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Ripple
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 is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love - again. Because the last time she fell 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.
260 pages, Hardcover
First published July 21, 2011
62 people are currently reading
11.2k people want to read
About the author
Mandy Hubbard
11books813followersMandy Hubbard is the author of PRADA & PREJUDICE and YOU WISH, both novels for teens now in stores. In 2011, her releases include BUT I LOVE HIM (written as Amanda Grace) and RIPPLE. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary Agency. For more information, visit her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 585 reviews
September 16, 2011
I’ve summarized the first 25 chapters of Ripple in case you’d like an idea of what this book is about.
Oh wait, did you think this was a book about mermaids? Foolish reader. Don’t feel too bad, however, I thought so, too.
By this point, we’ve gotten to page 182 out of a 272 page book. Will she choose Boy 2, the guy she really wants, and be doomed to swim (and okay, lure men to their deaths) forever? Or will she choose Boy 3, who’s also really cute and she’s also attracted to, and live happily ever after?
But the better question is: do we care?
Sure, Lexi (whose name I kept forgetting as I was reading this, btw) goes swimming a few times and her skin sometimes turns into iridescent fish scales in the water at night. (Weirdly, she has no tail, however.) But until the last two pages of the novel, there’s very little mermaidy activity going on. This book is mostly about being attracted to different boys and the mind-numbingly dull dates she goes on to figure out which one she wants. There are some random flashbacks, graveside visits, shunning by peers, and some friend drama thrown in, along with the annoying plot device of the gift of an old journal, but really, let's not kid ourselves. The focus is on those boys.
If you’d like to read a book about teen dating with cookie cutter characters, you may enjoy this one. If you’d like to read about mermaids…well, let’s just say this is probably not the book for you.
Oh wait, did you think this was a book about mermaids? Foolish reader. Don’t feel too bad, however, I thought so, too.
By this point, we’ve gotten to page 182 out of a 272 page book. Will she choose Boy 2, the guy she really wants, and be doomed to swim (and okay, lure men to their deaths) forever? Or will she choose Boy 3, who’s also really cute and she’s also attracted to, and live happily ever after?
But the better question is: do we care?
Sure, Lexi (whose name I kept forgetting as I was reading this, btw) goes swimming a few times and her skin sometimes turns into iridescent fish scales in the water at night. (Weirdly, she has no tail, however.) But until the last two pages of the novel, there’s very little mermaidy activity going on. This book is mostly about being attracted to different boys and the mind-numbingly dull dates she goes on to figure out which one she wants. There are some random flashbacks, graveside visits, shunning by peers, and some friend drama thrown in, along with the annoying plot device of the gift of an old journal, but really, let's not kid ourselves. The focus is on those boys.
If you’d like to read a book about teen dating with cookie cutter characters, you may enjoy this one. If you’d like to read about mermaids…well, let’s just say this is probably not the book for you.
July 14, 2011
THE FAERYS VIEW
Ripple by Mandy Hubbard explores the Siren theory in a completely new light from the recent rash of siren books that have taken us by 'storm' lately. Ms. Hubbard’s managed to capture a young girl’s nightmarish secret life and describe it through her eyes in a way that you really feel what she’s going through.
Lexi’s story is told in the first person, starting two years after a dreadful occurrence that led to her boyfriend, Steven’s drowning and the end of life as Lexi knew it. At Lexi’s 16th birthday party given to her by her bestest friend since childhood and also Stevens sister, she comes into her siren powers and feels an urgent pull to go into the ocean. Nothing is the same after that midnight swim.
Lexi soon figures out that she must swim nightly and finds a secluded lake up in the mountains where she knows she can’t kill anyone with her ‘song�. That is until Cole, Steven’s best friend shows up there just as she’s stripping down. He doesn’t see her but she fears her hiding place isn’t as safe as she once thought.
Since the death of Steven, Lexi’s guilt and fear of harming another has kept her distanced from everyone; once an extremely popular and outgoing girl, she is but a shell of that person now. Those that were once her best friends now say nasty things to her and treat her unkindly.
Cole is the one person left in school who doesn’t treat her like she has the plague or like she’s a murderer. He's extremely good-looking and hangs with the popular crowd but Lexi has seen him look at her with sympathy in his eyes.
Enter Erik, a handsome new student that bears a striking resemblence to Lexi, someone who says he knows her secret and claims he can help her and take away the siren part of her but there’s a big catch. Before Lexi realizes it, she’s caught in a sort of love triangle. She is really falling for Cole, the one person who really never gave up on her, he’s the boy that put’s the flutter in the flutterbee's in her stomach and spending time with him reminds her of who she used to be-even when he knows her secret he stands by her.
Then there is Erik, handsome and polite, the one who says he can ‘cure� her of being a siren. Lexi doesn’t know who she can trust, if anyone. I don’t want to give to much more of the story away, there is so much more to it!
This isn’t just a story of a siren; it’s a story of Lexi and her struggle with the guilt she’s endured, her selfless forced isolation and the fight to keep her hidden from others as she swims. Lexi has given up everything to hide from others in order to distance them from her. This is a story of her struggle but it’s also a story of treachery, deceit and murderous intent. From whom you ask? Well, read the story!
I would recommend this book to any and all friends and family, young and old. It has all the fixings for a great Young Adult Paranormal Romance but it entails mystery, intrigue and danger! Ms. Hubbard’s done an excellent job making her characters so realistic that you feel as if you know them. The storyline itself is unique and the plot twists were fantastic.
The Faery says READ THIS BOOK!!!
July 18, 2011
Ripple was one of my most highly anticipated books. I love mermaids and sirens, and the synopsis sounded intriguing. And I love the cover. Which is usually what draws me in. So I started this book with excitement, and was at first intrigued in the story, but then the excitement started to slowly fizzle downward. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting. I guess just a dark, modern fairytale type story with forbidden love and an enchanting feel to it. But whatever I may have been wanting from this book, I didn’t get it.
The base plot was intriguing enough. A young siren who killed the boy she loved, isolates herself because of it, then falls in love but knows it could never be for what she is and what she could do to him or how he would treat her when he learned the truth. I liked the beginning. You can feel Lexi’s loneliness, can see how everybody hates her, and how she can’t them blame for it, because she knows the truth. And then when Lexi’s ex-best friend reconciles with her, it was such a sweet, precious moment, enough to bring me close to tears. And the beginning of her romance with Cole was nice, and could have enfolded into something truly beautiful if not for Erik.
The love triangle is what stalled the enchantment for me. The synopsis clearly states there is one, so it’s not like I was disappointed that there was one, I knew there would be. I just didn’t quite appreciate the way it was done. And since the love triangle was pretty much the plot, I didn’t quite care for the story as a whole. I still liked the book, for the most part. It was a nice story, it’s just nothing special and not highly recommendable (from me at least).
The base plot was intriguing enough. A young siren who killed the boy she loved, isolates herself because of it, then falls in love but knows it could never be for what she is and what she could do to him or how he would treat her when he learned the truth. I liked the beginning. You can feel Lexi’s loneliness, can see how everybody hates her, and how she can’t them blame for it, because she knows the truth. And then when Lexi’s ex-best friend reconciles with her, it was such a sweet, precious moment, enough to bring me close to tears. And the beginning of her romance with Cole was nice, and could have enfolded into something truly beautiful if not for Erik.
The love triangle is what stalled the enchantment for me. The synopsis clearly states there is one, so it’s not like I was disappointed that there was one, I knew there would be. I just didn’t quite appreciate the way it was done. And since the love triangle was pretty much the plot, I didn’t quite care for the story as a whole. I still liked the book, for the most part. It was a nice story, it’s just nothing special and not highly recommendable (from me at least).
Want to read
July 14, 2011Oh, this looks good!
jul 15th
jul 15th
November 29, 2018
I loved this book for a lot of reasons. One, is that I think Mandy Hubbard is an absolute genius. Two, it's not in a series. I really love coming across these novels where I can read the whole book and not have to wait for the next one to come out. While I have my favorite series out there and tons of people are putting out trilogies, I really look forward to books like Ripple.
