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+

Throne of Fire

 Throne of Fire is the second book in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan.  These books follow Carter and Sadie who are Egyptian Magicians.  In this book they must find three scrolls and rescue the God Ra who has been trapped so they can save the world from Aphohis who plans on swallowing the sun and destroying the world.  The two face many trials and battles throughout the book and they met many different Egyptian Gods who helped them along the way.

I have mixed feelings on this book and the series.  I've loved the Percy Jackson books and my daughter has listened to all of those books (plus The Lost Hero) multiple times.  When I gave my daughter the audio book for The Red Pyramid she listened to it a couple days and then switched back to Percy Jackson because she was bored (granted she's seven and much younger than the intended audience). 

 The mythology in these books is far more complex and confusing than the greek mythology of Riordans other series.  The sheer numbers of Egyptian gods and similarities in their names (Anubis is a cute helpful god Aphosis however wants to swallow the sun, Bast is the cat goddess while Bes is the god of dwarves who scares people with his speedo) make it difficult to sort everything out.

There were times when I loved this book and there were times when I thought it was never going to end.  The dual point of views seemed to make the book seem even longer and the book was very long period.  I think if the story had been more streamlined I would have enjoyed it more.  If you enjoyed the first book then you will like this one, it's much like the first and you'll like it.  However if you were frustrated by the first book and were hoping that this book got better I'd skip this one.  It has all the problems of the first book plus a few additional ones.  There are far too many characters and too many deviations from the main plot.

Appropriateness: There is some romance in this book.  Both siblings find love interests and Sadie has a love triangle to deal with. This series requires a more mature reader than Riordan's other series.  The plot and mythology is far more difficult to understand than the Percy Jackson series.  The lexile for the first in the series is 650 putting it about a fourth grade level but the plot is far more advanced than the vocabulary level (and this shows the downfall of grade levels that are calculated by computer).  This is not a book that I would hand to an elementary school aged child (unless they were advanced) because of the complexity and disagree with the recommendation on most sites as it being written for 9-11 year olds (remember my daughter who is reading and listening on that level was bored by this series).  This book is one that middle schoolers would enjoy and even find a little challenging.  I would recommend this book to 11-14 year olds (and it's great for boys).

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.

The Goddess Test

 The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter follows Kate.  Kate moves to a small town with her dying mother because it is where her mother wishes to die.  After her friend dives into a river and dies she is visited by Henry who tells her that he will save her friend if she comes to live with him and he tells her to read the story of Persephone.  She moves into his home and is told that she must compete several tests in order to become his bride.  If she does not pass or chooses not to stay she will not remember anything, and she has to worry about her safety because many of the girls in the past have been murdered before the six months were up.

While this wasn't the most exciting book I've read lately it was a nice romance.  Kate is a strong girl who was willing to go to great lengths to save the people she loves.  I loved the background of the myth of Persephone that was weaved into the story.  The story did drag at times and the constant drudgery of the day to day that living in the mansion made the story flow slowly at times.  There was no action and the buildup to the romance was very slow.

Appropriateness:  There is no drug or alcohol use or abuse in the novel.  The main character does have sex although the sex is glossed over fairly quickly and without much detail. Kate is 18 and the book does not have the feel of a book that would appeal to young teens (although it is not inappropriate for a younger audience).  I would recommend this book to girls aged 14+ who were fans of romance with a touch of the paranormal.