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The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren

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Geeky to gorgeous in sixty seconds...

Roxy's about to turn sixteen, but life isn't so sweet. As a band geek, Roxy can barely get the cute guys to notice her, much less go out with her. Then, on her birthday, Roxy is transformed into a siren: seductively beautiful with the power to control all men. She thought sirens were an ancient myth, but suddenly Roxy can get any guy she wants with just a few notes on her flute.

There are only two rules: don't tell anyone about being a siren, and don't fall in love. When she starts dating Zach, the guy everybody's crushing on, Roxy realizes she could get used to this siren thing...but how can she keep herself from falling in love?

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 26, 2007

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Wendy Toliver

9 books211 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
Profile Image for Nancy.
473 reviews10 followers
June 27, 2008
There’s nothing extraordinary about Roxy Zimmerman: she’s a pimply band geek looking from the outside and trying to score a date with Zach, the cute boy who has never noticed her. Then, the minute she turns sixteen, her grandmother reveals a secret: they’re actually Sirens. In Greek, they’re the mythical creatures known for their music and beauty that lure the sailors to their doom. Suddenly, Roxy is as beautiful as any model—even more so—and with a few notes on her flute she can get any guy to do her bidding. But being a Siren has its setbacks too, and those are the two rules that prohibit her from revealing her identity and falling in love. But what happens when Roxy breaks both rules?

Another romantic comedy with a catchy storyline that fails to deliver extravagantly. I’d gotten a small sneak peek at the first chapter and I was intrigued because the protagonist actually sounded cute and funny. Without the Siren element, it would a typical girl-wants-to-be-popular, girl-somehow-becomes-popular, girl-snags-cute-boy, girl-ditches-previous-best-friends, girl-realizes-popularity-is-not-worth-it, and finally-girl-redeems-herself. However, even with Roxy being a Siren, the plot is generally the same. Except—and here’s the part that disgusts me—it’s even more shallow and unforgivable.

Here’s why: Given that Roxy has magically turned beautiful in one night, I don’t blame her for obsessing over her looks for being vain for the first half of the book. I mean, that’s what anyone would have done. But it definitely gets annoying when, towards the middle of the book, Roxy hasn’t redeemed herself yet. She further clings onto her beauty and Siren powers to get a modeling career and get her driver’s license without actually going through with the test. I don’t care about the modeling part (who wants to be a model, anyway? It seems so stressful and tiring) but the driving bit is too extreme. I get that this is a Romantic Comedy, which means it’s almost purely teenage romance, but what about teaching teens responsibility? Roxy did not get that license the right way. She could be a horrible driver for all we know. She could get into an accident and kill herself—along with other passengers in the same car! I can’t believe that the protagonist can get away with something as big as this. There are NO consequences for Roxy’s actions. She doesn’t learn. Oh sure, there’s that part where she panics when Alex gets into an accident, but all she says is, “Oh my God! Poor Alex! I’ve got to get to him.” (235). But this is just ridiculous. She’s in love with the guy, but when she hears that he’s about to die, she just strings three sentences together. What about that pang in your heart when you hear bad news? The sweating, the fear, the flurry of emotions running through your head? It’s not realistic at all. Worse yet, it doesn’t even seem like Roxy cares. Her Poor Alex! just sounds fake.

My point about there being no consequences—and no lesson taught—further proves itself at the end of the book when Grandma transfers her powers to Roxy when she loses hers after breaking both rules of being a Siren. Some might take this action as a kind act from her grandmother, but that’s not how I see it. Roxy is supposed to change back to her Plain Jane days to emphasize the point that inner beauty is all that matters. But tell me, if Roxy becomes beautiful again, doesn’t that change the message? It’s more like: yes, inner beauty matters and all, but let’s be realistic—being beautiful on the outside is what counts. And that is NOT a theme that should ever be printed again. It just baffles me how the author could be this shallow, how she got published, and how the editors never caught on. There’s also this part when the Grandmother tells Roxy, “Next I concentrated on what a beautiful person you are. I focused on all the wonderful, unselfish things you’ve done, particularly becoming a Siren” (Toliver 261). I’m sorry—but that is the biggest lie ever for this book. So maybe Roxy was unselfish when she forked over her Jaded clothes to Natalie, but since becoming a Siren, she HAS been truly selfish. She made Zach fall in love with her, told the manager of the restaurant to give her free food, got herself a modeling deal, got her driver’s license without doing anything, made her brother do all her chores, and told her father to give her his prized car. How is this not selfish? She used her Siren powers to obtain all of this—Roxy wanted it, and all she had to do was play the flute and it was all hers. It makes me sick just reading that sentence. If that is not selfish, then what is?

