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All the Numbers
“How much do you love me?” Daniel asked his mother. “I love you all the numbers.”What begins as a sunny August afternoon on a bucolic lake turns into a tragedy when a Jet Ski swerves fatally close to shore. It’s a day Ellen Banks could never have prepared for, a day no mother should ever have to live through.The moment her son James is killed, Ellen must face the unimaginable while trying to remain strong for her older son, Daniel, who witnessed the fateful accident and blames himself. Ellen’s shock and grief soon give way to defiance as lawyers and policemen who once vowed to support Ellen’s desire for justice succumb to political pressure and back away. Still, Ellen is determined to see the reckless young man pay for his crime and to heal her family’s deep wounds. But first she must heal herself.An unforgettable journey of power and emotion, All the Numbers poignantly depicts a woman’s reckoning with her own vulnerability and finding in the wisdom of motherhood the redemptive grace to begin again.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
26 people are currently reading
1460 people want to read
About the author
Judy Merrill Larsen
4 books63 followersJudy Merrill Larsen taught high school English in Wisconsin and Missouri for fifteen years. Her debut novel All the Numbers was published in 2006; she is currently at work on her second novel. She currently lives in Kirkwood, MO with her husband and their five children."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
February 22, 2008
I freakin love this book. It is by far the best book I read in 2007. I have never actually cried as much as I did reading this book. The way Judy is able to relay the emotions of the characters is amazing, it makes you feel like you personally know these people.
May 4, 2009
I really liked this book, don't let the 3 stars make you think that I didn't. I think that my low(er) rating comes more from the fact that I've read 3 depressing books in a row and this one was more of the same. I need to read something cheery before I slip into a depression.
After I read the book, I read the little 'about the author' in the back and it said that she is an english teacher and that this is her first novel. For me, both of these things made absolute sense. The english teacher bit because the main character was an english teacher, and the 'first novel' bit because I started wondering about halfway through if this was a first novel.
I sometimes think that people say "this was a wonderful first novel" as some kind of back-handed compliment- like "oh, it's ok, but hopefully you get better". Sometimes I love reading first novels because people, before they are getting seriously paid to write, just write their guts. A first novel is often times so filled with all of the author's heart that you can't help but be sucked in. You can't help but feel these emotions that they struggled to get down. So when I say that this is a prime example of a "great first novel", that is what I mean.
The only real weakness, I thought, was the dialogue. I always get distracted in books when the people talk differently than people do in real life. I think that if I could change anything in the book I would have had the characters talk to each other more realistically, but other than that I thought that this book was pretty great.
As a warning: this is a book about the death of a 11 year old child. The main bulk of the story is his mother dealing with this and figuring out how to keep on living. It is heartbreaking and at times hard to read, but if you can handle something like that I recommend it with no reservations.
After I read the book, I read the little 'about the author' in the back and it said that she is an english teacher and that this is her first novel. For me, both of these things made absolute sense. The english teacher bit because the main character was an english teacher, and the 'first novel' bit because I started wondering about halfway through if this was a first novel.
I sometimes think that people say "this was a wonderful first novel" as some kind of back-handed compliment- like "oh, it's ok, but hopefully you get better". Sometimes I love reading first novels because people, before they are getting seriously paid to write, just write their guts. A first novel is often times so filled with all of the author's heart that you can't help but be sucked in. You can't help but feel these emotions that they struggled to get down. So when I say that this is a prime example of a "great first novel", that is what I mean.
The only real weakness, I thought, was the dialogue. I always get distracted in books when the people talk differently than people do in real life. I think that if I could change anything in the book I would have had the characters talk to each other more realistically, but other than that I thought that this book was pretty great.
As a warning: this is a book about the death of a 11 year old child. The main bulk of the story is his mother dealing with this and figuring out how to keep on living. It is heartbreaking and at times hard to read, but if you can handle something like that I recommend it with no reservations.
