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Signal
One day while running on the trail near his house in upstate New York, Owen McGuire meets a girl with startling green eyes and bloody cuts all over her body who seems to be utterly alone. Her name is Campion, after the wildflower that is an alien species in the area-- alien meaning "from someplace else"--and Campion claims to come from someplace else entirely, a planet called Home. She plans to signal her parents to come pick her up in their spaceship. Owen agrees to help, and as he does, he feels happier than he has in a long his mother died a year and a half ago, and now he and his workaholic father live together like two planets on separate orbits, in a new house far from his friends. What will he do when Campion asks him to come with her into outer space, away from his lonely life on Earth? In this moving novel, two friendless kids search the night sky for something to believe in--but discover that they've found what they need right here on Earth.
151 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
30 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia C. DeFelice
33 books119 followersCynthia DeFelice is the author of many bestselling titles for young readers, including the novels Wild Life, The Ghost of Cutler Creek, Signal, and The Missing Manatee, as well as the picture books, One Potato, Two Potato, and Casey in the Bath. Her books have been nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among numerous other honors.
Cynthia was born in Philadelphia in 1951. As a child, she was always reading. Summer vacations began with a trip to the bookstore, where she and her sister and brothers were allowed to pick out books for their summer reading. “To me,” she says, “those trips to the bookstore were even better than the rare occasions when we were given a quarter and turned loose at the penny-candy store on the boardwalk.” Cynthia has worked as a bookseller, a barn painter, a storyteller, and a school librarian.
When asked what she loves best about being an author, she can’t pick just one answer: “I love the feeling of being caught up in the lives of the characters I am writing about. I enjoy the challenge of trying to write as honestly as I can, and I find enormous satisfaction in hearing from readers that something I wrote touched them, delighted them, made them shiver with fear or shake with laughter, or think about something new.” Cynthia and her husband live in Geneva, New York.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cynthi...
Cynthia was born in Philadelphia in 1951. As a child, she was always reading. Summer vacations began with a trip to the bookstore, where she and her sister and brothers were allowed to pick out books for their summer reading. “To me,” she says, “those trips to the bookstore were even better than the rare occasions when we were given a quarter and turned loose at the penny-candy store on the boardwalk.” Cynthia has worked as a bookseller, a barn painter, a storyteller, and a school librarian.
When asked what she loves best about being an author, she can’t pick just one answer: “I love the feeling of being caught up in the lives of the characters I am writing about. I enjoy the challenge of trying to write as honestly as I can, and I find enormous satisfaction in hearing from readers that something I wrote touched them, delighted them, made them shiver with fear or shake with laughter, or think about something new.” Cynthia and her husband live in Geneva, New York.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cynthi...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
February 22, 2024
A city kid moves to a small town, and meets a girl who claims to be from outer space. Weird things ensue.
Not bad for this kind of thing.
Not bad for this kind of thing.
March 21, 2020
These are the kinds of books I cut my teeth on, both as a reader and a writer.
There’s an overarching issue that creates tension, but everything between the point the tension is introduced and the point the tension is resolves is pretty relaxing. Characters bonding, dealing with minor interpersonal issues. Just going through daily life with a few minor disruptions.
I love it.
Some folks want action on every page, want drama to pour out and remain sustained from start to finish.
Man, I just want a book where I can chill the f*ck out. I have enough anxiety in my own life, especially with COVID-19 going on. So this book was perfect for this moment.
Is it a perfect book? No. There are really only two possible endings, both relatively low stakes.
The characters are a bit two dimensional.
Lots of meandering in the center of the book (but again I liked this).
So by traditional standards, it isn’t great.
But it was great for me.
There’s an overarching issue that creates tension, but everything between the point the tension is introduced and the point the tension is resolves is pretty relaxing. Characters bonding, dealing with minor interpersonal issues. Just going through daily life with a few minor disruptions.
I love it.
Some folks want action on every page, want drama to pour out and remain sustained from start to finish.
Man, I just want a book where I can chill the f*ck out. I have enough anxiety in my own life, especially with COVID-19 going on. So this book was perfect for this moment.
Is it a perfect book? No. There are really only two possible endings, both relatively low stakes.
The characters are a bit two dimensional.
Lots of meandering in the center of the book (but again I liked this).
So by traditional standards, it isn’t great.
But it was great for me.
January 14, 2014
Would you help a total stranger who says they are from another planet? Well in Signal by Cynthia C. DeFelice the main character Owen helps a girl named Campion build a signal to go back home.