It’s not a terrible book if you look at it grammatically and structurally, but it’s a horrible story with an outrageous ending message. I think the author had good intentions of laying down a deep message, but somewhere down that lane, it just flew out the window. She also attempts to be original, but this is hardly that. She wants to give a happy ending, but sadly, she kills the richness of inner beauty with her horrendous happily ever after. Gah. How did this get published? Don’t these people know that teens who devour this will REALLY think that outer beauty is what matters more?
Profile Image for Allyson.
228 reviews10 followers
April 14, 2008
Began to read it and was so irritated by how shallow it was that I didn't get more than 20 pages in. It's rare for me to give up on a book but this was simply a waste of time. It didn't seem to have any redeeming value, other than a cute premise. It's like chic-lit for teeny boppers! It's incredible!
Profile Image for Rachael.
611 reviews50 followers
March 27, 2008
si·ren \sī'rən\ n 1 : any of a group of female and partly human creatures in Greek mythology that lured mariners to destruction by their enchanting music 2 : a woman who makes bewitchingly beautiful music 3 : a temptingly beautiful woman

On Roxy’s sixteenth birthday, she is somehow miraculously transformed from band geek to gorgeous seductress. Roxy’s grandmother explains that this is because Roxy is a Siren, the definition of which is above. At first, Roxy is skeptical, but then she starts to get used to charming boys to get what she wants. With the aid of her flute, Roxy snags her hot crush, passes her driving test, and becomes a model, among other things. But there are two rules; Roxy can’t tell anyone she’s a Siren, and she can’t fall in love either. If she breaks these rules, she loses her powers and the person she loves will die. Everything seems so simple at first – until Roxy starts falling in love.

The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren was a very fun and satisfying read. I really enjoyed how Wendy Toliver incorporated mythology into a funny modern story. The story was sweet yet predictable, but that didn’t make me like it any less. Anyone who loves the other Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies will also love this enjoyable novel.
36 reviews
December 10, 2009
Romance/low fantasy

Roxy is an almost 16 year old who doesn't have a whole lot going for her. She is a band geek, and wasn't blessed with exceptionally good looks, but on her 16th birthday, all that changes. She discovers that she, like her grandmother, is a siren and receives her siren powers. Suddenly, she is stunningly gorgeous and has the power to win the heart of any and all boys that she wants. There are only two rules that come with these amazing powers: She can't tell anyone she is a siren, and she cannot fall in love. This book was really entertaining to read. I've always enjoyed sappy romance books to some extent, but I liked the humor that was laced throughout the story. Every girl dreams of being beautiful and irresistible, but Roxy's story helps teenage girls to realize that looks aren't everything, and that true beauty lies within a person. This is certainly not the type of book that an adolescent boy would enjoy, but teenage girls everywhere are bound to find it a must-read.
Profile Image for Kristyn.
413 reviews17 followers
March 3, 2010
I was excited when I found these Simon Romantic Comedies thinking I had just found a bunch of books that my young teen daughter might enjoy, but NO! I really tried to finish this book just so I could justify rating it 1 star. I skipped through it enough (hoping it might redeem itself) that I feel justified. This book was completely shallow, had more bad language than in books I read, and promotes reckless drinking and sex for teens. If I had read it before my daughter, she wouldn't have even seen it. I'm happy to know she didn't like it either. There's so much out there to read that is good. This wasn't.
Profile Image for Robin.
518 reviews6 followers
April 20, 2017
This is a cute quick read. Nothing phenomenal or amazing, but a fun read nonetheless. I will say I was disappointed slightly with the ending, and the story was pretty simple -- it could have had way more fun with the premise, but it is what I expected based on the type of novel it is so I wasn't surprised.

