Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Numbers

Numbers
Numbers
Author: Rachel Ward
Genre: Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 380 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Numbers is about a girl named Jem that sees the date that someone is going to die. When she was a little girl, Jem saw the number for her mother and then her mother died of an overdose. From then on, she is sent through the system in London. In order to protect herself, she withdrawals from society, until she runs into Spider while she is ditching school. She can't seem to shake him. He follows her around,which is easily noticed based off of his smell, and he stands up for her in school. This however ends up being a bad thing. Jem begins to be noticed at school and she starts getting picked on. So, Jem ditches school and goes to visit Spider while he is suspended. The two of them head to the touristy London Eye where Jem notices something odd. As she looks through the line, all of the people standing there have the same number. Jem freaks out and pulls Spider away just in time. A terrorist attacks the London Eye. Jem and Spider are seen running away from the scene of the crime. This leads the two of them to begin a life on the run.

Honestly, I was intrigued by the premise and the possibilities that could have happened with a girl that saw when someone was going to die. For some reason when I read the back of the book I thought that the terrorist attack was going to be a larger focus than it was. I was disappointed that the majority of the book was about her life on the streets more than anything to do with the numbers. Honestly, the numbers are only a small part of the book and don't lead the plot at all in my opinion. The relationship between Spider (who is not your typical love interest) and Jem is the main focus of the book. The interactions between the two of them is entertaining. Reading how their relationship unfolds and gives Jem hope for things that she didn't bother with before is the best part of the book. I liked the book, I just thought that Ward could have done so much more with the premise that she devised. Let's see what the sequel brings.

On another note, this is definitely for older teens. There is drug use, death, theft, sex, and teenage pregnancy in the book.
3/5 stars