June 27, 2007
This Book Should Come With a Warning
Reader, beware. All the Numbers, a well-written novel by author Judy Merrill Larsen, should be read with a note of caution. The author evokes such a sense of pure grief that one cannot help but experience the death of an 11-year old boy named James. I truly felt his mother's pain.
I bought this book after reading a review in the Lakeland Times newspaper, a twice weekly paper serving northern Wisconsin, where local lakes are enjoyed by vacationers, including swimmers and jet-skiers. Because my two young children swim in front of our dock (in shallow water) on a daily basis, I believed this story would hold some relevance. It certainly did. This novel is many things, but for me, it's primarily a cautionary tale.
All the Numbers is indeed well written and a very quick read, even though much of the plot is driven by the mundane day-to-day musings of Ellen Banks, the mother. Every excruciating detail of each character's actions and each of her thoughts is laid bare. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to lose a child, or want to try to understand the anger and sadness of a mother going through such a loss, the all-encompassing grief expressed in these pages captures these emotions. I felt much of the story was predictable and at times, a bit like a steady "heart line" monitor that Ellen, a high school writing teacher, ironically uses as a metaphor about creating fiction without rising action; however, I cried real tears on the last page.
The story will stay with me for a long time. Well done.
Reader, beware. All the Numbers, a well-written novel by author Judy Merrill Larsen, should be read with a note of caution. The author evokes such a sense of pure grief that one cannot help but experience the death of an 11-year old boy named James. I truly felt his mother's pain.
I bought this book after reading a review in the Lakeland Times newspaper, a twice weekly paper serving northern Wisconsin, where local lakes are enjoyed by vacationers, including swimmers and jet-skiers. Because my two young children swim in front of our dock (in shallow water) on a daily basis, I believed this story would hold some relevance. It certainly did. This novel is many things, but for me, it's primarily a cautionary tale.
All the Numbers is indeed well written and a very quick read, even though much of the plot is driven by the mundane day-to-day musings of Ellen Banks, the mother. Every excruciating detail of each character's actions and each of her thoughts is laid bare. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to lose a child, or want to try to understand the anger and sadness of a mother going through such a loss, the all-encompassing grief expressed in these pages captures these emotions. I felt much of the story was predictable and at times, a bit like a steady "heart line" monitor that Ellen, a high school writing teacher, ironically uses as a metaphor about creating fiction without rising action; however, I cried real tears on the last page.
The story will stay with me for a long time. Well done.
June 14, 2021
Crying great big ugly tears!!!! The love of a mother knows no bounds. This one has me bawling, because I can’t even begin to imagine the pain of losing a child. Nor can I imagine how I would feel about another child involved in the accident. This one absolutely ripped my heart out and I will forever remember this story. Absolutely mind boggling and simply amazing!!!! 5+++++ stars!!!!!!
October 10, 2018
As a child, Ellen Banks' son Daniel would ask his mother, "How much do you love me?" Ellen would always answer, "I love you all the numbers."
What begins as a beautifully sunny August afternoon on a bucolic lake, suddenly turns tragic when a Jet Ski swerves fatally close to the shore. It's a day Ellen Banks could never have prepared for, a day no mother should ever have to face.
From the moment her son James is killed, Ellen is thrown into a maelstrom of sadness and grief. She now must face the unimaginable prospect of living in a family that has been forever altered while somehow continuing to stay strong for her older son, Daniel. Daniel, who witnessed the fateful accident and blames himself for his younger brother's death.
Ellen's shock and grief soon give way to anger and defiance as lawyers and policemen who once vowed to support her quest for justice succumb to political pressure and back away. Still, Ellen is determined to see the reckless young man pay for his crime and to heal her family's deep wounds. But first she must heal herself.
This was quite a book. Touching and very poignant, the story was an extremely powerful one for me to read. While All the Numbers: A Novel was certainly sad, I enjoyed the book immensely and am eagerly awaiting Judy Merrill Larsen's next book with baited breath. I give this book a blazing A+!
What begins as a beautifully sunny August afternoon on a bucolic lake, suddenly turns tragic when a Jet Ski swerves fatally close to the shore. It's a day Ellen Banks could never have prepared for, a day no mother should ever have to face.
