Sirens by Jane Fox –OPTIONAL

Fox, Janet Sirens 384 pgs. Speak, 2012. $9.99.  Content: Language: G (0 swears);  Mature Content: PG13 ;  Violence: PG13.

Josephine wants to finish school, but just before that happens, her dad makes her stay with rich relatives in New York City. Right away she is approached by a gangster asking, insisting, and threatening for information about her “dead” brother Teddy. As she delays, Josephine experiences 1920’s NYC flapper style, going to speakeasy’s, meeting writers, and crushing on a cute musician. (Yet remaining pure and unscathed by the decadence of the time). But time is up, bad things start happening, and she must makes some tough decisions.

Everything needed to make this book great is here, the setting, the plot, the characters, and the writing. But stretch those out and hash over the same stuff over and over and it became really boring.  Though the style and voice are mostly pretty genuine, I couldn’t help but laugh (and do comedic read-alouds for friends) at the dramatic yet incredibly hilarious cheesy climax of the story.

HS -OPTIONAL Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.