The main character, Josephine Rivers, is a child prodigy with a knack for numbers. Mathematics is hidden all around us. Josephine's ability to see equations and calculate them in real time lets her make perfect predictions and take precise decisions. This makes her a target of a criminal mastermind who wants to use her powers for profit.

The book was intriguing from the first page and the shift between past and present made me hooked. The author manages to subtly weave her knowledge of China into the story. I particularly liked the emphasis on the number 8 and infinity. The character growth, the setting and the philosophical quotes made it an interesting read. It was quite fast paced and did not feel like almost 400 pages.

Even though the story contains heavy subjects of human trafficking, kidnapping, death, abuse and betrayal, it manages not to be graphic. Meanwhile, a wise old friend of the the main character who acts as her mentor teaches her forgiveness, redemption, justice and hope during her dark times. This brings a balance to the story.

This book resolves the main conflicts and can be read as a standalone, except for the cliffhanger epilogue. I would recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

This book is SO good! Highly recommend! It's Count of Monte Cristo meets the Biblical story of Joseph but with a girl math genius as the main character.

Calculated follows the story of Jo River, a math genius of many names whose incredible gifts leads to people wanting to use her for their own gain. When freedom finally seems possible after years of working for criminals, she vows to get revenge and stop them for good. Jo's point of view was a really interesting perspective as the author did a wonderful job portraying the unique way she saw the world. I genuinely sympathized with her, wanting her to find her way back home. That said, it could get a little heavy at times. I'd recommend this book to those who love some suspense and a thriller!

This may already be a thing but I literally thought of it on my own 🤣

So today I wanted to feature one of my favorite series from last year. The Calculated series by @nova_mcbee_author I loved these books soo much y’all! The audiobooks were perfection! And done by one of my favorite narrators @city_nester

I have been following Nova for years now but it wasn’t until last year that I finally read her books and I’m soooo glad I did. Not only do I love them but I’m thankful to call Nova a friend 🥰🥰

If you haven’t already read this series hurry up and do it!!!! Then let’s talk about it!

My Rating : 5/5 🌟🌟🌟 🌟🌟
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Okay y'all, this is one of my absolute favourites of the year and you need to pick this book up. This book had everything I was looking for! Perfect amount of Romance, adventure, heartbreak, hope and lot sof other things. Joe was an amazing character and I loved her growth throughout the book! Omg certain scenes had me at the edge of my seat and Kai was a sweetheart. The concept was really unique and I wish I had someone like this in my corner! I liked the relationship between Joe and Kai amd I can't wait to find out what happens next after that ending!! Aahhhh my heart!!
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Kindle / Netgalley/ June 2021/ Book 166

There was A LOT going on in this book... poor Jo went through a lot of crap in two years (told to us through the narration of present events and flash-backs). Plus there was a lot of boring financial speak and random (often unneeded) calculations of inane things just to remind us of how good Jo is at math as if it weren't her entire personality already. If you can get past that and keep up with everything that Jo goes through, you'd probably enjoy this book!

It's a very well-written book, it's fast paced and offers great character development. Kai and Jo are great!

This story was a great mind-twister; the plot twists left me confused and ready to read more and I was hooked from the beginning pages.

I loved the concept for this book! At first, it took me some time to get used to the different timelines and names for the protagonist, but it all made so much sense once invested with the story. I loved the STEM emphasis, the prodigy secret company and the thread of family through out. Excited to read Simulated!

I am kind of looking forward to the second book, but I do have issue with the representation on this book.
While it's a truly interesting topic, I was unable to find any information on whether or not this book was ownvoiced and I think it would have done much for the book's authentencie if that was the case.
Nontheless, the story was pretty interesting - I was a bit confused at first, since the main character goes by several different names throughout the book, but eventually, everything about that is explained. I am happy to hear that there is going to be a second installment, since I was unhappy with the cliffhanger on which this book ended and I want to know how Jo's story continues. It is a truly heartbreaking story, dealing with a lot of uncomfortable topics and also a lot of clichees which I hope will be challenged more in the following installment.


I received a free copy by Netgalley for an honest review.

Set in Shanghai and Seattle, Calculated is a gritty, modern-day blend of the Count of Monte Cristo and Mission Impossible.

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.

This book is about this math prodigy that everyone wants and needs! Full of action and her adventure but also some more mystery! The MC is okay for me!

The way this story was told just didn't work for me at all. It felt that as each POV changed that the story felt stilted and slow. It was like reading a few stories all at once, in a way that you were never given the chance to connect with anyone. The story itself was interesting but the way it was done just didn't work. I didn't feel anything for these characters.

This is one of the best books I've ever written. Fast-paced but wonderful character development and a storyworld and plot that will just suck you in. Kai and Jo are the bomb, and I'd love to be best friends with them. Can't wait to dive into Simulated!

Set in Shanghai and Seattle, Calculated is a gritty modern day blend of The Count of Monte Cristo and Mission Impossible.

She has many names – Octavia, Double 8, Phoenix, Josephine. She’s a math prodigy, a calculating genius and everyone wants her.

A 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 het gift a curse – until she meets Red.

To beat the odds, Jo must decide who she really is and if risking everything is worth it.

“One of the most original stories...” – Candace

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was so original with plenty of nice twists and surprises. I loved that the theme was with me as I turned every pages to the every last page. The pacing of the novel was excellent, the story grabs ahold of you and won’t let you go until the very end.

Absolutely brilliant character development, the characters jumps right out fe the pages. There is literally no ro for disappointments. Super glad to hear that there is going to be a sequel. A must read to be added to your reading list.

i enjoyed reading this book, it was a well done mystery that works for young adults. The characters were great and I enjoyed the way the author writes.