I loved the story. I am really getting into these more unusual paranormal young adult novels. Lexi is a siren. I haven't read a whole lot with sirens and I loved how this was different and stood out. The book was very gripping and I couldn't put it down for anything! Obviously I couldn't imagine the pain and loneliness that Lexi has lived with, but I was able to connect with her from the very beginning.
Lexi's such a strong character who is able to take torment from her peers, even from herself, and still manage to keep her head up high. At least when anyone is looking. My heart ached for Lexi as I saw how far she's fallen. I don't know how many times I found myself on the verge of tears because of her story. Brilliantly done. And Cole, well, he's just the icing on the cake. I really loved how he reached out and took a risk (and it was) to befriend Lexi. Very well done.
We learn so much in this book and it keeps you guessing. I didn't see the ending coming. At all. I was completely broadsided and loved it. I was glued to the pages, anxious to see how it all would turn out. It was excellent writing right up to the very last word. Again, Mandy Hubbard = Genius. I must insist that everyone pick this up. Because it's amazing. Incredible.
I loved the story. I am really getting into these more unusual paranormal young adult novels. Lexi is a siren. I haven't read a whole lot with sirens and I loved how this was different and stood out. The book was very gripping and I couldn't put it down for anything! Obviously I couldn't imagine the pain and loneliness that Lexi has lived with, but I was able to connect with her from the very beginning.
Lexi's such a strong character who is able to take torment from her peers, even from herself, and still manage to keep her head up high. At least when anyone is looking. My heart ached for Lexi as I saw how far she's fallen. I don't know how many times I found myself on the verge of tears because of her story. Brilliantly done. And Cole, well, he's just the icing on the cake. I really loved how he reached out and took a risk (and it was) to befriend Lexi. Very well done.
We learn so much in this book and it keeps you guessing. I didn't see the ending coming. At all. I was completely broadsided and loved it. I was glued to the pages, anxious to see how it all would turn out. It was excellent writing right up to the very last word. Again, Mandy Hubbard = Genius. I must insist that everyone pick this up. Because it's amazing. Incredible.
August 21, 2011
1.5 stars
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.
At the beginning we are introduced to Lexi with all her self-pity, anger and guilt. We learn of her secret and why she hides from the world - she unintentionally killed her boyfriend by luring him to the water and can't stop blaming herself (it isn't spoiler, it's on the first page). At the start of new school year two guys start to care about her and she has to choose which one to be with.
The problem is that not long after start, it turns out to be a teenage drama, nothing supernatural about it. There are dresses, friends, homecoming and the pathetic love triangle. If I wanted this kind of thing I would pick up another sort of novel. This way you don't get enough of supernatural elements nor romance. Don't get me wrong, the romance (or at least kisses and descriptions of looks and clothes) is all over there, almost on every page, but it's so lame, it never works for me. And I don't believe she could really spend two years punishing herself for some guy she had been in love with maybe a month. I know that she had killed him, but all in all it hadn't been her fault and she had been only sixteen.
Ripple holds no suspense, no thrill, I just pushed myself through it and hoped for something to happen. It was boring and I kept thinking "Where is the plot? When will something happen?" The thing is you get one final scene full of action and that's all, nothing else. And does every character have to be hot, beautiful, stunning and smart with A-grades?
I admit I skimmed a little. All right, I skimmed a lot. But I did it only for fifty pages. The ending was a little bit better because something actually happened, still it wasn't worth the effort.
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.
At the beginning we are introduced to Lexi with all her self-pity, anger and guilt. We learn of her secret and why she hides from the world - she unintentionally killed her boyfriend by luring him to the water and can't stop blaming herself (it isn't spoiler, it's on the first page). At the start of new school year two guys start to care about her and she has to choose which one to be with.
The problem is that not long after start, it turns out to be a teenage drama, nothing supernatural about it. There are dresses, friends, homecoming and the pathetic love triangle. If I wanted this kind of thing I would pick up another sort of novel. This way you don't get enough of supernatural elements nor romance. Don't get me wrong, the romance (or at least kisses and descriptions of looks and clothes) is all over there, almost on every page, but it's so lame, it never works for me. And I don't believe she could really spend two years punishing herself for some guy she had been in love with maybe a month. I know that she had killed him, but all in all it hadn't been her fault and she had been only sixteen.
Ripple holds no suspense, no thrill, I just pushed myself through it and hoped for something to happen. It was boring and I kept thinking "Where is the plot? When will something happen?" The thing is you get one final scene full of action and that's all, nothing else. And does every character have to be hot, beautiful, stunning and smart with A-grades?
I admit I skimmed a little. All right, I skimmed a lot. But I did it only for fifty pages. The ending was a little bit better because something actually happened, still it wasn't worth the effort.
April 14, 2011
I really enjoyed Mandy Hubbard's first two books. They were cute and perfect for those days that you'd like something fun and light to read. Ripple has definitely topped both of these books. Somehow she managed to make a book that seems like it would fall under the paranormal genre into a contemporary one. I love that because contemporary is my all-time favorite.
I just want to gush about how much I loved this book. I read it when I was in a reading slump and it yanked me right out of it. The beginning had such a somber tone, you could really feel what Lexi was going through. She used to be popular. Used to have a slew of friends to hang out with every weekend. Then she fell in love with Stephen and killed him. Because of the guilt, she let everyone blame her. She pushed them away, and instead of having those friends in her corner, they're against her, taunt her sometimes. All except for Cole.
Cole is straight up smexy. Sure he could make a lot of people walk into the room and swoon, but he cares for people. He's not afraid of pushing Lexi either. He knows there is something going on, and he wants that wall that she has built up to be brought down. Obviously, I just loved seeing these two characters together. I loved the resistance that Lexi had and how badly she wanted to tell her secret and all the reasons why she couldn't.
Then came Erik There are so many things I would like to say about him, but I can't due to giving one of the biggest parts of the book away. Let's just say I could feel the connection and almost spell he seemed to put on Lexi. What makes his character so great is what he brought to the plot. Mandy really surprised the heck out of me in the last few chapters! At one point I actually yelled: WHAT?!
This book had such great elements to it. Great characters, easy visuals, and a plot that keeps moving with great twist. And Mandy has said that she would like to expand on it and turn it into a series which I think would be awesome! These characters and her own spin on Sirens was fantastic, and I'd love for there to be more about them. So go buy this book so it can happen!
I just want to gush about how much I loved this book. I read it when I was in a reading slump and it yanked me right out of it. The beginning had such a somber tone, you could really feel what Lexi was going through. She used to be popular. Used to have a slew of friends to hang out with every weekend. Then she fell in love with Stephen and killed him. Because of the guilt, she let everyone blame her. She pushed them away, and instead of having those friends in her corner, they're against her, taunt her sometimes. All except for Cole.
Cole is straight up smexy. Sure he could make a lot of people walk into the room and swoon, but he cares for people. He's not afraid of pushing Lexi either. He knows there is something going on, and he wants that wall that she has built up to be brought down. Obviously, I just loved seeing these two characters together. I loved the resistance that Lexi had and how badly she wanted to tell her secret and all the reasons why she couldn't.
Then came Erik There are so many things I would like to say about him, but I can't due to giving one of the biggest parts of the book away. Let's just say I could feel the connection and almost spell he seemed to put on Lexi. What makes his character so great is what he brought to the plot. Mandy really surprised the heck out of me in the last few chapters! At one point I actually yelled: WHAT?!
This book had such great elements to it. Great characters, easy visuals, and a plot that keeps moving with great twist. And Mandy has said that she would like to expand on it and turn it into a series which I think would be awesome! These characters and her own spin on Sirens was fantastic, and I'd love for there to be more about them. So go buy this book so it can happen!
February 19, 2016
Никакая она не смертоносная русалка. Да, убила своего парня, но не по своей же воле. Она � сирена. Наследственная.
