Numbers by Rachel Ward - A Book Review

I was browsing the new library stock last week in search of something to keep me entertained up until Christmas. Being a strange person as I am, I picked up 'Numbers' - or, more accurately, 2-on-its-side, U, M, B, backwards-3, R, S. Yes, that was how it was written. Very confusing.
   Anyhow, I checked it out and pretty much had it finished yesterday. I noticed rather few posts entering the blog's cyberspace, so I thought 'I have nothing to lose. Let's write a review!'. So here I am, writing a review on the book 'Numbers'.

The book cover. See? 2, U, M, B, 3, R, S. Most confusing.

'Numbers' by Rachel Ward follows a fifteen year-old girl named Jem, who has been granted an amazing but terrible gift - she can see death dates in people's eyes. Their death dates. With her mother long dead, Jem moves between homes, never quite fitting in.
   That's when she meets a boy named Spider. (Terry, actually, but he's called Spider as a sort of nickname.) A special bond grows between them, and they become good friends. Then a trip into London turns her world upside down, Jem finds herself on the run with Spider. Meanwhile, a life-changing date grows ever-closer, and Jem must find a way to outsmart the numbers. A life is at stake... and it's Spider's.

The plot of  the book is very satisfying in many ways - fast paced and near unputdownable. Just like a real thriller should be. It does credit to its category, though not in the usual sense. It's not a 'Mission Impossible' type plot - not that many explosions, guns etc - but the author finds other means of drawing in the reader. Different fairly realistic situations leave the reader reeling and ready for the next one, though where that shock is going to come from is anyone's guess. The numbers are done really well, though a lot more could have been made of them, especially considering the book as a whole. There were quite a few opportunities to advance this a fair bit, but it just didn't happen.
   Characters are also well structured and realistic. The picture painted of a pair of outcasts thrown together by goodness-knows-what-but-it-isn't-fate in a grotty London background is rather shocking at times, especially considering the very real use of explicit language (ie swearing) and talk of drugs. It does bring into perspective what the world is like today. Even so, the characters are rather enjoyable. Charismatic and understandable, to a level. Nice work. The numbers make for an extra added twist. Knowing when your loved ones are going to die can't be nice. It explains why Jem is so withdrawn, and her reluctance to make contact with anyone. She just doesn't want to have to suffer knowing what's going to happen to folk.
   The themes in this book are well developed too. Drugs, problems with authority and friendship all play a part. Jem constantly refers to drugs in the first-person narrative, as her own mother died from an overdose. She and Spider both have sever problems with authority, seeing the justice system as prejudiced, unbalanced and generally not to their liking. The friendship bit is obvious. That's between Spider and Jem.
   The prose is fairly easy to understand, with no big, complex words really featuring throughout. The book's written from Jem's point of view, and as such uses language that she herself would use. A result of this is that there are several passages using slang-like terms that would be used by teenagers and school kids in Britain today. There are some fairly direct uses of swearwords for effect which can be quite surprising when you aren't on the lookout for them. I got a wake-up call when I was reading certain bits of it to myself. It's not a book I'd recommend reading out publicly.
   That brings me smartly on to recommendations. I'd recommend this book to older teens who don't mind a bit of violence, lots of swearing and some romantic scenes. Anyone into the Thriller genre should also enjoy it, with the exception of those chasing after all the guns and nuclear weapons usually found in certain of these books. There are not many guns to be found here, and only one bomb.

So, my review. It's a good book. Understandable prose that really appeals to teens, a fast paced plot and realistic characters make for interesting reading. However, it does get annoying at times when Jem is constantly trying to change the unchangeable. She dwells on the numbers a little too much, but who can blame her?
   For all this, I'll give it a seven out of ten (7/10).
   If you do happen to read this book, watch out for the end. It's a little confusing to a degree, but just remember this: There's a sequel.