| Title | : | A Girl Named Digit (Digit, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 054766852X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780547668529 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 187 |
| Publication | : | First published June 3, 2012 |
A Girl Named Digit (Digit, #1) Reviews
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I am so disappointed with this....
"Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously"
Not even I could take her seriously.... Didn't like the "FBI agent" either... Just too.... Meh...
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Normal girls watch TV shows and think "Gosh, he is such a babe," or "WHAT is she thinking?! Mauve top with that skirt - nuh uh!"
Normal girls don't let their attention stray, and they certainly don't use their genius Maths-wired brain to play with a set of numbers that just so happen to appear in the corner of the screen.
And normal girls definitely don't end up decoding a secret terrorist message - a message that becomes reality when JFK airport is bombed.
But then again...Digit isn't normal. With the birth name of Farrah (don't smirk), Digit has always been the class nerd. The Maths geek. The 'yep she's totally memorised the textbook' kinda gal. But just as she's managed to 'fit in', Digit's world goes topsy-turvy when her innocent number-play games expose a set of crimes that could very well put her, and many others, in danger. Working with secret agents - one named John Bennet in particular (nope, not related to Lizzie) - Digit has to set the score straight; crossing her fingers that she is the only genius in the equation.
Best quotes:
- "The stench that surrounded me suggested that the tarp over my face had been previously used either to transport fertiliser or as toilet paper."
- "Sorry," he said, kissing me lightly once more and brushing my hair from my face. I'd never seen a less sorry person in my life.
- "Her safety is my utmost concern as well..." John started.
"You have no idea," Mr Bennet said under his breath. John ignored him.
- "I got home from the FBi that day, put on my pajamas got a pint of Chunky Monkey, and watched 'The Notebook'. Five times. Everyone left me alone. I suspect they were a little afraid of me. I went up to my room and listened to Taylor Swift's 'White Horse' on replay, knowing she was the only person in the world who could relate. -
Digit may be a smart girl, but this book was just so full of stupid I think I've lost more than a few brain cells. I mean, I totally understand the appeal of A Girl Named Digit, it's sort of cute, definitely corny, cheesy, incredibly shallow, so bad it's good, one of those instant train wrecks that you just can't look away from ... heck I'd even call it a definite guilty pleasure. But in the end, after that last page, you just realize, it's not a great book.
Digit, for one, even though she's so smart, she's more cute than interesting. Everything from crying in order to get what she wants (unfortunately from experience, yes it really works) to those lame yet kinda funny bumper sticks. It's almost like she's an airhead who gets the occasional mathematical epiphany or two - down to the long paragraphs where she just talks on and on about herself - not that I minded, but it just sort of adds to that overall impression. And everyone else, from her really not that well developed friends to her little brother who gets maybe two paragraphs of a somewhat cute storyline to her parents to the love interest, it's all so incredibly shallow.
And the storyline, likewise, it's just so incredibly shallow. I know terrorists are pretty hard to get right in a dramedy, they're a serious subject unless you make them over the top incompetent, but they didn't feel quite right here. Monaghan tries a little too hard to balance the serious and the camp, and the most serious, solemn scenes near the beginning ended up feeling really awkward. And later on, there are some fairly good actions scenes, but they didn't balance out the fluff that well, leading to more awkwardness like a dead body in the middle of Digit's living room (don't ask) or the really vague way the terrorists are 'dealt with' in the end. Awkward, and kind of silly too. And the final two chapters after what should've been the climax, more awkward romantic tension.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with this book if you want a hour or two of brainless entertainment. Maybe crack a smile or two here or there. It's even better if you're looking for something really corny to occupy your time. But beyond that, there's really nothing here, just some light fluff. -
Seventeen year old Math wiz solved a terrorist code while watching a teen soap opera. Priceless. Whoever says those shows dull the mind of our young ‘uns must’ve been trippin’.
Farrah Higgins took painstaking means to live a normal existence at school. Born a Math genius and referred to as ‘Digit’ all through her young life, she worked very hard at changing that status when she started High School. She wanted to blend in and not to be treated like a freak show who knew the Fibonacci code better than most of her teachers. She dumbed herself down and made herself into a drone that followed everything the popular kids do at school. Things are looking up, er, normal. But when she stumbled upon a series of numbers while watching a teen TV show, the brainiac in her couldn’t be stopped. Then, the unfathomable happened at almost the same time when she broke the code: a terrorist blew herself up at JFK airport killing a number of people.
There are a lot more things that happened after that; best of all is the introduction of young FBI agent in the person of John Bennet. They also found themselves on the run from an extreme eco terrorist group and uncovering a traitor in the bureau. This book was all kinds of win. Starring a quirky teen whose freaky Math skills can be attributed to her OC tendencies, and the equally freaky nerdy Princeton graduate FBI agent. Digit will have you in fits of giggles and holding on in utter suspense.
I think it’s a daunting task to deliver a convincing character that’s supposed to be a genius. The writer has to actually prove that yes, she is indeed a freak of nature. I think that Monaghan was pretty successful in that she introduced simple Math theorems (simple according to the people who are carrying card members of Mensa, anyway) and expanded on them. Admittedly, this was the initial draw for me. I was interested in how the author will present all the ways that Digit is a genius. I expected to be confused when formulae were introduced and if you’re really patient or don’t mind reading and re-reading them, you’ll probably bound to get it.
I also love the sweet romantic involvement between characters. John Bennett is a twenty three year-old ambitious man who fast tracked himself into getting a two and a half-year college education. Their banters are funny and sweet and sometimes corny but they’re not manufactured or forced by a long shot. Because their intelligence is off the charts, their social lives are stunted. And you can tell how socially inept they are but that’s what made them even more likable.
The author wasn’t stingy with her novel. In so little words, she spun a believable plot and well evolved characters. She even managed to give the antagonists some layers by showing us why they were the way they were. This book is packing heat and surprising since it clocked at only 192 pages!
Fun, fresh, ingenuous; A Girl Named Digit is a lovely bundle of smart but idiosyncratic characters, good but light suspense with an aww-inducing romance to boot. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this book in Goodreads. Definitely, one of my faves this year. -
A pox upon whichever Kirkus hipster wrote the favorable review of this dreck that persuaded me to buy it.
Simply awful. I found the writing painfully fake from the beginning--the author was trying hard to sound like a teenager-- but decided to continue reading it anyway.
But the gorgeous, incredibly young (well he's a genius and in a top secret FBI division) FBI agent was already straining my believability meter when he turned out to have a posh secret hideout and CIA agent parents. And the instant love angle completed my inability to suspend my disbelief.
[Author:Ally Carter] writes this sort of book, only she keeps it real and believable. Read hers instead. This is more like a script from a bad Disney Channel/WB movie. -
"I knew very little about John (besides the exact outline of his jaw and the way it framed his mouth like rigid parentheses around a soft word that is too delicious to be spoken aloud)."
This teen spy thriller with its clever, beautiful writing is a breath of fresh air in a sea of same old, same old.
Farrah "Digit" Higgins is no ordinary teenage girl. She sees patterns in random numbers, aces the Math SATs and has an IQ that you would need the Fibonacci sequence to figure out. But despite her extraordinary mathematical talents, all she wants is to be normal and blend in. With life on autopilot and auto-response ("cool, me too!"), things are manageable, predictable … and normal. But everything changes when she discovers a mysterious code on television that is part of an eco-terrorist plot, and suddenly becomes a target. Sucked into a violent underworld of terrorism and on the run with no one but an attractive young FBI agent on her side, Digit must use her gift to save hundreds of innocent lives. But while embracing her “true Self” is a no-brainer, putting her heart on the line may turn out to be the most dangerous choice of all.
Smartly written, A GIRL NAMED DIGIT is a fun, fast-paced read that will keep you turning the pages until the very last bumper sticker. Digit is an admirable but down-to-earth heroine, like the superhero next door or the best friend with the secret crime-fighting alter ego. The combination of teenage awkwardness and intellectual brilliance in this character just works. Your heart will soar at her first kiss, dive at her near death experiences, and tremble at the threat of discovery. Monaghan’s writing is deliciously complex without being overly so, and her quirky turns of phrase as well as Digit's sarcastic but intelligent voice keep the narrative fresh. A lively mix of thrills, romance, action and humor, A GIRL NAMED DIGIT is definitely one to add to your beach bag this summer.
See this review and my interview with Annabel Monaghan in The Loop NY:
http://theloopny.com/blog/local-lit-a... -
What a funny read!!
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★★★★½
Farrah a.k.a. Digit is a very adorable and really rather normal teenager. Sure she's what one would call a mathematical genius, but her witty narration and her addiction to bumper stickers make her seem so adorable. John is really more like a beta hero. He is very serious about his responsibilities and work. And we get a lot of glimpses of his actual self throughout the story. Also, I liked how he does act like a twenty-one year old guy around Digit and acts on his feelings for her without becoming brooding and trying to avoid her. They are both pretty straightforward characters. I do, however, think that the entire episode near the end when John gets a new job is rather insignificant. But maybe some would think it as necessary to test John's feelings. I mean, really, they are so young, I don't really care about measuring the depth of their feelings.
The plot is pretty much clear-cut, and it isn't too hard to make the dots connect. Also with this being a teen novel, I was more concerned with the teen than the mystery. Still, this proved to be a good book to unwind some pre-exam stress for me. -
YF books aren't usually my genre, but this spy thriller was a fun, fast read. I loved the "Bumper Stickers" used as chapter headings. Some of my favorites:
- I keep pressing "escape' but I'm still here.
- Don't call me infantile, you stinkybutt poophead!
- 99% of being smart, is knowing what you're dumb at.
- Alcohol and calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive.
- Romance is like a game of chess: one false move and you're mated. -
Read more of my reviews at
Nick's Book Blog
A Girl Named Digit was one of my "Waiting On Wednesday" a few weeks ago. What initially attracted me to read the book was the cutesy cover and the interesting premise. Going into the book, I was expecting a light summery read and that's exactly what I got !
Farrah a.k.a Digit, is a Math prodigy. She is so obsessed with Math that she cannot help but find patterns in numbers wherever she goes. One afternoon when watching a TV show along with her friends, she notices a group of numbers appear on the screen and vanish. For the next 3 weeks, she notices it other sets of numbers. Soon after that, a terrorist group bomb the JFK airport and Digit realizes that the numbers she came across on the TV are somehow connected to the bombing. Along with her dad, she goes to inform the FBI, who don't take her seriously. Eventually, she decides to investigate the case herself, but when she finds her herself in the midst of danger, the FBI decide to fake her kidnapping and Digit finds herself with hot FBI hiding from the world.
Farrah was a very likable character. She was not only smart and brainy, she also had a very bubbly personality. You can't help but like her because she oozes happiness. What I liked most about her was how observant she was and she was the kind of character who thought about the consequences before taking any kind of decision. Her inner monologue was so hilarious at times that I found myself laughing uncontrollably. John Bennett, the hot FBI agent who was responsible of taking care of Farrah during her fake kidnapping,had a flirtatious personality. Constantly teasing Digit, he was a pretty swoon-worthy guy. I thought he was very adorable! There was a romance between Farrah and John, but it took them some time to give in to their respective crushes because after all, Farrah was still a minor. They made a cute couple though and I didn't have a huge problem with the 3/4 years age gap that existed between them. Farrah and John understood each other because in a way they were in a very similar situation. The plot of the book is without any doubt, very silly, but it was one that you could read if you're looking for something light and fluffy. There were numerous hilarious moments throughout the story, but while reading I kept thinking how unbelievable it all was. Nevertheless, I did find myself enjoying the book because it was what I expected and it was quite entertaining.
At around 180 pages, A Girl Named Digit was definitely a short read, but it was also a fun read perfect for reading during a summer day. With its pleasant characters and cute romance, A Girl Named Digit will delight you! -
As soon as I read the plot description for A Girl Named Digit, I knew I would enjoy reading the book, but what I did not expect was absolutely falling in love with it! Annabel Monaghan's A Girl Named Digit was a fun, cute novel made of pure win! It's a perfect romantic comedy with laughs and adorable characters, but also balanced with tons of excitement and times of seriousness too.
For the past few years, Farrah has been pretending to be a perfectly normal high school girl, enjoying being one of the popular students for the first time in her life and the anonymity she feels blending into their group. What her friends and classmates don't know is that Farrah is actually a math prodigy nicknamed "Digit", bound for MIT in the fall. But when Farrah notices some numbers flashing during the opening credits of a teen drama, her brain immediately slips into Digit mode, working out the number sequence. Unknowingly, she cracks the code of an ecoterrorist group and puts herself in danger. To keep her safe, the FBI fakes her own kidnapping and hides her away so she can help catch the criminals alongside John, the hot, young FBI agent who's also been assigned to the case.
I loved Digit's rambling inner monologues and her absolutely quirky personality! I found everything about her character just so endearing and the rapid way her thoughts fired through her head left me smiling as I read along. I also really liked how John was more than just a pretty face and someone Farrah could truly feel comfortable to be herself around. He's very dedicated to proving himself as an FBI agent, especially since this was his very first field assignment. And you know what I also liked about A Girl Named Digit? The parents actually had an active role in helping their children solve the case when Farrah and John were starting to get in over their heads. I'm glad the young couple weren't above asking for help when they really needed it.
Despite being a quick, short read, I was very much invested in the storyline and kept wishing more pages would magically appear so I didn't have to reach the end. Sure, the novel may have had its predictable moments, but I simply did not care! I'm very happy to hear that Annabel Monaghan is also working on a sequel because I'm not read to say goodbye to Digit just yet! -
I wish this book could understand how much I love it, but since books have no brain I am going to tell YOU instead. I love this book! There, I said it, and I am so not ashamed because this book was amazing, it has everything I like: likable characters, fast-paced story line and some serious swoon-worthy scenes.
First of all I would like to point out how ingenious Annabel Monaghan is. I mean a character like Farrah (aka Digit) is not easy to create. Farrah is a genius, no kidding, she is so good at math she discovered a terrorist code hidden in MTV’s most watched show, and now her life is at danger. Enter FBI agent John, the one guy chosen to protect Farrah while the others catch the bad guys, Farrah might think he is really cute but he is older and not to mention he could lose his position so yay for forbidden romance!
I loved Farrah, she’s like Sheldon Cooper but a girl, and 17 years old, and less annoying. Farrah was incredible in the sense that she was so friggin intelligent yet she was just like any other girl, it was so funny to read about her cluelessness that unfortunately put her in the most embarrassing situations, but that was what made her so adorable, even though she had the weirdest habits. She was so hilarious and her voice was the best, exactly the kind of girl I like reading about.
Now while John Bennett was definitely swoon-worthy (more than that, really he was amazing) and the fact that he was twenty one was REALLY hot, like I-can-day-dream-about-him-without-being-creepy-cause-he-is-older-than-me hot; Farrah is the one that made the book for me (which rarely happens I always love the guy more) because she was made of awesome.
Also, each chapter started with a bumper sticker, some of them totally hilarious, and there were chasings and codes, and terrorists, and safe houses and guns and it was just so entertaining, I swear I was laughing out loud at pretty much every chapter, I can’t wait to read more from the series, I’ll be waiting impatiently for book #2!.
WIN A SIGNED COPY OF THIS BOOK @ MY BLOG:
http://booksarevital.blogspot.com/201... -
A Girl Named Digit was book #37 for 2020! This one was so good in my opinion. Goodreads sure has some mixed reviews, but it tugged at my awkward nerdy girl heart. Farrah/Digit is so smart when it comes to math and things like the Fibonacci sequence, but terribly awkward when it comes to the cute FBI agent that protects her from a terrorist threat on her life. Yes the end was a little too cutesy, and yes she’s supposed to be a mini genius but what 17 year old has it all figured out when it comes to love? It was a perfect blend of spy suspense combined with awkward teen drama for me. My third 5/5 🌟 book of the month! Highly recommend!
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Annabelle Monaghan, A Girl Named Digit (Houghton Mifflin, 2012)
Full disclosure: this book was provided to me free of charge by Amazon Vine.
If you ever wanted a stark example of how small changes made by professionals can help a book, pick yourself up (assuming you can find one on Ebay or the like) an ARC of the book now known as A Girl Named Digit. Which isn't the most eye-catching title in the world, I know, but it towers over the title on the ARC: Digit: She's Got Your Number. Oh, good lord. That's vanity-publishing-level title, right there. That one simple change will probably at least triple this book's readership. Which in my estimation is a good thing—a very good thing indeed. I picked this up, I have to admit, because from the product description I expected it to be an easy, fluffy read—teen chick-lit, Jennifer Weiner meets Spy Kids. And the book in no way disappoints on that front; it's just as fluffy and easy-reading as I expected it to be, but Monaghan goes way above and beyond the call of genre fiction in a number of respects.
The Digit of the title is a high-school-aged math prodigy who has been keeping her light under a bushel in order to fit in with the crowd. It's working; she's part of the popular-girls clique, to the delight of her method-actress mother and the chagrin of her UCLA-math-professor father. She's not really all that interested in the latest heavy-teen-drama TV shows, but watches them in order to be able to discuss them over the cafeteria table with her pals. And that's how she notices, three weeks in a row, a series of numbers that flashes at the beginning of one of them that, when decoded, results in a cryptic message. She soon discovers what it means in the most tragic way possible, and as a result finds herself being chased by a murderous TV station employee right into the arms of a young, hunky FBI agent. (There's an undertone of sexuality in their relationship that is both entirely realistic and potentially bothersome to those people who believe pedophilia laws are there to stop couples where one person is one day over the age of consent and the other person is one day under. But then, if you're that person, please just stop reading my reviews altogether until you've reconnected with reality, thanks.) This leads to... well, it's a fluffy spy novel. You know what it leads to.
Yeah, plotwise it's exactly what I thought I was getting, and I have no problems with that whatsoever. If it really were as fluffy as it seems, I'd still be sitting here telling you I recommend it, whether you're a thirteen-year-old girl or a forty-year-old guy, because it's quick, it's easy, and it's a lot of fun. But Monaghan has a great deal more under the hood than that. Both Digit and John (the hunky FBI agent) are very well-drawn characters who react intelligently to the world around them. Well, most of the time. And I can't get into the rest of the time without major spoilers, but since it's the crux of what I liked about the book, I'll have to dance around it. Even though Monaghan's setup for the novel's climax is utterly transparent and the denouement is as predictable as they come, by the time all this hits, you should be emotionally invested enough in these characters to actually care (and be kind of stunned by... that one's... utter stupidity despite the setup being so transparent even the characters can see it coming! which is actually kind of awesome, in a meta sort of way), because despite this being a book of less than two hundred pages, Monaghan has spent enough time building her characters' personalities that you can be that emotionally invested in them. Those TV shows Digit watches could take a few lessons from Monaghan.
The downside to all this is the the brevity of the novel coupled with Monaghan's taking the time to build characters that well is that the plot suffers occasionally. Points to Monaghan for having an ecoterrorist bad guy and not having them come off as misguided heroes (or just outright heroes), but the bad guys are just kind of nameless, faceless killers lurking in the shadows; we never get a bad guy we can really hate. Still, I wrote this off as it being a “cozy” (there are cozy mysteries, why can't there be cozy spy thrillers?) rather than it being a structural defect; your mileage may vary. One way or the other, though, I'm a big fan of this one, and I highly recommend it. **** -
alexa play "not like us" by kendrick lamar
okay but really it was really an interesting book up until the creepy scenes where he was begging for her to be 18 😭😭
things I hated:
but there are other things i despise about this girl! for example her constant yammering about the most nonsensical thoughts. like girl those are inside thoughts lets keep it that way !! ♡♡ especially the totally random friend side plot as well?? what was the point of them rushing the ending to include that?
although the one good thing about the ending was the fact that
things I liked:
the only good thing I liked really was the plot about her and why she was so attached to numbers. I wish it wasn't randomly dropped in convos with John to seem more deep than they were though, because when they did speak about it I found it very captivating.
overall this book was pretty terrible but yk what-- you have more entertainment reading pure insanity at 1 am than a 5 star read <33
(that being said just pick up the gallagher girls series by Ally Carter if your looking for a real teen mystery spy cool girl core book) -
4.5 Stars
This is an outlandish plot and it's very cutesy. You can't take it too seriously. I really thought this would be pure fluff but the ending delves into some deeper issues rather eloquently. I really appreciated how the author wrapped it up and those laugh out loud moments didn't hurt either. Monaghan has a kickass sense of humour!
I’m One Bad Relationship Away from Owning 30 Cats
Farrah is adorable. She just wants to be normal and accepted. I liked her personality. It's a perfect mix of obsessive genius and teenage girl. In order to fit in at school, she carefully monitors her “Digit” mode. She's kind of schizo.
I felt pretty relaxed after letting Digit out of the box and giving her a little exercise.
Farrah has such a calm attitude. She gets distracted easy and I found myself just going with it.
John
I liked that Farrah doesn't feel the need to impress John so she's comfortable with him. She doesn't hold back her brain. John is no accessory boyfriend. He has to go through his own development. And I loved that he's into cheesy puns. Exhibit A: They're both hiding up in a tree.
“You getting a little sick of this particular branch of the legal system, Digit?”
“Don’t.”
“You feeling a little up a tree?”
“Please.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb here . . .”
Mercifully, the murderers arrived just then.
I absolutely loved when Farrah sized up John's parents. It was so freakin' hilarious.
Mrs. Bennett looked relieved, as if she was making a mental list: Son not a pedophile—check.
I saw him [Mr. Bennett] notice how close together John’s and my chairs were at the table, and the way John had to move his to even out the foursome when we all sat down. He was on to us, and his mental checklist was reading: Son is a pedophile—check.
This book was so much fun and solid all the way through! -
Originally posted on my blog,
From A to Z.
This book is so HUGELY entertaining and I absolutely loved it! Despite the potentially heavy subject matter of needing to undergo a fake kidnapping in order for the FBI to protect you from dangerous terrorists, it’s a really light, fun read, and I had a huge smile on my face the entire time.
Digit is absolutely adorable and so hilarious, both in her inner monologues and her interactions (particularly with John, the hot FBI agent assigned to protect her) and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud so many times. From her obsession with bumper stickers to her shyness about her crazy math skills, she is such an enjoyable character. And she and John have fantastic chemistry together. I loved watching the development of their relationship and it was so sweet when they eventually got together.
I also really loved Digit’s evolution throughout the book and her gradual acceptance of “Digit” as an important part of herself. Watching her grow in confidence (and particularly John’s role in that growth) was incredibly satisfying and added a subtle layer to what would otherwise be a fairly fluffy contemporary novel.
My one complaint is that this book is so short! I wanted to spend so much more time with Digit. Although I’ve seen rumours that a sequel is in the works, which makes me very happy. :) Be sure to check out A Girl Named Digit when it releases in June; it is pure fun and entertainment and you definitely don’t want to miss it. -
4.5/5
Fast, fun, and just plain adorable... there's three words to describe Annabel Monaghan's fiction debut, A Girl Named Digit.
Farrah,code namenickname "Digit," is a secret math genius. She's tried to keep it secret from her normal, popular friends lest she get labelled as the numbers freak again, but there's no denying that she scored perfect on her math SAT. Now, as far as I know, Annabel Monaghan doesn't share Digit's genius-level affinity for numbers (WHO KNOWS) but she does do a wonderful job of setting the scene in Digit's head. This girl eats numbers for breakfast, breathes in patterns and trends like air and still manages to be a character I could connect with. Digit's wired for math, yes, but she's also into bumper stickers and boys (correction: one dedicated and likeable rookie FBI agent boy).
A Girl Named Digit is a short but action-packed adventure. I had high hopes for a light read that involved terrorist codes and secret hide-outs, chase scenes and romance, and Monaghan met them all. There was never a chance for me to worry about some of the more far-fetched concepts because I was having too much fun to notice!
With a romance that will keep a smile on your face and a plot that will keep you on your toes, A Girl Named Digit is one that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Cover Comments: Fun and SHINY... what more could I ask for? I was seriously surprised when I looked at the size of it though... So much fabulous in so few pages! :) -
This was exactly the short, compelling read I was expecting it to be, so that I could finish it in three hours.
I only have a few things to say.
1- Digit felt real. I mean, I'm not saying it's normal to have superpower math skills, but I think she coped with being taken into hiding and being chased the same way I would. Although, I'm not sure I would've fallen in love in the process.
2- There were no moments when Digit (physically) kicked-butt. I think that is why I couldn't give the book five stars... even if Digit felt real, I prefer my heroines to be a little more hard-core. -
This is a fun and quick read.
Digit is a bit of a wunderkind: math genius, popular, brave, good looking... but that didn't diminish the fun. I was hooked from the start and invested in the story.
Even when Digit did stupid things in my opinion, she didn't get in too much trouble. There were some suspenseful scenes, but Digit and her FBI sidekick can think on their feet and are always ready to save the day.
All in all a fun and enjoyable read. I can recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and entertaining YA read -
Super quick cute FBI genius read! There's not a lot of depth to the story but it was a quick good time!
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Total upset. Dumbest plot and romance ever. If it wasn’t so short I would have moved on.
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hi, i read this book, so i wrote a summary about it. BUT SPOILERS SO BE WARY
so, the book is about this girl, and she had this weird ability to see patterns in anything, and if something doesnt follow a pattern, she starts getting a panic attack, but she found ways to handle it. Shes a senor now, and no one knows about her weirdness, her tests are handed back in private, and stuff. oh by the way, she loves bumper stickers, those are the titles of every chapter. She has friends, but she thinks of them as shallow and only hangs out with them cause she wants to be normal. she goes to this party, and theres this guy that likes her, and all of her friends like him, so their like. "you should get together" shenanigans happen and thats the end of that chapter. (spolier: they dont get together) anyway, so she goes to one of her friends houses to watch their favorite show (a tv drama or whatever) and she notices a bunch of numbers flashing in the corner of the screen. she memorizes them (of course she did) even though they only flashed on the screen once (what) and she goes home still thinking about the number. She decides to try to crack the code after not sleeping for a while. The numbers were a basic fibonacci sequence (whatever that is) its like when you add the previous number to the current number, and that makes the next one, (like 1,1,2,3,5,8,13) but the sequence of numbers are reversed with three numbers added to the end of the sequence, 911. so she saw the code as: reverse 9/11, or as a date 11/9. She looked up the date, and she got a ton of articles about John F kennedy, because he won the election on 11/9. then she went to school. later that day, a terrorist attack happened. Where? at the JFK airport. (of course) She convinced herself that she somehow found out how terrorists are communicating, and she convinced her dad to take her to the FBI. she gets there, and meets an agent (bet you cant guess who it is >:|) his name is john (ugh everyone named john sucks [no offense to people actually named john it was a joke im sorry]) and she tells him her story and no one believes her, so shes like really put out (wow, what a nightmare) oh by the way, shes supposed to go to MIT when she graduates, thats kinda but not really important. its mentioned a lot, shes one month from being 18 (i sure do wonder why thats so important |:|) so she goes on with her life, until the stress of knowing this code is tOo mUcH, so she goes to the tv place that broadcasts that show where she saw the numbers. She meets this guy, and asks about it, but when he starts getting suspicious of her, she tries to pass it off as asking about when the next episode will be broadcast like a giggly.... teenager.... but he doesnt believe her (real smooth) so she gets in her car and tried to run, but that guy was following her. She tries to get to a police station, but take a wrong turn and ends up at the FBI place where she originally reported her conspiracy theory. The guy tries to follow her, but she had the brilliant idea of getting in trouble on purpose so that she gets taken away by security. She ends up meeting with john again (ugh) and she tells him whats going on. When the check the security camera feeds, they see that guy and go "oh **** that dude is part of a terrorist organization that will kill you because you know whats up" so they bring her family to the place, and fill them in. they dont want the terrorists to hunt her, so they decide to stage a kidnapping to make them think that someone in their group already kidnapped her, and is waiting to tell them. Then her family goes home, and she and john go to stay in a secret hideout, a warehouse (so secret) (and yes, it is just her and john there) they said no phones because the terrorists can track it, but she decides to sneak it in (oh yeah, just put everyones life in danger because you want to keep up with your fake friends that you dont care about) the fbi sends intercepted calls that they think might a code from the terrorists. john translates, (because of course he can speak this obscure language because he traveled alot as a kid) and digit (the main character) tried to find any codes in them. One series of calls is like a tv drama, with a forbidden relationship kind of situation between a luke and a scarlet, with a britney somewhere in the mix, and something about money and a baby. They think theres something important about it, but they dont know what yet. when they read the transcript out loud, they take roles and perform it like a play, (and this gets it in digits head that they are in love or something stupid like that, and she gets this crush on john [ugh]) in the calls, there are many mentions of a 'doggie bag' left somewhere with unknown contents. john for some reason thinks scarlet is the sucide bomber that blew up JFk, (literally, he says "its probably becuse i just really want it to be her, you know to solve this thing, but scarlet is just such a good name for a suicide bomber" what) in the calls, it looks like luke is starting to get not interested in scarlet, and scarlet is starting to act desparate. they figure out that the people in the calls, luke and scarlet, are blackmailing britney with whatever is in the 'doggie bag'. all contact of the calls ends at 7 am on the morning of the bombing. they start to try to find out where they left the bag, and they base it off of a location mentioned in the calls, they think it means grand central station in new york, at the lost and found. john (ugh) is going to leave to find the bag, and digit guilt trips him until he lets her go with him. they go to new york and find the bag (all the while digit is thinking about how cute he is) and they get in a taxi to leave. john overhears the driver talking in a different language (because of course he speaks that too) talking about how he was going to kill them. john (ugh) whispers to digit that they have to jump out of the car (and digit thought he was going to kiss her why and is suprised when he shoves her out the door) then he shoves her out the door and jumps after her and they run. eventually they reach a school, where they break in and stay the night. they sleep on the couch in the councilling room, and they wake up to terrorists pointing a gun at their heads. they play along until they get to a window, where john breaks it and they both jump out the window, digit first. john (ugh) lands on top of digit (plot convience for bad romance) and they run to a garden (in an elementary school?) and hide under a tarp. after they think they are safe, digit complains about losing her shoes (after all, fashion over your life) john goes back to get them, and they escape to a secret hideout in new york (plot convience) which turns out to be johns familys house (because he also had to be really rich) and they stay there. (romance happens, and that... that... line happens *shudder*) his parents show up the next morning unexpectledly, and awkard conversations ensure about them trying to keep their relationship hidden in front of his parents (they literally use the word pedophile to describe their relationship, and neither of them think this is weird because badly written romance). stuff happens, but i will include it in PART 2 WOAH, keep reading to find out WHAT HaPPENS oooooooooooo <3
ok time for part 2 :|
SO, turns out john's (ugh) parents are part of the Cia, sooooo they decide to help them find out why they are being tracked, because for some reason the terrorists keep finding them (i wonder why) turns out, it wasnt because of digit being stupid, every time they were found out, john called his boss, (he was in the beginning but i forgot about him because hes boring) beforehand. They thought his phone was tapped, but decided to test seomthing. They called steven (his boss) and told him they were at this warehouse, and hid nearby. then, some terrorists came looking for them at the warehouse, and steven was with them. (they knew it was him because of this weird thing he does because of past trauma when he was captured by the same terrorists he is working with. idk) So, they asked digits mom to call steven and asked him to meet up with her to 'console' her about her 'missing' daughter (shes an actor, digits staged kidnapping was on the news with her mom acting as if digit was kidnapped) they got steven to come to her house, and they captured him. steven told them everything, when he was captured by the terrorists, they let him go so that he could be their spy inside the fbi because they were blackmailing him with (something i cant remember, its that unecessary) oh and he was the 'britney' in those cal transcripts that you dont remember, and he told them where all those secret terrorist files he had were. Then he started to cough, and asked for some medicine that he had in his pocket. They gave it to him, and he died of poison. (it was secretly cyanide, and NO ONE THOUGHT OF THIS AT ALL THERE IS LITERALLY A MEMBER OF THE FBI AND ANOTHER OF THE CIA IN THE ROOM EVEN I COULD SEE IT COMING) anyway, they went to get those papers, and they met up at the fbi and stopped a terrorist attack, oh and by the way, they are now back wherever they started, i dont remember, they took a plane from new york down to wherever they are to catch steven. so, steven is dead, and they are at the fbi place and go over the whole case with the head or something, (hes supposed to be important but hes not) and the boss dude offers john a promotion for only the best people, (its like a special task force or something idk) but in order to take the job, he has to leave on a plane immediately and probably never see digit again. (shes all upset about this because her boyfriend that she knew for a week left her, girl, no one cares) he accepts the job without a second thought (like he should, digit is clingy, plus, he literally says multiple times that its his dream job) digit goes back to her normal life, sulks for a while, graduates, and when she comes back from graduation john (ugh) is there at her house (stalker) and admits that he was wrong in leaving and he never should have left her. they promise to stay together blah blah blah bad mushy stuff and the book ends. THE END
all in all, I read this a year ago and i am only now rating this. have fun ;) -
A Girl Named Digit is a YA book written by Annabel Monaghan. The story is about Farrah 'Digit' Higgins life after she cracks a terrorist code.
Book: A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan
Genre: YA, Mystery, Espionage, Romance
Summary: Farrah "Digit" Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year.
But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in . .
My Summary: Interesting premise, poor delivery.
---The Characters:
Farrah (I'll be calling her Digit from now onwards) Higgins is not your typical seventeen year old. She's a math genius, a soon-to-be MIT student, and her brain is a never stopping calculator. She's trying to desperately fit in and leave her old geek self behind as she tries to enjoy her senior year at Santa Monica High School. She has a huge fascination with bumper stickers and her room as well as a portion of her ceiling are covered in them. Honestly, she's interesting and boring.
Mr. Higgins is a UCLA math professor who is also a huge math geek and is proud of his daughters love of his favorite subject. Mrs. Higgins is an actress who is very concerned about her appearance and loves to put on a show. Both of these characters are kind of non-existent, yet existent. No surprise, the story isn't about them.
John Bennett is an FBI Agent and wants nothing more than to be a part of a special group of FBI agents called, *gasp* Special Sector. Genius, right? Anyway, he is appointed to Digit's case and the two of them hole up in a one room safe house to protect Digit from the terrorists. Eventually, he falls in love with Digit and quote: "I just want to get you out of this. And then I want you to turn eighteen." Hmm.....
There are a lot more characters, but I haven't got time to dissect them all. John and Digit are the MC's.
---The Plot:
If you're watching a teen drama and you see some numbers at the bottom of the screen for a split second, you wouldn't care, right? If you see a different set three weeks in a row, would you still care? I'm going to guess not. It's a teen drama after all.
But Digit does care because there has to be a connection somehow. I don't blame her for caring; her brain is a never ending computer that tries to find the mathematical relationship between everything. She has panic attacks when things don't add up or there isn't pattern.
Digit finally cracks the code (I still don't get the Fibonacci sequence, sorry), and then does some research to find out what it's about and reads something about JFK and November 9. She decides not to give it a second thought but later at school, she hears there was a terrorist attack and she is convinced that the numbers have something to do with it. She goes to the FBI Agency and tries to convince them that she's not making things up but John Bennett, the agent assigned to the Fruitcake room (the guy who listens to everybody's conspiracy theories, pretends to see what you mean, and then sends you back out without doing anything about it) doesn't believe her.
Digit still doesn't let it go and goes to the producer of the teen drama to ask questions, is chased through LA and finally drives recklessly into the FBI Agency and runs away from the guards so that they would have to arrest her and hear her case.
I won't spoil the whole story, but in the end, they find out that she was telling the truth after all and that an eco-terrorist group was behind it all and then they send Mr. Fruitcake guy (a.k.a John) with Digit into a safe house to protect her because he's, quote: "the perfect guy for the job."
Hello?
This guy is the one who operates the fruitcake room and you are assigning him to protect a girl from a known terrorist organization that brutally tortures its victims? If he's so low on the pecking order, why is he suddenly being given a high profile job?
Moving on, they make a plan to 'kidnap' Digit because, if the eco-terrorists realize that the FBI has her, they may take her parents for leverage. So they 'kidnap' her so that the terrorists would think that one of their own did it.
Question: If they are so organized and the FBI hasn't been able to catch them all this while, how in the world will the terrorists believe that one of their own kidnapped her? To be able to stay undercover for this while means that there is instant communication going on and at the most, they'd possibly, very unlikely believe such a lie for maybe an hour. Or two tops.
That aside, the rest of the story form that point forward drags. Like, seriously. They are holed up in their hideout for I think a week and a half or something and all what they do is read transcripts of conversations that is supposed to help them find some clue. It's boring, it's tedious, and you have this feeling that nothing is going on. They're just chilling and having fun. Nobody's kidnapping her brother or parents to use as leverage once they realize that the 'kidnapping' is fake. We just have nothing.
There is some banter, humor, and a chance to see Digit's really geeky side. It was entertaining somewhat, but super slow. TBH, the only reason I finished it was because I can't just leave a book unfinished and I was really hoping that it would get better. The summary was interesting and I was hoping for the best.
Overall:
I've been kinda sarcastic throughout but I don't mean any disrespect to the author or to other readers who loved this. I'm just stating my opinion and I think that overall, it's an okay book. Good idea, an okay plot, but not something I would recommend or reread any time soon.
2.5 stars rounded to three.
Check out my blog Eternity Books to see this review and others! -
YESSSSSSSSSSSZZ! Read. Now. The romance in this isn’t spicy and perfect for all ages but the romance is GREAT! ROCOMENDED 1000%🤩
So good I read it twice.😛 -
What fun! The story grabbed me from the git-go and didn't let go until the end. I am a big fan!
