Sirenz Back in Fashion

Sirenz Back in Fashion by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman is the sequel to Sirenz.  This series follows Shar and Meg who once again have found themselves in unwilling service to Hades again.  Shar is swept away to the underworld.  While there her existence is completely missing from Meg's world, replaced by rich girl Paulina whom Meg has to trick into wearing the golden fleece which will send her to Hades.

This was a nice sequel to Sirenz and felt like it's own book that could stand on its own.  I missed the interaction between the girls as they were separated for most of the book.  I found myself giggling at the humor in the books and the wacky situations that the girls got themselves into.  The twist at the end was perfect.  I finished the book quickly and enjoyed it as much as the first in the series.

Appropriateness:  This is one of those rare books that is written for older teens and is not only completely free of adult content but also has very light romance making it appropriate for younger readers who want to read something a little more sophisticated.  I would recommend this book to readers 13+

Alien on a Rampage

 Alien on a Rampage is the sequel to Aliens on Vacation.  This book begins with David returning to his grandmother's bed and breakfast for a second summer.  He's excited for another vacation full of responsibility and adventure.  Things aren't all he thought they would be.  Amy has taken over a lot of responsibility and Grandma's creepy alien repairman Scratchell seems to be hiding something big.  Can David save the hotel and the world?

This sequel was just as good as the first book in the series.  The mystery was more serious than in the first book but still filled with humor.  A great addition to this book was David's alien pet with an insatiable appetite.  I laughed and smiled and couldn't put the book down until I finished it. It reads like a funny Disney channel movie.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book and is has a great message.  I recommend this book to boys and girls 10-14 with it being completely appropriate for younger readers who aren't overwhelmed with the size of the book.

ARC provided by publisher

Chomp

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen follows Wahoo a boy whose father is an animal wrangler.  When a reality show contacts Wahoo's father Micky about providing animals to set up a survivalist's show he is reluctant but agrees because he needs to pay the bills.  Will Wahoo and Micky be able to handle the arrogant Derek Badger?

I loved this book.  It was engaging and funny without being afraid to tackle some heavy subjects.  I loved the setting with all of the animals and Derek Badger the fake survivalist and his reality show made for some really funny reading.  It reminded me of one of those great family movies that has you laughing throughout.  I sped though the book and was happy with the nice solid ending that wrapped everything up.

Appropriateness:  This book tackles some very difficult subjects but does so in a way that's age appropriate.  Wahoo's friend Tuna comes with them because her father who is a drunk who gave her a black eye.  Wahoo's family has dealt with financial difficulties due to his unemployment due to a medical disability.  I would recommend this book to readers 10-14 it's a nice starting point to talk about child and substance abuse and what to do if they suspect a friend is in trouble.

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Romance for Teens: I've Got Your Number

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella follows Poppy who after loosing her engagement ring at a hotel and then getting her cell phone stolen finds a phone that was thrown in the trash.  Out of desperation she gives the phone number to the hotel.  She soon gets a call and finds out that the phone belonged to a personal assistant and her boss Sam is not happy she has the phone.  Poppy refuses to give the phone back but promises to forward all of his e-mails and messages.  The two develop a relationship through texts and e-mails while Poppy prepares for her own wedding with the pretentious Magnus.

This is a fantastic and funny adult romance novel that has great crossover appeal to teens.  It is light, funny and flirty and Poppy is a peppy girl who readers can't help but root for.  Reading like one of those cute ABC family TV movies.  Although the book is very long it is still a fast read and I was unable to put it down laughing my way through the story.

Appropriateness:  This is a great book for teens who are interested in adult romance.  While Poppy is an adult and partakes in adult behaviors (she's living with her fiancee and drinks) there are no sex scenes literal or implied. 

Format note: the book is peppered with footnotes throughout that are a great addition to the story.  Because of this format I would suggest that you buy the book in hard copy or wait until there are solid reviews of a digital copy because footnotes generally do not translate well to a digital platform.

Drink Slay Love

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durnst follows Pearl, a sixteen year old vampire.  While snacking at the ice cream shop (from the boy behind the counter) she sees a sparkly unicorn.  The unicorn pierces her in the heart and she wakes up on her doorstep.  Pearl soon finds that she is able to walk in the sunlight and is sent to the local high school so that she can befriend the locals and find dinner for the upcoming ceremony with the king.

