Rippler Review

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Rippler by Cidney Swanson
Narrator: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Series: Ripple #1
Published by Williams Press on May 29th 2011
Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 287
Format: Audiobook
Source: Provided for review through Audiobook Blast/Boom
Goodreads

Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love.

Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments.

The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe

 Julie’s Review:

I really liked Rippler, but then I didn’t like it as much as hoped I would. Let me explain, and start with what I liked. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded, the way we were immediately throw into finding out what was special about Samantha, and knowing that Will knew all about it and could help her. I appreciated that our main character believed and understood her condition, and even could point out times in the past when this rippling (going invisible, well, immaterial) thing happened before, even if she didn’t realize it was happening. I loved that the book let us in on its secrets slowly and over time. I enjoyed the way it plays out like a mystery, with Will and Sam investigating the condition, reviewing research, translating journals, etc. while at the same time keeping it a secret because they know their lives are in danger. I liked the audiobook narrator’s voice and thought she was pleasant to listen to. The accents were well done and I liked how people had different sounding voices so you could distinguish between who is speaking.

So what is my complaint? I’m bothered here by the same issue that plagues me in other series books – the book is not a complete thought, it does not have its own story arc that gets resolved. Don’t get me wrong, I get it. One big story arc over the entire series makes sense. But I do like my individual books to feel like a complete read; from start to finish it should be able to stand up as a story. I felt this book did a great job painting the world for us and the villains and their cruelty. But, it raised so many questions and answered very few. It didn’t have a main conflict that got resolved, but instead it felt like the book should continue to the next chapter to continue building on the plot, but it was done. So while I enjoyed the book overall, I was left unsatisfied by the non-ending. I’m very curious to see how this story plays out and how all the characters who are briefly introduced end up connecting. So the book did its job by making me want to read the rest of the series by piquing my interest, but it also makes me wonder if each subsequent book will leave me hanging.

 

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