Лекси сама по себе очень нежное создание. Она живет с бабушкой и ухаживает за ней. Из-за своего проклятия она решила, что всякий, кто ей близок находится в смертельной опасности. Построила себе стены вокруг и надела маску. Она ужасно скорбит по своему парню, которого по-настоящему любила, и по своей прошлой жизни «Королевы школы».
Лучши друг погибшего парня, Коул, внезапно проявляет интерес к «бесчувственной» Лекси. Он сердцеед, да и вообще нагловатый, но кому это важно, когда он так мило улыбается и его волосы такие мягкие. Ванильная тупость. Ну и каким-то чудесным образом ему удается уговорить нашу героиню на свидание. На самом деле это был большой шаг со стороны девушки, и он подвигнул ее на дальнейшее вливание в общество после двухгодичного перерыва.
Эрик. Новенький мальчик, о котором никто ничего не знает. Ну и когда он говорит Лекси о своем проклятии, она конечно же в него верит. Как можно быть такой наивной? Ну а когда он заявляет, что может снять это самое проклятие с них двоих, в девушке загорается надежда. Бедная Лекси. Она настолько хотела избавиться от своего дара, что пошла на поводу у.. эм, первого встречного. Любви нельзя приказать. Нельзя просто так ходить за ручку в надежде, что вы влюбитесь. Особенно когда ты уже влюблена в кого-то другого. Ну а сам Эрик вроде и считается красавчиком, но он холоден, как льды Антарктиды. Ему с первого взгляда доверять нельзя.
Сиенна. Из всех персонажей она понравилась мне больше всего. Она хорошо исполняла роль лучшей подруги. Она единственная показалось мне по-настоящему живой, а не какой-нибудь сентиментальной и тухлой амебой. Ну а в конце я поняла, что она еще и твердо отстаивает свое мнение.
Были довольно-таки веселые моменты с друзьями, которых зачастую так не хватает в фантазийных произведениях. Я сидела и читала с улыбкой во все тридцать два зуба.
Также мне очень понравился последний бой. Чтобы победить Эрика нужна была не только сила физическая, но еще и поддержка нужных людей. Коул стал таким человеком. Он помог Лекси принять еще и решение. Было забавно читать в подобной книге, которая, казалось бы, наполнена отношениями и романтикой, вопросы типа «Куда спрячем труп?».
Сама концовка чересчур приторная, даже после того, как она была разбавлена отдалением от Сиенны. Любовь, секс, избавление от проклятия, спокойствие.
Очень порадовало читать не только про вампиров и ангелов, а про сирен. Я еще была не знакома с данным видом существ. Произведений про сирен не так уж и много, ну а найти что-то стоящее настоящая проблема. Ну а я нашла.
Лекси сама по себе очень нежное создание. Она живет с бабушкой и ухаживает за ней. Из-за своего проклятия она решила, что всякий, кто ей близок находится в смертельной опасности. Построила себе стены вокруг и надела маску. Она ужасно скорбит по своему парню, которого по-настоящему любила, и по своей прошлой жизни «Королевы школы».
Лучши друг погибшего парня, Коул, внезапно проявляет интерес к «бесчувственной» Лекси. Он сердцеед, да и вообще нагловатый, но кому это важно, когда он так мило улыбается и его волосы такие мягкие. Ванильная тупость. Ну и каким-то чудесным образом ему удается уговорить нашу героиню на свидание. На самом деле это был большой шаг со стороны девушки, и он подвигнул ее на дальнейшее вливание в общество после двухгодичного перерыва.
Эрик. Новенький мальчик, о котором никто ничего не знает. Ну и когда он говорит Лекси о своем проклятии, она конечно же в него верит. Как можно быть такой наивной? Ну а когда он заявляет, что может снять это самое проклятие с них двоих, в девушке загорается надежда. Бедная Лекси. Она настолько хотела избавиться от своего дара, что пошла на поводу у.. эм, первого встречного. Любви нельзя приказать. Нельзя просто так ходить за ручку в надежде, что вы влюбитесь. Особенно когда ты уже влюблена в кого-то другого. Ну а сам Эрик вроде и считается красавчиком, но он холоден, как льды Антарктиды. Ему с первого взгляда доверять нельзя.
Сиенна. Из всех персонажей она понравилась мне больше всего. Она хорошо исполняла роль лучшей подруги. Она единственная показалось мне по-настоящему живой, а не какой-нибудь сентиментальной и тухлой амебой. Ну а в конце я поняла, что она еще и твердо отстаивает свое мнение.
Были довольно-таки веселые моменты с друзьями, которых зачастую так не хватает в фантазийных произведениях. Я сидела и читала с улыбкой во все тридцать два зуба.
Также мне очень понравился последний бой. Чтобы победить Эрика нужна была не только сила физическая, но еще и поддержка нужных людей. Коул стал таким человеком. Он помог Лекси принять еще и решение. Было забавно читать в подобной книге, которая, казалось бы, наполнена отношениями и романтикой, вопросы типа «Куда спрячем труп?».
Сама концовка чересчур приторная, даже после того, как она была разбавлена отдалением от Сиенны. Любовь, секс, избавление от проклятия, спокойствие.
Очень порадовало читать не только про вампиров и ангелов, а про сирен. Я еще была не знакома с данным видом существ. Произведений про сирен не так уж и много, ну а найти что-то стоящее настоящая проблема. Ну а я нашла.
August 28, 2011
Soooo...this wasn't half bad, actually. I can't say I'm floored but I think it's safe to say that Ripple was an entertaining read and I don't regret reading it. The paranormal aspect of the story was ok, the romance cute and the story managed to keep my attention most of the time. Every now and then I felt like the author was giving me a little bit too many descriptions and I found myself mentally urging her on to get on with the important stuff already but otherwise I don't have any complaints. So, do I recommend this? I don't really know...if you have it lying around somewhere or if you're interested in the whole mermaid (or siren business, in this case) and you can get it from the lib or borrow it from a friend I'd say go ahead and give it a try. I wouldn't recommend you to go out and buy it, though. That's all I've got to say.
May 7, 2018
This book disappointed me cause cringe. There were two main love interests in this book and if you know me you know I love my reverse harem stories but like there was no chemistry between any of the characters so I didn't really enjoy this book.
November 15, 2011
So sad. So very, very sad. This book started with a lot of promise, with an interesting premise that had me staying up late to read. Then came a kiss that made me pause. The kiss itself was fine, but it made me wonder how far the author was going to take the physical aspect of the relationship. I skimmed the last quarter of the book, and yep, sure enough, a sex scene. Open door. IN A YA NOVEL. Grrrrrr. I'm so annoyed that this is increasingly acceptable. No, I do not live under a rock. I know it happens. Doesn't mean I'm okay with authors promoting it in a novel marketed to young teens. This is recommended on amazon.com for AGES 12 AND UP. I'm sorry, I don't think 12-year-olds need to be reading sex scenes.
December 13, 2020
Okay, you know what? I swear, I am giving out so many bad reviews today. Let's do this again... SPOILER ALERT!
Thanks for this one Ms. Hubbard. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though there were some things that bothered me... A LOT.
#1: The ending: I know that technically this shouldn't go first, but whatever. The ending bothered me because when you think ending you think "wrapped up" or getting you ready for a sequel with a cliffhanger. I understand that sometimes things need to stay broken. But when you lose someone close to you it is hard... even for me just reading about it.
#2: How much she just trusted everyone: She is broken, okay. She killed someone she loved unintentionally. How can it take her so long to get used to someone she used to know, but then just let go of everything to go to someone else. EVEN knowing that he is like her in a way. He has seen her and she hasn't seen him. It would bother me like crazy to know that stuff. Just like it did to me when reading this one.
#3: The way that this book portrayed her friendships and enemies: It seems like the world just got over her killing Steven. I mean come on. If you hate someone for long enough for something, it takes awhile to try to fix things. This book portrayed this in like 3 seconds, with the sister of the man who was killed. It bothered me like crazy.
