Review: Rippler

Title: Rippler

Author: Cidney Swanson

Book Summary:

“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.”

Sam’s life takes a drastic turn when she learns that she can do something others can’t.  She can turn invisible.  Her friend, Will, seems to know an awful lot about what’s going on with her; he even knows what it’s called: Rippling.  Sam must learn all she can about rippling in order to control it; otherwise, she might just disappear or reappear in front of people who would ask far to many questions.  As her secrets mount, Sam must strive to stay true to herself and is forced to make decisions that will change the rest of her life.

When I first read the premise for Rippler, I immediately start anticipating what will happen.  The summary grips me, and I am intrigued by the idea of invisibility being a genetic mutation.  It sounds like Sam is going to have a lot on her plate and going to have to figure out whom she can trust with her secrets.  I really like that her friend Will seems to know something that might help her… it’s always sad when the main character has to go through something so drastic on her own.

Sam has had a really rough life, and it’s easy to see why she acts in certain ways.  Throughout the story, I see her thoughts whirling, “Is this why Mom died?” and “Why is this happening?”  Sam seems to come to grips with her ability fairly quickly after learning the details about it.  In the beginning, she wants nothing to do with it and feels like she’s a freak, but Will soon helps her see the brighter side of things.

The whole plotline is fresh and interesting-- it really keeps my attention!  The story moves at a really good pace and is not slow nor full of needless details.  My problem is the ending… I read Rippler in one sitting so I’m not keeping track of how far along I am.  Then, all of a sudden, I look down and notice my e-reader is on 96%.  My reaction:

“O.o  What??? It can’t be that far, I don’t know anything yet!!”

  

Well, it IS that far, and the story does end abruptly with little resolution to the major plotlines.  I really like the direction Rippler is heading, and I definitely want to pick up book two.  But, the story ends so abruptly that it’s jarring.  All I can say is that I would be much more upset if Chameleon (book two) weren’t already out!

The Cover:

I really like this cover; it has a certain whimsical feel.  I keep waiting for the girl to ripple and to just see her scarf fall to the ground gently behind her!  I love the soft colors that are displayed making the whole setting look surreal and peaceful.

I give Rippler 4 out of 5 hearts: Great Book!

Find out more about Cidney Swanson here: http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/

Buy Rippler here:

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What do you think? Does Rippler sound like a book YOU would enjoy? (=