meg proves herself even braver than I thought, and Shar is quite clever. As they deal with their separate pieces of their job assignment, they have to re-learn how to trust each other and work separately yet together. Their fights and disagreements felt real, like your average American teen, though at times Shar felt more mature than I expected. She copes quite well, for a teenager, with the come-ons and seduction from a married man, Hades.

All together, "Sirenz Back In Fashion" is fun, funny, clever, and enjoyable. Flux Books sadly declined to pick up book three but the authors are planning to release it themselves as an e-book. I'm looking forward to it.

I received an eARC from the publisher for review.