Numbers Game: Volume 1 (Numbers Game Saga) by Rebecca Rode (16-Mar-2015) Paperback

Numbers Game #1

by Rebecca Rode

Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone. To get her life and boyfriend back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart.

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook

Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

About the author

Rebecca is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of TIDES OF MUTINY (Little, Brown Book for Young Readers). Her previously published work includes the dystopian Numbers Game trilogy and the Ember series for fans of Firefly and The Mandalorian. She has also published an inspirational nonfiction book for moms (How to Have Peace When You're Falling to Pieces) and a number of online newspaper and magazine articles. It's her books about fierce teens smashing societal barriers, however, that she enjoys writing the most.
​
Rebecca and her husband are raising their family in the Rocky Mountains. She has two cats, a ridiculous number of books, and an odd assortment of book-related socks. She is represented by Kelly Peterson at Rees Literary.

Reviews

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

ACTUAL RATING: 3.5

MY THOUGHTS
I've been a lover of dystopians for quite awhile. In fact, it used to be my favorite genre. So, I was quick to pick this one up. This book has the gist of most dystopians, but it has a very interesting plot and twists amok!

In this society everyone is given a rating based on how they fit in with the society. The higher it is the better. Each number has a color as well: green is high, yellow is in the middle, and red is the worst. Treena has been preparing for Rating Day all her life. so she's shocked when her rating is horrible. Wanting to get her rating changed, Treena ends up being signed into a military group that looks for smugglers. There's a spy in the group and Treena has to spot them in 2 weeks, then she may be able to up her rating. But along with Vance, a soldier in her group with a dark past, she will discover the truths to the ratings.

There have been multiple books with similar ideas to this one, but I still find this idea interesting. This whole society judges you based on a number, as if the number tells anything about you. This number also pretty much rules your whole life. I found this dystopian world horrible in these aspects as well as how it affects the people. Treena believes that the number system works perfectly, as well as everyone else, until it fails her. This book is a failed utopian at it's heart.

This book actually has two points of view: Treena and Vance. Treena has her flaws, especially in the beginning. Most of her flaws stemmed from the fact that she wanted to do what society told her. She also wanted to up her rating to be with her boyfriend, who's kind of obnoxious to be honest. As Treena became to realize the flaws in the society, and as she went through her training, she became a very strong character. All the whole, though, she still has a heart. Vance is the other character. He's a few years older, in the same military as Treena, and has a past that has caused him to be placed there. I really did like Vance and thought he was a great character! Honestly, both these characters were great!

My only problem would be that despite the twists in this book, I was able to guess the big one very early on. I thought it was pretty obvious, so it was infuriating for me that it took forever for the characters to guess this! This kind of made the book a bit slow for me, as it was a major plot line, but that's the only main problem I had. Except for this, there were a variety of twists I honestly couldn't see coming!

As for romance, there is a bit, to be expected. It wasn't overpowering at all, so that's a great plus! I actually really liked the romance in this book, mostly because the characters were great and it was eased into the book!

IN CONCLUSION
This is a great dystopian and I recommend it to every dystopian fan! I loved the idea and the characters! Sure, I was able to predict some things, but I still enjoyed reading this book! I have no idea if another book is coming out, but after the way this one ended, a second book would definitely be amazing!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story started out a little slow for me, as I was trying to figure out what was going on and who was who. Once everything clicked, I was completely wrapped up in the story. I will say this--the chapters go back and forth between two characters, Treena and Vance. Not every chapter alternates (sometimes one character will take a couple of chapters in a row) and for awhile, it took me a page or two to figure out who was speaking. And then I noticed that at the beginning of each chapter, there is a symbol. The necklace symbol is from Treena's view and the flames symbol is from Vance's.

This world has some similar elements to most of the popular Dystopians, yet there were some very unique aspects. I liked that it wasn't quite as violent as some of the other stories out there. The story happens at a fast pace and really kept my attention, but I hated to rush over the romance too fast.

I liked Treena. She is a very persistent and determined character who really goes after what she wants. I would be terrified to do some of the things she was asked to do, yet she did them in order to accomplish what she set her mind to do. I couldn't understand what she saw in her boyfriend. However, I really liked Vance. He's kind of a brooder, but when it comes down to it, he's loyal and protective.

