Review – Activated (Calculated, Book 3) by Nova McBee (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 445 pages
Publisher: Wise Wolf Books
Release Date: April 21, 2022
ASIN: B09K8QR58Q
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Calculated series
Source: Borrowed eBook through Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5/5 stars
“After her exploits in Tunisia, Jo Rivers knows she’ll never lead a normal life. She also can’t move on until she grasps the unexpected evolution of her mathematical gift and confronts her unresolved feelings after meeting Noble. With Kai undercover, Noble is the only one who has the answers Jo needs. There’s just one small problem: Noble has vanished, leaving only a coded message in the stars.
When Rafael, a friend from Jo’s days in China, goes missing, it coincides with a new PSS assignment involving a potentially catastrophic satellite breakdown. Jo suspects something more sinister is at play and has no choice but to track down Noble, who may be her only hope to find Rafael and prevent global chaos.
Traveling to the perilous Arctic of Finland, Jo and her band of prodigies team up with unlikely allies from her past to find out what or who is interfering with the satellites— before it’s too late. Trusting her gift, Jo follows a path of numbers that light the way…which leads to answers she didn’t predict.”
Series Info/Source: This is the third book in the Calculated series. I thought this was going to be a trilogy but the way this book ended I am pretty certain there will be at least one more book in this series. I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited.
Thoughts: I continue to really love this series about teen prodigies who prevent world chaos and disaster using their special gifts. This book follows Jo and crew again. Jo’s gift for mathematics and economics has returned stronger than ever and a bit changed, she can now calculate out vibrational frequencies as well. Jo would like to leave her work behind and concentrate on deciphering the code that Noble left her.
However, intermittent blackouts are starting to cause chaos worldwide and it is up to Jo and her team to figure out what is causing them. Noble might be involved and Kai is undercover; Jo will have to figure out her feelings towards both of these young men if she is able to work effectively with them to solve this new puzzle.
I continue to really love this series. Jo’s abilities are venturing into supernatural territory in this book, but I still really enjoy watching her use them to solve these international mysteries. Kai, Noble, and the rest of the team that Jo works with in PSS are all here. Again there is a lot of travel and adventure in exotic locations, plenty of action, and some fun puzzles and mysteries to figure out.
I love the characters here and the plot is well done and keeps you guessing. The story moves at a wonderful pace and is always engaging. There is a bit of a love triangle as well between Jo, Kai, and Noble although it is not the focus of the story. The writing is very well done and easy to read. I am really enjoying this series a ton still. I was actually pretty happy when I realized this wasn’t the last book in the series, I am so excited to see what the next book brings!
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this third book in the Calculated series. The characters are very interesting and well done. I love the complex plot, the action, and the exotic locations. This is a fast-paced read that is incredibly well written, I never struggled to stay engaged and enjoyed every minute of it. I would recommend this if you are looking for a fast-paced international thriller mystery with fascinating teen prodigy types of characters.
