Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

Amazon Description: "Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when the fashionistas find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes-with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades, Lord 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 an individual whose unholy contract is up.

Finding that delicate balance between their fashion addiction and their new part-time job in the eternal hellfire biz turns out to be harder than Meg and Shar expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there's the matter of the fine print in their own contracts..."

My Review: I absolutely adored this book! It was hilarious, it was quirky, and it was very well-written. Chick-lit books have a special place in my heart, because I seriously do love light-hearted girly reads---but when the main character is silly and vapid, then it kind of ruins the book for me. Good thing that wasn't a problem here! Both of the characters were great. Meg was quirky and slightly retro and Gothic and that appealed to me, because I do have that side in myself---the side that loves Tim Burton and vintage clothing and the color black. And she was so logical and sarcastic that I couldn't help but laugh (and be reminded of myself!). But Shar was also a great character. She was the girly-girl who loved pink, and that connected to my life as well, because I also do have that part of me that loves pink and Juicy Couture and lip gloss. I feel like most teenage girls---and women in general---are that way. They aren't THIS or THAT...they're a mix of many things, which is what made reading from two different perspectives so much fun. Also, I liked how the authors didn't make Shar a ditz, even though she was a blonde who loved pink. That would have been an easy cliche to fall into, and I'm glad they didn't. Also...the whole GREEK MYTHOLOGY thing! The main plot! I love, love, LOVE books about Greek mythology, and there aren't too many out there (except for a notable few), so when I see a YA book about Greek mythology, I usually snatch it up. And I hate it when they interpret the gods and the myths incorrectly; that's a pet-peeve of mine. Good thing that Bennardo and Zaman did their homework and portrayed the gods in ways accurate to their personalities, and used the mythology---such as the concept of the Sirens---accurately! The whole plot with Shar and Meg-turning-into-real-birds if they didn't fulfill their contract also added a dose of magical and silly fun to the book, which I loved. The only thing I DIDN'T like was the ending, which seemed a little abrupt and cut-off, as if there was more to be said...but overall, this was a great, enchanting, fun book to read.

Cover: Love, love, LOVE. First of all, I would kill for that shoe (ironic...) and the fact that it's standing on a Greek pedestal...with the feathers...love it! Super cute.

Overall Grade: A+