Sorry about all of that. I really enjoyed the romance in this book, and I appreciate that it was clean. I LOVED how developed the characters were. This book was really "above and beyond" in that way. I just can't get myself to give a 4-5 star to this one because of the ranting I did above.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 5-7/10 (I would say a more mature reader could read this one a bit younger, but I would wait a bit longer. Check my profile for how I rate)
I hope you enjoyed my review :) Follow me for more like this. I LOVE to give/receive recommendations... so ask me for some of give me some of your favorites or really anything at all. Happy Reading! -Ruby Rose
Thanks for this one Ms. Hubbard. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though there were some things that bothered me... A LOT.
#1: The ending: I know that technically this shouldn't go first, but whatever. The ending bothered me because when you think ending you think "wrapped up" or getting you ready for a sequel with a cliffhanger. I understand that sometimes things need to stay broken. But when you lose someone close to you it is hard... even for me just reading about it.
#2: How much she just trusted everyone: She is broken, okay. She killed someone she loved unintentionally. How can it take her so long to get used to someone she used to know, but then just let go of everything to go to someone else. EVEN knowing that he is like her in a way. He has seen her and she hasn't seen him. It would bother me like crazy to know that stuff. Just like it did to me when reading this one.
#3: The way that this book portrayed her friendships and enemies: It seems like the world just got over her killing Steven. I mean come on. If you hate someone for long enough for something, it takes awhile to try to fix things. This book portrayed this in like 3 seconds, with the sister of the man who was killed. It bothered me like crazy.
Sorry about all of that. I really enjoyed the romance in this book, and I appreciate that it was clean. I LOVED how developed the characters were. This book was really "above and beyond" in that way. I just can't get myself to give a 4-5 star to this one because of the ranting I did above.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 5-7/10 (I would say a more mature reader could read this one a bit younger, but I would wait a bit longer. Check my profile for how I rate)
I hope you enjoyed my review :) Follow me for more like this. I LOVE to give/receive recommendations... so ask me for some of give me some of your favorites or really anything at all. Happy Reading! -Ruby Rose
August 5, 2012
2.5 stars
The idea of the book was cooler than the actual execution.
I thought it would be really interesting to read a book about a girl who finds out (the hard way) that she's a siren, but Hubbard's story didn't quite meet my expectations.
There were quite a few things I would have like to seen explored a bit more, but the threads of those plot lines were just dropped in favor of the romance. So, yeah, too many loose end for my taste.
It's not unreadable, it kept my attention, and it's a stand-alone novel (which is worth brownie points, in my book).
So if you're desperate to read a YA about a siren, then go ahead and give this a shot. Just don't expect all of your questions to be answered, and you should be fine.
The idea of the book was cooler than the actual execution.
I thought it would be really interesting to read a book about a girl who finds out (the hard way) that she's a siren, but Hubbard's story didn't quite meet my expectations.
There were quite a few things I would have like to seen explored a bit more, but the threads of those plot lines were just dropped in favor of the romance. So, yeah, too many loose end for my taste.
It's not unreadable, it kept my attention, and it's a stand-alone novel (which is worth brownie points, in my book).
So if you're desperate to read a YA about a siren, then go ahead and give this a shot. Just don't expect all of your questions to be answered, and you should be fine.
September 26, 2011
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked this book up. My sister wanted to read it and thought I may like it as well. I'm very happy she suggested it to me. Lexi's character is someone most high school girls can relate to or at least understand. It is so easy one day for everything to be perfect and then something unexpected, and unpredictable happens that changes everything.
Cole was someone I wasn't sure about at first, but from the moment Lexi spotted him at her lake in the very beginning I just knew he would be the one to help her. Erik is one of those too perfect characters that you already know that he's not all he's cracked up to be. Sienna I was hoping she wouldn't be the person who couldn't understand what happened, however I knew it could happen. I think this was a very good story and actually brought tears to my eyes a few times. Maybe that is due to the fact I had just finished The Hidden by Jessica Verday, but these stories have been hitting my heart lately.
Cole was someone I wasn't sure about at first, but from the moment Lexi spotted him at her lake in the very beginning I just knew he would be the one to help her. Erik is one of those too perfect characters that you already know that he's not all he's cracked up to be. Sienna I was hoping she wouldn't be the person who couldn't understand what happened, however I knew it could happen. I think this was a very good story and actually brought tears to my eyes a few times. Maybe that is due to the fact I had just finished The Hidden by Jessica Verday, but these stories have been hitting my heart lately.
September 7, 2016
I knew this was going to be bad, I knew it. But it said mermaid and I couldn't stop myself. So much regret.
So... mermaids are cool. Lets write a book about a mermaid. Lets mention that the main character - her name shall be Lexi - is a mermaid/siren/cursed blah blah blah within the first chapter. Lets also hint at the tragic death of her first love Steven, who died because...
dun dun dunnnn... she killed him.
Gasp! The horror!
Lets then proceed to - instead of telling a dark, creepy mermaid/siren tale about dead lovers etc etc - tell a romance story that involves, not one, not two but THREE boys. Because everyone else has love triangles and we so dont want to copy that stupid trend. Three!!! Wow, it must be awesome being Lexi. (I'm including Steven in this three, even though he's already dead he gets mentioned enough to still be a deal-breaker).
Thats the basic issue with this story I had. I had lots of issues. Let me dot point the ways.
--> Nonsensical use of the word love. Why does Lexi continuously tell the reader her first love was Steven, whom she murdered? That makes it sound like he was her boyfriend for a long time and she tragically killed him when her mermaid/siren tendencies manifested during her 16th birthday.
The real deal was this: Lexi had a crush on Steven. She did not know he returned this crush. She found out at her birthday and they kiss. She then takes him to the ocean and - oopsie - sings her pretty siren song and drowns the poor guy to death.
Um, at what point is that considered love? Girl, you weren't even dating him. Its called a crush.
Is it love? Or a crush?
They arent the same thing!
--> Why do these books keep happening (and why do I keep getting sucked in)?
This is an issue with me. Must.Stop.Buying.These.Books.
--> The plot elements were poor. Why is it so easy for Lexi to jump from Cole to Eric? She doesnt even have to force herself to be with Eric, she actually enjoys herself (with small side points of jealous aimed at Cole when he turns up at events with other girls. Um, pot, kettle, calling something a dark colour). This was a clear indicator of weak writing. Instead of letting the story go where it needs ti it feels like everything is shoe-horned in perfectly to the point where it feels forced.
It was a poor effort and the story (well, what little story there was) suffered for it.
These are just some of the ways in which I was unsatisfied with Ripple.
So... mermaids are cool. Lets write a book about a mermaid. Lets mention that the main character - her name shall be Lexi - is a mermaid/siren/cursed blah blah blah within the first chapter. Lets also hint at the tragic death of her first love Steven, who died because...
dun dun dunnnn... she killed him.
Gasp! The horror!
Lets then proceed to - instead of telling a dark, creepy mermaid/siren tale about dead lovers etc etc - tell a romance story that involves, not one, not two but THREE boys. Because everyone else has love triangles and we so dont want to copy that stupid trend. Three!!! Wow, it must be awesome being Lexi. (I'm including Steven in this three, even though he's already dead he gets mentioned enough to still be a deal-breaker).
Thats the basic issue with this story I had. I had lots of issues. Let me dot point the ways.
--> Nonsensical use of the word love. Why does Lexi continuously tell the reader her first love was Steven, whom she murdered? That makes it sound like he was her boyfriend for a long time and she tragically killed him when her mermaid/siren tendencies manifested during her 16th birthday.
The real deal was this: Lexi had a crush on Steven. She did not know he returned this crush. She found out at her birthday and they kiss. She then takes him to the ocean and - oopsie - sings her pretty siren song and drowns the poor guy to death.
Um, at what point is that considered love? Girl, you weren't even dating him. Its called a crush.
Is it love? Or a crush?
They arent the same thing!
--> Why do these books keep happening (and why do I keep getting sucked in)?
This is an issue with me. Must.Stop.Buying.These.Books.
--> The plot elements were poor. Why is it so easy for Lexi to jump from Cole to Eric? She doesnt even have to force herself to be with Eric, she actually enjoys herself (with small side points of jealous aimed at Cole when he turns up at events with other girls. Um, pot, kettle, calling something a dark colour). This was a clear indicator of weak writing. Instead of letting the story go where it needs ti it feels like everything is shoe-horned in perfectly to the point where it feels forced.
It was a poor effort and the story (well, what little story there was) suffered for it.
These are just some of the ways in which I was unsatisfied with Ripple.
July 28, 2011
I'm telling you, Lexi, the main character in this one was bipolar! At the beginning of the book we learn that she killed the boy she had a crush on because she is a Siren and didn't know what she was doing. Life used to be great with all her friends and Bubbly Mcbubbles hadn't a care in the world. Then (and understandably so) after she kills the guy she loved, she sulks around as the ice queen glaring and snapping at her ex-friends. Then Cole, who never talked to her up to this point, suddenly decides to talk to her. Five seconds later...they're in love! Lexi's acting bubbly again making up with her ex-best friend and not overly concerned that she might kill them all! Then enter Erik, the guy who can cure Lexi's curse. All she has to do is fall in love with him, so she drops Cole, goes into Super Bubbly mode and starts dating Erik. Suddenly all that depression and ice queeniness comes back into play and she decides maybe she doesn't want to be with Erik. She dumps him, starts moping about and then almost accidentally kills Cole. Then, and at this point I'm getting pissed, Erik turns bad tries to kill her and Cole, so she kills Erik. Not two seconds later, her and Cole are laughing about something and after ditching the body they go home and have sex! Wow, so glad she gives a dang about killing someone. Suddenly Mcbubbles is back...but for how long?! Duh duh duhn! And all this took place in a mere 260 pages! I don't think so! Save yourself the frustration. Bad editing and sloppy story telling do not a good book make!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2011
Plot= I never read any sirens books before this one was great I just loved the story. Each page makes me wanting for more when I got to the end of the page i was disappointed.
Characters= Lexi is the character i loved strong and weak at the same time. She killed her before when she discover she was a siren and she hope she didn't make the same mistake. Cole is a character I love he is unpredictable but I love how he cares about her. Lexi's friend I don't remember at first I hate her and wanted to punch her when she found out the truth about her brother's death I was happy she and Lexi's recover. Lexi's kind a nux came and I love that he was dark and mysterious at first I thought he was good but at the end when he became dangerous and the struggle between Lexi and him I was saying to my book please Lexi win I never got soo emotion on any book before.
Setting= I wanted to go to the beach where Lexi swims to control her pain. How the author's describes it was beautiful.
Cover= I adore the cover, the scales on Lexi's legs was made beautifully. The background the storm is just the picture on every readers minds. I went online and search up the real models they were stunning also.
This book is beautiful, intense and certainly a masterpiece.
Characters= Lexi is the character i loved strong and weak at the same time. She killed her before when she discover she was a siren and she hope she didn't make the same mistake. Cole is a character I love he is unpredictable but I love how he cares about her. Lexi's friend I don't remember at first I hate her and wanted to punch her when she found out the truth about her brother's death I was happy she and Lexi's recover. Lexi's kind a nux came and I love that he was dark and mysterious at first I thought he was good but at the end when he became dangerous and the struggle between Lexi and him I was saying to my book please Lexi win I never got soo emotion on any book before.
Setting= I wanted to go to the beach where Lexi swims to control her pain. How the author's describes it was beautiful.
Cover= I adore the cover, the scales on Lexi's legs was made beautifully. The background the storm is just the picture on every readers minds. I went online and search up the real models they were stunning also.
This book is beautiful, intense and certainly a masterpiece.
April 26, 2011
I love this take on sirens, I love the setting (the northwestern US coast will never get old to me!), and I LOVED the main character. Lexi is tough yet sympathetic, sad yet hopeful, and faced with a really tough decision. Up until the very end, I had no idea which path she would choose, and once she makes her choice...well, let's just say it's QUITE an exciting ending.
If you enjoy YA paranormal romance, then DON'T miss this!
If you enjoy YA paranormal romance, then DON'T miss this!
July 22, 2011
WOW. This book was fantastic. I loved every page. And now i'm going to go cry because it's over. P DOT S- I'm IN LOVE with Cole.
October 3, 2011
What happened here? This, I'm very sad to say, isn't good. I really enjoyed Hubbard's Prada and Prejudice and You Wish, but this one was bad.
The protagonist was responsible for a death and by the end it's just sort of, "oh, well, nothing I could do about it, sorry about your luck" and I really didn't care for the way this played out. She says she feels guilty, that it will never happen again and yet, the first chance she gets, she's willing to put another boy's life on the line, because of his dark wavy hair and his swirling hazel eyes.
For this story to actually work, I need to like Lexi and I don't, don't care about her, don't care about her relationship to Cole. All of the plot here is merely lukewarm, never really engaging me in the story.
And here is a big question for all YA authors: Why must your character always be in AP classes? I get that you are trying to inform me that they are smart so they are in AP English or AP Chemisty or AP Trigonometry, but then you have a character that is so incredibly stupid that I'm guessing that AP means Arrogant Posturing or Absolute Pinheads or Addlepated Phonies because the people in these classes ain't smart, my friends, nope, they surely ain't.
How about creating intelligent characters that show their smarts by the things they do? Seriously, who the heck is in the sad, pathetic regular curriculum? No one ever is. Lexi is supposedly so intelligent. She had a 4.0 cruising along until she accidentally killed someone and felt such guilt that she dropped a few tenths of a point.
So, this brilliant girl (who has killed someone) gets this very old journal that tells all about the curse on her and her ancestors, etc. This girl, this 4.0 AP girl, reads the beginning and then just flips by the rest of it until she comes to her mother's story. Huh? This is all about the curse, the curse that makes her kill people, but she's too busy worrying over which boy she'll kiss today (yes, bit of an overstatement, but still) to take the time to actualy READ THE DANG THING!This. Is. Silly. And as a reader of Lexi's story, I felt very shortchanged that we didn't actually get to know what was in the book. I kept hoping that the book would give her some clues about what was happening, some clue about the nix, what they are, etc. But nope.
In truth, this book is less about a curse, or a mermaid or a death than it is a simple convoluted, for-no-reason, love triangle.
Lexi likes Cole, but she must fall in love with Erik. Blech.
There is far too much minutiae about nothing. What this house looks like or how the lake feels or what she ate or cleaning the house, even. This could be a short story if we took out all the stuff that adds nothing to anything. The Homecoming dance where they all go together in a limo so that Lexi can feel bad that the boy she dumped has the audacity to have a date of his own! How dare he? What a cad!
One last thing. I know this is YA paranormal romance and I need to suspend my disbelief in order to get caught up in the story and I know I'm supposed to ignore small inconsistencies. But when the evil one is thwarted, the evil one is half-human, half-red-scaly-tentacle-legged thing and they decide to dump this creature in the river because it will be swept out to sea and since it's hundreds of years old, it won't be a problem if anyone finds it. Hmmmm. I kind of think if a half-human/half-red-scaly-tentacle-legged-thing gets fished out of the ocean, someone somewhere is going to be wondering what the heck this things is and where the heck this thing came from. Just saying.
So, I have enjoyed Mandy Hubbard's books in the past and I will likely try what she writes in the future, but this one, it's a mess and I can't recommend it. Sorry Mandy.
The protagonist was responsible for a death and by the end it's just sort of, "oh, well, nothing I could do about it, sorry about your luck" and I really didn't care for the way this played out. She says she feels guilty, that it will never happen again and yet, the first chance she gets, she's willing to put another boy's life on the line, because of his dark wavy hair and his swirling hazel eyes.