3.5/5 Stars
Calculated is a story that centers on child prodigy Josephine Rivers, who sees life in numbers and has a gift for predicting financial trends. The gift that makes her special also puts her in danger when she's kidnapped and trafficked to Shanghai by the infamous crimelord Madame, who takes an interest in Josephine and her gifts. Josephine assumes many different identities to survive as she's trafficked to different crime lords until the richest man in China frees her as Phoenix. Now, Phoenix must save his company before the financial markets in China collapse, but the lingering effects of her trauma combined with the handsome son of her employer makes it hard to remain focused on her end goal of bringing Madame and all of the criminals who destroyed her life down. I mostly enjoyed this book. There were times when it was hard to read about the things Josephine/Phoenix went through as criminals took advantage of her for her gifts. The plot itself read well and had a lot of good twists and turns. I liked how McBee dealt with the raw effects of trauma in how Phoenix's trauma from being trafficked impacted every aspect of her life once she was free. I loved how complicated and twisted Madame's and Phoenix's relationship is and just how twisted Madame was in general. This book ended well and I was satisfied with how the plot wrapped up. I will say there were times I got lost in the mathematical language that the main character resided in and that made parts feel slow to me. Calculated is a gritty tale of betrayal and revenge, and how the most important things in life cannot be predicted.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought there were a lot of really interesting elements that were combined into one story in a pretty seamless way. While this is definitely not the first book I have read to have a protagonist who is a teenager taking on a strong system of corruption with some sort of seemingly untouchable and indestructible adult (or adults) at its head, the story still felt fresh and interesting. For the most, the author did a really good job interweaving the "past" and "present" POV's. There were one or two times when it felt like the switch to the "past" was thrown in and/or drawn out in order to artificially build the tension in the "present" timeline but overall, I really appreciated the way the author used the "past" chapters to convey important information to the reader. This was done really well and allowed the author to avoid random nonsensical exposition and info dumping.
This book does ask of the reader to suspend their disbelief quite a bit, but so do 99% of the books like it/ in similar genres. For the first 50-75% of the book, I was totally on board. It did not bother me at all that the concept and abilities of child prodigies were dialed up to a thousand. That being said, some of the stuff that was going on during the climax of the book were a little too far of a suspension for me. (Spoilers: Even if that person is a brilliant prodigy who can basically calculate the outcome of any given moment, Interpol is not going to let a civilian run the takedown of an incredibly elusive and wanted criminals, criminals don't just confess everything the minute you catch them, and the authorities definitely don't just let a civilian take all the dirty money the criminals had, even if it is for a good cause. Also, this isn't really a suspension of disbelief thing but I didn't not believe for one second that her family was actually dead.)
I was not expecting the ending to be a set up for a series. Up until the last page or two I thought this book was a stand alone and think it really could have been great as a stand alone. The set-up for continuing the story felt a little out of nowhere, rushed, and forced. Though I definitely think this could have been really great as a stand alone, I guess we will see where the story goes. .

Calculated is an action packed page turner that is really hard to put down once you start it. It's so well paced that it's really hard to stop and put it down to go do life stuff, as you have to keep reading more to see what happens next.

I have some mixed feelings on this one. The premise was fascinating, and it was well-written and developed, and it did an excellent job of exploring some very serious topics, and I could see this being a good story for an adaptation. I just found myself not really connecting with any of the characters beyond a surface-level interest, I kept reading because the plot was interesting, but I didn’t feel compelled to follow the characters, although I think that is more of a personal preference than anything. I did like how it was wrapped up though, and it was a satisfying conclusion to the book.

Where to start with this book? At the beginning of course, and then don't stop reading until you get to the end (or perhaps beyond). What an amazing YA debut!

I'd hesitate to categorise this book and, in all honesty, would not even tie it to a YA novel, it offers so much more than any categorisation could give. We have thrills, romance, psychology, adventure, history, economics and philosophy amongst others, all intricately woven into a plot which has you guessing and re-evaluating. This is a novel that goes back and forth in time at the start and, unlike many who attempt this, McBee achieves a seamless passage between times making for ease of reading.

The characterisation was superb and there are so many takeaways that this book would be a welcome addition to any English literature study class (the suggested questions in the back of the book merely scratch the surface of all that is hidden within).

It was refreshing to read something that wasn't set in Western society and I felt drawn into the Eastern culture that was laid before me.

I read the book as an adult, my 14-year-old son is currently enjoying it (and may well be finished after just 2 days!) and I think this speaks to the story's appeal. The author left the perfect hook into a second book at the end - I for one will be watching for it.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Just a quick update to say junior has now finished this and his words were - "where's the next one in the series? I want it now!" Praise indeed!

Fast-paced and riveting, CALCULATED is a fantastic YA thriller that sucks the reader in from the very first chapter. Even from the chapter list, I was already intrigued by the different names and time periods listed. Usually, I would find novels that are not chronological to be disorganized. However, each chapter is clearly organized with the time, location, and Jo's identity at that point in her life. Beyond having the chapter labels, McBee has developed these different personas of Jo so well.

I also enjoyed the overall plot with Jo's mission for revenge and justice. I love novels where the main character is able to right their wrongs while also giving others a taste for their own medicine. I'd say CW for kidnapping, human trafficking, and abuse are definitely necessary. While I enjoyed the budding romance between Jo and Kai, I didn't think it was completely necessary for the novel. Jo does benefit from the emotional support she gets from Kai, but the romance neither added to nor took away from the plot. However, if a second novel were to be made with more of a focus on Kai, I could then see the necessity for the romance.