Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Release Date: 21st July, 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 272pgs

The Story

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain iis unbearable. To keep herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love - again. Because the last time she feel in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

Mandy Hubbard spins a sea-ravaged tale of melancholy beauty, and the choices one girl makes between land and waves, love and freedom, her future - and her heart.

The Review

There has been a lot of rave reviews on Mandy Hubbard's writing and with this being the very first book that I've read of hers, I'm proud to say that it won't be the last. When I heard about RIPPLE, while the storyline itself intrigued me since I love anything to do with sirens but I have to hand it to the publisher's cover artist - the real reason why I was going, 'I want that book'. The cover is just utterly stunning in person! It really draws you into this book and it's no wonder why so many people loved this awesome YA story!

RIPPLE follows a small heartbreaking story about a girl named Lexi, who is ultimately paying the price of the boy she loved - a boy she killed. With this loss and guilt hanging over her head, not only has Lexi lost someone she once loved but she has also lost her best friends and is constantly being pulled through the agony of the want of water; something she can't deny herself of needing. I can definitely say this book was a very easy-paced and an interesting take on Sirens. While the pace of the story was a little slow and lacked a couple of things from its characters, but overall I really liked the emotional build up to the novel's drive. Also, I loved the innocence Lexi had - even if she was naive - and of course I couldn't help but fall for the the hunky Cole. Honestly Cole was the perfect love interest and even with his faults, he's just the kind of guy you love all the way through. He was very understanding, despite the crazy situations Lexi was putting him through.

Okay so people might say . . . 'is there a love triangle?' Yes and no. Sometimes you have hints that it might be a triangle equation involved but to me it was not the case. I found Lexi's attraction and love was more aimed towards Cole's character than of Erik's. But Erik. Geez he was an unpleasant one to read about and he's not really worth mentioning . . . so you'll have to read the book to find out more about him. Anyway for those who've read a Mandy Hubbard novel in the past or if - you're like me - you have a love of Sirens, then this book is the perfect one for you! RIPPLE is about one girl's personal growth and how she overcomes loss and grief, find new love, and ultimately find the second chance she deserves!

The Rating

4/5 stars