For this story to actually work, I need to like Lexi and I don't, don't care about her, don't care about her relationship to Cole. All of the plot here is merely lukewarm, never really engaging me in the story.
And here is a big question for all YA authors: Why must your character always be in AP classes? I get that you are trying to inform me that they are smart so they are in AP English or AP Chemisty or AP Trigonometry, but then you have a character that is so incredibly stupid that I'm guessing that AP means Arrogant Posturing or Absolute Pinheads or Addlepated Phonies because the people in these classes ain't smart, my friends, nope, they surely ain't.
How about creating intelligent characters that show their smarts by the things they do? Seriously, who the heck is in the sad, pathetic regular curriculum? No one ever is. Lexi is supposedly so intelligent. She had a 4.0 cruising along until she accidentally killed someone and felt such guilt that she dropped a few tenths of a point.
So, this brilliant girl (who has killed someone) gets this very old journal that tells all about the curse on her and her ancestors, etc. This girl, this 4.0 AP girl, reads the beginning and then just flips by the rest of it until she comes to her mother's story. Huh? This is all about the curse, the curse that makes her kill people, but she's too busy worrying over which boy she'll kiss today (yes, bit of an overstatement, but still) to take the time to actualy READ THE DANG THING!This. Is. Silly. And as a reader of Lexi's story, I felt very shortchanged that we didn't actually get to know what was in the book. I kept hoping that the book would give her some clues about what was happening, some clue about the nix, what they are, etc. But nope.
In truth, this book is less about a curse, or a mermaid or a death than it is a simple convoluted, for-no-reason, love triangle.
Lexi likes Cole, but she must fall in love with Erik. Blech.
There is far too much minutiae about nothing. What this house looks like or how the lake feels or what she ate or cleaning the house, even. This could be a short story if we took out all the stuff that adds nothing to anything. The Homecoming dance where they all go together in a limo so that Lexi can feel bad that the boy she dumped has the audacity to have a date of his own! How dare he? What a cad!
One last thing. I know this is YA paranormal romance and I need to suspend my disbelief in order to get caught up in the story and I know I'm supposed to ignore small inconsistencies. But when the evil one is thwarted, the evil one is half-human, half-red-scaly-tentacle-legged thing and they decide to dump this creature in the river because it will be swept out to sea and since it's hundreds of years old, it won't be a problem if anyone finds it. Hmmmm. I kind of think if a half-human/half-red-scaly-tentacle-legged-thing gets fished out of the ocean, someone somewhere is going to be wondering what the heck this things is and where the heck this thing came from. Just saying.
So, I have enjoyed Mandy Hubbard's books in the past and I will likely try what she writes in the future, but this one, it's a mess and I can't recommend it. Sorry Mandy.
June 18, 2012
I've never read anything else by Mandy Hubbard before but I've seen on other reviews that her other books are much better than this one. So maybe someday I will give those a try. For now though I'm done with her books for a while. This one was just not good enough to make me want to keep reading her work.
The fact that this book wasn't part of a series was refreshing, however, I felt like it could have been a longer book. It felt really rushed, especially at the end. There was no reason to fill the first three quarters of the book with dribble about Lexi wanting a normal life, Lexi wanting her friends back and Lexi putting Cole's life in danger because she really likes him. Nothing at all happened in this book until the end where it all kind of smooshed together and didn't flow well at all.
The part that was most annoying to me was that Sienna turned everybody else in school against Lexi and they all treated her like shit for two years because they all thought she was responsible for Steven's death when the coroner declared it an accidental drowning. They were apparently best friends before. What a nice friend. And then when she finds Lexi at Steven's grave and she see's that she DOES care about the fact that Steven died it's perfectly okay again. Why would you want Sienna as a friend again? She was a complete bitch to you! You hated each others guts for two years! That doesn't just magically go away. So not only did we spend at least a quarter of the book on Sienna and Lexi's relationship but in the end it doesn't even matter.
Another annoying part was the timeline of this book. Hubbard would write a paragraph (literally) and then in the next paragraph it would be three days later. It just seemed like an odd way to write and I didn't like it. There was also important stuff that we missed during these periods of Lexi's life that Hubbard decided not to write about. After Lexi finds out she is a siren from the book her mother left her there is a huge time gap in which she fills a notebook with research on siren's but we don't get to see any of that. That's important plot material! Way more important than the unessecary scenes with her and Cole and her with Erik. Fuck, I'd go so far as to say its way more of an important plot piece than most of the other scenes in the book.
Finally the last thing I have to say is this book was boring. Nothing happened until the last few chapters and the rest was just filler. The characters were also flat. They didn't have anything unique about them. Also it would be nice in the future Hubbard if you refrained from having your character bite her lip so goddamn much! Thank you.
The fact that this book wasn't part of a series was refreshing, however, I felt like it could have been a longer book. It felt really rushed, especially at the end. There was no reason to fill the first three quarters of the book with dribble about Lexi wanting a normal life, Lexi wanting her friends back and Lexi putting Cole's life in danger because she really likes him. Nothing at all happened in this book until the end where it all kind of smooshed together and didn't flow well at all.
The part that was most annoying to me was that Sienna turned everybody else in school against Lexi and they all treated her like shit for two years because they all thought she was responsible for Steven's death when the coroner declared it an accidental drowning. They were apparently best friends before. What a nice friend. And then when she finds Lexi at Steven's grave and she see's that she DOES care about the fact that Steven died it's perfectly okay again. Why would you want Sienna as a friend again? She was a complete bitch to you! You hated each others guts for two years! That doesn't just magically go away. So not only did we spend at least a quarter of the book on Sienna and Lexi's relationship but in the end it doesn't even matter.
Another annoying part was the timeline of this book. Hubbard would write a paragraph (literally) and then in the next paragraph it would be three days later. It just seemed like an odd way to write and I didn't like it. There was also important stuff that we missed during these periods of Lexi's life that Hubbard decided not to write about. After Lexi finds out she is a siren from the book her mother left her there is a huge time gap in which she fills a notebook with research on siren's but we don't get to see any of that. That's important plot material! Way more important than the unessecary scenes with her and Cole and her with Erik. Fuck, I'd go so far as to say its way more of an important plot piece than most of the other scenes in the book.
Finally the last thing I have to say is this book was boring. Nothing happened until the last few chapters and the rest was just filler. The characters were also flat. They didn't have anything unique about them. Also it would be nice in the future Hubbard if you refrained from having your character bite her lip so goddamn much! Thank you.
October 20, 2011
Maybe I'm not into mermaids/sirens because I just couldn't get into this book. There's been so many vampire books that I thought I would try something a bit different. Not to be mean, but to be honest this book was SUPER boring!
The whole book was Lexi going on dates with two boys. One is a human (Cole) that she really likes, but knows will never accept the 'monster' she is. The other boy (Erik) is a nix that understands what she is and thinks if they're together they can break the siren/nix curse. I wasn't much into either boy. I want a book that will suck me into the romance and the romance in this book was 'meh'. Especially Cole� I thought he was a bit dull. Even though you find out about how Erik , at least he was somewhat more interesting. Lexi and Cole were boring together and I thought that they a bit too soon. I don't I just didn't feel the chemistry and that they really knew all too much about each other.
There's a scene where they go to the homecoming dance. I don't know about anyone else, but at my school nobody rented limos and bought corsages for a homecoming dance. It was just strange and over-the-top. Where I went to high school, the only time people went to all that trouble was prom.
The only part of this book that was vaguely interesting was the end, and even the twist was a bit lame. Overall, I just thought this book was boring. I felt like it needed some kind of conflict throughout or at least something exciting to happen...
The whole book was Lexi going on dates with two boys. One is a human (Cole) that she really likes, but knows will never accept the 'monster' she is. The other boy (Erik) is a nix that understands what she is and thinks if they're together they can break the siren/nix curse. I wasn't much into either boy. I want a book that will suck me into the romance and the romance in this book was 'meh'. Especially Cole� I thought he was a bit dull. Even though you find out about how Erik , at least he was somewhat more interesting. Lexi and Cole were boring together and I thought that they a bit too soon. I don't I just didn't feel the chemistry and that they really knew all too much about each other.