If you like simple, straightforward stories that are lighthearted and fun, then you'll probably enjoy this.
Profile Image for Saymon.
28 reviews
December 9, 2009
This book was really entertaining. I liked it from the first page to the last. I think everyone will like the book because it is unique. It has magical characteristics for people who like magic. It is really a much recommended book for girls even though some thinks boys will like it too. I really like how the characters connect it to each other and I love how the author makes the book so relatable to the readers. I want to read more books from this author because I really like this author.
Profile Image for Katie.
340 reviews
December 22, 2007
This was a really fun, easy read. I got it and read it in one night. It took me back to being a teenager and all the trials that go along with it. It was fun and light, which is so nice as I've been reading some heavy material lately.
1 review
Currently reading
June 6, 2009
i think this book is the bomb i love it. the plot of the story is amazing. what i've learned from this is you may like someone and then realize the the person you like might only like you for your beauty and your true love could just be your best friend.
Profile Image for Allyssa.
63 reviews22 followers
December 10, 2009
One of the best books that I have EVER READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Romantic, Funny and once you pick it up you can't hardly stop reading it!
256 reviews
September 25, 2022
2.5 stars.

While it definitely made me laugh, it was more from the ridiculous escapades and Roxy's thought processes than anything else. Poor Alex. He deserves better. Natalie, too. (Perhaps harsh, but given how Roxy acts when she gets her powers...)

This sort of reminded me of Forgive my Fins, but not written as well, and not a focus on mermaids at all so much as sirens. However, I did like some of the character development, though there were aspects that seemed a bit forced or too contrived/quick/unnatural to be taken seriously. On the one hand, I liked . But so much of this book felt like a huge cliche, which may well have been on purpose, and I did not like how .

Additionally, I found it highly amusing (but also concerning) that .

I acknowledge also that by the time I got my hands on this one, I was far from the target demographic, so I took a lot of this book with a grain of salt. To be fair, it was a fun read, but a bit of a wild ride and a lot of "I can't take this too seriously". As I read, I found myself saying "what the heck is going on here?!" more times than I would care to admit.
Profile Image for Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*.
6,048 reviews220 followers
December 26, 2017
Toliver, Wendy The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren 281pages, Simon Pulse. Language PG13- Sexual Content PG- Violence G

Roxy is a band geek. She can barely get cute guys to notice her, much less date her. Then on her birthday she turns into a Siren: incredibly beautiful with the power to control all men. Now she can get a guy to do anything she wants with just a few notes from her flute. There are two rules though; you can't tell anyone about being a Siren, and you can't fall in love. When she starts dating Zach, the guy everybody's crushing on she realizes she could get used to being a Siren…but how can she not fall in love?

A great book for teens that enjoy a fun romantic comedy.

MS-HS - ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: RH
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
Profile Image for Avid.
30 reviews
May 27, 2025
3.5 stars. Your typical 2000's YA chick lit with a slightly shallow message. I enjoyed the book, but I will say, the romance between Roxy and Alex was very rushed. She spent most of the book focusing on Zach, and then in the last 50 pages, she realizes she loves - not just likes, *loves* - Alex. In the scene when Roxy found out Alex got in a car wreck, Toliver could've conveyed the urgency of the situation way better. And this might sound weird, but I kinda wish Alex got into that wreck due to Roxy breaking Siren Rule Two. Roxy never faces any consequences for using her powers too much (she used them to get her drivers' license! Talk about dangerous) or for breaking both Siren rules. Even when she loses her powers, she gets them back. But honestly? An extremely attractive woman getting whatever she wants is oddly realistic.
Profile Image for Elaina.
241 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2022
This book has some sweet scenes but it still carries the same shallowness that is commonplace in this. book collection. The main character is super lame. Just moving through the ones of these that I still own to get them off my shelves.
Profile Image for Lucy.
25 reviews28 followers
September 28, 2023
📖 4 Stars