I think this is what happened with this book.  The editor told the author to write a book about vampires because vampires are hot in teen lit.  The author then rolled her eyes and thought fine, if you want a vampire book I'm going to make it absurd.  Then she wrote a terrific and serious book with the most absurd characters and twists (were-unicorns anyone?).  This made for a book that was both compelling and well plotted but also hysterically funny in it's small moments of absurdity.  I couldn't put the book down and loved it.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book (aside from a little nudity because of clothes that had to be burned).  The main character is seventeen and acts her age.  The romance is sweet and fairly innocent.  I would recommend this book to both older and younger YA readers 12+

Sirenz

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman stars Meg and Shar, roommates who couldn't be anymore different. The two put up with each other but are not friends. They meet up over Christmas vacation to go shopping and have a horrible fight over a pair of shoes that ends up with one of them accidentally pushing a boy in front of a subway. A man then shows up and claims to be Hades. He offers the two a chance to get out of trouble if they will work for him as sirens and lure a man to the underworld. The girls are each given a power to help them do their job but when they use the power they transform into bird like sirens. The girls encounter many adventures and obstacles along the way and learn to appropriate each others differences and become friends.

Sirenz is a fun paranormal comedy. The idea of the girls working for Hades as sirens is different and I appreciated that the girls worked together to solve their problem showing their strength and without needing a man to come to the rescue. While there is a love interest and each girl works through romantic situations this is a story of girl power (with a little fashion on the side). Shaz and Meg both grow as characters throughout the story and have a lot of fun. I really liked that this book's premise and plot was so original and that it didn't follow any of the formulas that are so popular in the paranormal genre lately. Hades was a great seedy villain along with Persephone and Demeter.

Appropriateness: This book doesn't have any adult content, the girls are too busy to go to parties or hook up with guys. The girls are seniors in high school and they get a job working as interns for a designer and live in an apartment by themselves. I would recommend this book to teens 12+ and feel that the older end of the YA audience would enjoy this as well as the younger. It read more like a Family Channel TV movie rather than one on the Disney Channel.

Beauty Queens

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray starts with a plane full of beauty queens crashing on a tropical island.  A small group of contestants survives and right away they get working on what's important, practicing their dance numbers.  The girls have lots of adventures on the island while waiting to be rescued (giant snakes! sparkly rescue flags! catching fish with flat irons!).  they soon find out (dun dun dun) that the other half of the island is being run by the evil corporation that is weaponizing a hair remover and planning on selling it to a small enemy nation headed by a flamboyant dictator.

This book is absolutely hysterical.  I laughed and laughed at all the crazy situations these beauty queens were thrown into.  Each of the different beauty queens was distinctive and interesting and they all had a story as to why they did pageants and they all grew as women because of the crash.  There's also quite a bit of crazy action from giant snakes to quick sand to explosions.  It's a fantastic bit of satire with plenty of feminism thrown in for good measure, leaving the reader with a message that they should stop listening to outside influences and be who they want to be.

Appropriateness:  This book is full of adult situations.  One of the characters has sex (and demands that the guy use a condom, yay!) and two other do everything but.  The scenes aren't erotic but there are descriptions of the heavy petting.  There's quite a bit of language and enough girl part jokes to turn off male readers (who would be turned off by the title)   The girls eat some berries that make them hallucinate and the girls get trashed.  None of the material is inappropriate for the high school aged audience that the book is targeted towards and the ultimate message is a very positive one of self empowerment for girls.  I would recommend this book for readers 14+ (Moms will like it too).  The book is not as fluffy as one would expect by looking at the cover and is actually a fairly tough read that requires the reader to be able to understand satire.

Stake That

Stake That (A Blood Coven Vampire Novel) by Mari Mancusi is the second book in the Blood Coven Vamire series.  It follows Rayne (sister of Sunny and lover of vampires) as she finds out that she is a Vampire Slayer.  While she initially balks at the idea she agrees to help find out what has been going on with a vampire who is trying to take out Magnus (Sunny's boyfriend).

This second book in the series continues it's success as a comedic paranormal romance.  Told in blog and diary format Rayne's voice is hysterical.  Her adventures as a new slayer who finds herself working with a very hot vampire are both hysterical and engrossing leading to a book that makes you both laugh out loud and care about the characters who have emotional depth.  This is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time and it's the best in it's genre (YA comedic paranormal romance).

Appropriateness:  Rayne is a self proclaimed bad girl, she's a goth who smokes and drinks (although is never drunk) and talks about having sex (but never actually does), sneaks out, uses a fake and wants to be a vampire.  All of her bad girl behavior is shown to be a cover for how scared and upset she is on the inside because of being deserted by her father. There is no sex (but there is a very steamy kissing scene) and no drugs.  Even with the bad behavior I wouldn't worry about giving this book to a middle schooler.  I would rate the interest level at 13+