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    Numbers
    Numbers
    Numbers
    Audiobook8 hours

    Numbers

    Written by Rachel Ward

    Narrated by Sarah Coomes

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Numbers that pop into her head when she looks into someone’s eyes. They’re dates, the numbers. Dates predicting with brute accuracy each person’s death.

    Burdened by such grim knowledge, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. Maybe they can find happiness together, if only in the brief time that remains before his expiration date.

    But on a trip to London, Jem foresees a chilling chain of events:

    The city’s a target.
    The clock’s running out.
    The countdown is on to a blowup!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateFeb 1, 2010
    ISBN9781423396338
    Numbers
    Author

    Rachel Ward

    Rachel Ward is a freelance translator of literary and creative texts from German and French to English. Having always been an avid reader and enjoyed word games and puzzles, she discovered a flair for languages at school and went on to study modern languages at the University of East Anglia. She spent the third year working as a language assistant at two grammar schools in Saaebrücken, Germany. During her final year, she realised that she wanted to put these skills and passions to use professionally and applied for UEA’s MA in Literary Translation, which she completed in 2002. Her published translations include Traitor by Gudrun Pausewang and Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel, and she is a Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. Follow Rachel on Twitter @FwdTranslations, on her blog www.adiscounttickettoeverywhere.wordpress.com and on her website www.forwardtranslations.co.uk

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    Reviews for Numbers

    3.5/5

    82 ratings68 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A challenging, but very good, book to read. Filled with good words and scenes that'll keep you on the edge of your seat!! Additionally, this book has an amazing idea/spark to it.
    • 3/5
      Num8ers by Rachel Ward has such a compelling description that I had wanted to get it since I first saw it's spine on the shelves of Barnes and Noble. I love stories that combine things like math and numbers or futuristic things because they're such a breath of fresh air to everything else.

      I'm sorry to say that I was just a little disappointed. The story is supposed to be about a girl who sees numbers when she looks into the eyes of people. Those numbers represent the day they're supposed to die. However, when I started reading the story, that became mostly like the underlying theme. It was what connected events, but it wasn't the point of the story.

      Jem, the main character who sees the numbers, becomes involved with a kid named Spider. They become good friends, but all of a sudden their world is upturned when they're caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. That accident causes them to high tail it out of their home in London while the police chase them down across the country. That there was the main plot. And I disliked it. I was hoping for a story delving into the options of having this power of seeing death dates and where to take it. But no. That wasn't the case at all.

      Again, as I've said in many other reviews, I dislike stories where a young teenage girl claims to fall in love and becomes pregnant. While I think Spider and Jem had a good non-cheesy relationship, I disagree wholeheartedly with the pregnancy issue. She gets pregnant at 15 for Pete's sake! I can't help but wonder what kind of message these books send out to all the teens reading them. I know there's tons of teenagers out there like that now, but that doesn't make it okay and Num8ers just falls right into line with the many books promoting teenage pregnancy.

      The only thing I did like about the book without a downfall was Ward's writing style. It was so incredibly unique and new. The little jokes and such made it all even better. Sure, there were somethings I didn't quite get because it's England jargon, but it wasn't hard to figure it out.

