download android app mobile version available »

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Ripple

by Mandy Hubbard (Goodreads Author)

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 3,375 ratings · 434 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 260 pages

Published July 21st 2011 by Razorbill/Penguin

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Beautiful Book Covers of 2011

41st out of 744 books — 3,776 voters

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

YA Novels of 2011

77th out of 1,169 books — 6,218 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 15, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: pn-sea-creatures, heroines-wimpy, read-2011, young-adult, 2011-publication, supportive-author

I’ve summarized the first 25 chapters of Ripple in case you’d like an idea of what this book is about.

(view spoiler)...more I’ve summarized the first 25 chapters of Ripple in case you’d like an idea of what this book is about.

(view spoiler)[ Girl meets Boy 1. Girl goes swimming, boy wanders into the ocean, and drowns.

Two years later, girl watches as Boy 2 prevents her from swimming in a lake with “frustration boiling in (her) veins.” He skips rocks like a seasoned pro, moving with confident ease, like a guy comfortable in his own skin.

Girl feels both “stabbed in the stomach” and “stabbed in the chest” in Chapter Two. Apparently a curse on her family means that she, a siren, is doomed to swim in the ocean every night instead of sleeping, and she lures men to their deaths with her singing.

Girl cooks dinner for grandma, smiles at the straight As on her homework, is paired up with Boy 2 for a random school project, plays Scrabble, goes to study at Boy 2’s house. “The entryway is soaring, probably thirty feet tall.” A chandelier drips with crystals. There is car trouble, he is understanding and fixes the car, Girl is now attracted to Boy 2. A few paragraphs later, she literally crashes into Boy 3 and he steals her breath away. His eyes are a shade of blue she’d “only ever seen in the mirror,” because they look just like hers.

Girl goes to the movies with Boy 2. She wears her best-fitting jeans and has even left her hair down. His black Range Rover is all sparkle and shine. They have “a real, beautiful, perfect kiss.”

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS EXCITING:

Girl goes grocery shopping, receives a “meticulous” and “perfect” bracelet from her friend, vacuums the shag carpets, washes the wood-paneled walls with “sweet-smelling Murphy Oil Soap,” wipes down the marbled Formica counters, and scrubs the pink-ceramic toilet in preparation for movie night with the same friend. The friend is “light, airy, chuckling.”

Another trip to the movies and more kissing with Boy 2. Immediately afterwards, she has a conversation with Boy 3, who explains more about the curse. He’s been hiding secrets, but he’s also made for her—and if they fall in love, they can both be free.

People play pool, Girl has “hungry” kissy time with Boy 2, has an immediate encounter with Boy 3 afterwards, breaks up with Boy 2 the next morning. She goes to the beach with Boy 3, who brings a “beautiful, worn-out handmade quilt” to watch the sun set. Nevertheless, she still wants Boy 2. The next day, Boy 3 takes her to the boardwalk where they play putt-putt golf and drive Go Karts. They have an “amazing” kiss and he shows her his “quaint little beach shack” with “adorable clapboard accents” and “round, aggregate steps.”

They go to a Harvest Festival. Girl is worried about looking slutty in her short denim skirt. Boy 3 is obviously thrilled and they kiss on the Ferris Wheel. But oh noes, Boy 2 shows up with a date! But they go swing-dancing and everything is okay. “It’s a warm night for Autumn.” (hide spoiler)]

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 (view spoiler) 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.
(less)

like 124 likes · see review

Jul 14, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) marked it as to-read

Oh, this looks good!

jul 15th

like 14 likes · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 wh...more

like 4 likes · see review

Jul 13, 2011 Kristi-The Book Faery rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: atwt, penquin-razorbill-imprint, written-reviews, ya-arc-for-2011, ya-pub-date-july-11, ya-reviewed, ya-pnr-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. A...more
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!!!
(less)

like 12 likes · see review

Jul 17, 2011 Erica (daydreamer) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mermaid-siren-selkie, cover-love, release-in-2011, i-own, ya, 2011-reads, could-have-been-better, so-wanted-to-love

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 th...more

like 12 likes · see review

Oct 03, 2011 kari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, ya

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 d...more 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.(less)

like 4 likes · see review

Aug 21, 2011 Simcsa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, read-in-2011, read-in-english, supernatural-creatures, annoying-love-triangle

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 abo...more

like 11 likes · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Shelby rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointing, pretty-covers, ebooks, pnr-misc

Err, so when I read the book's summary, my first thoughts were, "Oh that's cool. A siren? I haven't read about one of those before." But I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It held a lot of promise in some areas, but in others, I felt let down and misled.

