Numbers

by Rachel Ward

Summary:
Every time you looked at someone, you can see the day that they will die.  What do you do with that kind of knowledge? Does knowing the day you'll die help you? Would telling people stop them from dying? The numbers haunt Jem.  Knowing the day that every single person she encounters will die makes every day almost unbearable.  Until she meets Spider, a boy whose death date is not far in the future. Maybe knowing the date will let her stop if from happening. Maybe he can be the one she saves.

Review:
The premise of Numbers is interesting, but the book itself is a bit disjointed and the language a bit hard to follow at times. The main characters are kids from rougher areas of London, so there is a lot of slang written in that might be hard for some teens to follow.  In some ways the harsher writing (or not as developed I suppose) does help the plot as it makes you feel a bit closer to the characters.  Overall the book is an interesting read but nothing thrilling.  Ok for teens who enjoy books about fate or star crossed lovers.

Age Level: 8th Grade
Genre: Realistic Fantasy Fiction
Series: sequel Numbers: the Chaos