From the moment her son James is killed, Ellen is thrown into a maelstrom of sadness and grief. She now must face the unimaginable prospect of living in a family that has been forever altered while somehow continuing to stay strong for her older son, Daniel. Daniel, who witnessed the fateful accident and blames himself for his younger brother's death.
Ellen's shock and grief soon give way to anger and defiance as lawyers and policemen who once vowed to support her quest for justice succumb to political pressure and back away. Still, Ellen is determined to see the reckless young man pay for his crime and to heal her family's deep wounds. But first she must heal herself.
This was quite a book. Touching and very poignant, the story was an extremely powerful one for me to read. While All the Numbers: A Novel was certainly sad, I enjoyed the book immensely and am eagerly awaiting Judy Merrill Larsen's next book with baited breath. I give this book a blazing A+!
March 19, 2009
I picked this one up after reading "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and gave up after about 50 pages. I honestly cannot understand the great reviews. Neither the story or the characters grabbed me. I found Ellen to be one dimensional, the writing sophomoric and lacking in originality. Many of the scenes did not feel real - the younger son's shoe shopping expedition, the talk with Melanie at Union Terrace. She calls her sons "babe", her friend calls her "babe". And on and on ..... I thought that I was in the middle of a poorly written, made for TV movie. Stories about the loss of a child have been done before by far better authors. Larsen's book has been compared to Jaqcueline Mitchard's "Deep End of the Ocean" and Judith Guest's "Ordinary People". Do yourself a favor, skip this one.
August 15, 2009
I actually had read this book twice, once before my son was born and again sometimes in January 2008 just because this book speaks volumes of a mother's love to her children. Although I should warn you to stock up on some Kleenex! It's a hard book to read, not because of the writing...the writing was beautiful, it's the topic. Every parents nightmare...to lose your child yet the topic was handled so realistically and tenderly. It also speaks about forgiveness & healing. Great great book!
June 16, 2016
This was a new author for me. The book will be discussed soon by my in-person book club. The story hit close to home for me because like Ellen from the book, I have two sons also. There were times while reading this book that I found myself thinking about situations from the book while not actively reading the book. I did find enjoyment and happiness in the final two decisions Ellen made and how it ended the book in a positive way.
February 27, 2010
If you are a parent you must read this book. It is hard, and you will cry, but it is a wonderful read. Even if you aren't a parent you will enjoy this book, but I have to say that reading it as a young mother really allowed me to relate to the plot of the story. Ms. Larson tore my heart open and then pieced it back together again with this story.
September 3, 2012
Hmm. I liked the beginning---it grabs your emotions right from the start. I mean, as a mother, how would that feel? But then as the chapters progress, the story line doesn't. I found myself frustrated with the mom in the story and with the author herself. I wished she had gone a different route and wished it could have been more creative, more unique. I really wanted to like it.
January 11, 2013
I really, really wanted to like this book...probably because Larsen is a local author. It was a bit depressing, but that's not the reason for my two star rating. I just couldn't get 'into' the characters. I didn't care enough about them, I guess. I made myself finish it, though, hoping it would get better.
March 11, 2011
I think the story had its ups and downs. What had started as a catchy story that was pretty well written turned to a bit of a cliche story once the accident was described. Shortly after that moment it became somewhat boring, with an occasional highlight...
March 11, 2021
Be sure to block out a serious chuck of time when you sit down with Judy Merrill Larsen's debut novel, All The Numbers, because you won't want to put it down. And it wouldn't hurt to have a box of tissues nearby either. I called in sick at work so I could finish this story of grief and forgiving love.
It's the start of summer vacation for high school English teacher Ellen Banks and her two sons, eleven-year-old James and thirteen-year-old Daniel. It looks to be a rather normal summer: a visit to her see her parents in Missouri, the boys off to Detroit to spend a week with their dad, and the with the much-anticipated August week at Lake Augusta in southern Wisconsin, the final, lazy week before getting ready for back-to-school and the dreaded trip to buy James a new pair of school shoes. Ellen loves these summers to reconnect with her boys.
