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Review & Giveaway: 34. The Chaos by Rachel Ward...

March 7, 2011
Last year, I was lucky enough to review Rachel Ward's Numbers, and this year I'm lucky (again!) to get my hands on her follow-up novel, The Chaos! Thank you, Big Honcho Media!

the chaos
About the book:
Title: The Chaos (Numbers #2)
Author: Rachel Ward
ISBN-13: 9780545242691
Hardcover: 339 pages
Publisher: Scholastic, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Big Honcho Media
When he was a little boy, Adam learned about the numbers. The first ones he saw were Jem’s. That was how he knew she was going to die. Adam has more than inherited his mother's curse: When he looks in someone's eyes, he not only sees the date of their death...he feels the searing, shocking pain of it. Since Jem died, Adam has lived by the sea with his great-grandmother, Val. But when rising tides flood the coast, they return to London. The city is an alien, exciting, frightening place. Most disturbing of all, Adam can't help but clock how many people's numbers are in January 2027; how many are on New Year's Day. What chaos awaits the world? Can he and Sarah stop a catastrophe? Or are they, too, counted among the "twenty-sevens"?

drey's thoughts:
Rachel Ward's follow-up to The Numbers is just as captivating as its predecessor. The world that Adam and Sarah live in is stark and a bit depressing, honestly. There's poverty, food shortages, brown-outs, and flooding. As it is, the story starts out with Adam and his grandmother having to leave his mother's house as the floodwaters are swirling...

So they move to London, where Adam starts seeing the same number everywhere--January 1st, 2027. People in the streets, his classmates, whole groups of people show the same number. It gets overwhelming for Adam, who tries to capture the images that flit through his brain whenever he sees someone's number.

As if that's not bad enough, he has to deal with a new school where he immediately runs afoul of the local bullies, and is stymied by the Sarah's reaction to meeting him.

Character: Adam is a likable character, even when he's belligerent and rude, because you get why he reacts the way he does. Sometimes I forget that he's only a teenager, because his reactions are more mature than I'd peg him for. Then again, when you've had to deal with a secret as big as his for as long as he's had to, I guess you grow up quick.

I thought Sarah was surprisingly antagonistic, but then you finally get the picture of where she's coming from. All I can say is, Rachel Ward sure puts her characters through a heck of a lot of emotional wringing...

Pace & Plot: The Chaos starts off a bit slowly in the action department, but that's because it spent time building up the characters. I never got bored, and there weren't any slow spots. However, I do think it took quite a bit before they got around to figuring out what to do about Jan. 1, 2027.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Find Rachel online at her website, www.rachelwardbooks.com.

Have you read The Chaos? What did you think?

Giveaway!!
Thanks to Big Honcho Media, I have a copy of The Chaos for two of you... Yup, TWO. To enter, comment below and tell me why you want this book. Don't forget to include your email address. Do it before 6pm CST March 20th!

21 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Sounds like an addictive series. Do you think it should be read in order?

Jenna said...

I fell in love with the first book in the series, and I need to know what happens next.

Thanks for the contest!

jennapomme[at]yahoo[dot]com

Unknown said...

I want this book because it sounds like a good series. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

rubynreba said...

I also enjoyed the first book by Rachel Ward and would love to read this one. Thanks!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

tetewa said...

I'm always looking for new series to read, sounds good! tWarner419@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I read the first book and I would love to read the next one. Thanks for the chance.

okibi_insanity[at]yahoo[dot]com

justpeachy36 said...

Please enter me in the giveaway.

justpeachy36@yahoo.com

drey said...

Kathy ~ Reading in order isn't necessary at all...

heatwave16 said...

I have book one, Numbers, and I'd love to check out the next book.

heatwave96(at)hotmail.com

holdenj said...

I've had Numbers on the TBR list for quite some time, now Chaos is already here! Would love to win and read it! Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Mystica said...

I'd like to see what this book is about and please count me in only if it is open to overseas readers. I went through your giveaway policy but I am still not sure!

mystica123athotmaildotcom

Unknown said...

Sounds really interesting. I am ready to read. Actually very excited.

Watch TV Shows Online

Priya said...

I want this book because my sister and I bought the first last summer in Europe, and can't wait to read the rest of Adam's story!

swaid124(at)gmail(dot)com

Rachel said...

I haven't read any dystopian novels and this one seems like a great place to start. Thanks for the giveaway!

Rachelhwallen@gmail.com

CrystalGB said...

Sounds great. I would love to read this book.
Crystal816[at]hotmail[dot}com

ossmcalc said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ossmcalc said...

This sounds like a very interesting read. I am a mathematician who believes that numbers are the universal language. Chaos is another form of number study. I would love to see how Rachel Ward has worked a story around this theme.

Thank you,

Christine Womack
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

Anita Yancey said...

I would like to have this book, because I have read many reviews on it and they really peeked my interest. Sounds like a great book. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail.net

Aik said...

I'd love to read this book!

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Lu said...

Please enter me!! I would love to win a copy. I don't read a lot of YA, but I read Numbers last year and really enjoyed it. Honestly, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I NEED to read this one. I have been waiting for it since I finished the first one!
Thanks for the chance to win it!

lusravesandrants AT gmail DOT com

Margie said...

This looks like a can't-put-down boo with some interesting chracters. Thanks for the giveaway.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

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