Review: Numbers by Rachel Ward

Title: Numbers Editor: Rachel Ward Format: ARC Available Formats: TC, Audio CD, Audio Download Page Count: 325 Genre: Young Adult/Urban Fantasy Publisher: The Chicken House Pub. Date: January 21, 2010 ISBN-13: 9780545142991 Series: #1 in the Numbers series Rating: 4 of 10

Summary:
Ever since her mother died, Jem can see people's 'numbers'. It doesn't take long for her to figure out that these numbers are accurate indicators of the date each person will die. This knowledge alone would be enough to isolate Jem from forming meaningful attachments to other people; however, exacerbating matters is the fact that Jem comes from a bad home and seems destined to grow up only to amount to nothing. Then one day she meets Spider and begins to form a relationship with another person for the first time. From there, Jem's life seems to change quickly.

TL;DR Version:
Numbers takes an incredibly interesting idea and starts out strong, but falters about midway through and forces itself to trudge to the weak end.

Review:
I picked Numbers because I thought the premise was interesting. Although the idea of being able to predict the death of others is an idea that has been done before, I thought that Ward might take an interesting stance, especially with the hints I'd seen in summaries tying Numbers in with a terrorism plot.

I'll say straight out that I didn't come away from Numbers as the biggest fan. I will not be reading the next book in the series (which I am certain there will be by the ending in this one). But first I'd like to talk about the things that were working for me in the book, because it certainly started out strong.

The voice of Numbers is pretty unique. Jem is a troubled teenager--and rightly so. The voice of young adult fiction often forgets this side of society so it was nice to see some representation for a teenager who felt she was going no where, uncertain what she wants or even if she deserves/should want anything. Her friend, a gangly black boy with a hygiene problem, shares Jem's dilemma of isolation. These aren't the kids you are happy to see on the street; these are the kids that are muttered about as 'good for nothing' or even 'dangerous'. Ward begins by bringing a sympathetic humanity to the two characters by slowing opening them up to a friendship with each other. As Jem becomes more ingrained into Spider's life she begins to become a little more self aware--which seems to be the right direction for her to go.

Meanwhile, Jem's ability to see 'numbers' works through this beginning as an incredibly interesting facet to the book and character as well as adding to the suspense building around the friendship. After all, Spider's number looms closer and closer just as Jem comes to care more and more about the young man.

So, throughout the first half of the book, I was enjoying these elements quite a lot and curious to see what would pan out. Everything was going fine until the introduction of the terrorist subplot. After this point, any semblance of enjoyment I was getting from the book diminished in increasing amounts.

The terrorist subplot, almost completely forgotten after it's first mentioned, brings an excuse to throw the two young characters into 'action' and fast forward their friendship. The relationship between Jem and Spider (which until this point, has progressed so slowly and perfectly painfully) turns immediately into mutual love with little conflict or deeper truth to the starting portion of their relationship.

Despite the kink in the relationship, pacing, and plot I was still prepared to embrace a redeeming ending for the two characters. Unfortunately for me, the book only gains weaknesses until it whimpers to the end. Not only is the ending completely lacking fulfillment for the reader, it leaves Jem almost exactly where she started: with little hope of a future or real happiness.

After closing the book, I felt cheated. After such a strong start with an interesting voice, it left me to trudge to a shallow end. Thus, I cannot recommend the novel.

Cover/Title/First Line Critique:
I like the cover well enough, though the red scheme sort of bothers me on an arbitrary level. Otherwise, the eye gazing into a see of numbers is perfect to the plot and intriguing visually. So fitting, but unexciting. The first line, though, captures Jem and her unique voice pretty well: "There are places where kids like me go."

Rating: 4 of 10 [Learn more about the rating system?]

This book was provided for the purpose of receiving a review courtesy of Amazon Vine.