Customer Reviews

The Humming of Numbers

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Author Joni Sensel follows up her novel Reality Leak, a quirky contemporary fantasy for middle-graders, with The Humming of Numbers, an historical YA love story rich in lore, action, and mystery.

Aidan is a teenaged monk-in-training who meets a mysterious young woman named Lana. He is captivated by her in a way only he can feel and hear -- she hums of the number eleven, a very special, exotic number. Lana, in turn, is drawn to Aidan, and he soon learns she has special "powers" of her own -- she is a witch.

In a world long past, when barbarous Vikings could attack at any moment, books were a precious commodity worth dying for, and young love was often forbidden, Aidan and Lana band together to fight for their families, their villages, and their right to be together.

This book was... boring and confusing. It's about a novice monk and a girl. Their world is torn apart by Vikings and it's up to them to save it. But throughout the book the question isn't "Will they save the day?" but rather "Will they have sex?" It bothered me. It wasn't dirty, it was just petty. And the whole idea of the novice "hearing numbers" was never really flushed out.


Didn't like it so much.

This is book is a gorgeous story of two young people in early Ireland. The story is told from the POV of Aidan, a seventeen year old Novice Monk. That said, I think this book would mostly appeal to women and girls, because the romance is at the heart of this lovely tale.

It is a slim book, and easy to read in a single setting. Because of mild sexual situations (tastefully done), IMHO this book is more appropriate for older teens. Moms (such as me!) will love it as well.

I was hooked into this book instantly and read it in one sitting. In the midst of reading oodles of fantasy while judging an award, I found the magical element of the numbers refreshingly unique. The wood witchery, too, not to mention the historical details. My favorite thing, though, was the sizzling chemistry between the two 10th-Century teenagers. I thought it was very truthfully rendered, romantic and suspenseful.
:-)

If you are looking for something different to read, pick up a copy of THE HUMMING OF NUMBERS. Several things combine to make it a quite unique reading experience.

First, there is the setting - the 10th-century in a Celtic monastery. Most books I've read lately have been set in 2008 and have included the latest in modern technology. In THE HUMMING OF NUMBERS, the main character, Aidan, is in training to become a scribe. He lives at the abbey and is a novice monk. His days are spent following their strict rules and dreaming of the day he will be able to work magic with his calligraphy pen.

Next comes the magic. Aidan possesses a mysterious talent. He associates numbers with everyone he meets. It's almost as if each person emits an aura (hum) that communicates to Aidan. The story begins one day in the abbey when Aidan hears an eleven. Until that day he has never heard anyone above a ten. Most of those he meets hum the number three. From the moment Aidan meets Lana, her special number and her lovely face become the focus of his attention. As the story unfolds, it also becomes clear that Lana has her own unique magic, and Aidan hopes her magic can be used to save the lives of those around them.

Another element that adds a different dimension to this story is the presence of raiders attacking and pillaging the countryside around Aidan's abbey. Aidan's life is spared when he is sent on an errand away from the abbey. Lana insists on accompanying him, so she is safe as well. When the two realize the horrors that have destroyed the villages and killed many, they offer to use their talents to rescue the local lord's kidnapped young son. Complicating matters is the fact that Lana is actually the illegitimate child of the local lord and has been sent away to the abbey as punishment.

THE HUMMING OF NUMBERS is truly an escape into another time and place. It is filled with likeable characters whose lives revolve in an entirely different direction than ours. This book gives readers a peek into the past, into the world as it once was.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I was drawn into this book by the whole idea of the "humming" of numbers, that some people may see (or hear) the world differently. The characters are interesting and the storyworld is extremely well drawn. You get a real sense of the dangers and wonders of tenth century Ireland.

Be careful, I hit a point in this book where I just couldn't put it down -read until 1 a.m. to finish the story. The characters' problems are compelling and you will really want to know what happens next.

Teenager Aiden wants to be a monk so that he can become a scribe, rather than for love of God. He's an artistic young man who desires to illuminate text. He also possesses a strange ability. Objects, including people, hum of numbers. These numbers can give him some personality cues and such. As the book opens, he realizes Lana hums of eleven - the first human he's met with a number higher than ten.

Lana, a bastard daughter of the local lord, is forced to live at the abbey because she's something of a troublemaker. She possesses a sort of wood magic. She's a witch and a strong-willed girl in a time when those are dangerous things to be.

One day when Aiden is gathering apples to make ink and Lana is trying to run away, Vikings attack the abbey and village. They have also captured the lordling Brendan Donagh and are holding him for ransom. The two teenages devise a plan that uses their powers to rescue Brendan and make the Vikings leave.

Really, I cannot say much about THE HUMMING OF NUMBERS. I found it a bit boring and lackluster. There's some interesting thoughts about God, but that will probably make it seem more boring to younger readers. There are also references to rape that probably make the novel a bit too adult for the audience for which it is best suited. (In addition to finding it unsuitable for the intended audience, I felt Lana's rape did nothing to further the plot.) Most of the violence occurs off-page which allows it to remain appropriate for younger readers on that count. Fans of Irish history will probably enjoy THE HUMMING OF NUMBERS, but most other readers will probably be unsatisfied.

From In Bed With Books

The story happens long ago in Ireland. Aidan is a guy learning to be a monk, but he's different than most people because everything hums a number to him. Then he's put in charge of this girl (Lana) who is into trees and magic. But then the Vikings come and slaughter tons of people and Aidan and Lana have to save the village from the Vikings.

Well there's a lot more to the story and its a good book with cool action scenes fighting the Vikings. There is also a lot of true stuff about monasteries and the Middle Ages and the old beliefs people had.

The only bad thing about the book is it gets mushy with romance scenes. Maybe girls will like that but boys might get bored. Still its a good book.

Aiden, a novice monk in tenth century Ireland, is preparing to take his vows and join the abbey. Lana, an unusual girl, is sent to the abbey as punishment. Aiden can't help his overwhelming curiosity of the new guest, and finds himself drawn to her even though he knows he will only be punished for it later. Surprisingly enough Aiden is charged with Lana's well being during her stay in the abbey. Although their take on the world and God couldn't be more different, the pair realize that they alone have talents that make them different from others. Aiden hears a humming of numbers emitted from people and objects, he can use the humming to base a person's true nature. Lana is a wood witch, she is able to feel and communicate with trees and such. When their village is attacked and destroyed by Viking Norsemen, Aiden and Lana use their talents together to help defeat them.

I enjoyed The Humming of Numbers, but at times I found the story lacking. Aiden's ability is explained well, but Lana's wood-witch nature wasn't elaborated at all. I understood the overall premise of it, but it would have been nice if it was explained in further detail. I liked the plot of the novel as well, but I wish it would have been more refined, it just felt incomplete and improbable. There wasn't anything in particular that drew me into the story either. I found the characters flat, I would have loved to known more about them. Overall, I think The Humming of Numbers was a good book, but it lacks some of the qualities, that I think would make it a great read.

I was not impressed with this story. I found it confusing using numbers that way.