Certain Signals

by Elizabeth Karre

Overview

Rashawn is smart, owns his own car, and has some cred with the "it" crowd. But when it comes to girls, his moves and his pickup lines are a disaster. If only he knew how to read girls. When a man shows up in a dream and offers Rashawn a gift, Rashawn knows exactly what he wants: attraction detection. But is it possible to know too much?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467774086
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2014
Series:	The Gift
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	9 - 10 Years

Editorial Reviews

"The slightly paranormal overtones will be appreciated by readers interested in this particular genre. Throw in typical teenage angst, romance, and friendship, and you have the makings for age-appropriate books for reluctant readers."―Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

09/01/2014
Gr 7 Up—In these slim, uneven novels, the main characters choose unusual "gifts" and then learn lessons about love and life as they use their new abilities. In All You Are, Da'Quan is desperate to join the "in" crowd. When a mysterious man in his dreams offers him a psychic talent, Da'Quan eagerly accepts the ability to channel the best and worst qualities of his friends. With Daniel's basketball skills, for example, also comes crippling insecurity. Terrell's ease with girls also brings a reading disability. As he gains these insights and more, Da'Quan must decide whether joining the popular crowd is worth the price. In Certain Signals, the weaker of the two installments, Rashawn accepts the ability to detect sexual attraction. He hopes to use his gift to find a girlfriend. Unfortunately, his ear burns whenever he's around anyone who's experiencing attraction to anyone else in the room, leading to some awkward situations. The novels have a breezy, enjoyable writing style and sympathetic characters, both African American teen boys. However, the stories aren't as compelling or plot driven as they could be—though "Will I ever find a girlfriend?" is no doubt a central question for many teens, the stakes don't seem that high. Purchase for collections that need more high-interest, lower-reading level titles with diverse characters, but fans of the "Bluford High" series (Scholastic) may be disappointed by the lack of drama.—Miranda Doyle, Lake Oswego School District, OR

School Library Journal

2014-10-06
In this entry in The Gift series featuring a group of African-American teens, Rashawn is granted a paranormal ability that enables him to detect affection.Rashawn despairs that he can never tell when girls really like him. He chooses to have his left ear grow warm whenever he is around someone who truly likes someone else. He's embarrassed to learn that his ear grows toasty when he's around his parents, who remain crazy about each other. He realizes that he will have to get any prospective girlfriends alone in order to be able to tell if the girl really likes just him instead of anyone in the vicinity. He joins a cooking class at the local teen center and meets a cute girl named Kennedy, but his ear stays cold. Meanwhile, he can't figure out why his ear burns whenever he's around his friend Terrell. Can Rashawn get that ear burning when he's alone with Kennedy? Karre cleverly uses an intrusive narrator to lead readers to make inferences and keep the pages turning: "You know who Kennedy's dad is. Oh yes, you do." She doesn't shy from weighty issues, tackling racial profiling (or "driving while black") from both the driver's and law enforcement's side. The ultraslim book has the chance to appeal to an audience that may be reluctant to try a longer book. Plenty of punch in a short space. (Paranormal romance. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews