Numbers by Rachel Ward

couldn't
do
it.

In the first chapter of the book, we learn that the main character Jem can see the date any given person will die, that her mom was a junkie who she found dead from an aparent overdose, and that the author prefers 'colorful' language to illustrate Jem's rough-around-the-edges character.  It was then that I came to the conclusion that it didn't really matter how good the story might be if I were to just filter as I read, but unfortunately, that method simply is not conducive to my goal of relaxing while I read. C'est la vie!