Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo, Natalie Zaman
Release Date – June 8, 2011
Publisher – Flux
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 264
My Rating- 7.5/10
*obtained at BEA*

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when they find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes—with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades—the god of the underworld—himself. To make them atone for what they’ve done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld any individual whose unholy contract is up.
But just because they have an otherworldly part-time job now doesn’t mean Meg and Shar can ignore life’s drudgeries (work) or pleasures (fashion!). Finding that delicate balance between their old and new responsibilities turns out to be harder than they expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there’s the matter of the fine print in their contracts . . .

Meg and Shar are total opposites. They end up having to be roommates at their school dorm and end up frenemies as a result. Shar is the more girly one who loves the colour pink, well Meg prefers black and wouldn’t wear sparkles if you forced her to. The girls end up fighting over a pair of shoes that results in an accident that leaves a bystander dead. Enter Hades - he makes a deal with the girls and hilarity ensues.

This type of novel is exactly what you would expect. There is very little in way of surprises or twists. You can easily see what the ending will be, however it has a lot of quirky charm. It delivers what the synopsis promises you which is a funny, light read. It’s great for when you’ve read a really heavy book and need some fluff.

The chapters rotates perspective between the two girls. It is a technique that works sometimes and not others. This is case where I found it a little distracting at first. I got used to it as I kept reading, but it did take some getting used to.

I did enjoy Meg and Shar and thought they both had some nice qualities. I liked that they supported each other, and worked together when things got tough. The romance for each girl that is sprinkled in is infused with humour and sweetness. Hades is also a fun “villain“. He’s good looking, charming and quite the lady killer. I wish he was in the novel more. I really liked the other god and goddess that were introduced as well.

The girls face quite a few obstacles in getting their task for Hades done. Hades, his jealous wife Persephone, his over the top mother in law Demeter and their real job all provide things the girls must overcome. The obstacles provide some really funny moments.

This book is a quick, funny beach type read that you can easily polish off in an afternoon. If you’re looking for that type of book give it a try.