There were so many twists in this story. Just when I thought I had things figured out, a wrench was thrown into it and I was taken by surprise. Things happened quickly--only two weeks happened over a 400+ page book--sometimes things have to move quickly and I could feel the urgency. I was surprised by the ending and love that it's left open for more.

Content: mild romance (kissing); no language or religious elements; mild-moderate violence (deaths, fighting, etc). I would consider it clean for a more mature reader.

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

[emmy · Rating 1 out of 5]

---


WHAT’S UP CHAT 🔥🔥🔥🗣️🗣️🗣️
coming at you with some skibidi thoughts
about this sigma book!!

🗣️ NUMBERS GAME 🗣️
excited??
i’m not

when i first got my kindle, i got a free book just to try out the book buying process with kindle syncing. NOW, i understand why it was free🤗🤗 i overall have like no specific reason for my rating, but it took me 3 MONTHS. 3 MONTHS. and i book that size takes me 3 DAYS. i WAS trying to read fast but after a few pages i was STRUGGLING. the main reason for the rating is that multiple times i almost dnfed. i dk why, the writing just wasn’t for me and maybe treena was just a BIT too aggravating. as well as dresden. if there was a word to NOT describe this book it would be fast-paced. clicking “read” on this book was the highlight of my year. tyvm.


BYE🔥🔥🔥🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️‼️

pre-review :
i don’t even know if i want to write a review for this
finally clicking done was saur preppy😍
- was on the verge of dnfing
#3monthread

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Rebecca Rode, and Olivia (review chain) for gifting me with a copy of Numbers Game in exchange for an honest review!

This was such an enjoyable read for me.  Quite honestly, I couldn't put it down and I read the night away just so I could see what happened.  So yes, generally speaking, I enjoyed this a fair amount!

1.  The plot.  This is what mostly kept me reading.  There's just so much to think about and so many moving pieces and you want to see where they fall in the end!  All of the plot points were extremely interesting to me and they all contributed to the book (and to character development) in some way.  While sometimes I wish some parts of the book would have been expanded and not glossed over in time (for example, two weeks passed), for the most part, everything was well developed.  Each scene flowed beautifully from one to the next and the entirety of the book was connected.  The storyline was mildly typical but not so much that it dampened my enjoyment.

2.  The characters.  What can I say?  The characters were all flawlessly developed.  They each had background stories that further deepened their respective pools and their actions really did reflect themselves.  I loved seeing all of the characters interact with each other.  I found it especially interesting getting to know Treena and her state of mind.  She goes through all of this at such a vulnerable age and she's had to deal with so much because of the Ratings system, it creates interesting dynamics between her and the other characters and the plot.

3.  The romance.  I think I inevitably have to talk about this because you could see it coming a mile away (it's even in the blurb).  Treena thinks she's found happiness with Dresden (her perfect boyfriend) but when she is shipped off, she finds a new love interest who is entirely different.  While I resent the addition of a love triangle (it seems like there's no escaping them these days), it was cool to see how each guy was not only representing themselves, but also different ideals and warring perspectives in Treena's mind.  So while I didn't enjoy the whole 'struggle who to pick', I did enjoy how it played into the story and what it meant for Treena's character.

4.  The world/themes.  As for the physical world, I just wish there would have been more descriptions of the physical locations.  There isn't a map and sometimes I found myself backtracking and rereading different locations to try and arrange them all.  As for the world itself, I found it rather fascinating.  It definitely sparks conversation on what makes a person worth something and if we are all inherently worth something, being human beings.  I'm very intrigued by the thought that while in our world, we don't have numbers on our foreheads broadcasting our 'worth', we do tend to put people into boxes and look down on certain people (the homeless, drug addicts, etc) as 'bringing down society'.

The Final Verdict:
This book has an enthralling theme and brings up fascinating questions while simultaneously pulling you in with a well-crafted plot and characters.  I do have a love-hate relationship with the romance, however, and I do wish there had been a map of some sort.
4.5 stars

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

So here I am, yet again, reading YA dystopia even though I haven't truly liked very many of them since THG.

FIRST OF ALL, THE SETTING

So many things about this were just plain dumb. This is a society in which people are judged based on what seems to be mostly their looks and their willingness to conform. There is a rating day during which all the graduate students age 17 or so are given a number. That number determines their place in society. A green number would indicate an almost perfect person. A yellow number is for someone who's just average. If you get rated with a number in the red zone however, you would represent the dregs of society, no better than a smear of crap on someone's shoe, and not worth the water or nutrition pills it takes to keep you alive. These are the people who end up committing suicide because it is the noble thing to do. After receiving your number, an implant placed just under the skin broadcasts that number in all its corresponding vibrant colorful glory for all the world to see. And nutrition pills? Really? It seems as if that is all they eat. I'm not even sure if that is remotely possible. It seems pretty far-fetched to me. I would assume that for A person's digestive system to remain healthy, there would have to be some type of bulk moving through it. They actually have scanning devices which can indicate whether a person has or has not been eating real food. Eating real food is a crime and something only outcasts do.

THE PLOT

So the story begins when Treena, the perfect MC has just received a number in the red zone. Dresden her slimy boyfriend has just received a record breaking number in the green. And so begins Treena's enlightening journey as an outcast, except she decided not to just settle, which I actually liked, despite the fact that she was clearly on the wrong side. A lucky break finds her up close and personal with the Empress who gives her a shot at raising her rating. All she has to do is join the Empress's personal covert intelligence team and root out the spy who has been leaking information to the smugglers.

Some of this was actually quite entertaining and there were parts that I enjoyed. I just feel like I would have enjoyed it more if Treena had been given a really high green number, but had decided to be a smuggler and an outcast instead. I think this would have been so much more fun had the story been told from a smuggler's point of view.

I felt like some of the action scenes were pretty far-fetched and not realistically described. Treena is terrified of heights but jumps out of a helicopter no problem. And I'm not claiming that someone cannot overcome their fears and do that thing that they're so terrified of, but if I'm told someone is terrified I expect to see it. There should have been some panic and possibly hysterical behavior with hyperventilating, etc. At least this had been my experience when watching someone being forced to do that which terrifies them.

I did not like that an individual's rating was the only means to indicate their value, or that the person with the highest score automatically became the new leader. I didn't like the reaction of the rebel leader when he found out the truth about Treena's real score. It was all so very hokey, and a very bad idea, especially when the proof of all the flaws with that method of appointing a leader were what they were all fighting against.

It got to a point in the story at which the rebels who were never a stupid bunch, blindly followed an obviously flawed plan, walking themselves right into a trap, with Treena in the lead. It made no sense at all and it became obvious the author needed to get from point a to point b and didn't take the time to think of a more realistic way to make it happen. This bothered me and at that point I was just really wanting the whole thing over and done with so I could move on to my next attempt to become riveted with a story. But then something else would happen and I found myself interested again and so it went with the back and forth all throughout the book.


THE CHARACTERS

I did not like Dresden right from the start. Can you imagine getting excited about watching a bunch of unfairly judged and hopeless people committing suicide?

I liked Tali, Treena's best friend better than Treena herself. At least she had her head on straight. It's common when you're young to make stupid decisions and have bad friends and go with the flow and be pressured into doing things that you might not feel comfortable with but It's another thing altogether to defend somebody who is so terrible and such a blatant entitled asshole like Dresden. It made me feel like I really was not going to be able to connect with Treena at all. Also Tali was decent right from the start and it took basically being shunned by the majority of society before a Treena pulled her head out of her butt.

Vance was ok. He was a decent enough male lead, not abusive by any means. He was neither the best nor the worst that I've read lately.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

I really do not like it when an author picks a random word - in this case it's the word "fates" - and uses it as the swearword of choice amongst the characters. It's all fates this and fates that.

I did not like the blonde standard ideal that was included as part of what might increase an individual's rating. To me, It implies racial inequality but the book never comes right out and states it as such. Are there no non-Caucasian individuals in this future world? Or are they, too, expected to bleach their hair? I think if this is something that is mentioned, then it better be elaborated on. And if you aren't going to address it and make it an official part of the problem with this society AND give it resolution, then I don't think it should be included at all. Because I think the world has seen enough of this crap, even if this is just a book. The more I thought about this, the more it bugged me and I lowered my rating because of it.

MY CONCLUSION

Overall I'm interested enough in what happens to read the next book and my rating would be 3 stars, but for the blonde thing, I'm only going with 2.

[Canda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Treena's character and am rooting for her! She's not an unrealistic comando-teen, but a girl caught in a society's caste system that deep inside her she knows is wrong, and now she has to change it for herself and maybe everyone else. I enjoyed the characters and world built for this novel. Can't wait for the second book.

[Hollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like a knock off version of the hunger games in a way. The writing was ok, but I never really cared for a single character introduced. I also found the plot to be slow moving. I was finally starting to get somewhat interested in the story, and bam, it ends on a cliffhanger. Also, I think this book was a bit too YA for me. It had a very juvenile feel to it throughout. It never at any point felt like a romance for me either.
I may try out book 2 since its offered as a kindleunlimited and Id like some closure for this story but I will be going into it hoping that its an imporovement to book 1.

[David Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because I'd read Flicker, which was very good.
This was disappointing. The writing is juvenile, the plot is forced, the main characters feel artificial, with the possible exceptions of Vance and Tali. The combat / action scenes are clunky and unrealistic. The world offers an interesting concept but with no real effort at deeper development. The romance is good (except for the appalling Dresden) and there are some more believable relationships among and with some of the minor players (such as Coltrane, Ruby, and Edyn). The pace is mercifully quick.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just okay for me. I've been a dystopian mood lately and this one caught my eye. I liked the idea for the story, but felt it could have been developed a little better. The timing was off for me, it all takes place in about two weeks and felt rushed. I think it would have been a better story if things were slowed down a bit and characters were given time to develop. The romance was unbelievable. I mean, the book starts with her being in love with one guy and a couple days later she loves a different guy.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Full review to come!

[Katie Broome · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, similar style to the divergent series. Bit of a rushed ending, but will definitely read the next one.

[Daniela Zekotic · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea behind this whole book got me really hyped up to read it. A society where everyone gets rated and basically told by the "higher people" if they are worth anything or not sounds quite familiar, right?
I started this book with much hope, but quickly founds myself drifting off while reading. The story went way too quick, it felt like the author rushed the whole plot. I also missed the whole part about how this whole "Rating Game" started. Why was there a war beforehand? How did they manage to integrate the Rating Day? And HOW can they only live on nutrition pills? Especially those who were used to solid food? I can't imagine how these people are even walking with just the intake of water and pills. And I didn't quite get why real food is forbidden and banished. Just really poor background information which would've been important for understanding this whole story.

The characters were ok at best. I didn't like Treena at all, she's just too naive. And how can you defend someone, in her case Dresden, who is enjoying the view of people commiting suicide?? Vance was quite ok, he has potential to become a stronger male lead, but I really need more background information for him as well.

What bugged me the most was this whole blonde standard ideal. So everyone who is rated a high number bleaches their hair, and doing so might also help you. (reminds you of a certain period of our history much?). But does this also mean only white people get higher ratings? There was never talk of black people, asians, hispanic etc. If you bring up a racist point about this society there is the need to describe it further and have the characters (rebels) look for a solution, not plain out ignore it.

The end of this book was just... bleak. Obviously the rebels couldn't achive anything as they planned for their demonstration with Treena like what, 2 days? I don't want to get into it any further as there are just too many things not adding up for me, I think everyone needs to make their own opinion out of it.

Overall I'm interested in the idea of the plot and would read the next book to see what happens.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out this and more review on my blog by clicking here: Meet Your Favorite book

This book was excellent! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, not being familiar with the author, and not knowing much about the book. Needless to say, I was super impressed! I'm dying to read the sequel!

Although there was a bit of a love triangle included in the story, I was happy with how the author incorporated it. Although she did have the all too common, two completely opposite love interests, the main character remained strong and independent, and most importantly, did not turn into a mush-brained idiot that could only focus on her love interests and competing feelings for them. If you've read any of my other reviews, you probably realized that this is my pet peeve.

I really think that this author was able to find a perfect balance of romance. It is rare to find a YA fantasy book without some type of romantic interest, and too many authors just tend to take the cliche love triangle and insert it into the middle of the book, impacting everything else. I think the author found a great way to incorporate the love triangle aspect, without making that the main aspect and taking over the whole story, which is done way too often.

I am super excited to read more by Rebecca Rode and can't wait to see what happens next in the Numbers Game series!

I received a copy of this book for free, in exchange for an honest review.

[Joey De La Torre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows every stereotype of a typical YA dystopian novel, from the class based society that determines people's roles, to the oh-so convenient romances and the completely irrational decisions they make.

And yet somehow this book still managed to entertain me. That's partially due to my own expectations. I went into this book not expecting anything extravagant, just looking for a typical YA novel to help stimulate the itch after taking a brief hiatus from the genre. That's exactly what I got and I was satisfied.

If you're looking for something quick, simple and entertaining, Numbers Game won't blow your mind but it is a good addition to the genre.

Best way to describe it: if Divergent was actually good.

[Sally Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of YA Dystopian, but I LOVED this book. It kept me reading until I finished the whole thing in one sitting. Glad there is a sequel!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian lovers, I'm not going to give any spoilers. Just pick up the book. You're gonna love it.

[Amelia Venjoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If there was a cause worth dying for, this was it.”

America is now NORA and is led by the Empress. To succeed in this world you need to be green. Yellow is palatable, but don’t you dare be red. Treena is 16 and is about to find out her fate and be given her rating. She has spent her life focused entirely on getting a high rating, along with her boyfriend. But does your identity come from your rating and what happens if you try to break from the system?

The book is dual point of view, which I love. I didn’t feel bogged down with the world building and was immediately drawn into the plot.

It is part of a series, but I’m not sure if I’ll read the rest right away.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

2024 52 Book Challenge - 3) More Than 40 Chapters

I don't know what to think about this book, because I really enjoyed the concept of it, I liked the world and I thought the Rating system was pretty cool.

But, every time I put the book down, I didn't want to pick it back up again, and I really struggled to get through each chapter. I didn't particularly like either of the main characters, and their love felt very rushed. The ending felt very strange to me, and honestly, I just didn't like it, which puts me off reading the next in the series.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA dystopian. Interesting premise. People are rated by a rating committee to their appropriate place in society. The rating number is permanently etched on foreheads. Low numbers meant menial jobs and derision from the higher numbered elites who were allowed to ride in transports and enjoy other luxuries. Touted as utopia it really is a very divisive society. Food is considered bad and the cause of conflict so everyone has to eat nutritional capsules instead. This was a depressing read for me because I could see this as a very real possibility rather than fiction.
First in a series.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been in my kindle library for a long time and I never got round to reading it but oh my god it was brilliant. If you’re a fan of the hunger games and divergent this is for you. Treena is a very likeable MC and the growth that she has in this book is unbelievable. Her chemistry with Vance and compassion for people is unparalleled in this book and I can’t wait to see what happens next as I feel like Dresden and Konnor have a lot to answer for

[Valery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story, follows along any dystopian trope that life isn't as good as they portray it.

For my clean readers: mild language, sexual innuendos, some kissing, violence in the form of murder and fighting.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was glued to this. The idea for this book has been one that’s done over and over - I’m impressed it was so good!!

A nice mix of dystopian, survival, techy, thriller.

Onto the next one to see what’s happened..

[Casey Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good- exciting, comical, thrilling. kinda hunger games vibes. I’ll be looking forward to the next!

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed. It just took me a while to get into it

[Grace Telfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunger Games meets Divergent type vibe

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Numbers Game is an exciting, fast-paced and action-packed dystopian. That right there is enough, right? Oh, you mean you want more? Ok.
The world in Numbers Game is very controlling. Each citizen is rated based on their “worth” to society. They are given a number and a color – green, yellow, and red (where green means a valuable citizen while red means the person is practically useless). Also, no one in society eats. WHAT? They take nutrition tablets instead, and those who are found to be eating actual food are considered smugglers. Which then got me thinking, how skinny would I be if we didn’t have food but only ate nutrition pills to sustain us? What would life be like if food wasn’t such a huge part of it?
The main conflict in this book is Treena gets a horrible rating and knows there is something really wrong. She is willing to do everything she can in order to get her old life back. She is given a very dangerous assignment, and at every turn of the way it seems like someone is trying to kill her. Well, someone is, and she uncovers some seriously messed up secrets about her world and her family.
The book spans only a couple of weeks, but in that time-frame Treena’s character goes from a perfect good-girl student type to a strong-willed kick-ass-take-names girl who fights for what she believes in, and for what is right. I loved that she wasn’t all wishy-washy, but took action where action was needed.
I enjoyed the dual narration between Treena and Vance. Both characters have parallel story lines, both doing what they must for their own cause until their causes intersect. I really liked Vance, the brooding solider with baggage of his own, who would do anything to protect his family, and later, Treena. This book does have a love triangle, in that Treena’s old boyfriend represents her superficial life before the rating day, and Vance represents the world where Treena’s eyes are opened and her character growth begins.
The audio narration was excellent. I enjoyed the pacing and the narrator’s voice, including the different voices she gives to each of the characters.
I definitely found Numbers Game to be a great read and am looking forward to getting my ears on the rest of the Saga.

[Caroline Greyling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treena is a model citizen of NORA. She’s spent her whole life following the rules to get the highest possible rating because in NORA, your entire future depends on the number assigned to you on rating day.

When the much anticipated rating day arrives though, Treena, and everyone who knows her, are shocked at the number she receives. She’s determined that her number is wrong and when the leader of the land offers her a way to redeem herself, Treena jumps at the chance, even though it means putting herself on the front lines. There, she meets Vance and together, they uncover a plot to kill Treena and a conspiracy that extends to the throne itself. Can Treena survive long enough to unravel the mystery? Will she earn the number she’s been fighting for her whole life? When all’s said and done, will she want the number anyway?

This is young adult dystopia at its best! The world Rode has created is vast, steeped in history, conspiracy, politics and war. Book one focuses much on life within the NORA boundaries, but you get the sense that there is much more to the story beyond the walls. The perfectly paced plot unfolds from the point of view of two central characters. Treena’s character is superficial at first, but she matures nicely as the story progresses. She has an inner strength and intelligence, as well as softness of heart that allows her to see beyond the numbers to the real people around her. Vance is fiercely independent, flippant at times, but with a hidden depth of character that peeks out when the welfare of those he cares about is at stake. The mix of POV allows for the telling of a deeper story, with more history than would have been possible if it were told from the heroine’s point of view alone. I also get the sense that the POVs are going to be even more central to the storyline in the next book.

If you liked the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, you will love this novel. I can’t wait to find out what adventures lie beyond the walls of NORA!

[(Liene) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise! Once you've read enough dystopian books, most of them seem to be the same thing over and over again. This one was not. I'd recommend Numbers Game to readers of YA, who love dystopian and need one that's different from all the rest. I actually liked this much better than some of the popular dystopian series. The writing was good. It flowed well and the author certainly has talent. I'm surprised this book has so few reviews!

Sure, it does follow the typical story line. Girl is brainwashed into blindly following the government. Girl finds herself in a situation where she discovers something isn't right. Girl rebels and finds love on the way. Even so, it was different somehow.

I did guess the big plot twists around 15 or 16%, but even that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. There was enough going on to let that slide.

However, as in many YA books, it seems to be important to point out, multiple times, how hot a guy is. And I really don't appreciate that it's done over and over again, as though it was their only good quality. People are more than looks. Although in this book, the guy she meets along the way is obviously more than looks, I don't see the need to repeat how hot someone is. I'd like to have a description of people, but not in this way. I get that it's YA, but even when I was 16, that's definitely NOT how I saw guys, gushing over how hot they are. It seems unrealistic to me.

Also, I would probably have made this book a bit shorter. I read the first 90% really fast, in a couple sittings, but the last 10% took a few weeks. Partly because I didn't have much time to pick up books that aren't audio books, but also because it got kind of slow and I didn't feel the need to pick it up anymore.

I'll definitely pick up the sequel when it comes out! Sadly, no mention of it on Goodreads yet.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. :)

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone.

To get her life and boyfriend back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had it done in just over a day. While some of the reviews I read thought the book aired on the unbelievable side with Treena being a ninja in a week. I thought given she practiced everyday for two weeks for multiple hours that is was believable that she gleaned enough to use in bad situations, also she had been a physical person before due to her practicing Kuel. I didn't fully understand Vance's predicament or why his "clan" had persons of authority in it, but it was a great read!! I am really excited to read the second book in January!!

[Sophie Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was one of many twists and turns. It is a fast paced dystopian novel that had many unique aspects. Part of it is just your usual futuristic plot but it had its own little quirks that made it worth the read. It was a very good book that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. As soon as I thought there would finally be a solution, some twist would occur, and the store continues, leaving the reader with even more questions than before. Considering it was a pretty long book and it wasn’t overrun with details, Rode did a good job of keeping the reader entertained. I really liked Treena, she is your usual strong heroine, but definitely a memorable one. She is very passionate in what she believes in and will do anything to get what she wants. I also liked how yes there was romance, duh, but it wasn’t the focus of the book. Also, there is a love triangle, but it didn’t become the main struggle for Treena. In many books with a love triangle, that is all the main character worries about. But in this book, the real problems were what kept Treena up at night. I also thought the amount of action was perfect, just enough to keep you engaged. This overall was a pretty good read, another dystopian not quite like the rest.