Let me start off by saying, this is a book from my childhood that I have not read in a couple years. I loved this book when I was younger and would literally read it like once every month, so I decided to reread it. While this book has a quite simple story line with a very predictable plot, I really enjoyed the humor throughout the book and the fantasy aspect. This book is very straight to the point and a quick read, but I was kinda wishing that some of the scenes were stretched out a little further in places because it seemed a little rushed. The ending was also not my favorite because I wanted to see more between Roxy and Alex (even though I thought Alex deserved so much more). I loved the fact that this book gives the message that someone's looks are not everything because some people are so focused on looking a certain way, they miss important parts of their life. This book is a really great book for younger teenagers that are looking for a simple romantic comedy (there are several scenes and language that are for a mature audience).
Profile Image for °☆.。.:*・Nanna°☆.。.:*・.
489 reviews62 followers
February 3, 2016
I found this book to be quite entertaining. I didn't expect the book to be this good because the last paranormalish book I read from Simon Pulse was a total let down. This book may have started off a little slow, but quickly picked up when a secret is revealed.

I liked how the character was very relatable with her unpopularity and longing to fit in and get the guy she desires. Although, I really disliked how she changed. I thought that she was kind of acting like a b*tch the way that she was treating her friends and family.

This was really interesting from the drama with her best friend to dealing with her crush, Zach. Even though this book was kind of predictable, I found that the book to be cute. It just that the end could have used a little work.
15 reviews
November 20, 2012
Love and Death: A book Review of The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren

Mass Market Paperback,2009,288pp.,$6.99
Wendy Toliver ISBN:1416950656

Falling in love feels great--but not for Roxy. On her 16th birthday she turns into a siren. She is given a flute. Once she plays the flute, every guy will fall in love with her. Isn't this great? Nope. Not at all. There are rules to being a siren. One you can not tell anyone you are one and don;t fall in love. Roxy gets Zach, the most popular guy to fall in love with her. But is Zach the guy that is right for her? She realizes that the person that is right for her is not Zach, but someone who has always been there for her. Falling in love with him is a dangerous road. Not only would it hurt Roxy, but it would hurt the person she loves the most.

I thought this novel was great. The story captures you into it. At first you would think that this is going to happen, but something different ends up happening. This novel was fun to read because you would want to know what happens between Roxy and the person she truly likes. Although this book is fantasy, there are many parts a teenager can relate to. For example, trying to figure out who you actually like.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in romance novels because this book shows you how Roxy goes on a path to find who she truly likes. Even after she figures out who she actually likes, there are many obstacles she has to face. Her being a siren makes it a very dangerous thing if she falls in love.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
2,153 reviews123 followers
June 12, 2010
Summary: Roxy is a band geek with a crush on a football player. On her sixteenth birthday, she is transformed in to a siren, with males willing to fulfill her every whim. She has only two rules: 1. She can't tell anyone she is a siren; 2. She cannot fall in love. But is that the life she wants?

Thoughts: This is quite different from the other Simon Pulse books because it has a fantasy element-I don't remember that in any others. I mostly liked Roxy although I could see problems coming up because of the siren thing as well as many of the other things that would pop up so it is quite predictable. The second part moves away from the summary on the back as Roxy has to grapple more seriously with the two rules. I personally have serious moral qualms about using the powers of the siren (she forces her brother to do her chores for her; she gets her dad to let her use a very expensive Porsche; she gets untold free things; and she cheats to get her driver's license) but I still liked Roxy despite her serious lacking in moral scruples because she does make mostly good decisions.

Overall: 3.5 out of 5. Average.

