Numbers

Numbers by Rachel Ward takes place in present-day London, England. The main character, Jem, is a teenager living in a poor, run-down section of London. She has a strange ability, or curse, that enables her to see sets of numbers in the eyes of people that she meets. These numbers indicate their date of death. In fact, she knows when her own mother will die. This curse causes a great deal of internal conflict because she doesn’t want to get close to anyone because she would be constantly reminded of their impending death.

A classmate by the name of Spider finally wears Jem down and the two become friends. As they are waiting in line to ride the London Eye, Jem notices that everyone else around them has the same set of numbers in their eyes. It is that day’s date! She panics and runs away with Spider close on her heels. When they approach the next bridge over the River Thames, they turn around just in time to see The London Eye explode. They return to Spider’s home where they learn on the news that the police are looking for two teenagers seen running away from the scene of the explosion. They decide to run away.

Opinion I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I will continue reading the remaining two books in this series. It was a unique plot with well-developed, believable characters. It was fast paced enough to hold my interest with a surprising ending. One of the things that bothered me about the book was that you never learned whether or not Jem could see her own numbers when she looked into the mirror. That was a question that I had in my mind throughout the story. We also never learn who was behind the explosion of the London Eye. The author’s style was very easy to read.

Recommendation I would give this book 4 out of 5 bulldogs. This is a good choice for anyone who likes a mystery and an ending that is not predictable. I think this book would appeal to people who enjoy realistic fiction as well as science fiction. Jem’s character is tough and abrasive on the outside; however, you understand that it is to mask the pain of her isolation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2iaXKkFC-Q https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9SM54eEsQgZaXFQaVN1Z2hZa1E