Review: Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Ripple

Author: Mandy Hubbard
Pages:260
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Release Date: July  21st 2011
Author Website
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Borrowed from the library

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.

My Take:
Ever wonder what would happen if your family was cursed, for Lexi life for the last two years hasn't been easy. Every night Lexi must swim in order for the pain to go away every time she skips a day the next day just hurts more. This is whole curse thing happened when she turned 16 and since than she has had to find a way to swim. Lexi is a siren and in order to prevent herself from killing she must venture off and secure herself so that no one dies... again.

On her 16th birthday she had lead a boy who she was in love with into the ocean by the time she knew what she was doing she pulled him out of the ocean and tried to save him. After that day she has put herself as an outcast, she lost all communication with her click and tries to avoid at all costs getting close to someone again. Its now her senior year and with school just starting, Lexi can't help but wonder what life would be like if she was normal. When she starts opening up again and letting down all her defenses she allows to re-join her click and even open up to someone who was always there. Cole is an amazing friend who tries to get Lexi to open up more, and soon she lets him in. But with the threat of the ocean so close and the threat of killing again Lexi knows to keep her distance. Its not until she is offered an escape that she lets in a stranger who tells her the one thing she wishes to be and that is normal. If she is to fall in love than her curse will be lifted but he has to love her as well in order for the curse to lifted. Can love really conquer all or is Lexi in way over her head and should just stay away from any contact.

This was an a good story, I enjoyed the fact that Lexi was able to let someone else in. Love is the biggest emotion that we all take for granted and when she is offered a chance to fall she allows herself. Even though she is terrified she still is up there trying. I can't help but fall for Cole he was so precious, I can just see his smile and even though he was known to be a player he gave it up for Lexi. If thats not romantic than what is. Cole made me feel for him when he was hurting and made me smile when he was happy. Ripple pulled me in as if the ocean was there, the words on the pages were the song and I was lured into the story and it was amazing, it allowed me to feel triumphant when Lexi was up and it made me cry, I found myself having to stop reading because of the emotions I felt when reading Ripple. Mandy wrote a beautiful story she gave us all hope and of corse told us that love can be the ultimate sacrifice you just have to believe.

4/5- it moved me!!!!!!!!