An Avid Reader's Musings: (ARC TOUR) Book Review: RIPPLE

TITLE: RIPPLE

AUTHOR: Mandy Hubbard

IMPRINT: Razorbill/Penguin

PUBLICATION DATE: 21 July 2011

PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: Standalone

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

RIPPLE description and cover art courtesy of GOODREADS.

I received an ARC of RIPPLE from AROUND THE WORLD ARC TOURS

THE TWEET
RIPPLE: Modern day teen siren caught between new love, past tragedy & possible end to dark and isolating existence. What will her choice be?

WHAT WORKED
Author Hubbard did a great job of making Lexi a character that readers could connect to and empathize with, even as we learn she has committed a big, albeit accidental, crime. I could imagine the self imposed isolation and loneliness that Lexi put herself through in order to protect others from getting hurt by her.

RIPPLE begins after the death of Steven, therefore Hubbard tells the story of Lexi and Steven through flashbacks. I liked how this drew out the mystery of how his death occurred. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what had happened during the night of his death. Of course, RIPPLE is told through the eyes of Lexi, even the flashbacks, but I think that readers are able to see more through the flashbacks than through the present feelings of Lexi expressed throughout the rest of the novel.

Normally, I don't like the use of romantic triangles in novels, but I did like the introduction of Erik in RIPPLE. I never saw him as competition for Cole (Lexi's love interest), but as a possible means to end Lexi's curse. It was interesting to see how Lexi was so focused on protecting others and had so much guilt over accidentally causing the death of another, that she was willing to sacrifice her happiness and future to make sure it didn't happen again. In retrospect, I felt Lexi put too much trust in Erik and what he told her, but I can see how she willingly believed him because she had no one else to turn to.

OVERALL
RIPPLE is a welcome addition to the teen paranormal genre. It is a well written story that incorporates mystery, romance and legend.

MEMORABLE QUOTE(S)
I sit in my car in the driveway, gripping the wheel so hard my knuckles turn white. It only takes a second for the car to cool. Two years since I've been in that house. The last time was the night I killed Steven.
p. 96-97*

He turns to look at me, and with how close we're sitting, our noses are just inches apart. His voice lowers. "But I guess you're worth the risk." He leans in slowly, and I close my eyes.
p.126*

Relief floods through me as I rest my cheek against his shoulder, breathing in the fresh scent of his bar soap, the same scent that still lingers on my skin. His body is warm, soft, secure, and I could stand like this all day, ignoring the pain on my skin and in my heart.
p. 253*

*All quotes taken from ARC and are subject to change at publication.

MY RATING IS