Cover: I love the dress and I like that the green eyes are like that described.
Profile Image for Rea K.
727 reviews37 followers
May 13, 2015
I. I have a slight remembrance of this.... I may have picked it up because, holy crap, I played the flute. I think I was thirteen. I read some really awful stuff when I was thirteen.
Completely ridiculous premise. However, if she has to play an instrument to get who she wants as well as what she wants, at least it's a flute and not a tuba. Can you imagine carrying a tuba everywhere? Good lord. A tuba would be a nightmare. "Here. Lemme blat a few notes on my tuba before you say anything else." Tubas are unattractive, but don't think I'm insulting them. They're incredibly necessary in a proper band. Just huge. And would be even more insane of a "siren songmaker" prospect.
I remember that someone had bought her Roxy clothing because her name was Roxy. To be completely honest, that's so weird. Okay, if someone bought be a shirt that said Reagan on it, I'd totally wear it. However, there is a difference between rare occurrences of clothing items with my name on it and an entire brand.
I am pretty sure that my library got rid of this one, soooooooooo... the ya librarians have done one thing right. One thing.
Profile Image for Jessica.
219 reviews102 followers
April 17, 2010
This book took me months to read. It was alright I guess, but kind of boring. It was just very predictable. Another whiny main character, but this one goes from ugly to siren. The description of her when she was ugly got on my nerves, because it was like picking at people who may have frizzy hair, no boobs, and acne. That kind of got on my nerves, but hey, whatever. Like I said, it could have been a lot better.
Profile Image for Jenny.
1,012 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2010
It's always fun to read a lighthearted story. It cleanses the palate. Now I know that might be a huge insult to authors of these types of books but I don't mean it as one. This book was fast fun but, oh, so predictable. It did have some great lines like, (Her face crumples like the last cinnamon twist in the Taco Bell bag), and, (She's wearing a black dress so small it looks like she stripped it off her little sister's Bratz doll). Great stuff!
Profile Image for Anna Schroeder.
660 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2011
Plot: Most of you know that Simon Rom Coms are my weakness -- I love them. This one was no exception. While it wasn't my personal favorite, I liked how the Greek Mythology was brought in, and I did enjoy it.

Characters: The characters were real and I felt like Roxy could've been my best friend. They were easy to relate to and described well.

Wow Factor: Simon Rom Coms are very predictable, but I still love them.. and this one was no exception.
Profile Image for Faith.
1,276 reviews75 followers
November 27, 2012
This story was a cute chick lit novel. It was an easy quick read. Girls can relate to Roxy in some situations, however she could be selfish and naive at times. The Siren plot was very interesting and somewhat entertaining. The romance at the end was cute. The main reasons i could not give this a better review is because Roxy did not seem like a 16 year old (a problem i keep seeing in some chick lit) and the book and concepts involved a lot of sarcasm.
Profile Image for Tan B.
64 reviews4 followers
February 24, 2013
Originally reviewed - 3/11/08

I'm a sucker for all things supernatural so I couldn't help but go crazy over this book. So I'm really, really happy to say that I loved reading this book it was everything a romantic comedy should be. Roxy was a fun character, the plot was predictable like all the other Simon Romantic Comedies books but that didn't take anything away from the book. Wendy Toliver did a good job writing this story and I can't wait to read whatever else she has in store for us.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
1,269 reviews5 followers
May 25, 2016
A lot about this book irritated me. I feel that every single person in this book was shallow except for Alex. I understand that she's a Siren, but still. It just didn't work for me. I only rated it a 3 because I have trouble rating books lower than a three when I know that I'm not really the target audience. So I tried to put on my teenage thinking cap and decided young girls might enjoy it, but it was spectacular.
Profile Image for Kate H.
1,684 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2016
Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies are always a fun read. These books are not necessarily the best written novels but the stories are always fun and you know you will get a happy ending. I think some adult romances could take a note from these books b/c they are characterized well which is much of the battle in writing any novel since you want your characters, for the most part, to be endearing and relatable.
19 reviews2 followers
September 8, 2016
I loved this book, i had never heard of it before but my mom got it for me because she thought i would like it ,she was right!! i love romantic comedies so this book was perfect for me, it was about this girl who was 'invisible' to this guy she liked, but then on her 16th birthday she turned into a siren and now every boy likes her and she can get anything she wants ............. but is that really what she wants??
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