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Certainty
Ren can see the future through ghosts who speak to him. He's used to knowing more than everyone else until he meets the girl he will fall in love with. Ren's feelings about MacKenzie are complicated because he knows something tragic about her brother that he can't tell her. He knows what will happen but should he be the only one who does?
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2011
7 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Sharp
3 books16 followersEileen Sharp has a bachelor's from West Chester University and currently resides in Idaho with her husband of many years. They travel around the West as often as they can. Eileen has been writing for twelve years and is the author of several YA novels. Her favorite past times are calligraphy, antique books and biographies of interesting people.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 3, 2013
The premise here is good. A young man named Ren sees ghosts that tell him the future of the individual he sees. And there is Mackenzie, a young innocent girl who falls for Ren. While their love story was the main focal point,the paranormal aspect would have been great to delve into. I wanted that bump in the night, that "why is this happening to me" question from Ren at least once. Then again, I love stories that creep me out or make me wonder what's going on. What I did find wonderful were the friendships between the characters. And the families were solid. Plus, there was the attachment between Ren and Mackenzie which was very sweet.For preteens and YA this is a good read.
December 31, 2012
I really enjoyed most of this book. I was hooked right away by the different concept - seeing people's near future selves. I was half way through when I had to put it down for the night and I found myself just thinking about it and what was going to happen and it kept me up later than it should have. The ending was a little cheesy to me, but it all worked out.
July 10, 2013
This is a funny and charming book about the decisions we make and how they shape who we are and our futures. It is a delightful read with a lil romance, suspense and a new take on the paranormal psychic ability to see ghosts. Def a good read if u like paranormal with a twist.
January 12, 2013
Adorable. I really enjoyed this book. Well done :)
July 9, 2013
This was such a refreshingly new idea and the entire book was excellently written. I got this book as a freebie, and it's so good, I'd have paid for it!
March 18, 2018
Great idea, good story would recommend a bit more editing and something to make the different perspectives differ more.
The book has a really interesting story line which I think could have been explored more had the author chose to go down that path instead of more of the romance and school path they chose. However, I think that the path they took did give them a chance to highlight more of how people are different and how the choices one makes will affect their lives.
It was told from two different perspectives but without the label at the beginning of each section I wouldn't have really known they had changed because both voices sounded alike.
The book had a really good message, I had some moments of annoyance Everytime they talked about how "perfect" Ren was. I understand it is for young readers and they want the "hot" guy, but the many times it is mentioned became repetitive. I mean the super sweet, hot, brainy, surfer skater guy? That seems a lot rolled into one high school package.
Overall, I liked the book.
The book has a really interesting story line which I think could have been explored more had the author chose to go down that path instead of more of the romance and school path they chose. However, I think that the path they took did give them a chance to highlight more of how people are different and how the choices one makes will affect their lives.
It was told from two different perspectives but without the label at the beginning of each section I wouldn't have really known they had changed because both voices sounded alike.
The book had a really good message, I had some moments of annoyance Everytime they talked about how "perfect" Ren was. I understand it is for young readers and they want the "hot" guy, but the many times it is mentioned became repetitive. I mean the super sweet, hot, brainy, surfer skater guy? That seems a lot rolled into one high school package.
Overall, I liked the book.
October 6, 2012
After reading the synopsis of Certainty by Eileen Sharp, I had to read it. Ren can see the future through ghosts who speak to him. When he meets MacKenzie, the girl he knows he's going to fall in love with, things are complicated because of the information he knows about her brother's tragic accident. The cover made the synopsis even more intriguing and I really thought it would have a creepy type of storyline and a forbidden love thrown in for flair, but I was wrong.
Unfortunately, the story was weak. I was shocked at the amount of filler in this book. A ton of unneeded information that built up to nothing. You are halfway through the book before anything actually happens. Certainty is told in first person through the perspective of Ren and MacKenzie. While I like this idea, it just didn't work out so well. There were no defining characteristics between the two and when the internal personal monologue went on, I had to think about who's perspective it was. In all honesty, it felt as though maybe this was meant to be a short story but the author decided to put more information than what was needed just to make the book longer. You could read the first 10, middle 20 and last 20 pages and not be lost as to what the story is.
Certainty needs an editor as well. There weren't too many spelling or grammar errors but certain characters' actions were repetitive and not described any differently. Also, some of the language was not really convincing for any 16 year old. I don't know any teen who's used the word "derriere" in today's society.
All that being said, I did see a glimmer of promise in Certainty. There were a few descriptions (mostly when there was raw emotion) that were flawless and the actual story without the filler is pretty good. Really what this book needs is an editor not afraid to hurt the author's feelings and willingness to chop off about 100 pages of this 220 page book.
Overall, I rate Certainty by Eileen Sharp 2 stars. For more honest reviews, visit tiffanysuelovering.blogspot.com
Unfortunately, the story was weak. I was shocked at the amount of filler in this book. A ton of unneeded information that built up to nothing. You are halfway through the book before anything actually happens. Certainty is told in first person through the perspective of Ren and MacKenzie. While I like this idea, it just didn't work out so well. There were no defining characteristics between the two and when the internal personal monologue went on, I had to think about who's perspective it was. In all honesty, it felt as though maybe this was meant to be a short story but the author decided to put more information than what was needed just to make the book longer. You could read the first 10, middle 20 and last 20 pages and not be lost as to what the story is.
Certainty needs an editor as well. There weren't too many spelling or grammar errors but certain characters' actions were repetitive and not described any differently. Also, some of the language was not really convincing for any 16 year old. I don't know any teen who's used the word "derriere" in today's society.
All that being said, I did see a glimmer of promise in Certainty. There were a few descriptions (mostly when there was raw emotion) that were flawless and the actual story without the filler is pretty good. Really what this book needs is an editor not afraid to hurt the author's feelings and willingness to chop off about 100 pages of this 220 page book.
Overall, I rate Certainty by Eileen Sharp 2 stars. For more honest reviews, visit tiffanysuelovering.blogspot.com
December 16, 2013
Last Week I read Certainty, by Eileen Sharp. It is a YA paranormal romance about a boy named Ren Tanaka. Ren has just moved from California to the east coast. Though he may seem to be little more than handsome and charming, Ren has a secret he can’t tell anyone-he can see the future. The moment he meets MacKenzie from two doors down, he knows two things about her: she will be his wife someday, and her little brother is in grave danger.
This book was very sweet, more romance than paranormal. The characters were very real to me. I spent quite a few pages crying over their fates. I don’t read a lot of romance, but this made me think of love the way I did when I was Ren and Mackenzie’s age. It felt so full of possibility here, so clean and good. Ren’s powers, when they did come into play, were very realistically used. He is afraid of himself and what he can do, but he still manages to love people for who they will grow in to. I wish there was a way I could see into Ren and MacKenzie’s future the way they see into their own. I know they’ll grow into fascinating people.
The story and the telling deserve five stars, in my opinion, but there were a few things to point out for readers to whom these things are important. There were some continuity errors, like Steve’s name being exchanged for Ryan sometimes. The grammar was good, but in some places this book could have used a second set of eyes. Even so, I am glad I read it and I would recommend it to any person who enjoys a really sweet YA romance.
This book was very sweet, more romance than paranormal. The characters were very real to me. I spent quite a few pages crying over their fates. I don’t read a lot of romance, but this made me think of love the way I did when I was Ren and Mackenzie’s age. It felt so full of possibility here, so clean and good. Ren’s powers, when they did come into play, were very realistically used. He is afraid of himself and what he can do, but he still manages to love people for who they will grow in to. I wish there was a way I could see into Ren and MacKenzie’s future the way they see into their own. I know they’ll grow into fascinating people.
The story and the telling deserve five stars, in my opinion, but there were a few things to point out for readers to whom these things are important. There were some continuity errors, like Steve’s name being exchanged for Ryan sometimes. The grammar was good, but in some places this book could have used a second set of eyes. Even so, I am glad I read it and I would recommend it to any person who enjoys a really sweet YA romance.
August 2, 2013
As an adult, reading this I kind of felt like I do when I watch Disney movies: definitely intended for younger audiences but I really enjoyed it. The characters were very entertaining and engaging. I was hooked right from the start. I'd decided to start the book and read the first part before going to bed... then it was hours later, I was getting very little sleep for the night, and the book was over. Other than the events of the storyline feeling rushed if I thought about actual time passed in the story and the formatting on the ebook version being... strange (most of the paragraph indents were sized differently, a few paragraphs had tab-sized spaces right in the middle between sentences) there's not really any criticisms I can make.
I loved it. I was sad when it ended, even though it was perfect.
I loved it. I was sad when it ended, even though it was perfect.
March 4, 2019
This book had a good story line and great potential to be even better. I wish Ren the character gave a bit more detail on the ghost spirit things he could see and wish he did more if he could see that a person had a horrible fate he could try to warn them or try to do something about it for his two friends but I'm glad he saved another friend.
February 27, 2014
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was a free download and sat on my kindle for a long time before I opened it. Once started I could not put down. Teen romance, but not overly graphic. Ren was awfully mature for a 17 year old boy. I will definitely look for this author again.
October 19, 2015
Excellent
This book is unlike anything I've ever read. I've read it a few times and it never gets old. The writing is Shari, the characters real, the dialogue entertaining, the story fascinating. Clean, no inappropriate language or situations. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
This book is unlike anything I've ever read. I've read it a few times and it never gets old. The writing is Shari, the characters real, the dialogue entertaining, the story fascinating. Clean, no inappropriate language or situations. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
July 9, 2013
It is nice to read a young adult novel that isn't filled with drinking and sex. It is a "sweet" story, though the voice of the characters didn't seem strong enough to really stand on their own and be identifiable.
July 22, 2013
There was nothing wrong with this book. I really enjoyed the characters, and the story was unique, but overall I just found the book to be a little boring. It was only at the very end that something unexpected happened, but even that little shock got resolved so quickly it barely registered.
May 3, 2013
Pretty good story for a free book, too! Some typos, but not the author's fault. Just what I needed--a quick read, teeny bopper kind of romance/drama to take my mind off of reality for a bit.
August 9, 2014
Would have been 5 Stars if it wasn't for all of the editing errors.
September 7, 2014
3.5/4! Cute book!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews