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 ove...
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reviews
Jun 13, 2011
Jodi
rated it: 
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 abandon More...
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 abandon More...
Mar 02, 2010
Mary
rated it: 
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
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Jan 01, 2010
Karen
rated it: 
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 w
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Jun 13, 2011
Jodi
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Nov 08, 2009
Abby
rated it:
After the death of his mother, Owen and his dad move to upstate New York at the beginning of the summer. It's a terrible time to move to a new place because Owen doesn't know anyone, so he spends a lot of time alone. Then one day he's running with his dog Josie and he finds a girl named Campion hiding out in an abandoned house. Cam tells him that she's an alien who was left behind and is just waiting for the full moon when she can signal her parents to come and get her. Owen is instantly intrigu
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May 02, 2010
Luann
rated it:
Owen and his father have just moved into a new town, so Owen has no friends other than his dog for the summer. His father is always busy with work, and they don't communicate much since Owen's mother died in a car accident. One day while taking his dog, Josie, for a run, he meets a girl who is injured. She claims to be from another planet and waiting for her parents to come back to pick her up. Owen agrees to help her build a signal so they will know where to find her.
This is a quic More...
This is a quic More...
May 10, 2011
Cara
rated it:
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 wa
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Feb 27, 2010
Victoria
rated it:
I picked this one up after reading a couple of other alien books ("Smekday" and "Doom Machine"). Owen has just moved to a new town in upstate New York following the death of his mother. He and his father are each trying to cope with the loss in their own way, his father by immersing himself in his work. So when Owen finds an injured girl hiding in an abandoned house, he is very curious about her story that she is from another planet and must build a signal so her parents c
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Jan 01, 2010
Becky
rated it:
This is a slight read with a predictable ending, but I'll admit that I did want to keep reading. I loved Owen's character...such a good guy...caring...sensitive...strong...independent. I ached for his loss of his mother (without whose influence, he never would have believed Cam's alien story) and for his longing to become close to his workaholic father. Along with that and his dog, Josie, being his best friend, I was reminded of Opal in Because of Winn Dixie. This will be an easy book to book ta
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Jan 16, 2012
Nobies57
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Dec 26, 2010
Cornmaven
rated it:
Nice quick read story about loneliness and neglect and the fantasizing about a more perfect world that occurs when you're in such a situation. I owuld have liked the author to have fleshed out some of the characters a little more, to have perfected the fantasy a little more, so that the ending would have had an even more forceful impact.
Some of the resolution is of course impossible in the real world, but kids won't know that. I think 4th-6th graders would like it.
Some of the resolution is of course impossible in the real world, but kids won't know that. I think 4th-6th graders would like it.
Apr 28, 2010
M.
rated it:
Owen is lonely, but while walking in the woods, he meets a girl who claims to be from outer space, from another planet. She’s waiting for her parents to come to pick her up. Turns out something else is true, but Owen doesn’t learn that almost till the end. Cameron has escaped from an abusive life and she’s trying to live her dream life, a place with no violence and no cruelty. The book has a happy ending.
Oct 09, 2011
Angela
rated it:
This would most likely appeal to 5th to 7th graders. Much of it is about a sad, lonely little boy who lost his mom and has a difficult time communicating with his father. He meets a little girl whose story you want to believe, and the author does such a good job of pulling you in that you almost begin to hope there is life out there in the universe. I was a little disappointed in the rush ending.
Dec 04, 2011
Jenn
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 21, 2009
Barbara
rated it: 
This was my first book by Cynthis DeFelice and I loved it! Even though I figured out the ending about 1/3 of the way through, I really enjoyed the friendship that grew between Owen and Cam. They both needed something that they found in each other. I think it would make a great companion to The Magician's Elephant. Similar themes of hope and believing in the impossible.
Dec 02, 2011
Glenn
rated it:
A Nutmeg award finalist, Signal is the first novel that my daughter (10) finished in one sitting. I promised her I would read it before her book club met to discuss it, so we could talk about it. The story follows Owen as he and his dog spend the summer following his mother's death alone in a new town while his father works long hours as a CPA. Things get much more interesting though, when he meets someone even more out of place than himself: Campion, a young alien girl, stranded on Earth.
Mar 27, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
A good premise - Campion, the "alien" girl is waiting for her parents to return and enlists Owen's help. The reader is always sure that Campion has fabricated this story as an escape from her harsh reality. Meanwhile Owen believes her, perhaps he wants to believe her to overcome his own aloneness. The ending is neatly tied.
Jan 20, 2011
Mary
rated it:
As a grown-up, I knew what was going to happen in this book before it happened. But it didn't make any difference in how much I enjoyed reading it. Despite the crop circles and talk of aliens, this really is just a wonderful story of friendship and families and finding a way to make your life work.
Apr 15, 2010
Jean
rated it:
3.5 stars. I liked this book and as a science fiction fan I was a little unsure of the genre right up until the end. A fairly implausible plot (and I'm not talking space ships here), but it kept me guessing and reading right up to the end. As in DeFelice's Weasel the bad guy is truly evil.
Jul 08, 2011
LT
rated it:
Wavered between 2 and 3 stars on this, but went for 3 just because of the authenticity of the narrative voice, which is always a lovely thing to find. However, the story was a little bit one-note and predictable, and the ending was way too happily-ever-after.
Feb 01, 2010
Mary
rated it:
I would have rated this higher except for the ending. I have a problem with books where everything is neatly and almost magically solved in the last few pages with everyone happy and no consequences for anyone. Until then it was a very good book.
Jun 04, 2011
Bob
rated it:
Good. It's not a fresh new story line - basically an adolescent lit version of KPAX. However, its full of great metaphors and characterization. I particularly like the introduction of the "dog people."
Dec 05, 2011
Christina
rated it: 
Presented as a sci-fi book, it quickly turns into another troubled kid book. I knew where this was going to end up about one-third of the way in. Disappointing.
Dec 04, 2011
Jamie
rated it:
I liked the narrative voice. I am a huge fan of Cynthia. The book is very predictable for an adult, but I think students will love it!
Mar 14, 2011
Snowy
rated it:
this is a good book that is funny, detailed, and of course... AWESOME! i would recomend this book for all ages!
Jul 01, 2010
Mo
rated it:
Its a very good book. I learned that Owen M. is a very good person and a very good helper.
Jul 05, 2011
Mercy
rated it:
Friendship. Wanting something so bad can make you believe in incredible things
Jun 22, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
This was a quick read, and one that really kept me wanting to read more.
