A review by bstaats
Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
4.0
3.5/4 Stars (rounded up to 4)
All these new YA books based off mythology are making me swoon with excitement! There are so many out there, based off of different mythological persons, creatures, stories, etc. and they're told in such uniquely different ways.
Ripple is about Lexi, a girl cursed with being a siren. Hubbard does a fantastic job using a popular, current theme and making it her own. Lexi's curse is fascinating and the mythology Hubbard uses is just wonderful.
My disappointment with this book was the pacing and development- it was too fast. Like taking a ride on a runaway train, when you just want to enjoy the scenery. Lexi's romantic relationships unfold so quickly, that they came off forced more than anything (although one of them was understandably so). And Erik as a character was just flat and empty- there was nothing substantial to him, although the idea behind him was enticing. But to be honest, the pacing really took away from the story as a whole and left me wanting much more than was there.
However, Ripple is a book about far more than just a teenage siren with a curse to break. At the root of the story is the tragic and unfortunate death of Lexi's boyfriend, Steven, and how Lexi tries to cope with her grief. The richest relationships in the book were those between Lexi and Cole, and Lexi and Sienna, as they all tried to come to terms with Steven's death and the impact it had on each other.
Furthermore, Hubbard carves out the curse of sirens to cumulate in one large issue for them, as they seem to crave true love beyond anything else. The heartbreak Lexi feels and her desire for something more than the abandonment and deaths surround her is just stunning.
Sienna and Lexi's relationship is a kind of real life friendship, and the consequences of their actions are devastating- but perfectly applied by Hubbard.
All these new YA books based off mythology are making me swoon with excitement! There are so many out there, based off of different mythological persons, creatures, stories, etc. and they're told in such uniquely different ways.
Ripple is about Lexi, a girl cursed with being a siren. Hubbard does a fantastic job using a popular, current theme and making it her own. Lexi's curse is fascinating and the mythology Hubbard uses is just wonderful.
My disappointment with this book was the pacing and development- it was too fast. Like taking a ride on a runaway train, when you just want to enjoy the scenery. Lexi's romantic relationships unfold so quickly, that they came off forced more than anything (although one of them was understandably so). And Erik as a character was just flat and empty- there was nothing substantial to him, although the idea behind him was enticing. But to be honest, the pacing really took away from the story as a whole and left me wanting much more than was there.
However, Ripple is a book about far more than just a teenage siren with a curse to break. At the root of the story is the tragic and unfortunate death of Lexi's boyfriend, Steven, and how Lexi tries to cope with her grief. The richest relationships in the book were those between Lexi and Cole, and Lexi and Sienna, as they all tried to come to terms with Steven's death and the impact it had on each other.
Furthermore, Hubbard carves out the curse of sirens to cumulate in one large issue for them, as they seem to crave true love beyond anything else. The heartbreak Lexi feels and her desire for something more than the abandonment and deaths surround her is just stunning.
Sienna and Lexi's relationship is a kind of real life friendship, and the consequences of their actions are devastating- but perfectly applied by Hubbard.