Life is pretty much well going along as planned until the Banks get to the lake house, owned by Ellen's dearest friend Anna and her husband, Sam. While the boys are frolicking in the lake with Anna and Sam's three girls, a Jet Ski roars into the shallow water and clips James on the head. From that moment on, Ellen's world is turned upside down. There's the decision to take him off life support, the decision about organ donation (and no, says Ellen, it doesn't make you feel any better), and the decision about who is to blame for James' death.
The book is well-paced, giving readers the perfect amount of information to learn about Ellen and her family before tragedy strikes. There are enough twists to give an old tale new life. The prologue was a bit melodramatic and was unnecessary, but on the other hand, it prepares readers for the Ellen's journey through the worst period of her life.
It's the start of summer vacation for high school English teacher Ellen Banks and her two sons, eleven-year-old James and thirteen-year-old Daniel. It looks to be a rather normal summer: a visit to her see her parents in Missouri, the boys off to Detroit to spend a week with their dad, and the with the much-anticipated August week at Lake Augusta in southern Wisconsin, the final, lazy week before getting ready for back-to-school and the dreaded trip to buy James a new pair of school shoes. Ellen loves these summers to reconnect with her boys.
Life is pretty much well going along as planned until the Banks get to the lake house, owned by Ellen's dearest friend Anna and her husband, Sam. While the boys are frolicking in the lake with Anna and Sam's three girls, a Jet Ski roars into the shallow water and clips James on the head. From that moment on, Ellen's world is turned upside down. There's the decision to take him off life support, the decision about organ donation (and no, says Ellen, it doesn't make you feel any better), and the decision about who is to blame for James' death.
The book is well-paced, giving readers the perfect amount of information to learn about Ellen and her family before tragedy strikes. There are enough twists to give an old tale new life. The prologue was a bit melodramatic and was unnecessary, but on the other hand, it prepares readers for the Ellen's journey through the worst period of her life.
March 26, 2021
This is a surprisingly fast and easy read for a book dealing with a mother's worst nightmare -- the accidental death of a child. Larsen has a way of making it feel completely realistic, and you can't help rooting for Ellen and her surviving son to survive the many stresses they face in the aftermath, including a vividly-portrayed trial. She's good at drawing the community that (thankfully) surrounds them, as well. I think the writing occasionally suffered from a few POV issues, but it's a compelling and surprisingly hopeful novel.
December 11, 2019
Difficult book for a mother to read but a good one that pulls on the heartstrings. Perfect length for a novel but part of me wants more! The author did a great job with giving all characters attention and bringing their emotion to light.
January 9, 2018
Just couldn’t connect, it was too predictable.
March 26, 2019
Amazing book!!!
April 22, 2019
Loved loved loved this book!!
November 26, 2019
Make sure to have your tissues ready.
December 27, 2021
Very touching and wonderful tale of faith and motherhood. Definitely need tissues and something comforting to drink.
July 31, 2022
4 Made me cry at times
January 5, 2023
Best book I've ever read!!!
June 11, 2023
Couldn't put it down.
July 7, 2024
Woman's book
October 27, 2024
The first book that’s made me cry. A great insight to the emotional nuances of being a mother.
July 8, 2024
Very touching book. You definitely cannot help but feel tons of emotions. If you like tear jerkers / tight knit family books this one is for you. My only wish is that there would have been just a smidge more to the ending.
July 7, 2016
Update: I'm a little over halfway in this book but I've completely lost interest. Like I stated below, I felt for the death of the child because he reminded me of my brother when he was that age. Now that we are far enough removed from the accident that characters are moving on and they're starting to pursue legal action against the 17-year-old jet-skier, the author has completely dropped anything that I can relate to or care about.
At some point I'll go back and finish this book. Eventually.
Previous Review
We ask quite a lot from books about death, not the least of which is asking them to make us care about the characters and care why they have died. It takes an especially heartless person to read about the death of an eleven-year-old child, especially when the character dies in a way that many children his age have died in 'real life,' but I find myself caring less about the book's eleven-year-old blond-haired blue-eyed martyr and replacing him with my own little brother who, incidentally, looked (and still looks) exactly like the description of this boy.
This book is more about James' mother and her grief, I realize, but already the book is off to a shaky start. I care about James because he reminds me of my baby brother, not because I care about the in-story family and his mother's emotions.
I'll keep an open mind, this will be a fairly quick read, but I'm iffy.
At some point I'll go back and finish this book. Eventually.
Previous Review
We ask quite a lot from books about death, not the least of which is asking them to make us care about the characters and care why they have died. It takes an especially heartless person to read about the death of an eleven-year-old child, especially when the character dies in a way that many children his age have died in 'real life,' but I find myself caring less about the book's eleven-year-old blond-haired blue-eyed martyr and replacing him with my own little brother who, incidentally, looked (and still looks) exactly like the description of this boy.
This book is more about James' mother and her grief, I realize, but already the book is off to a shaky start. I care about James because he reminds me of my baby brother, not because I care about the in-story family and his mother's emotions.
I'll keep an open mind, this will be a fairly quick read, but I'm iffy.
March 25, 2008
I picked this up on the "3 for 2" table at Borders because I was drawn to the cover and the back definitely pulled me in (I am a sucker for a good tragic family drama). The book is so good I could not put it down. I cried many times... the way Judy Larsen is able to actually put into words the grief Ellen is experiencing is truly incredible. Her bitterness towards the parents receiving James' organs and her inner struggle with that decision seems painfully realistic. I found Ellen's support system (best friends who don't always know what to say, parents who want to help but can end up doing more harm than good, and an ex-husband who absently grieves in his own way) to be completely believable. I love Ellen as a mom and I loved the relationship she had with both of her sons. This is an incredibly moving, highly emotional book. If you like Jodi Picoult (my favorite) or Jacqueline Mitchard... you will definitely love Judy Larsen. I can't wait for her second novel!
November 28, 2014
I was hesitant to read this book because the tragic story line is so very close to my own. She lost an 11-year-old son, mine was 9. He was hit by a jet ski, mine by a car. She was right there when it happened, so was I. Her child's older brother was also right there when it happened, in my situation, the brother was younger. Both the mother and the brother blame themselves.
The author comes close to describing the day to day gut wrenching emotions that ensue after the death of a son. Ellen decides to take that hurt and anger and go after the young driver of the jet ski by pursuing manslaughter charges. Why four stars instead of five? Ellen seems to be fairly well recovered from this tragedy after the passage of about a year. That's a pretty condensed version of reality. Took me about 20 years to reach the level of acceptance that Ellen reached in about a year. By comparing journeys with other bereaved parents, I think my path is a bit more realistic.
The author comes close to describing the day to day gut wrenching emotions that ensue after the death of a son. Ellen decides to take that hurt and anger and go after the young driver of the jet ski by pursuing manslaughter charges. Why four stars instead of five? Ellen seems to be fairly well recovered from this tragedy after the passage of about a year. That's a pretty condensed version of reality. Took me about 20 years to reach the level of acceptance that Ellen reached in about a year. By comparing journeys with other bereaved parents, I think my path is a bit more realistic.
March 12, 2011
Judy Merrill Larsen is a friend, and I knew from the subject matter of her book (a mother's grief at losing her child) that it wouldn't be an easy read. I finished it last night, and so much of the emotion of ALL THE NUMBERS has stuck with me. I can't think of much worse than losing a loved one, especially a child, and the novel tackles it head-on. We're first introduced to single mom Ellen and her sons, James and Daniel, as they're heading to a friend's lake house as they've done for the past 10 years. When a careless teen on a jet ski puts James on life support, Ellen has to cope with letting go of her younger boy and trying to move on. Only that isn't easy, and we're taken on a rough ride with Ellen as she angrily wades through the aftermath. Have some Kleenex handy when you read ALL THE NUMBERS. It's a gut-wrenching journey, but one worth taking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews