A tough, teenage novel about being different. Jem’s life has been hard from the beginning and it is not made any easier by her dangerous secret; every time she looks into a person’s eyes, she sees the date on which they’ll die. Jem’s struggle with life and through it paints a dark and at times bleak picture but, after falling in love with Spider everything changes and the conclusion is one of optimism showing that wayward and unusual adolescent paths can lead to a life of value and happiness.
A word from Barry Cunningham, the Publisher -
"It’s not often that I’m absolutely gripped from the first chapter as I was with Numbers by Rachel Ward. When a big idea is so intense, important and moving that I can’t get it out of my mind... Brilliant."
Since her mother's death, fifteen-year-old Jem has kept a secret. When her eyes meet someone else's, a number pops into her head - the date on which they will die. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, Jem avoids relationships, but when she meets a boy called Spider, and they plan a day out together, her life takes a new twist and turn. Waiting for the London Eye, she sees everyone in the queue has the same number - something terrible is going to happen.
"Numbers is a true pulse racing narrative, leaving you breathless after only the first chapter. Rachel Ward writes with a flair, picking out life’s more delicate moments amongst an unforgiving account of escape and hardship." - John Lloyd, Waterstones
Author
About Rachel Ward
Trained as a geographer, Rachel Ward has spent many years working in local government. She started writing five years ago, winning a local writers prize at the Frome Festival in 2006 with a short story that turned into the first chapter of Numbers. Rachel is married with two children and lives in Bath.