There's a scene where they go to the homecoming dance. I don't know about anyone else, but at my school nobody rented limos and bought corsages for a homecoming dance. It was just strange and over-the-top. Where I went to high school, the only time people went to all that trouble was prom.
The only part of this book that was vaguely interesting was the end, and even the twist was a bit lame. Overall, I just thought this book was boring. I felt like it needed some kind of conflict throughout or at least something exciting to happen...
October 10, 2011
I’ve been trying to stay away from Paranormal YA since I rarely seem to enjoy them lately. Nevertheless, I picked up a copy of Ripple because I’ve never read anything involving sirens. And hey, it’s a stand-alone novel � something extremely rare in Paranormal YA.
It was a quick read and it was interesting to learn about Lexi’s curse - though I wish the siren mythology was explored a little more. It was easy to empathize with Lexi and I could just imagine how hard the situation was for her and how difficult it must have been to shut everyone out to ensure their safety. When the opportunity to break her curse came up, I understood her decision, though I didn’t necessarily agree with it.
However, I felt that the story was a bit too predictable. There was a bit of a twist near the end,but everything worked out exactly how I expected it to. The romance, although sweet, wasn’t really something swoon-worthy � I was hoping for something with a little bit more intensity.
Also, I’ve got a few issues with the cover of this book. I thought the colors and the scales-effect on Lexi’s legs were pretty, but I thought her position and posture was kind of awkward. And Cole looks nothing like what I imagined him to be. Maybe that had something to do with my not getting on board the romance as much as I wanted to.
So, while I didn’t hate the book, I can’t say that I really liked it either.:(
It was a quick read and it was interesting to learn about Lexi’s curse - though I wish the siren mythology was explored a little more. It was easy to empathize with Lexi and I could just imagine how hard the situation was for her and how difficult it must have been to shut everyone out to ensure their safety. When the opportunity to break her curse came up, I understood her decision, though I didn’t necessarily agree with it.
However, I felt that the story was a bit too predictable. There was a bit of a twist near the end,but everything worked out exactly how I expected it to. The romance, although sweet, wasn’t really something swoon-worthy � I was hoping for something with a little bit more intensity.
Also, I’ve got a few issues with the cover of this book. I thought the colors and the scales-effect on Lexi’s legs were pretty, but I thought her position and posture was kind of awkward. And Cole looks nothing like what I imagined him to be. Maybe that had something to do with my not getting on board the romance as much as I wanted to.
So, while I didn’t hate the book, I can’t say that I really liked it either.:(
April 13, 2011
Lexi used to be a normal teenage girl, with friends and a boyfriend named Steven. But then, on her sixteenth birthday, Steven died because of her. Lexi is cursed - she is a siren who must swim every night, luring people to their deaths. To try and protect everyone from her, she refuses to get close to anyone and goes every night to an isolated lake to swim alone. But then one night Cole, who was Steven’s best friend, finds her lake. Lexi is attracted to Cole, but she pushes him away because she is afraid she will hurt him. Meanwhile, Erik, another student at school, tells Lexi of a way she could break her curse and live a normal life, but it would mean giving up Cole forever.
I was interested in Ripple because I like fantasy and paranormal novels but haven’t read very many recently because I am sick of vampires, werewolves, etc and I thought a book about a siren would be different. I never really connected to the characters though and I found the ending and who the villain was to be predictable. If you love paranormal romances and want to read something different this book isn’t bad, but I thought it was just okay and nothing special.
I was interested in Ripple because I like fantasy and paranormal novels but haven’t read very many recently because I am sick of vampires, werewolves, etc and I thought a book about a siren would be different. I never really connected to the characters though and I found the ending and who the villain was to be predictable. If you love paranormal romances and want to read something different this book isn’t bad, but I thought it was just okay and nothing special.
August 15, 2011
I really liked this book. Apart from The Thirteenth Year, Greek mythology, and The Little Mermaid it's my first time experiencing anything that's about mermaids- or sirens-, and I really enjoyed it. And yes, it was Amazing, but so short! I finished it in a couple hours! I kinda wish it was longer, but I wouldn't want Ms.Hubbard to ruin the beautiful ending it already has. Fell in love with Steven, Lia, Cole, and Sienna, and was amused at the irony that Eric, the ever-so-dashing prince pratically transported from The Little Mermaid- which was mentioned often in the book- was the bad guy who didn't get the girl- Hahaha. I was sad for Sienna in the end, for losing her brother,parents, and best friend, for being left alone with feelings of grief, hatred,and betrayal, and for her lonlieness- even when surrounded by her friends at school. If there was to be a continuation of this book someday, I hope it centers around her finding her own happiness- although maybe I'm wrong for discounting Patrick so quickly... Oh, well. Loved the book. Loved the Siren. Loved the Writing. Loved the mood. I love the ocean, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2011
So, I may be a bit biased since I do have a thing for sirens... but even with that Ripple was a fantastic read!
I love Mandy's easy and fun writing style, it never takes me long to read them because I just can't put the story down... and it's easy to think that I've only been reading for a few minutes when it's actually been a few hours. I loved the romance, and the characters, and the translation of the siren mythology.
Lexi was such a great character, and realistically flawed. I think that's what made her so easy to read about, she's very easy to empathize with. And even though some of her decisions aren't the smartest ones, you can almost justify her reasoning in making them. I did not see the love triangle aspect coming, and really I wouldn't even call it a love triangle, there is a lot more going on there. And I was glad that it worked out the way that it did.... and I can say that I didn't expect what happened. Wow... that was CRAZY!
Cute, fun, and the perfect summer read on the beach... or at the lake!
I really need more Lexi, and more Cole!
I love Mandy's easy and fun writing style, it never takes me long to read them because I just can't put the story down... and it's easy to think that I've only been reading for a few minutes when it's actually been a few hours. I loved the romance, and the characters, and the translation of the siren mythology.
Lexi was such a great character, and realistically flawed. I think that's what made her so easy to read about, she's very easy to empathize with. And even though some of her decisions aren't the smartest ones, you can almost justify her reasoning in making them. I did not see the love triangle aspect coming, and really I wouldn't even call it a love triangle, there is a lot more going on there. And I was glad that it worked out the way that it did.... and I can say that I didn't expect what happened. Wow... that was CRAZY!
Cute, fun, and the perfect summer read on the beach... or at the lake!
I really need more Lexi, and more Cole!
July 30, 2015
Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
There’s something different about “Ripple� than anything else I’ve ever read, something about the way it’s written, the characters, the curse� It was a real current ride where I just didn’t know where I was going to end up next.
Mandy Hubbard lays it on thick that the protagonist, Lexi, is suffering deeply, drowning in sorrow, and treading water just to keep her friends safe and sound. Lexi isn’t exactly The Little Mermaid like most would expect, she’s a siren, a killer, forced to swim at night rather than sleep. I found myself rooting for Lexi to swim through those murky waters and find freedom. I wanted her to go back to her old life, her friends, to enjoy it. Yet, I love the dark brooding secret she harbors. It’s intriguing and I loved every word of it!
Anticipating, dark, and lovable, Ripple is short and to the point rather than annoyingly drawn out. It’s a book that girls would mainly enjoy, anyone in high school, and it’s not a challenging read, but it does make you think and wonder.
There’s something different about “Ripple� than anything else I’ve ever read, something about the way it’s written, the characters, the curse� It was a real current ride where I just didn’t know where I was going to end up next.
Mandy Hubbard lays it on thick that the protagonist, Lexi, is suffering deeply, drowning in sorrow, and treading water just to keep her friends safe and sound. Lexi isn’t exactly The Little Mermaid like most would expect, she’s a siren, a killer, forced to swim at night rather than sleep. I found myself rooting for Lexi to swim through those murky waters and find freedom. I wanted her to go back to her old life, her friends, to enjoy it. Yet, I love the dark brooding secret she harbors. It’s intriguing and I loved every word of it!
Anticipating, dark, and lovable, Ripple is short and to the point rather than annoyingly drawn out. It’s a book that girls would mainly enjoy, anyone in high school, and it’s not a challenging read, but it does make you think and wonder.
October 28, 2016
I'm finally getting around to writing a review for this book. I really liked it, I hadn't read a mermaid book in quite some time. Keep in mind, this is a Siren novel it's not about mermaids. It was a fun read, and I never knew who to trust. I just found it predictable in some parts, and I wanted more of an ending. I would like an epilogue as well.
It is a bit more dark in other siren books, but it was really good. I definitely recommend it!
It is a bit more dark in other siren books, but it was really good. I definitely recommend it!
February 6, 2023
i finnished this book in a span of 4 hours
Febuary 5th 2023
As always, amazing book
Febuary 5th 2023
As always, amazing book
May 9, 2011
I definitely found a new supernatural creature that I love. Sirens= awesome. And they make for a very interesting story as well. I don’t really know what I was expecting when I started reading this, but in the end I really enjoyed it. It’s the traditional love story of wanting what you can’t have, but in this case it’s because of a curse. With every supernatural sect of YA lit there is always the complications of cross species dating. I’m immortal, you’re human, our relationship is doomed from the start. However, in Ripple this is taken to a whole new level. Surprisingly enough it didn’t come off cheesy. I’m always so worried about this type of romance, but I really did enjoy how things played out for Lexi and Cole.
Lexi is a Siren and is cursed to live a life of loneliness. The night she came into her birthright she killed the boy she loved, and for the past two years she has been punishing herself for it. Her former friends blame her for the boys death, though they don’t know how right they are. In order to keep people safe from herself, she puts herself in isolation. No friends, no social life, and most importantly no love. She swims in secret up in the mountains, far away from anyone that might hear her deadly song. Yet the first day of her senior year, one small gesture begins to melt Lexi’s heart. Cole, her former loves best friend, tries to include her. He genuinely seems to try and get to know her and tries to draw Lexi out of her shell. Soon, all of Lexi’s walls start crumbling around her as Cole grows closer and closer.
Lexi’s story is truly heart breaking. To be responsible for the death of the person you love is a fate I would not wish on anyone. The guilt alone would be enough to drive a person insane with grief. Lexi couldn’t help it, and she didn’t know what she was doing, but those facts seem irrelevant in comparison to what she lost. She’s shut herself off from the rest of the world, not out of self pity or depression, but to keep people safe. She’s terrified she will accidentally kill some unlucky passerby and does everything she can to keep people away. With a horrible past like Lexi’s one would expect her to be mopey and full of angst. However, Lexi is much stronger than that. She was a deeply admirable character with great strength. Her dad abandoned her and her mother when she was young and her mother killed herself. All she has left is her grandmother, and the way she looks after her is so sweet. I can’t imagine having to go through everything Lexi has and remain a genuinely nice person. She is truly the most admirable MC I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. For lack of a better word, she was awesome. I loved reading about her story and I was rooting for her to find happiness the whole time, because she truly deserves it.
I’m usually such a harsh critic on love stories, but I absolutely adored Ripple’s. Cole has no ulterior motive for talking to Lexi other than just being nice. He can’t stand the fact that he hasn’t spoken up sooner and has let Lexi suffer in solitude for the past two years. The way they fall for each other is so natural and truly embodies what love is supposed to be. What I loved in particular was the way Cole always asked “Are you okay?� or some variant. You’d think that a question like that would be annoying, but the situations where he said it, revealed his deep intuition for Lexie’s feelings and emotions. To know someone that well and care for their well-being was truly amazing.
Yes there is a love triangle of sorts. And guess what? I absolutely didn’t hate it. And I didn’t despise Lexi for it. First. Time. Ever. And it will probably never happen again so make note of it. Usually love triangles are “you’re my friend, but he’s hawt� type dumb ass conflicts. My hatred is palpable. Yet in Ripple it just made sense. In truth, it wasn’t a legit love triangle so that’s probably a major reason I didn’t hate it, but still, it counts.
I could probably keep rambling forever about what I loved about this book. It was excellently paced, the story was great, and it had equal parts of tragedy, hope, and love. I have not one criticism. I enjoyed it that much. I even got my happy ending! I’m 95% sure this is a stand alone novel, but I wouldn’t know out maybe different stories in the same realm. That would be awesome. I’m ecstatic that this story isn’t going to be drawn out into a trilogy. I love ‘em, but honestly sometimes they tire me out. Once again, I’m not for sure, but considering the story had a very good conclusion I’m not expecting more. I’m definitely going to have to read more by this author though, because I’m hooked. A truly wonderful love story.
Lexi is a Siren and is cursed to live a life of loneliness. The night she came into her birthright she killed the boy she loved, and for the past two years she has been punishing herself for it. Her former friends blame her for the boys death, though they don’t know how right they are. In order to keep people safe from herself, she puts herself in isolation. No friends, no social life, and most importantly no love. She swims in secret up in the mountains, far away from anyone that might hear her deadly song. Yet the first day of her senior year, one small gesture begins to melt Lexi’s heart. Cole, her former loves best friend, tries to include her. He genuinely seems to try and get to know her and tries to draw Lexi out of her shell. Soon, all of Lexi’s walls start crumbling around her as Cole grows closer and closer.
Lexi’s story is truly heart breaking. To be responsible for the death of the person you love is a fate I would not wish on anyone. The guilt alone would be enough to drive a person insane with grief. Lexi couldn’t help it, and she didn’t know what she was doing, but those facts seem irrelevant in comparison to what she lost. She’s shut herself off from the rest of the world, not out of self pity or depression, but to keep people safe. She’s terrified she will accidentally kill some unlucky passerby and does everything she can to keep people away. With a horrible past like Lexi’s one would expect her to be mopey and full of angst. However, Lexi is much stronger than that. She was a deeply admirable character with great strength. Her dad abandoned her and her mother when she was young and her mother killed herself. All she has left is her grandmother, and the way she looks after her is so sweet. I can’t imagine having to go through everything Lexi has and remain a genuinely nice person. She is truly the most admirable MC I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. For lack of a better word, she was awesome. I loved reading about her story and I was rooting for her to find happiness the whole time, because she truly deserves it.
I’m usually such a harsh critic on love stories, but I absolutely adored Ripple’s. Cole has no ulterior motive for talking to Lexi other than just being nice. He can’t stand the fact that he hasn’t spoken up sooner and has let Lexi suffer in solitude for the past two years. The way they fall for each other is so natural and truly embodies what love is supposed to be. What I loved in particular was the way Cole always asked “Are you okay?� or some variant. You’d think that a question like that would be annoying, but the situations where he said it, revealed his deep intuition for Lexie’s feelings and emotions. To know someone that well and care for their well-being was truly amazing.
Yes there is a love triangle of sorts. And guess what? I absolutely didn’t hate it. And I didn’t despise Lexi for it. First. Time. Ever. And it will probably never happen again so make note of it. Usually love triangles are “you’re my friend, but he’s hawt� type dumb ass conflicts. My hatred is palpable. Yet in Ripple it just made sense. In truth, it wasn’t a legit love triangle so that’s probably a major reason I didn’t hate it, but still, it counts.
I could probably keep rambling forever about what I loved about this book. It was excellently paced, the story was great, and it had equal parts of tragedy, hope, and love. I have not one criticism. I enjoyed it that much. I even got my happy ending! I’m 95% sure this is a stand alone novel, but I wouldn’t know out maybe different stories in the same realm. That would be awesome. I’m ecstatic that this story isn’t going to be drawn out into a trilogy. I love ‘em, but honestly sometimes they tire me out. Once again, I’m not for sure, but considering the story had a very good conclusion I’m not expecting more. I’m definitely going to have to read more by this author though, because I’m hooked. A truly wonderful love story.
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