Certain Signals

September 1, 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

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2014
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)

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