Lexi as a protagonist was sort of boring to read about. She wasn't annoying or anything, but she really didn't have anything to make me like her or hate her. Since she was shunned by her friends, she had this grey outlook on life tha...more Err, so when I read the book's summary, my first thoughts were, "Oh that's cool. A siren? I haven't read about one of those before." But I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It held a lot of promise in some areas, but in others, I felt let down and misled.

Lexi as a protagonist was sort of boring to read about. She wasn't annoying or anything, but she really didn't have anything to make me like her or hate her. Since she was shunned by her friends, she had this grey outlook on life that clouded everything in the book. Cole was also a sort of unbelievable character. I wonder why authors have this need to put in the perfect guy character. But he was better than Erik (although by the end, I wasn't really Team Cole or Team Erik). I felt the love triangle was unnecessary. Erik is mentioned in the first chapters, disappears for a good chunk, then reappears as Lexi's "soulmate" in the last half. (view spoiler) I thought Sierra was the most well-developed of characters on one hand, she hates Lexi for Steven's death, but on the other, Sierra and Lexi were best friends, and their friendship actually was really believable to me.

It took me about one hundred pages to realize that the main problem of the story was its execution--all the great parts that should hook you felt half-done and under-edited. For the siren lore, Hubbard brought it up way too suddenly. (view spoiler) Description wise, Hubbard went overboard. With the first person, present tense narration, we had a lot of "I put on a blue top and black jeans. Then, I went to my closet and chose a pair of black Converse." Okay, well, that got a little old after two hundred pages of gratuitous narration.

Overall, I thought the book was engaging because of the siren concept but it was poorly executed. (less)

like 3 likes · see review

Dec 07, 2012 Jordin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: pretty-covers, my-library-books, young-adult

I liked Cole's character but I did not like Lexi's character too much. Why was she angry all the time? I just didn't understand it. The ending worked for me but I didn't like the second half of the book. And the things that happened between Sienna and Lexi were just strange. By the way, this was my first read about sirens and I'm totally let down, the book had a great start to it but basically was a story about a love triangle. No thanks.

(view spoiler)...more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 14, 2011 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books

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 beg...more 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!
(less)

like 8 likes · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 05-literary-crush-worthy, 24-ebooks

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....more

like 6 likes · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Marie-Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nur Lexi weiß, warum ihr Freund Steven beim gemeinsamen Schwimmen ertrank. Ihr Gesang hat ihn zu weit aufs Meer hinausgelockt. Sie ist eine Sirene, eine Meerfrau. Seit jener Tragödie leidet Lexi unter Schuldgefühlen und führt ein einsames Leben. Nur Cole, Stevens bester Freund, bemüht sich um sie, und schließlich verliebt sie sich in ihn. Doch da tritt Erik auf den Plan. Er ist wie Lexi. Ein Wasserwesen. Und seine Pläne sind so dunkel und unergründlich wie der Ozean ...

Mit "Der Kuss der Sirene"...more Nur Lexi weiß, warum ihr Freund Steven beim gemeinsamen Schwimmen ertrank. Ihr Gesang hat ihn zu weit aufs Meer hinausgelockt. Sie ist eine Sirene, eine Meerfrau. Seit jener Tragödie leidet Lexi unter Schuldgefühlen und führt ein einsames Leben. Nur Cole, Stevens bester Freund, bemüht sich um sie, und schließlich verliebt sie sich in ihn. Doch da tritt Erik auf den Plan. Er ist wie Lexi. Ein Wasserwesen. Und seine Pläne sind so dunkel und unergründlich wie der Ozean ...

Mit "Der Kuss der Sirene" geht die amerikanische Autorin Mandy Hubbard das Thema Meerjungfrauen/Sirenen ein klitzekleines bisschen anders an, als andere ihrer Kollegen. Dennoch sind die Grundzüge ähnlich, was wohl bei einem solchen Oberthema nie ganz vermeidbar ist.

