Numbers Trilogy: An Overall Review

I like to keep things tidy on here by adding an overall review if I read a series in order all at the same time. It's kind of like a quick guide pointing out the pros and cons. Which book I liked the best. Which book I liked the least and then finally I give the series an overall mark.

I'm going to just do it in bullet points last time because then it was short, sweet and to the point. Why blither on when you don't need to?

Pros

• Well written

• Excellent characterization

• I loved how each story had a completely different story but at the heart they were about the same thing.

• Not too much romance.

• The books all played like movies in my head.

Cons

• Language - there's a lot of swearing.

• Synopsis-itis - two of the trilogy had misleading blurbs.

• Can be mentally draining to read

• Can get a bit violent

• Some people may not like the writing style because it fits the characters.

Best Book:  Numbers 2: The Chaos

Worst Book: Numbers

My Overall Rating

4 stars - This is a gripping series that blew me away with each installment. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a gritty thriller with many twists. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but it sure is mine. All I can say is it's amazing what you can find in WHSmith!

• Images from Google
• Collage created by me. Don't use unless you have my permission.

Numbers 3: Infinity by Rachel Ward

On the Back of the Book

Post Chaos 2029:

Adam, Sarah and little Mia are living together, struggling with the fame of seeing numbers - the dates when people die.

But something is about to tear them apart. During the Chaos, Mia swapped her number for another.

Suddenly her powerful new ability makes her a terrifying target.

Everyone wants to live forever...

My Thoughts

As I sit here wondering how to describe the way I feel about this book, I have to warn you that this book suffers from a rare condition that seems to be getting more and more common. That's right folks, this book has what I like to call Synopsis-itis. Essentially what this means is the back of the book doesn't tell you anything about the story. Now I have good news Synopsis-itis seems to only be affecting books that are published by Chicken House. Unfortunately Chicken House is one of my favourite publishers. On the plus side although the synopsis is pretty rubbish this is still a cracking read.

The main characters in this one are the same as Numbers 2: The Chaos. Adam and Sarah are just as real in this book as the one before. I still adored them, even though they are flawed as people. In fact I think that's part of why I loved them, it's nice to see characters that aren't perfect. At the end of the day they're just two people that are trying to do the best by Marty, Luke and Mia. Now speaking of I absolutely adored Mia, her beauty and intelligence shone throughout the book. The last character who I am going to mention is a new addition, he's called Saul and is probably one of the strongest characters in the trilogy. The emotions I felt whenever he was in a scene were so intense that I actually can't put them into words.

The plot to this book has a really strong meaning even though it covers many human emotions and reactions. The only other series I can think of that handles something similar is The Declaration Trilogy by Gemma Malley. I'm not assuming you've read that I just wanted to portray my opinion that this seems to have a basis that hasn't really been covered much.

If I'm honest at first I wasn't sure that this book matched the quality of its predecessors but in the end, as far as I'm concerned, it did. Rachel Ward, the author, left some things unanswered and I like the mystery of it, the fact that we'll never know everything because that's how it is in life. Another thing I like is the intricacies the author added, if you're a sucker for intricacies as I am you would have noticed a couple of things and squealed in sheer delight.

My Rating

4 stars - This is a solid ending to an absolutely mind blowing trilogy. I think this whole thing will stay with me for a while, it stands out amongst the crowd of YA books. I personally cannot wait to see what Rachel Ward does next.

A Final Note

There is some swearing. Not as much as in the previous two but there's also some graphic violence (I'm not sure that's the right word but I can't describe it without spoilers.) Definitely not recommended for under 14s but if you're older than that you should totally go for it.

Tara over at Basically Books =) has also reviewed this book. You can find her review here.

• Book summary from the back of the book
• Image from Google

Numbers 2: The Chaos by Rachel Ward

On the Back of the Book

Like his mum before him, Adam sees numbers - death dates in people's eye. It's hard enough living with this terrible gift but life is about to get tougher.

Adam sees that everyone around him has the same date: 1st January 2027.

Something huge is going to happen.

Something bad. But what is it? And what can he do about it?

My Thoughts

Numbers 2: The Chaos is one of those books where you reach the end and your brain is so exhausted by the awesomeness of the book that it's just a jellied mess in your head and it can't even remember how to spell your name let alone write a coherent review. (Just for the record my name's spelt like this: Charmaine. =P) I am blown away by the book, it has everything that I want from a book: strong leads, a hint of romance, a proper plot and the ability to leave me craving more. The plot had a great pace which sweeps you along with it.

The two main characters are different in this book. First up we have Adam, who is the son of Spider and Jem from book one. Like his parents he's got a lot of anger inside him and a hatred of the world and everything in it. As it tells you on in the blurb he inherited the ability to see numbers off his mum, but as far as I'm concerned he also inherited hr big heart. He refuses to give up on those he loves, even when they want him to. The other main character is Sarah. She's a pregnant teen with more than one dark secret. I can't tell you those because you should know how I am about spoilers. Anyway I personally related with Sarah more than Adam, we have things in common. Well technically it's one thing but it's not something you get much in YA. Both of the lead characters are painstakingly realistic with their mannerisms and attitudes. Characterization is definitely one of the many areas where Rachel Ward excels.

In a nutshell I adored this book. The characters, the plot, the writing, it's all sublime. I kept finding myself being dragged back in even though I'd already read the book, it just wouldn't leave me be. That for me is the sign of a good book. Another thing, I also had this book play like a movie in my head, I have to admit that it's nice to read a book where you're shown things and not told them.

My Rating

4.5 stars - I can't quite bring myself to give this five stars. I think it might be because it took a while for the plot to kick in. To be fair though,  a 4.5 is nothing to be ashamed of, well not on this blog anyway. Unfortunately this high quality has a down side, I'm now nervous when it comes to reading book 3, I don't want to be disappointed.

A Final Note

There is quite a lot of the F-word in this book and if you're new to my blog you won't know this, but it means I don't recommend it to under 14s. I don't like the idea of young teens picking up bad language from books.

Also Tara over at Basically Books =) has reviewed Numbers 2: The Chaos. You can find it here.

• Book summary from the back of the book
• Image from Google

Numbers by Rachel Ward

On the Back of the Book

Since the day her mother died, Jem has known about the numbers. When she looks in someone's eyes, she can see the date they will die.

Life is hard, until she meets a boy called Spider. Suddenly her world seems brighter.

But on a trip to London, Jem foresees a chain events that will shatter their lives forever...

My Thoughts

Numbers suffers from something I may have to call Synopsis-itis. The synopsis gives you such a small glimpse into the book and the intricate story that it can be easily misconstrued. This isn't a love story, there may be a love story within the pages but it's secondary. At the heart of this book is life and death... and everything in between. It's not a story for everyone but for those who don't want to read yet another paranormal romance or urban fantasy this is worth a shot.

Jem is a strong main character and by that I mean that she's real and you can see her and you can feel her emotions. She's angry at the world and everything in it but as she develops and the walls come tumbling down you see her mature and you realise that she's a wonderful character to be in the head of. The other main character is Spider, he's the same age as Jem and the two of them meet down by the river one day. Spider is another of those characters that is so real it feels as though you can reach out and touch them.

This book is definitely a really good book and there's no doubt about it. The whole thing played like a movie in my head and I know that when that happens I'm going to adore the book. For me this was more than words on a page, it was an adventure and a lesson on life in Britain in the aftermath of terrorist attacks. The final 70 pages were a breeze to get through. The climax was just so anti-YA and that was refreshing.

My Rating

4 stars - This book isn't perfect but it's pretty close. The initial pace is quite slow but as events unfold the pace picks up quickly and you're thrown in the deep end a bit.

A Final Note

There is sex and swearing in this, including the F-word. I wouldn't recommend giving this to an under 14.

Also my friend Tara over at Basically Books has also recently reviewed the book you can find her review here

• Book summary from the back of the book
• Image from Google