Ripple

May 16, 2011
Two years ago, 16-year-old Lexi killed Steven, the first boy she ever loved. While everyone believes his drowning was an accident, Lexi can't risk letting anyone get close again, for fear the same thing could happen: every night, Lexi is compelled to go swimming and produce a spellbinding song that lures men to their deaths. Alienated from her former friends ever since Steven's death, Lexi starts her senior year aching for the life she used to know, with only her grandmother for companionship. When Steven's best friend Cole breaks through Lexi's "ice-queen" facade, she decides to take a risk and carefully grasp at the chance of romance. But a mysterious new student with knowledge about Lexi is about to cause some major complications. Hubbard (You Wish) sticks to a familiar formula, quickly establishing her paranormal hook, as well as the prospect of a love triangle for Lexi, but she nicely conveys the heartache, confusion, and conflicts of high school, while providing readers with insights into self-determination and finding the difference between what you are and who you are. Ages 12âup.

September 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Lexi, 18, is responsible for the death of Steven, her friend Siena's brother and the only boy she ever loved. That was two years ago, right before discovering that she is a siren, cursed to swim each night and sing out haunting melodies that will lure men to their deaths in the water. She has been protecting herself and those around her by keeping everyone at a distance and swimming in an isolated lake where no one will hear her song. But as the new school year begins, Lexi finds herself pursued by two boys whom she can't ignore: Cole, who was Steven's best friend, and Erik, a mysterious new boy who not only knows that she's a siren, but also promises her an escape from her curse. In this new twist on a supernatural romance, Hubbard expands the genre by including both a siren and a nix in among the high school drama. Although some of the characters' relationships are given only cursory explanation, especially Lexi and her grandmother's, fans of girl dramas, mysteries, and fantasy romance will devour the story.-Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2011
Grades 7-11 Hubbard (Prada and Prejudice, 2009) takes on magical water creatures in this riveting read. High-school-senior Lexi accidentally drowned her would-be boyfriend two years ago and has since distanced herself from all of her friends, who have in turn shunned her. On her eighteenth birthday, she receives a posthumous gift from her mother: a 350-year-old book that explains her legacy. Like her mother, Lexi is a siren with the supernatural gift of luring men to their watery deaths with haunting song. Suddenly, two boys are vying for her attention: considerate Cole and the mesmerizing new exchange student, Erik, who reveals that he himself is a nix (river sprite). The romance may be predictable, but Hubbard weaves a tight spell with unexpectedly lyrical prose. The lush Oregon coast setting is integral to the plot and nearly becomes a character in itself. Evocative cover art hints at Lexi's secret while staying true to the text with models who actually represent Hubbard's precise descriptions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)