      Over all, it's an interesting read, but it fell short of it mark in my opinion.
    • 3/5
      An excellent book, very original. I'm not too up-to-date with current YA books, so I was disappointed to see all the swearing! When I was younger, it was just a few words here and there, but the swearing in this I thought was a bit much. And then the author would occasionally use words such as "cursing/cursed" or "swear word." Great story though, not sure if I'll read the others in the series....
    • 3/5
      teen fiction--troubled teens with psychic abilities/a little adventure romance. While not the most outstanding title I've read in this genre, it is the only book I've picked up lately that really compelled me to keep reading. Solid.
    • 5/5
      Jenna sees numbers. When she has eye contact with someone she sees their death date. Her mother has died and she is living with a foster mom. She doesn't have many friends and does not do well in school. She meets a boy that she begins to feel comfortable with. They go to the Eye in London one day, and she notices that many of the people there have the same number. That day. She realizes that something is going to happen. The two run from the area just before a bomb explodes and many people die. They are now suspects and are on the run. The book is very good and well written; however, it has a lot of adult language.
    • 3/5
      I dunno. Besides the basic premise, a lot of this strains credulity, or just seems so perfectly coincidental.
    • 4/5
      Num8ers by Rachel Ward (#1)Pages: 325Release Date: November 8th, 2008Date Read: 2012, January 24th - February 10thReceived: Audiobook from LibraryRating: 4/5 starsRecommended to: 17+SUMMARY -Jemma never wanted this gift - this curse. She never realized the Numbers meant something until her mom died - on a date that spelled out the Numbers Jem saw in her mother's eyes. now she knows - she can never look someone in the eye without knowing when they'll die. For a long time, Jem has distanced herself from the world, but now, she's found a friend in the quirky boy from school, Spider. It isn't long, however, before Jem's gift predicts a terrorist attack. Now the suspects, she and Spider are on the run for their lives, and Jem is forced to live like she's never lived before.MY THOUGHTS -Sitting here, writing out that summary, I almost burst into tears. Yep, this is one of those books. Books that make me bawl. I swear I was hyperventilating at the end of this book. It's like a sharp knight to the gut. Actually, I take that back. It's a shock back into reality.Most books with this much content usually aren't what I pick up or finish. But. There are a few reasons I finished this one.1. The narrator. By golly this woman can read a book and make it come to life like nothing else I've ever seen. I don't typically do audiobooks, but I was pulled into Jem's world through the narrator's brilliant voice.2. Jem's transformation (more on that below).3. The thick intensity and grit of the world Rachel Ward so perfectly built. Oh, it's earth, the world we live in, but it's like nothing you've ever read.4. Her writing. Ward has a way with worlds. Simple, to the point, but also lyrical and passionate.CHARACTER NOTES -So. Jem. She's hard, closed-off, never budging from her comfort zone (if she even has one) - no friends, no life - nothing that could make her see people's death dates, their Numbers. Normally, a girl like this would drive me crazy. There's no way I could relate to her. But, the magic of the narrator and author worked together, and as soon as I heard Jem's story, her mom's story, her life now, I could never have walked away. I cared, I understood, I was Jem. I suddenly was experiencing life through her eyes. I hurt, bled for her, with her. If you can do that with your readers in such a severe, devastating way, you're brilliant.When Jem meets Spider, so begins the slow, painful process of Jem's transformation. I cannot even begin to tell you how perfect and seamless the change wrought in her character was. Like, freaking brilliant. I'd say it's some of the best character development I've seen, hands down, next to classic characters such as Sydney Carton, Andre-Louis Moreau and Raskilnikov.Spider was also excellently portrayed. He irritates the crap out of Jem sometimes, but she cares for him more than she's wiling to admit. There's so much heart and soul to his character, because he is the life in Jem. He brings her out of her shell with his fidgeting, jumpiness, loud personality, and care for her.Besides these two, there's a cast of characters worthy of reading about. None have so much page time as the leads, but they all play their part. None were ever dull or awkward or stupid. I loved every last one of them.STORY NOTES -I was sitting in my car with my 14-year-old sister, listening away to this brilliant narration, at the very beginning of the story, when Jem dropped the first F-bomb in a rather sudden, s hocking moment. She said it again, a few times in that scene. Startled, I turned it off, planning to proceed with caution when there wasn't such a young audience.Proceed with caution. Yes. There were a LOT of F-bombs in this book. Probably 60 or so. Typically, this annoys me to pieces. BUT. I could understand where Jem was coming from, due to stellar writing skills on Ward's part. This doesn't make it okay, but if I was in Jem's shoes, and had lived the life she had, I'd probably cuss up a storm as well.In any case, this book holds something very precious. It's a story about the delicacy and beauty of life. It's an adventure that takes you across London, the countryside, and the sea side. It's a thriller that keeps you on your toes till THE VERY END. It's a romance that will steal your heart away. It is not typical. The romance, the journey, the climax - I've never read anything like it. And because of that alone, it is beautiful.SUMMING IT UP -Heart-breaking. Your heart will be broken once you've finished. Trust me. Shattered. But in all the right ways. Rachel Ward - please, never stop writing.(Although, I do have to say - this isn't a book for everyone. Not all people can handle or like to handle books with this much content/grit/hardcore story. So look both ways before you cross this street. But I hope you do cross this street. I hope you do.)For the Parents -Explicit language throughout. Drug use, theft, sex in a barn (some detail but more about the emotion)...death. It's a heavy book with hardcore themes. Recommended 17+
    • 1/5
      I picked up this book because I wanted to see what the main character in this book would choose to do with her unusual power. I was really dissappointed when it turned out to be more about a couple of messed up teenagers who run away together than anything else. Sure, the numbers played a large role, but ultimately I was dissappointed in that regard, too. I'm not a fan of the conclusions that were reached about fate. I didn't like the fact that the relationship between the two characters evolved into more than just friendship, especially without any warning that I could see. I basically just found this book to be a disappointment from the characters to the eventual plot line to the overall message. 
    • 3/5
      To start off I must say that after reading the synopsis of this book I wanted to read it so bad. To know the date of others people deaths would drive me crazy. I probably would be going around trying to save everyone, even though we all die eventually. Numbers started off slow and at times it would pick back up. We meet the characters of Jem and Spider and the people they are connected to. Jem is someone who avoids getting to know others for fear that she will lose them. She has had a tough life. Spider is the complete opposite of Jem. He is a risk taker and I would say tries to enjoy life to the fullest. In the book Jem and Spider find themselves in a situation where they feel like they have to run away in order to start fresh with new lives. The cops are after them and so they begin a journey together. Throughout the novel I felt like I was apart of their flee. Although their were sometimes where I thought are you kidding me? Is this even necessary? That is so gross! There were some disturbing parts. I found myself struggling to finish this book. I'm glad I did though. This book had a good message to send out to readers. I found myself holding back tears. If you told me this when I was half way through I wouldn't have believed you. Overall this is a good book and I suggest you read it sometime.
    • 5/5
      I was completely fascinated with Numbers from the beginning. The writing is superb and the characters are magnetic in their realty! There's no sugar coating in this book... Jem is completely and irrefutably PERFECT in her imperfections.Jem's life sucks. Period. She's an outcast, passed from foster home to foster home throughout her 15 years. Jem tries not to look people in the eye, for if she does- she sees the date of their death.Creepy right?This book was over-flowing with irresistible characters, each one with a uniqueness all their own. I especially liked Spider's 'Nan', while she didn't play a huge part in the story I felt her presence was huge!Jem and Spider had the sweetest romance ever... tainted by the little fact that she knew the exact date of his impending doom.Bummer.These kids have absolutely nothing to lose- except each other. Heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and action packed are just a few of the things I could say about this book. I laughed, I cried, I pounded my fists in frustration! Ward gets you standing behind Jem and Spider, rooting for them the every step of the way.
    • 3/5
      You know when you read a book and you have questions and you think to yourself "I bet that will get addressed before the end", and then by the end of the book those questions and many that you weren't even smart enough to come up with have been answered. Well, that is not this book. I had so many questions during this books that I knew there was no way that they would get answered by the end. A reason I would recommend this book to young adults is that it portrays a young girl that is unrelentingly troubled, and that they are hard to change. The young girl, Jem, in fact does not change--you could maybe argue she does but only when she is gosh darn good and ready. Reasons I would not recommend this book on a larger scale: 1. too much in your face British dialogue (I really hope that Rachel Ward is British, or this book may be a horribly offensive stereotype)--the characters stop just short of saying that they are British every time they are quoted; 2. the book is just depressing with no real redeeming messages to take from it--sure there is one on love and letting that define each moment of your life, but that's fairly played out at this point; 3. Poor character development; 4. Poor dialogue tone; 5. The questions...so many questions...reader left to answer too many on their own with too little support from the author.
    • 4/5
      Jem and Spider are everything the Daily Mail fears in today's teenager. Jem's mum died of a heroin overdose when Jem was just 7. Spider is veering close to a life of gangs and drugs. Both 15, they know each other through school - a place they rarely go.Jem has been keeping a secret during all the years that she's moved from one foster family to another - she can see the date of anyone's death. It hangs over their head as soon as she looks them in the eye. For this reason, Jem heeps her hoodie up most of the time and stares at her feet.Jem and Spider start spending time together, and events at a party lead to them taking off on the run together, heading for Westonsupermare where Spider once had a memorable day out with his gran. But Jem has already seen Spider's number - can it be changed?I really liked the characters in this book. They seemed real. And I cried a bit at the end. You don't need to be 15 to enjoy Numbers.
    • 4/5
      Numbers is yet another victim of misleading marketing. Everything about this book's packaging - the cover, the blurb - screams Sci-Fi! Saving the world! Action! Angsty love! No wonder every negative review of it I've read says - Well, I expected Numbers to be this, but it turned out to be that, so I am totally disappointed.Let me tell you what this novel actually is about. Numbers is a story of two poor, rough British kids who find themselves on the run when, thanks to Jem's ability to see every person's death date, they flee the scene of a bombing and are accused of causing it. Their flight is not necessary and maybe even stupid. But Jem and Spider are the kids of the lower class, children of addicts who maybe dabble in crime, and they do not have much faith in authorities (and rightfully so). They think that escape is their only way out. The other important driving force of the flight is Jem's knowledge that Spider's death is only mere days away. She can't allow her friend spend his last days in jail. The two are hiding and hoping for a better future for themselves.Jem's ability has an almost allegorical meaning here. It is not a super-special world-saving power and it doesn't have much bearing on the story. This ability is more of Jem's personal burden she has to carry. It has shaped her worldview, forced her to stay away from people, to never let anyone in. What is the point of getting attached if she knows when their lives will end?I loved almost everything about Numbers. The development of the relationship between Jem and Spider was so sincere and well done in its progression from reluctant camaraderie to genuine young love between two outcasts. I enjoyed Jem, closed out and vulnerable and funny. (Special thanks to the reader of the audio version - she was fabulous and truly brought Jem to life.) Spider is a male love interest I rarely see in YA lit - he is not particularly attractive, he is flawed, and yet infinitely caring and kind.Finally, I appreciated the main sentiment of this story - we all are walking clocks counting down the remaining minutes, hours, days, years of our lives. Knowing that everything ends should not stop us from enjoying what we have now.My only negative is that I wish the story was not so sad.
    • 4/5
      The concept behind this plot really made me consider the world and develop a few wild theories of my own. Kudos to Rachel Ward for writing a wonderful book.
    • 4/5
      Fast-paced thriller that will grab you from the beginning and never let you go.Jem is a 15 year old foster kid who can look into a person's eyes and see the date they will die. For this reason, she has refused friendships and relationships with everyone. Until she meets Spider. A tall, gangly weird kid in her class, he forces his friendship upon her, which she willingly accepts. Spider's death date is approaching, but her feelings for him intensify, which makes for a difficult decision.Definitely one of the most unique and well-paced books I've read all year. Highly recommended to teens and adults who enjoy thrillers.
    • 4/5
      I was pleasantly suprised by this book, I really liked the story and the exploration of the underclasses and labelling in society. The questions asked about the current justice system in Britain and whether or not the police are simply looking for a likely candidate to blame, are often a question faced in reality. The exploration of racial issues also gives insight into a dark world where the police see a black boy (or girl, but less so) automatically as a criminal or at least a suspect.

      The plot intrigued me as soon as I heard of it. The protagonist, Jem, has been able to see the numbers all her life, as soon as she looks into someone's eyes, she knows the date they will die. The numbers have always been absolute and unchanging. But one day she sees the exact same numbers on everyone waiting in the London Eye queue and flees, knowing the tragic fate of the passengers. The Eye becomes subject to a terrorist attack and the only CCTV footage shows Jem and her friend Spider running away from the scene. Instant suspects, the two attempt an escape, heading for a seaside town of Spider's childhood.

      The story idea was very good, it seemed fairly original to me unless someone better-read would like to correct me. The focus on the lower working class was insightful but, most likely, exaggerated. I find it stereotypical of the author to paint every one as a drug-dealer or criminal of some kind, all with a low life expectancy to go with it. Some of it may be an accurate depiction of the struggles faced when you aren't born into wealth and opportunity but I grew up in a very mixed-class English town and the only difference between those defined as 'working class' and 'middle class' was their income. Neither were criminals, neither lacked education or ambition.

      The race issue, however, can still happen and the author made her point very effectively by the way that the police assume without question that Spider must be a criminal.

      The love story is something I didn't expect and when it first happened I didn't expect to get into it either. Actually, I became rather absorbed. Jem is such a strong character, I like how she is the one to pull Spider out of the river instead of waiting for him to come to her rescue (Twilight, anyone?); and how the two are partners, equally helping each other and sharing one another's strengths and weaknesses - there is no damsel, no knight in shining armour, they are both equals who have been labelled by society since they were young kids.

      The ending, well the bit just before the ending, made me cry. I felt unexpected emotion for the characters and was left with no doubt as to whether I would read Numbers #2. And even if that bit before the ending hadn't been enough, the very last line would have been the cliffhanger to seal the deal. I was very impressed.
    • 4/5
       Teen story about a girl who can look into people's eyes and see when they'll die -- the actual date. It makes it hard for her to have normal relationships with people. Alone in the world, often living with different foster parents, she meets a boy and even though she knows he'll die soon, they become friends. It's a novel that's moving, sad and thoughtful all at once.
    • 3/5
      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
    • 4/5
      First, I did not realize this was setting place in England, I only found out after reading a few chapters in. I don’t recall too much British slang in this book, and if there was, it was easily understood.To start off, Jem’s gift for seeing numbers is interesting and it’s what sets itself apart from other books where the main character is always either hearing voices or seeing ghosts. So I thought this idea was rather unique. The plot itself is interesting and the pace is steady; neither fast or slow. Several scenes were times where I laughed (Jem and the birdie doo incident got me laughing so did Jem’s rolling ankle moments. I think the image of Spider cracking up laughing about it helped as well). There were other tender moments, and other moments that got me shaking my head. The reader experiences different emotions throughout the story, and this is what makes it such a great plot. Both Jem and Spider are excellent and well written. They both develop as the story goes on and it provides a real good entertaining read.I liked both characters. They did fit well together and complimented each other. Spider was more of the comic relief between the both of them and Jem did the worrying part. However I liked how Spider looked out for Jem and although he was in trouble himself, it didn’t matter as long as the two of them were safe. All in all, I really did enjoy Spider as a character. There was a part that irked me however, when Jem was freaking out and attracting attention to herself and Spider. That annoyed me. If she wasn’t freaking out like an idiot none of the rest of the plot would have happened but I can’t help but wonder, “what if?” things were different. Then again, perhaps the plot wouldn’t have been as exciting and it would have been a much different book. Although the plot was great, I couldn’t help but notice some of it was just predictable. The ending was all right though, it was sad, but you figured that would happen. It was well written, and I will be reading the book after this one. It’s a great book with plenty of character development and leaves room with, I’m hoping, a sequel that lives up to this one.
    • 4/5
      Very scary about girl who can see the death dates when she looks in the eyes of a person. Her trying to save her boyfriend is almost what causes his death, on his numbered day.Language, activities, sex (but not graphic), smoking, stealing, etc. British -- very.Definitely would suit list -- but only one copy in our whole system with low circs.
    • 4/5
      About half way through this YA novel about a London teenager who "sees" the death date of everyone she meets, I thought to myself that I had no idea where the novel was going. I loved the amazingly fresh take on the cast-off teen/supernatural/romance theme. I enjoyed it to the end. To me, however, the conclusion, felt less original. Well worth your time.
    • 3/5
      Jem is a fifteen-year-old British teen who has an unusual gift; she can predict the timing of an individual's death simply by looking them in the eye. Their "date of death" is clearly displayed above them. Jem has been virtually on her own after her mother died of an overdose. She was transported from one foster home to another. For obvious reasons Jem is quite a recluse, until she meets Spider, another social outcast. She reluctantly allows Spider a space in her life. Suddenly, just as her life was beginning to feel relatively normal, things go very wrong. While visiting the city with Spider, Jem predicts the death of dozens of people, deaths to occur all in the same place at the same time. When she realizes what is about to take place, she grabs Spider and runs. A terrorist attack hits a tourist spot hard and heavy. Witnesses report seeing two teens running from the scene. Jem and Spider pack a few meager things and go on the run.Numbers had a lot of great potential. The premise interested me immediately. Ward carried the suspense through the beginning, but midway through the "numbers" sort of fell by the wayside. Instead, it became a story of unlikely love despite unspeakable odds and living each day to its fullest. Once I got over this shift in storyline, I found the book to be quite the engaging read.Numbers is geared toward teen girls, but given the language, sex, and mention of drug use, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone younger than fifteen years old.I am looking forward to reading the sequel: Numbers 2-Chaos. I think Ward's writing has a lot of potential and I'm interested in reading more about how she plans on continuing the story.
    • 4/5
      And all the time we sat eye-to-eye, her number was there, stamped on the inside of my skull: 10102001.Four years later, I watched a man in the scruffy suit write it down on a piece of paper. Date of Death: 10/10/2001.I couldn't wait to read this book, I had read about it in a review blog, but it wasn’t available in the States yet, but as soon as it was, I got it.Jem, can see numbers in her head when she looks people in the eye, it’s something she’s done all her life, and it’s one of the reasons she doesn’t have that much of a social life. She doesn’t want to get close to anyone, knowing that when they will die.She meets Spider, a classmate, who will not leave her alone, and finally she lets him in (not that she has a choice).This was a fast paced book, I laughed, I cried (really). I put it on my shelf to reread again and again.
    • 3/5
      Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele

      o sehr mich die Idee hinter der Geschichte von Numbers auch fasziniert hat, das Endergebnis hat mich nur mäßig begeistern können.

      Rachel Wards Schreibstil ist recht angenehm zu lesen, nicht allzu anspruchsvoll und alles in allem ziemlich flüssig zu lesen, gutes, solides Mittelmaß also. Die Erzählperspektive, die. Die Autorin gewählt hat, hat mich hingegen nicht ganz so überzeugt, denn auch wenn ich Ich-Erzählungen normalerweise sehr angenehm finde, war es mir hier einfach etwas zu viel des Guten, denn so wirklich sympathisch fand ich Protagonistin Jem nicht.

      Generell sind Wards Charaktere in diesem Buch nicht unbedingt meine Lieblinge. Von der Konstruktion her sind sie zwar durchaus überzeugend, ihre Motive und Handlungen realistisch und angemessen im Vergleich zu dem, was bisher so mit ihnen passiert ist, bzw. im Laufe der Geschichte mit ihnen passiert, aber sie waren mir einfach nicht sympathisch, zu düster und teils depressiv waren mir ihre Stimmungen.

      Überhaupt liegt über dieser gesamten Geschichte eine gewisse düstere, teils regelrecht erdrückende Atmosphäre, die beim behandelten Thema zwar durchaus verständlich und auch angemessen ist, mir aber zu oft ins depressive abgedriftet ist. Mit einer gewissen Schwermütigkeit kann ich bei Büchern gut leben, gerade wenn es zum Thema der Geschichte passt, aber Numbers hat mich regelrecht runter gezogen und das war mir dann doch zu viel des Guten.

      Dazu kam, dass die Story, die zu Beginn eigentlich wirklich spannend war, sehr schnell nachgelassen hat und eigentlich nur noch zwischen etwas nervtötendem Hin und Her zwischen Jem und Spinne bestand sowie Jems Gegrübelt, ob sich an den Zahlen, die sie sieht, eigentlich irgendetwas ändern lässt. Zum Ende hin ist zwar noch mal deutlich Spannung aufgekommen, dazwischen ist die Geschichte allerdings nur sachte vor sich hin geplänkelt.

      Alles in allem ist Rachel Wards Debütroman “Numbers” daher leider nicht so wirklich mein Fall gewesen, auch wenn die Grüundidee wirklich gut ist. Vielleicht lese ich ja noch den zweiten Band, denn da dieser einen anderen Protagonisten haben wird, kann ich mir gut vorstellen, dass ich nicht mehr so große Probleme damit haben werde.
    • 3/5
      Jem has a secret no one knows. A secret she knows must not be shared. See, if Jem stares into a persons eye she sees a set of numbers. These numbers are the date of the person's death... an expiration date, if you must. She's had a rough life. And at 15, she's orphaned, never knowing her daddy and her mum having overdosed when she was still a child, she's been bounced around from foster home to foster home and although now she is stable living in yet another foster home, she lives behind a hard shell that allows her to not get too close to anyone.Until she meets Spider. Spider an outcast just like her, but also so different. Spider is full of life, he's bursting at the seams with energy and for some reason he keeps finding ways to follow and hang around Jem. She eventually relents and they form a distant and grudging sort of friendship. One day while in line at London Eye, Jem begins to see that everyone around her has the same numbers and quickly makes up her mind that something terrible is bound to happen. She grabs Spider and makes a run for it. When a devastating act kills those at the "Eye" that day, they both become the main suspects and end up on the run. What a very interesting premise. Imagine to know the date of everyone's death. That concept alone was very thought-provoking for me. I really found Ms. Ward to have created a very credible character in Jem. The way that her unique ability basically forces her to act, always wearing hoody's, with her hair in her face, never really wanting to look into someone's eyes, not wanting to force bonds - familial or friendship, all these traits were very realistic to me. Her relationship with Spider (which is really the main focus in the book) and how said relationship changes Jem and her views was very enjoyable to read. My only complaints would be that the whole "numbers" thing was not the main focus on the story - halfway through the story the numbers just dwindled. The story changed and it became more of a love story - I found that unexpected. I also really hate (and this is just something personal on my behalf) when there is a lot of description as to body odors... you know, bad breath, oily hair, BO in general. If an author mentions it once or twice I can overlook it, but if it's the main focus every time a new character is introduced I start getting turned off to it - this was really a factor with me in this book. All in all, this story really had a lot of potential. It was like a roller coaster ride for me - it was very fast-paced in the beginning then it slowed for a while towards the middle and then picked up speed again at end. It's not one that I loved, but I definitely enjoyed it. The last sentence in the story really surprised me so I most definitely will be picking up the sequel (The Chaos) upon its US release sometime in early 2011.One last thing I also want to mention, although it is advertised as a young adult book, I do recommend it more for older teens as there is drug use, theft, sex and death.
    • 4/5
      Jem has seen the numbers her whole life. She just needs to look someone in the eye, and she can see the date of their death. An orphan who has been through a succession of foster homes, she avoids relationships. But Spider, another misfit from her school, connects with her, and she allows herself to feel something for him, although she can see he doesn't have long to live. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, they find themselves on the run from the law after Jem realizes that something terrible is about to happen in London.
    • 1/5
      Unglaubwürdige Charaktere die durch alle Klippen der gesammelten Literatur des Erwachsenwerdens auf einmal schippern. Die spannende Grundidee der "Numbers" geht schnell unter - schade eigentlich.
    • 4/5
      This is a nice read. I was intrigued by the concept, and so requested this book. It is a fairly short book about Jem, a young girl with an unusual gift. She sees a number when she looks into a persons eyes, She learned when her mother died what that number meant. She was seven years old, andwhen she saw someone note the date of her mothers death, realized it was the number she had always seen for her mom. She never tells anyone their number, and for a very long time never shared with anyone that she had this gift. Being left without family and put into the foster care system, did not help her to deal with this gift. She had no friends, and understandably felt different than all of her friends. She began to act out, ditch school andbecame a loner. One day, of course, all of this changed when she met a boy. He was as much a "misfit" as she was and despite Jem's intention to keep herself apart from others, they became close. The boy, Spider, lived with his grandmother, Val. I wish her character had figured more into the story, as I feel it would have given it more depth. I quite liked Val, who was a little eccentric and she herself had a gift of seeing auras. She immediately knew that Jem was different, special and gifted. This was a nice, short, entertaining, read for a cold evening by the fire.
    • 3/5
      Jem has gotten a raw deal when it comes to life in general. Not only is she in foster care, but ever since she was little she could look anyone in the eye and see the exact date they will die. She has never been close to any one, but when Spider comes along she takes a chance and opens herself up. Jem's life has changed many times, but one trip into London will change everything.Numbers is a captivating and unique tale. The story is both touching and strange. I thought it was a bit freaky too, I wouldn't want Jem's talent... but that said I thought it was a good read. Jem is a very interesting character, I liked her. When reading this book you feel for Jem you really do. She is just in a terrible situation and it can't really be changed. She's an outsider and lost and has a gift that wreaks stress on her daily life, which in turn I think makes her depressed. I also liked the fact that the story took place in present day London, that was a nice change. This book was definitely different, but a worthy read.
    • 5/5
      Gemma is a young girl that his been moved around in the system since her mother died of an overdose when she was very young. Gemma has distanced herself from everyone she has ever had in her life because she has the unfortunate luck of seeing everyone's death date. She meets an unlikely friend, then they soon become the focus of a countrywide manhunt... the adventure and drama is on!I really, really enjoyed this and had the most difficult time getting out of my car (I listed to the audio book). I was that concerned with what happened next. The author created characters that I cared about. Unfortunately, I can never use this books with the children I intend to teach, but I certainly referred this to my daughter.