The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This is book #15 from The Ameri Brit Mom 24 Book Challenge in 2016. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, or outside influences.
Title: Numbers
Author: Rachel Ward
Publisher: Chicken House-Scholastic
Copyright Date: 2010
The hardest part of growing up for Jem isn’t the fact that she watched her mother die or that she’s been stuck in the lowest classes for her year amongst all the people society has given up on. No, the hardest part for Jem is growing up with the power to know the date of death for anyone whom she looks in the eye.
Jem is a teenager living in London with her foster mom, Karen. She keeps to herself and likes it that way. Without friends, Jem is constantly haunted by the death of the people around her. One day she makes friends with another boy from her class, Spider. Although instincts told her to stay away from him, knowing that his number is coming very soon keeps Jem intrigued and close to Spider. She wants to prove that she can beat these numbers and protect him.
One day, after running away from school the pair decide to hang out at the London Eye. Blowing off school was fun until Jem starts to look around and realize that the death date for many of the people around her is the same-and it’s today.
Numbers is a tale of one girl’s struggle to face her greatest fear: death.
Throughout the book, you begin to see the tough layers of Jem being pulled back. She opens up to Spider with the understanding that his days truly are numbered. During the course of their friendship Jem learns what it means to love and to live each moment to the fullest. In the end, she learns so much from the first boy she let into her life.
This was a great YA tale that many teens would enjoy. With a slight apocalyptic feel this novel explores themes of love, friendship, and fear. This book is followed by two others in the trilogy: The Chaos and Infinity.
The Ameri Brit Mom
The Ameri Brit Mom 