Um diese Grundidee hat die Autorin allerdings eine romantische, aber auch sehr spannende Handlung gewoben, die mit viel Kurzweil einhergeht und schöne Lesestunden beschert.

Lexi, die Hauptprotagonistin und Sirene, ist dabei ein vielschichtiger Charakter und durchweg sympathisch. Gerade der Fakt, das sie nicht perfekt ist, macht sie zu einer tollen Heldin dieses Romans, ohne dabei stereotyp zu wirken.

"Der Kuss der Sirene" ist ganz klar dem Genre der Romantic Fantasy zuzuordnen, wobei das phantastische Element dabei nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielt und die Grundlage dieses Romans begründet um die die Liebesgeschichte erzählt wird.

Diese Liebesgeschichte geht klar in die Richtung der für dieses Genres so typischen Dreiecksbeziehung, wobei nichts ist, wie es scheint. Der Klappentext verrät eigentlich schon so viel über den Inhalt, das man sich seine eigenen Gedanken macht.

Die leicht düster angehauchte Atmosphäre und die zarten Gefühle der Hauptprotagonistin machen "Der Kuss der Sirene" zu einem unterhaltsamen Lesevergnügen für jünger und ältere Leserinnen, die gerne in phantastische und romantische Geschichten eintauchen.

Der Roman ist ein Einzelband und damit in sich abgeschlossen. Eine tolle Abwechslung zu den vielen Reihen, Trilogien, etc. auf dem Buchmarkt.(less)

like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Willa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Actual Rating: 3.5

(Note: I try to avoid blatant spoilers, but I do skirt around major plot developments. So beware.)

I wasn't really sure since the narrative started with her confessing to murder, but I found Lexi and her internal emotional trauma wrecking havoc on my own feelings and intellectually engaging. How does one deal with the murder of a would-be boyfriend while knowing she is the responsible party? But more than that, the circumstances in which she murders her would-be boyfriend are st...more

like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Ebony rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those looking for a book full of fluff

Ripple, written by Mandy Hubbard is about a girl named Lexi who is compelled every night to swim in the water, or feel immense agony the next day - oh, and don't forget she killed the first boy she ever loved!

As we go through the book we learn things here and there, some thing's a bit like, did we really need to know that? It was also surprisingly addictive and doesn't appear to have any moments that would stick with your when you finish the story.

I feel as though this was a little jumpy, from h...more

like · see review

Feb 21, 2012 YAL Book Briefs rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really, really liked this book. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I was glad that it had the depth it did. I thought for the most part the story was beautifully written. Hubbard was able to make me feel for Lexi and her struggles. I rooted for her and Cole. However, there were some things that did bother me about the book. These things included how Hubbard handled Lexi's relationship with her former friend, Sienna, and her relationship with new guy Erick. I just thought that both of these re...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't really sure what to expect of Ripple and the mythology of Siren's. I've never read a story (unless you count Greek Mythology or Homer) about Sirens. I guess I was expecting mermaid type women who lived in the water and cruelly lured men to their deaths. This is not at all Mandy Hubbard's type of siren.

Lexi just seems like a normal, introverted girl except the water calls to her and her need to sing. I really liked Lexi. She was horrified that she ended up killing someone with her curse...more

like · see review

Jan 13, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lexi killed Stephen on her 16th birthday. She lured him into the water and drowned him. For the last year, she has been estranged from everyone at school because of this, but it wasn’t Lexi’s fault. She’s a siren, and her mother committed suicide before she could tell Lexi about her family’s curse. Every night, Lexi is drawn to the water but is afraid to go to the nearby sea for fear of dragging another innocent boy to his death. She spends hours every night swimming at a remote mountain lake so...more

like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 Ronnie Sawyer rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a really quick read, like 5-ish hours. The beginning had me hooked, you have a girl that seems pretty darn strong and knows how to handle herself. That is until a guy comes along-Cole. That's when she starts to become one of those stupid air-headed girls that will do anything a guy say's. Then enter Erik he tells her that they (spoiler) have to fall in love to break their curses she drops Cole in less then a day. From that point the book starts to feel really vain, every moment Lexi and...more

like 1 like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 cecilia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am not a major fan of Prada & Prejudice or you wish – they were cute and bubbly, but nothing great – and you may wonder why I continue to look out for the next Mandy Hubbard book. It is because of her blog, specifically her “road to publication” entries, and I appreciate her honesty and hard work – and it is truly inspirational to see where the wind will blow her because it seems to be everywhere! But back on topic…

THE GOOD BITS
{The story was deliciously darker than previous works!} I may...more I am not a major fan of Prada & Prejudice or you wish – they were cute and bubbly, but nothing great – and you may wonder why I continue to look out for the next Mandy Hubbard book. It is because of her blog, specifically her “road to publication” entries, and I appreciate her honesty and hard work – and it is truly inspirational to see where the wind will blow her because it seems to be everywhere! But back on topic…

THE GOOD BITS
{The story was deliciously darker than previous works!} I may not have been knocked over by her first 2 books, but RIPPLE finally gives me something that I can sink my teeth into! The main character felt more serious, more relatable, and more believable – well, as believable for a girl who has been cursed to swim every night or suffer the consequences the next morning. I could feel Lexi’s turmoils – her desire to have a normal life, her longing to feel safe to love someone, her inability to resist the need to swim every day.

{A depth-defying storyline.} Hook, line, and sinker – Mandy Hubbard delivers quite a story that blends past, present, and possible future in perfect, tantalizing proportions. It reminds me a little of some girls are or Twenty Boy Summer where the past bleeds into the present as the present tries to move into a survivable future. Beautifully crafted to take your breath away, Lexi’s plight definitely will tug at your heartstrings as she tries to figure out which boy can save her.

THE BAD BITS
{Cole.} I wished, however, that we had known more about Cole and why he suddenly wanted to draw Lexi back into the high school crowd she has avoided since Steven’s death. Especially considering he had been Steven’s best friend with a history of going through girls like a box of chocolates. He was present, but I did not feel that he came alive enough for me to care about him – or have a secret crush on him as other fictional boys.

THE OVERALL
RIPPLE shows that Mandy Hubbard can definitely dish out the dark as expertly as she can the sparkle. I am more than excited to see what new direction this author will take us because it seems that her next ideas are always better, bolder, and on the cutting edge of creative! (less)

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 10, 2011 Celina rated it 2 of 5 stars

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...more

like 3 likes · see review

Oct 10, 2011 Kaitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I saw reviews on Ripple a few months ago on Goodreads and had immediately requested this book from the library. Well the book finally came in and I had the chance to read it :) The book was an easy, light read that did keep my interest - I find myself reading quite a few more YA stories than I had expected. I liked that this book had an actual ending rather than having to wait for the next in a series. You knew how it ended and were satisfied with how it ended.

Lexi is a siren who killed her boy...more

like · see review

Sep 02, 2011 Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, favorites

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 the books, like Ripple.

I loved the story. I am really getting into these more unusual paranormal young adult novels. Lexi is a siren. I ha...more

like 6 likes · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mermaids, not-a-vampire-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 3 likes · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Farrah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, own

This book is very unique. The concept of sirens is a breath of fresh air after vampires, werewolves, and angels successively became overdone.
Lexi is a siren who accidentally killed Steven, the boy she loved.Now, 2 years later, she starts her senior year and is surprised to find that Cole, Steven's best friend, is trying to talk to her since her old friends turned against her when she pushed them away. Lexi tries not to get close to him to keep him safe but she finally lets him in. Enter Erik. Er...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jul 18, 2011 Kelly Bryson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy

I'd never read a mermaid (excuse me, siren, not mermaid!) book before, so I can't say much about how this book stands out from the others, but I really enjoyed it. Fun book, very entertaining and well-written.

Lexi used to have it all: a millionfriends, a boyfriend, and a life. But since an accident that claimed her boyfriend's life, her ex-best friend leads the anti-Lexi brigade, andLexi retreats into a shell to protect herself and the people who used to be her friends.Since the night of her bir...more

like 1 like · see review

Jun 06, 2011 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: christine, paranormal, young-adult

When the opportunity arose, I grabbed at the chance to read Ripple early (thanks to Around the World ARC Tours). The cover wasn’t the greatest thing ever, but the summary intrigued me as it sounded similar to an adult series that I read, Jane True by Nicole Peeler.

Starting at the beginning of Lexi’s senior year, Ripple unfolds as a mystery at first. What happened to Lexi in the past to make her such a recluse? Why are all of her former friends bullying her? As the mystery is revealed, we find Le...more When the opportunity arose, I grabbed at the chance to read Ripple early (thanks to Around the World ARC Tours). The cover wasn’t the greatest thing ever, but the summary intrigued me as it sounded similar to an adult series that I read, Jane True by Nicole Peeler.

Starting at the beginning of Lexi’s senior year, Ripple unfolds as a mystery at first. What happened to Lexi in the past to make her such a recluse? Why are all of her former friends bullying her? As the mystery is revealed, we find Lexi slowly being drawn out of her shell, in large part to a very cute boy. The romance springs up quickly and then the new boy enters – a water spirit who claims to have the power to break Lexi’s curse. She can be normal again, the only thing she’s wanted since that horrible tragedy.

The struggle Lexi goes through between the boys was interesting. I thought I was done with love triangles, but in a way, it wasn’t really a triangle, so I was alright with it. You’ll have to read the book to understand what I mean, exactly.

The struggle Lexi faced with herself was the real story. She feels immense guilt from the tragedy that occurred in her past, which she lets rule her life. Her overcoming the guilt and growing enough to accept herself and her past was the thing that kept me reading.

At one point, a character changes their personality completely, which shocked me. I was not expecting it because it was such a 180 and there was no warning whatsoever, that I could see. So fair warning, not everyone is who they seem.

Also, I have a smallish rant that stems from something Lexi says. During an English assignment, Lexi and two other students are discussing books to present to the class and then Lexi insults comic books, that they’re not good enough to read. What’s wrong with comic books?? I’ll have you know, Lexi, that there are some comic books and graphic novels that have been the most beautiful and poignant stories I’ve ever read. So, take that, Lexi. *mock glares*

Overall, this book was different (to me since it’s the first Siren book I’ve read) and pretty good. I’m not sure if it’ll become a series, though. It works as a stand-alone, so a second book is certainly welcome but not necessary.

Ripple is scheduled for release on July 21st from Razorbill, a Penguin imprint.

Reviewed at WhatchYAreading on June 6, 2011.(less)

like · see review

May 09, 2011 Kyleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 t...more 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.
(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Nov 20, 2011 PrincyJessie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

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 t...more

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 25, 2011 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 begin...more

like 4 likes · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Florentine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-magic, otherworld, romance, supernatural, young-adult

she is a siren... dikutuk untuk selalu sendirian

waaahh. baru kali nie ketemu makhluk paranormal lain selain vampire and werewolf.. nie dia siren.. maklhuk air, yang memiliki senjata berupa nyanyian, yang dapat membuai para laki2, hingga akhirnya laki2 tersebut tenggelam karena nyanyian dari siren tersebut..
Lexi ternyata keturunan siren.. ga sengaja membunuh orang yang disukainya, steven. yang akhirnya membuatnya menjadi seorang penyendiri, karena takut orang yang disekitarnya tenggelam karenany...more

like 1 like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Crazy for Young A...: Ripple by Mandy Hubbard → Start Date: February 5th, 2013	29	41	Apr 02, 2013 11:47pm
~!The Young Adult...: {February} Ripple (by Mandy Hubbard)	6	7	Feb 17, 2012 08:10am
What did people think?	4	13	Dec 29, 2011 10:03pm
Is there a book 2 of Ripple?	3	71	Sep 10, 2011 06:08am

combine
Other Editions (5)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

159 users

Fantasy

105 users

Mermaids

94 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

77 users

Romance

75 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

37 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

34 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

19 users

Young Adult > Teen

16 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

13 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Between the Sea and Sky
by Jaclyn Dolamore
Lost Voices
by Sarah Porter
Everblue
by Brenda Pandos
Tempest Rising
by Tracy Deebs
Luminous
by Dawn Metcalf

About Mandy Hubbard

Mandy 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.

More about Mandy Hubbard...

Books by Mandy Hubbard

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Ripple

1 trivia question
2 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Ripple

“You don't have to sleep, you don't have to dream, to have nightmares.” — 33 people liked it

“But who bothers looking beyond the surface? Who even knows anything about Cinderella's Prince Charming - other than he's a handsome prince?” — 33 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Ripple
avg rating	preview: Ripple Goodreads rating: 3.71 (3375 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7912474-ripple?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311706067l/7912474.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7912474-ripple?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Ripple by Mandy Hubbard[/url]

Ripple

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website