Review of Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Title: Ripple
Author: Mandy Hubbard
Published by: Razorbill/Penguin
Pages: 260
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★

Summary from Goodreads: 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 agian, 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 or her curse is giving him up.

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 and so she withdrew from all her friends so no one else would be hurt.  It takes a really strong person to brave this world alone, and she didn't do it out of spite, but out of protection for her loved ones and her community in general.  I felt so much for Lexi because I knew she wanted friends and she wanted the cruel comments and tormenting at school to stop, but she was too scared to let anyone get close to her again. 

When she finally does let some people back into her life, things seem to get better for her.  She ends up even finding a love or two, but things are not always as they seem.  (Thank you Cole for being who you are and for believing in Lexi.  Erik...well I have a couple of choice words for you mister!).  Lexi had to make some really hard choices in life.  Again I cannot believe how strong she was as a character.  I really admire that about her. 

There was no foreshadowing (oh my old English teachers would be so proud) about what happened at the end...it was so unexpected.  I was just reading along all happy and then OMG this thing just came out of nowhere.  It was actually quite a fabulous twist and I enjoyed being surprised by the characters.   

While there wasn't a lot of depth to the story it was still a cute, light read that's perfect for your next beach vacation.