REVIEW: ‘Numbered’ by Amy Andrews and Ros Baxter

Posted on January 29, 2016 by ausromtoday in Reviews // 0 Comments

Numbered
Amy Andrews and Ros Baxter

What would you do differently if your days were…

NUMBERED

Live every day like it was your last.

Mathematician and many-time Loser in Love Poppy Devine believes in being prepared. So when she discovers she has breast cancer, all she has to do is dust off the carefully numbered bucket list she prepared years before with her best friend Julia.

There are only two problems: Quentin, a gorgeous younger man with rock-star ambitions, wasn’t on her list. And take-a-risk Julia, has suddenly come over all disapproving.

Together with Poppy’s hippy mother Scarlet, the three form an unlikely alliance to help Poppy realise her goals. Sky diving, swimming with sharks, cooking classes in Tuscany, visiting an orphanage in India are all part of the journey. Along the way, Poppy is forced to confront her best friend’s grief, her fraught relationship with her mother, and the fact that she really might be using her last available time on earth to make the most imperfect match of her life.

But Poppy comes to learn that when your days are numbered there’s no such thing as perfect and love really is all you need.

Booktopia

WHAT AUSROM TODAY THOUGHT:

Don’t let the subject matter put you off. Yes, this is a novel about dying and essentially running out of time but the topic is handled gently and inspires the reader to think more about how they live, living in the moment, and creating a genuine legacy more so than the inevitability of death itself.

Emotions run exceptionally high consistently throughout the novel, a testimony to the strength of Andrews and Baxter’s storytelling abilities. The characters are all extremely well developed as you come to expect from this writing duo, but it’s the juxtaposition of strength and vulnerability of each character that is the most striking.

Tissues recommended right from the start… The dedication to their Dad is not only a lovely message, it really defines the essence of the entire story.

A spectacular and compelling read that will have you captivated from the very beginning and questioning how you’re living life long after you’ve finished.