Nova McBee

Twisty, complex and lots of multilayered characters - held together by the strong narration of “double 8”, Phoenix, Octavia , Josephine - a teen math prodigy. The action parts will engage younger readers but the complexity of the economics & financial dealings of the criminal empires Jo is forced to help may be a slog ? Also, the criminal activity centers on trafficking of teen girls for sex work, may be a bit much for younger teens. Her extraordinary math abilities seeing in "numbers" is intriguing and adds to the plot in so many ways. A little unrealistic about protagonist's (she's a teenager) ability to mange huge accounts for worldwide enterprises, then devise an enormous, very far-reaching "take down" of both international criminals & their empires, help right the worldwide economy (going into a recession) via a "superbond" she designed herself, then save as many abducted girls as she can by purchasing her own warehouse, outfit with technology, medical gear/facility, etc etc - but probably teen readers will have no trouble suspending disbelief. For a teen who's so adept at all these endeavors, she's also a bit slow on the uptake about her employer Chan's handsome, 18 yr old son - it's obvious that he's falling for her, but she continues to do this awkward rejection thing & then stress about it afterwards? (This from a prodigy who can also "read people" very very well.) Nevertheless, a good addition to the YA suspense /international thriller genre.… (meer)

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.… (meer)

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Calculated series. I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley.

Story (5/5): This book was just as amazing as the first book. Jo is trying to recover from her many years in an international crime ring and adjust to life back in Seattle...and her gift is still missing. She’s started working with Prodigy Stealth Solutions (PSS). However, when PSS is hacked by a mysterious hacker, Jo and crew must figure out what is going on before PSS’s tech is used to cause the country of Tunisia to fall into unrest.

This was incredibly fast-paced and I loved all the adventure. I love how so many elements of the story end up tying together and really enjoy reading about all the cool inventions these geniuses come up with.

Characters (5/5): The characters are a huge part of what makes this book. This cast of genius/prodigy characters is amazing. All of the characters are well done and have a lot of depth to them. The addition of the Coral Hacker was fantastic. We also get to look back into Jo’s past through a series of simulations and it was fascinating. There is so much interesting psychology here.

Setting (5/5): I continue to really enjoy the variety of international settings and adventures here. They are all well done and well described. I love the time spent in the Tunisian desert and look forward to more amazing locations in future books. There is a deep theme of world travel and connectedness in these books which I really enjoy.

Writing Style (5/5): This book is very well written and pretty much impossible to put down. There is just so much action and adventure and the plot constantly keeps you guessing. I love how we got to visit Jo’s far past, near past, and present through the simulations she was doing; this was a very creative way to give the reader a deeper look into Jo’s character. A lot of this is just so creative and I loved how the story was woven together.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book even more than the first book. The pace is non-stop and the plot is intricately woven and fun to follow. The characters are incredibly interesting and engaging. I absolutely love this series, and this book in particular. I can’t wait to see how things wrap up in “Activated”, the final book in the series!… (meer)

It's devastating for a teenaged mathematics genius to lose her gift for numbers. So, Jo Rivers is going through a simulation process with Prodigy Stealth Solutions in an attempt to recover her gift. But when PSS is hacked and a sensitive file goes missing, Jo heads to Tunisia on a mission where more than PSS's secrets are at stake in Simulated by author Nova McBee.

Once I plunged into this YA suspense sequel to Calculated with both feet, I had to keep swimming with as few pauses as possible. While the gradual build in Book One wasn't always the most gripping for me, its solid foundation allowed me to take off and enjoy this second novel more.

Goodness. The danger and all the moving parts to the intrigue. The ingenuity and teen prodigies. The thought-provoking nuggets that add true depth to Jo's journey. So good!

Now, I did become frustrated with some of Jo's rash decision-making, which sometimes felt a little contrived for the action's sake. And I'm not sure if the reader is supposed to share Jo's unawareness about who the anonymous hacker is, but the hacker's identity was clear to me quite early on. Also, there are a few reasons why I usually don't care for love triangles in fiction—but because this book isn't a romance novel, at least it didn't have to rush toward a resolution that would've left me irritated.

Now, after the exciting time I had racing through this adventure, I can't wait for Book Three.
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I received an advance reading copy of this book via Netgalley for an honest review.… (meer)