The story starts out with a young boy who is about 13 who has just moved to New York in what's know as the finger lakes area. Owens mom died about 2 years ago and his dad is a workaholic and never spends time with Owen. He just moved in the summer so he had no friends up in his new neighborhood. Owen was going to make sure he made the soccer team so he went running with his dog and best friend named Josie.
Everyday while running he would see these people called the Dog people because they like 20 dogs and really wanted a child but never wanted to adopt one. One day when running he saw a tee shirt piece all ripped up and in a bush on the path. He followed the ripped up pieces back to an old abandoned farm house. He went inside to find a girl with stone cold face and just stared at a wall he got her attention and she said she was an alien named Campion. She said her planet was called Home. Owen then went home to bring her some clothes and food.
Owen came back the next day with clothes and tootsie rolls. Cam told Owen how she stayed with a girl named Bobbie and her boyfriend named Ray when she came to earth. She said that Ray was out to hurt her and that Owen can't tell anyone about her being there. Cam said that they couldn't make the signal until the full moon was out so they took time to get to know each other and Owen visited her everyday.
Later that week they build the signal in the field the day of the full moon so then airplanes wouldn't get suspicious earlier and catch them. They went to bed to wait for the spaceship to arrive and if it did come Owen was going to go with them. They woke up in the middle of the night to a truck pulling in the drive... it was Ray.
Ray came out to the field and grabbed Cam and started to take her back but Owen started to hit Ray and ray started to beat on him and WHACK! Ray went down and Cam was standing there with a 2X4. Suddenly cop cars and a few other cars pulled in and cuffed Ray and heard their stories. Owen then learned that Cams mom was actually Bonnie and she was very nice but her new boyfriend was a jerk and hit Cam so she ran away and Ray looked for her so she didn't tell anyone.
Cam was relocated to a new home with the Dog people which lived right down the road from Owen and they turned out to be best friends and Owens dad stopped working so much and talked and hung out with Owen.
The story starts out with a young boy who is about 13 who has just moved to New York in what's know as the finger lakes area. Owens mom died about 2 years ago and his dad is a workaholic and never spends time with Owen. He just moved in the summer so he had no friends up in his new neighborhood. Owen was going to make sure he made the soccer team so he went running with his dog and best friend named Josie.
Everyday while running he would see these people called the Dog people because they like 20 dogs and really wanted a child but never wanted to adopt one. One day when running he saw a tee shirt piece all ripped up and in a bush on the path. He followed the ripped up pieces back to an old abandoned farm house. He went inside to find a girl with stone cold face and just stared at a wall he got her attention and she said she was an alien named Campion. She said her planet was called Home. Owen then went home to bring her some clothes and food.
Owen came back the next day with clothes and tootsie rolls. Cam told Owen how she stayed with a girl named Bobbie and her boyfriend named Ray when she came to earth. She said that Ray was out to hurt her and that Owen can't tell anyone about her being there. Cam said that they couldn't make the signal until the full moon was out so they took time to get to know each other and Owen visited her everyday.
Later that week they build the signal in the field the day of the full moon so then airplanes wouldn't get suspicious earlier and catch them. They went to bed to wait for the spaceship to arrive and if it did come Owen was going to go with them. They woke up in the middle of the night to a truck pulling in the drive... it was Ray.
Ray came out to the field and grabbed Cam and started to take her back but Owen started to hit Ray and ray started to beat on him and WHACK! Ray went down and Cam was standing there with a 2X4. Suddenly cop cars and a few other cars pulled in and cuffed Ray and heard their stories. Owen then learned that Cams mom was actually Bonnie and she was very nice but her new boyfriend was a jerk and hit Cam so she ran away and Ray looked for her so she didn't tell anyone.
Cam was relocated to a new home with the Dog people which lived right down the road from Owen and they turned out to be best friends and Owens dad stopped working so much and talked and hung out with Owen.
April 18, 2022
This was one of my favorite books as a kid. I can't tell you how many times I reread it, so 5 stars for the memories.
September 8, 2022
Found this as I was sorting through some middle grade and kid's books here at the bookstore (hi, I co-own a used bookstore now by the way), and I was so intrigued by the cover that I decided to read it before I put it on the shelf. I read this over the past couple of days during slow times at the store, and honestly I really enjoyed it. It has the perfect summertime, schools-out atmosphere, plus undertones of sci-fi, and dealt with some more serious topics, like loneliness, very adeptly and in an age-appropriate way for middle grade kids. I absolutely would have loved this book as a kid, and as an adult I still really enjoyed it! I almost want to buy it for myself, but for now I've put it up on our middle grade shelf for someone else to enjoy. Who knows though, maybe if no one buys it within a month or two, I will take it home.
October 12, 2021
It was really interesting and funny, I would recommend you to read this book.
July 7, 2014
{Review}:
There are a few things that I love about this book.
1. It takes place on the shores of a finger lake in Upstate NY—where I’ve grown and spent all of my 29 years on this Earth.
2. Cynthia DeFelice is behind this great piece of fiction.
3. The cover is interesting and appealing, before you ever open the book to read it.
Cynthia DeFelice again paints a very realistic picture of an adolescent who is going through some pretty serious changes in his life. His mother has died, his father is very consumed with his life, and doesn’t necessarily have everything together himself, let alone getting himself together for his son.
And then we meet Campion: this poor scared alien-girl who mysteriously ended up near Owen’s home, and has no family to speak of, except the family from another planet. There is also a man—Ray, who is looking for her. Ray is a bit of a tough guy, and you’re never quite sure what the connection is. Until the ending, which will tear your heart out and stomp it on the floor.
I bought this selection from a scholastic book fair, because I knew that my guided reading students would love it. I could see {from a teaching perspective} that this would be a great addition to any child’s library, but especially to children who have already read Weasel by C. DeFelice--- there are a multitude of similarities of the story outlines, and it would be interesting for a middle-grade level to take these texts and really dive deeply into them. Cynthia DeFelice is also just a good author “to know”…as she has written a LOT of awesome books that appeal to young readers. My fifth grade students—upon receiving this book said the following:
Student 1: “Signal… the cover looks pretty cool…”
Student 2: “OMG! It’s by Cynthia DeFelice!”
Student 1: “That’s awesome. After we read Under The Same Sky, I tried to read all of our libraries books by her…”
{that’s super powerful stuff, peeps!}
There are a few things that I love about this book.
1. It takes place on the shores of a finger lake in Upstate NY—where I’ve grown and spent all of my 29 years on this Earth.
2. Cynthia DeFelice is behind this great piece of fiction.
3. The cover is interesting and appealing, before you ever open the book to read it.
Cynthia DeFelice again paints a very realistic picture of an adolescent who is going through some pretty serious changes in his life. His mother has died, his father is very consumed with his life, and doesn’t necessarily have everything together himself, let alone getting himself together for his son.
And then we meet Campion: this poor scared alien-girl who mysteriously ended up near Owen’s home, and has no family to speak of, except the family from another planet. There is also a man—Ray, who is looking for her. Ray is a bit of a tough guy, and you’re never quite sure what the connection is. Until the ending, which will tear your heart out and stomp it on the floor.
I bought this selection from a scholastic book fair, because I knew that my guided reading students would love it. I could see {from a teaching perspective} that this would be a great addition to any child’s library, but especially to children who have already read Weasel by C. DeFelice--- there are a multitude of similarities of the story outlines, and it would be interesting for a middle-grade level to take these texts and really dive deeply into them. Cynthia DeFelice is also just a good author “to know”…as she has written a LOT of awesome books that appeal to young readers. My fifth grade students—upon receiving this book said the following:
Student 1: “Signal… the cover looks pretty cool…”
Student 2: “OMG! It’s by Cynthia DeFelice!”
Student 1: “That’s awesome. After we read Under The Same Sky, I tried to read all of our libraries books by her…”
{that’s super powerful stuff, peeps!}
October 22, 2015
This story takes place in a small town with farmhouses and cornfields in it. But only one of these matter. The one that has Campion in it. Owen finds her by following a bloody trail of cloth on his running path. He follows it to a little farmhouse, abandoned, close to his house. He discovers that there is a girl hiding in one of the rooms and she claims she’s from another planet. He has to help her, he learns, to return back home and fast! While things get more and more intense, he needs to keep his cool and return things back to normal!
What this book made me wonder about is, how far would one go to find their way back home, while they are hopeless and lost in a new, shocking world? If it was me who was lost from my parents safety, I would go to great lengths to get back. Everything in my whole life basically revolves around my family so it’s really important and would be my number one priority to return, no boundaries.
I would definitely recommend this book to other people because it is really a heart pounding, pulse lifting experience for the reader. It inspired me, telling me that maybe science fiction books may be more interesting than I thought.
What this book made me wonder about is, how far would one go to find their way back home, while they are hopeless and lost in a new, shocking world? If it was me who was lost from my parents safety, I would go to great lengths to get back. Everything in my whole life basically revolves around my family so it’s really important and would be my number one priority to return, no boundaries.
I would definitely recommend this book to other people because it is really a heart pounding, pulse lifting experience for the reader. It inspired me, telling me that maybe science fiction books may be more interesting than I thought.
February 3, 2019
This book is about a boy named Owen McGuire who moved to New York after his mother died & has a dog named Josie whose his best friend. Owen finds Cam (Campion for short) Cooper who is not a normal girl but was left behind by her alien parents by accident; Cam needs to make a signal for her parents to get her but it would be risky for the next 6 days with Owen and Josie. Owen and Cam got close within 6 days & Owen helps Cam with the signal. A lot of things happen to them within those days.
In my opinion, this book is great and all but it's missing a few things like; more details in a character who is expressing their feelings towards an object or person. For example, " 'Cam sits down suddenly, saying, 'I feel dizzy. I'm really hungry.' " The author could've said something like " 'Cam sat down all of a sudden, the atmosphere around her was making her feel dizzy. 'I haven't eaten at all, I'm feeling dizzy.' " but I'm no writer so the really depends on the details for it. Everything in the book made it really interesting and I really liked it.
In my opinion, this book is great and all but it's missing a few things like; more details in a character who is expressing their feelings towards an object or person. For example, " 'Cam sits down suddenly, saying, 'I feel dizzy. I'm really hungry.' " The author could've said something like " 'Cam sat down all of a sudden, the atmosphere around her was making her feel dizzy. 'I haven't eaten at all, I'm feeling dizzy.' " but I'm no writer so the really depends on the details for it. Everything in the book made it really interesting and I really liked it.
June 30, 2021
After his mother's death, Owen and his dad move to a rural community over the summer. Having no connections with friends while his workaholic dad is mostly absent, Owen, along with loyal dog, Josie explore the woods and fields around his area. On one exploration, he finds Campion, a girl his age. Cam claims to be from another planet and was accidently left here while her parents were leaving Earth. Owen also notices that Cam has been injured.
Giving sympathy to her predicament, Owen agrees to help Cam Signal her parents to return to Earth. Unbelieving at first, Owen eventually accepts her story and tentatively agrees to accompany her to her Home. He brings her food, supplies and companionship to Cam leading up to the fourth day when it is favorable for communicating with her parents. Oddly, though, a strange, violent, drunken man is asking around about Cam. And, a kindly, yet nosy store owner is suspicious of Owen's purchases and constant trips into the woods.
A suspenseful mystery with a outcome which becomes transparent early on.
Giving sympathy to her predicament, Owen agrees to help Cam Signal her parents to return to Earth. Unbelieving at first, Owen eventually accepts her story and tentatively agrees to accompany her to her Home. He brings her food, supplies and companionship to Cam leading up to the fourth day when it is favorable for communicating with her parents. Oddly, though, a strange, violent, drunken man is asking around about Cam. And, a kindly, yet nosy store owner is suspicious of Owen's purchases and constant trips into the woods.
A suspenseful mystery with a outcome which becomes transparent early on.
May 16, 2022
“I have the sudden thought that Dad and I are like
two planets spinning in separate orbits, and that an un-
expected little wobble just caused our paths to intersect for a moment. I feel like I want to stop everything before we spin off in different directions again, but I don't know how.
And I'm so tired, way too tired to think about it
now.”
My favorite quote from this book :-)
two planets spinning in separate orbits, and that an un-
expected little wobble just caused our paths to intersect for a moment. I feel like I want to stop everything before we spin off in different directions again, but I don't know how.
And I'm so tired, way too tired to think about it
now.”
My favorite quote from this book :-)
December 2, 2016
An easy read and captivating story. The plot is nicely paced, with cliff-hangers that keep you wondering. I would imagine this to be a great choice for kids who don't love to read. With a boy and girl main character, it will appeal to all. I relished the ending!
October 8, 2018
Don’t check this book out
October 28, 2019
gfkuyfy
December 13, 2020
My favorite book at the end there is the biggest twist that shattered my brain
July 15, 2022
Absolutely loved it.
August 15, 2022
Loved this book and read it a ton of times as a kid.
December 30, 2023
So Cam just had a bad home life, ran away and believed that she was an alien. Bro Owen and myself actually thought that…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2022
It's been awhile since I've read middle grade, and this wasn't horrible at all. However, I felt that the ending was rushed and didn't leave the reader feeling a sense of closure.
February 10, 2016
DeFelice, Cynthia C. Signal. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009. Print.
Summary: Owen McGuire and his father move to the finger lakes region of New York State from Buffalo, NY after his mother dies in a car accident. His father is working very hard and has no time for Owen. It is the summer, so Owen has not made any friends yet. He is about to start 7th grade. He spends all his time with his dog, Josie, running. Owen ends up meeting a girl, named Cam, who is living in an abandoned house. She has been bleeding and is very hungry. She explains to Owen that she is an alien from another planet. Her spaceship had to leave her behind when they had to leave quickly because they were being attacked by soldiers. She went to live with a woman who ended up with an abusive boyfriend. This is an exciting story that will keep children on the edge of their seats. I recommend this book to 4th through 6th grade students.
Ridiculously Simple Synopsis: Lonely boy tries to help alien from another planet to be rescued by her parents.
Curriculum Connection: This book is a nutmeg nominee. Students can be introduced to voting for the nutmeg awards and read this book as an example of a book that was nominated by intermediate readers. Geography: Students can do a Google Lit Trip using Google Earth. Students can use Google maps to find the distance between Buffalo, NY and where Owen lives now, which he describes as 1CSeneca Lake to the east, the highway to the west 1D.
Reading Level: Intermediate
Awards: Nutmeg nominee
Genre: fiction
Characters: Owen
Owen McGuire: Protagonist and narrator of the book.
Josie: Owen 19s dog.
Campion: The alien girl.
Bobbi: Cam 19s mom.
Ray: Bobbi 19s boyfriend.
Mr. Powers: The convenience store owner.
Dad: Owen 19s father.
Charlene and Ernie: A couple who adopt many dogs and cats.
Summary: Owen McGuire and his father move to the finger lakes region of New York State from Buffalo, NY after his mother dies in a car accident. His father is working very hard and has no time for Owen. It is the summer, so Owen has not made any friends yet. He is about to start 7th grade. He spends all his time with his dog, Josie, running. Owen ends up meeting a girl, named Cam, who is living in an abandoned house. She has been bleeding and is very hungry. She explains to Owen that she is an alien from another planet. Her spaceship had to leave her behind when they had to leave quickly because they were being attacked by soldiers. She went to live with a woman who ended up with an abusive boyfriend. This is an exciting story that will keep children on the edge of their seats. I recommend this book to 4th through 6th grade students.
Ridiculously Simple Synopsis: Lonely boy tries to help alien from another planet to be rescued by her parents.
Curriculum Connection: This book is a nutmeg nominee. Students can be introduced to voting for the nutmeg awards and read this book as an example of a book that was nominated by intermediate readers. Geography: Students can do a Google Lit Trip using Google Earth. Students can use Google maps to find the distance between Buffalo, NY and where Owen lives now, which he describes as 1CSeneca Lake to the east, the highway to the west 1D.
Reading Level: Intermediate
Awards: Nutmeg nominee
Genre: fiction
Characters: Owen
Owen McGuire: Protagonist and narrator of the book.
Josie: Owen 19s dog.
Campion: The alien girl.
Bobbi: Cam 19s mom.
Ray: Bobbi 19s boyfriend.
Mr. Powers: The convenience store owner.
Dad: Owen 19s father.
Charlene and Ernie: A couple who adopt many dogs and cats.
January 16, 2012
This story addresses something I have thought about since forever, which is the likelihood of there being other intelligent beings from another planet.
Owen, whose mother is dead (of course) and whose father never stops working (of course) is new to the Finger Lakes area of upstate NY. He finds a girl, cut up and bleeding in a remote and abandoned house. She tells him her name is Campion and that she is from another planet and was accidentally left behind when the US military got hip to their spaceship. She is trying to send a signal to her family and asks for Owen's confidence and help. Is she a nutcase? Is this for real? How solid is your belief that there are other life forms and that they could possibly be here on Earth?
After some coaxing, Owen decides he is going to go with Camp back to her island. He has given up on his father ever coming through as a companion and is convinced there is really nothing for him here.
Then, of course, there are second thoughts.
DeFelice sustains the tension right through to the end.
The two are standing in the center of crop circle they created with a rope and board and are waiting for the arrival of the shapeship at 2:00 in the morning. Suddenly a sound, someone is coming, who does this girl belong to?
Is she really an alien?
Is that crazy guy who beat her up coming back to get her?
Is this finally Owen's dad coming through and looking for his son?
And what about that elderly couple with all those dogs? Could they be part of the bigger picture?
You won't find out until the last 5 pages.
Owen, whose mother is dead (of course) and whose father never stops working (of course) is new to the Finger Lakes area of upstate NY. He finds a girl, cut up and bleeding in a remote and abandoned house. She tells him her name is Campion and that she is from another planet and was accidentally left behind when the US military got hip to their spaceship. She is trying to send a signal to her family and asks for Owen's confidence and help. Is she a nutcase? Is this for real? How solid is your belief that there are other life forms and that they could possibly be here on Earth?
After some coaxing, Owen decides he is going to go with Camp back to her island. He has given up on his father ever coming through as a companion and is convinced there is really nothing for him here.
Then, of course, there are second thoughts.
DeFelice sustains the tension right through to the end.
The two are standing in the center of crop circle they created with a rope and board and are waiting for the arrival of the shapeship at 2:00 in the morning. Suddenly a sound, someone is coming, who does this girl belong to?
Is she really an alien?
Is that crazy guy who beat her up coming back to get her?
Is this finally Owen's dad coming through and looking for his son?
And what about that elderly couple with all those dogs? Could they be part of the bigger picture?
You won't find out until the last 5 pages.
March 3, 2012
Title: Signal
Author: Cynthia DeFelice
Series: N/A
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Summary: One day while running on the trail near his house in upstate New York, Owen McGuire meets a girl with startling green eyes and bloody cuts all over her body who seems to be utterly alone. Her name is Campion, after the wildflower that is an alien species in the area—alien meaning “from someplace else”—and Campion claims to come from someplace else entirely, a planet called Home. She plans to signal her parents to come pick her up in their spaceship. Owen agrees to help, and as he does, he feels happier than he has in a long time: his mother died a year and a half ago, and now he and his workaholic father live together like two planets on separate orbits, in a new house far from his friends. What will he do when Campion asks him to come with her into outer space, away from his lonely life on Earth? In this moving novel, two friendless kids search the night sky for something to believe in—but discover that they've found what they need right here on Earth.
Review: Wow, what a letdown. The book is built up to this final moment, and then he finds out the alien he's been protecting and sheltering and feeding has betrayed him.
Things I Loved: The story has a lot of potential and was really nice.
Things I Hated: The ending is disappointing and so unexpected. It isn't a happy surprise; it's kinda stupid.
Author: Cynthia DeFelice
Series: N/A
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Summary: One day while running on the trail near his house in upstate New York, Owen McGuire meets a girl with startling green eyes and bloody cuts all over her body who seems to be utterly alone. Her name is Campion, after the wildflower that is an alien species in the area—alien meaning “from someplace else”—and Campion claims to come from someplace else entirely, a planet called Home. She plans to signal her parents to come pick her up in their spaceship. Owen agrees to help, and as he does, he feels happier than he has in a long time: his mother died a year and a half ago, and now he and his workaholic father live together like two planets on separate orbits, in a new house far from his friends. What will he do when Campion asks him to come with her into outer space, away from his lonely life on Earth? In this moving novel, two friendless kids search the night sky for something to believe in—but discover that they've found what they need right here on Earth.
Review: Wow, what a letdown. The book is built up to this final moment, and then he finds out the alien he's been protecting and sheltering and feeding has betrayed him.
Things I Loved: The story has a lot of potential and was really nice.
Things I Hated: The ending is disappointing and so unexpected. It isn't a happy surprise; it's kinda stupid.
June 13, 2011
2012 Nutmeg nominee for Children.
I really enjoyed Signal. I thought that the plot was original - at least for me - and the characters were interesting.
Signal follows the story of Owen - a new-to-the-area kid who spends his days exploring the Finger Lakes and hanging out with his (incredibly awesome) dog, Josie. During one of his runs through the woods, he and Josie come across some bloody strips of cloth. Further investigation eventually finds a girl living in an abandoned farmhouse. The girl, Cam, tells Owen that she is from another planet and that her parents are coming back for her but she needs to create a "signal" to help them find her. Owen, who is an instant believer in "other life" being out there, automatically decides to help - and even considers the idea of going with her.
I absolutely loved Owen in this story. He was just such a great kid and it made the story very readable. What I also loved about this story was that it made me believe Cam's story and I was actually disappointed at the end. Not because the story didn't end well, but that the magic that had been with it all along, was gone.
This was a very quick read and I think that it will be an easy sell to summer readers.
I really enjoyed Signal. I thought that the plot was original - at least for me - and the characters were interesting.
Signal follows the story of Owen - a new-to-the-area kid who spends his days exploring the Finger Lakes and hanging out with his (incredibly awesome) dog, Josie. During one of his runs through the woods, he and Josie come across some bloody strips of cloth. Further investigation eventually finds a girl living in an abandoned farmhouse. The girl, Cam, tells Owen that she is from another planet and that her parents are coming back for her but she needs to create a "signal" to help them find her. Owen, who is an instant believer in "other life" being out there, automatically decides to help - and even considers the idea of going with her.
I absolutely loved Owen in this story. He was just such a great kid and it made the story very readable. What I also loved about this story was that it made me believe Cam's story and I was actually disappointed at the end. Not because the story didn't end well, but that the magic that had been with it all along, was gone.
This was a very quick read and I think that it will be an easy sell to summer readers.
June 13, 2011
2012 Nutmeg nominee for Children.
I really enjoyed Signal. I thought that the plot was original - at least for me - and the characters were interesting.
Signal follows the story of Owen - a new-to-the-area kid who spends his days exploring the Finger Lakes and hanging out with his (incredibly awesome) dog, Josie. During one of his runs through the woods, he and Josie come across some bloody strips of cloth. Further investigation eventually finds a girl living in an abandoned farmhouse. The girl, Cam, tells Owen that she is from another planet and that her parents are coming back for her but she needs to create a "signal" to help them find her. Owen, who is an instant believer in "other life" being out there, automatically decides to help - and even considers the idea of going with her.
I absolutely loved Owen in this story. He was just such a great kid and it made the story very readable. What I also loved about this story was that it made me believe Cam's story and I was actually disappointed at the end. Not because the story didn't end well, but that the magic that had been with it all along, was gone.
This was a very quick read and I think that it will be an easy sell to summer readers.
I really enjoyed Signal. I thought that the plot was original - at least for me - and the characters were interesting.
Signal follows the story of Owen - a new-to-the-area kid who spends his days exploring the Finger Lakes and hanging out with his (incredibly awesome) dog, Josie. During one of his runs through the woods, he and Josie come across some bloody strips of cloth. Further investigation eventually finds a girl living in an abandoned farmhouse. The girl, Cam, tells Owen that she is from another planet and that her parents are coming back for her but she needs to create a "signal" to help them find her. Owen, who is an instant believer in "other life" being out there, automatically decides to help - and even considers the idea of going with her.
I absolutely loved Owen in this story. He was just such a great kid and it made the story very readable. What I also loved about this story was that it made me believe Cam's story and I was actually disappointed at the end. Not because the story didn't end well, but that the magic that had been with it all along, was gone.
This was a very quick read and I think that it will be an easy sell to summer readers.
January 1, 2010
Here's a touching story for anyone who has ever fantasized about escaping to a place where one's problems would disappear. Owen is a lonely boy whose mother died recently in a car accident. He and his grieving father have moved to a new community in upstate NY, but there's very little connection between them. It's summertime and Owen has no friends yet --- other than his faithful dog. When he meets Campion, a mysterious girl with sparkling green eyes who is living in an abandoned house in the woods, he gets caught up in her plan to signal her parents -- parents that Cam insists live on another planet and will soon return for her in a spaceship. Owen's first person narration makes this book come alive -- it's a combination of mystery, suspense and friendship with a dash of "ET" poignancy. Is Cam really an alien from a planet where life is better than on Earth? Who is the angry man who keeps asking about her in town? Should Owen accept Cam's offer to leave his lonely life behind and join her on the spaceship when it arrives?
I really enjoyed this story of two young kids struggling to connect with other people. Lots of action and intrigue, plus very engaging characters.
I really enjoyed this story of two young kids struggling to connect with other people. Lots of action and intrigue, plus very engaging characters.
March 2, 2010
This is a short book, but it took me a few days to finish because I didn't have trouble putting it down. I think that 4th - 6th or young 7th graders will like it more than I did, because the suspense will work better for them. It's a boring and lonely summer for Owen in his new town in upstate NY. His mother died a little over a year ago, and his father is always busy at work. School hasn't started yet, and in this rural area there aren't many neighbors, so Owen is stuck with only his dog Josie for company until he meets Campion under unusual circumstances. He follows the trail of someone in what remains of a ripped and bloody t-shirt. Campion tells Owen that she is waiting for the full moon due in about a week, so she can signal her parents to pick her up and take her back to her home planet. In the meantime, she is trying to avoid being found by Ray - the man who was responsible for all the cuts on Campion's arms and face. Owen helps her, and as Campion and Owen get to know each other a bit better, Campion tries to convince Owen to leave Earth and come with her when her parents arrive. On the night of the full moon, Owen still has not decided.
January 23, 2015
In a tale that deceived me, as well as the main character, a kid named Owen McGuire. You follow Owen on his task to help a girl he met escape to her home planet. She claims to be an alien and Owen is convinced after all her insisting, in fact, so am i. As we read on you find out that the girl had run away from her parent guardians because of their violence towards her. Her father figure even slashed a hub cap across her face. The story continues and you then find them creating a crop circle to signal the girl's alien parents. Owen is doing this despite a worried father whom Owen dislikes due to his lack of focus on himself. But then you are hit in the face with a sledge hammer as the girl reveals she is not an alien, and was just looking for an excuse to run away and stay away from her parents as long as possible. Owen feels betrayed, and the girl is taken away. Owen, is taken home by his father whom was now planning on bonding with his son more. I recommend this book to people who like short stories with twist endings and riveting events throughout the story. Overall, a pretty good book.
August 12, 2016
This is a good read for any time that you are looking for a book you can finish in a day or two. The story starts at a slower pace, but the action starts to build as soon as Campion and Owen meet. Campion was so mysterious, and she kept me guessing throughout the story. My heart went out to Owen because he was so lonely and depressed. I especially liked learning about Home and what a wonderful planet it is. As Owen learned more and decided to help Campion, I was able to see how he was finally changing and growing since his mom passed away. He had a lot of unresolved emotions, and it was great to see how his life changed through his relationship with Campion. I was curious throughout the book, and I couldn’t wait to find out if Campion was really from another planet and if her parents would see her signal and pick her up in their spaceship. I think kids between the ages of 8 and 14 will enjoy this book if they like science fiction and stories about friendship. This story kept my interest and made me think. I also learned a lot about crop circles!
February 18, 2015
Signal is a realistic fiction book by Cynthia Defelice. It is about how a 12 year old boy named Owen McGuire , his mom had died recently and his dad is a workaholic . So Owen spends his time with his dog named Josie jogging in a trail near their house and every day they go out to walk and jog along the trail , but one day they find a girl named Cam who claims she is an alien . Along the way Owen gets really convinced and then tries to get Cam back home by making a signal for her parents to contact them and find out where cam is hiding. But Owen gets a bit confused when a guy named Ray is looking after her and Owen starts to wonder why , he also found out that Cam may be saying some crazy things which ends up being a huge part at the end .
In my opinion i think this book is really well written , I always enjoyed reading the storyline and i never got bored. Cynthia Defelice is for people who dont really enjoy reading and for people who like action , and mystery . I would rate this book 9 out of 10 .
In my opinion i think this book is really well written , I always enjoyed reading the storyline and i never got bored. Cynthia Defelice is for people who dont really enjoy reading and for people who like action , and mystery . I would rate this book 9 out of 10 .
April 15, 2011
A boy, Owen McGuire, moves at the beginning of summer to upstate New York, so he doesn't have any friends or know anyone. He spends his days running along a trail near his home with his dog, Josie. One day on the trail, Josie picks up what appears to be a torn white t-shirt with blood on it. Owen searches for the "bloody guy" and discovers it to be a girl with a bleeding head wound and bloody slits up and down her arms. This girl, Campion, claims to be an alien stranded on Earth waiting for her parent's to come get her.
Although this was classified as Sci-Fi, I was terrible disappointed when I realized 3/4 of the way through that the category was wrong. I would consider this book to be realistic fiction with imagination added. Overall, I really wanted to skim at times, and found myself jumping over pages and not missing a thing. It's interesting, but not my favorite. I would call it average.
Although this was classified as Sci-Fi, I was terrible disappointed when I realized 3/4 of the way through that the category was wrong. I would consider this book to be realistic fiction with imagination added. Overall, I really wanted to skim at times, and found myself jumping over pages and not missing a thing. It's interesting, but not my favorite. I would call it average.
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