Early Review – Calculated by Nova McBee (4.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 380 pages
Publisher: Wise Wolf Books
Release Date: February 11, 2021
ASIN : B08MWMJR9J
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
“She has many names – Octavia, Double 8, Phoenix, Josephine. She’s a math prodigy, a calculating genius and everyone wants her.
In seventeen-year-old Jo River’s complicated world of numbers, there’s no such thing as coincidence. When she is betrayed by someone she loves, kidnapped by the world’s most wanted smuggler, and forced to use her talent to shore up a criminal empire, Jo deems her gift a curse—until she meets Red.
Fellow captive and unlikely sage, Red teaches Jo to harness her true potential, so she can do more than just escape. Before he dies, Red reveals a secret about her enemies and makes her vow to right his wrongs. But Jo has a vow of her own.
With help from Chan, a bitter billionaire, and Kai, his off-limits son, Jo rises into a new role, ready to take down those who ruined her life. Until a mathematical error comes back to haunt her with a threat much more dangerous than the criminals on the loose.
To beat the odds, Jo must decide who she really is and if risking everything is worth it.
After all, history is not made—it’s calculated.”
Series Info/Source: I thought this was a stand alone book but it must be the start to a series based on the ending. I got this as an eGalley from NetGalley to review.
Story (4/5): I enjoyed this book. It’s about a young girl (15ys old) who is a math/economic prodigy and gets kidnapped to work for a Chinese crime ring. She ends up being in a unique position to help save the world economy. Initially the book bounces between her childhood past and her past in the crime ring. Then it switches to her present day self and her past in the crime ring. There are a lot of fun twists and turns and I always enjoy reading about prodigies and the way they see the world!
This did get a bit slow mid-book but most of the story is very fast-paced. This looks like it’s going to be the first book in a series which I did not realize when I picked this up. I wish publishers/authors would be more up front about that. While the book resolves the main issues presented, it leaves the reader on a huge cliffhanger to kick off the next book.
Characters (5/5): I absolutely loved the characters in this book, they are all complex and have so many secrets. Even the side characters are interesting and well done. Jo goes on such a ride through this story and watching her use her skills as a math/econ prodigy was absolutely fascinating. I loved her mentor Red and really enjoyed Kai as well.
Setting (5/5): I loved the setting in Shanghai, China. I have never been to Shanghai and am enjoying traveling to new and exatic places in my books since I can’t do so in real life right now. The insight into how some things work in China and some of the tunnels and other lesser known areas was fascinating and I really loved it.
Writing Style (5/5): I loved the way the book was set up and how we bounce from past to present until the story starts to come together. This was easy to read, incredibly hard to put down, and action packed. There were so many fun twists and turns and they never felt contrived or unbelievable. I thought this was incredibly well done and can’t wait to read more from McBee in the future.
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall, despite a slow section mid-book, I really loved this. I love reading about prodigies, and really enjoyed how well done the characters were and the exotic setting. The twisty plot keeps you engaged and thinking, but is written in such a way that the book is effortless to read. I absolutely loved this and am actually happy it is a series, even though I wish that it had been marketed upfront as a series. Recommended to those who enjoy fast-paced twisty turny plots and relatable characters; comparing this to the Count of Monte Cristo is very accurate it really has a similar feel to that story at some points.
