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Numbers author Rachel Ward stops by our blog on the tenth anniversary of her debut novel ...  (more…)

Rachel Ward, author of the Numbers series, grew up in Bookham, Surrey. After studying Geography at Durham University, she worked for a number of local authorities whilst raising a family. She began writing in her thirties, starting out with short stories, one of which formed the basis of the idea for Numbers. Rachel later came to the attention of Chicken House at a local writers' surgery and was signed to Chicken House as a result.

The sequel to Numbers, entitled Numbers 2: The Chaos, was released in June 2010 and the third and final book in the series, Numbers 3: Infinity was released in June 2011. Numbers is currently in production as a film, and is being produced by the same film-makers who gave us This is England '86 and Four Lions.

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

But something is about to tear them apart. During the Chaos, Mia swapped her number for another. Mia’s powerful new ability is highly desirable. Ruthless people are hunting her down. Everyone wants to live for ever ...

The third and final book in the thrilling, bestselling teen sci-fi series.

Numbers was the winner of the Angus Book Award 2010, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award, and was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year for 2010.

Adam sees 'numbers'. When he looks in people's eyes he can see the dates of their deaths, just like his mum Jem used to.

When he sees that everyone around him has the same date in their eyes – 2025 – he becomes deeply afraid.

Desperate to find out what’s about to go wrong, Adam spends hours researching possibilities – war, nuclear accidents, killer viruses.

He knows something big is coming, but what? And what can he possibly do about it?

Since her mother’s death when she was seven, 15-year-old Jem has kept a secret.

When her eyes meet someone else’s, a number comes into her head – the date on which they will die.

Knowing that nothing can last for ever, Jem avoids relationships, until she meets Spider, another outsider, and her life takes a happier turn.

But on their first day out together, waiting in the queue for a ride on the London Eye, Jem realises something terrible is about to happen and her world is about to explode.