Calculated was one of my favorite reads this year and you guys don't know how excited I was to read Simulated!
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My Rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ [ 4.5/5 ]
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The book follows our main character Jo Rivers as she navigates her new normal after the happenings in Calculated. She feels unsettled and purpose less when she is given an opportunity to work on her gifts and help stop Madame. Nova has done a great job in keeping the readers captivated in this book with a return plot. There are so many things you get answers for, and you have a lot of open ended scenes to make you want more. The relationship between Jo and her boyfriend (I know I'm being very vague but no spoilers and okay?) is tested when there is a new potential in the mix.
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The story, world building and the characters are all done really well and I WAS SO SURPRISED WHEN THAT ENDING CAME ! The plot had me hooked and the characters had me invested. The scenes flowed really well and the suspense of the story held till the end as well. (I might have suspected a few, but I loved how they happened). The ending made me want the next book immediately, and I am ao excited for that particular storyline to unfold !!
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This series has become one of my favorites this year and I cannot recommend this enough! It has such a unique concept and the book explores the capacity of ourselves and the extent to which we'll go for our loved ones. And if it's not enough to convince you to read the series, IT'S GETTING ADAPTED as well! So make sure you guys pick this series up, read it and gush with me. You'll never regret knowing about 88 😉
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Thank you @wisewolfbooks for the gifted copy!
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Kindle/ Arc/ July 2021/ Book 182

I was so delighted when author Nova McBee gifted me a copy of Simulated. No second book syndrome to be found here! Jo may have lost her gift of near-supernatural calculation, but this book is rich in new characters, self-discovery, the possibility of new love (Team Fractal Boy!), and gorgeously described settings. I want to taste all the delicious food. And now book 3 is in my hands!!

Wow. Wow wow wow! What an adventurous ride through a landscape I didn't even know I needed to see more of! Tunisia provides the perfect back drop to Simulated and I just love how the author described the beauty of the landscape, culture, food, and customs. It makes Simulated the perfect "escape" novel, especially if you can't travel at the moment.

I was so ready to jump into this new adventure after loving Calculated and this one didn't disappoint one bit! Just as addicting as Calculated, Simulated explores a world where Jo doesn't have her numbers and how she learns to cope without them and yet struggles to get them back. I felt it was very applicable to anyone who's lost the ability to do something (either for a time or for good) and how you feel in that state and what it takes to heal.

On the action front, Simulated takes over right where Calculated ended and draws you into Jo's next adventure but this time with a new company. For anyone who lives near-future tech you're going to LOVE everything the author describes. I love stuff like this and imagining what *could* be possible if only we had a bit more advancement (or Prods like Jo!).

And then the romance....*sigh* Okay, so if you've followed me and my reviews for any length of time you'll know I am just not a fan of love triangles so...that was the only thing that wasn't my absolute favorite. That's no fault of the authors and 100% my own preference, though McBee did a great job of balancing it. It was realistic, never crossed lines, and pulls your heart in two directions which is the point. But GAH! While it was written well, I'm a loyalist. I just love Kai....that's all I'm going to say LOL.

Upon finishing this I'm soooo ready for the next book! I've got grabby hands for [book:Activated|59642180]!

If you love action-filled, well written, fleshed out, and exciting books - the Calculated series is for you! I highly recommend!

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Thanks to the publisher for the physical copy though I did end up reading this as an audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. Nova McBee hits all the action and romance (and mystery) beats and keeps the reader enthralled with the story. I couldn’t put it down and I am so excited for book three!

From Young-Adult author Nova McBee comes the second book in the gritty, action-filled Calculated series.

Jo Rivers, safely back in Seattle, asks the same question daily – how does a math genius go from taking down international criminals and saving the world economy to living a normal teenage life? The only answer she can come up with is—she doesn’t. 

With an overprotective father on her back and Kai on the other side of the world, Jo accepts an offer from Prodigy Stealth Solutions (PSS), who may have found a way to get her gift back. Using a newly developed technology, PSS tries a simulation process on Jo to restore her abilities, but during the attempt, PSS is hacked and a blacklist file containing some of PSS’s most sensitive secrets is stolen. Meanwhile, a mysterious caller who seems to know more than he should delivers a warning to Jo about Kai, who then goes missing. 

Despite her father’s concerns, Jo sets off on a risky trip to Tunisia with a PSS team of teen prodigies to find an urgently needed solution for PSS and locate Kai. All the while, Jo has to trust the mysterious informant who, frighteningly, is like no one she has ever met before.

“Simulated has all the Mission Impossible action you could hope for, paired with a love triangle that rivals the intensity of Twilight's. Be prepared to choose sides and hold on tight. You're in for one wild ride."
 — Chelsea Bobulski, author of The Wood and Remember Me.  


Got the 1st and 2nd all from Netgalley! Thanks a lot Netgalley! I enjoy this book just fine and because this book is the 2nd book, we get to see more of the characters even deeper.

this was another great entry in the Calculated series, it had what I enjoyed from the previous book and I enjoyed the improvement from the first to this book.

I loved this one just as much as I loved Calculated and I cannot wait for book 3!!!

Jo is struggling to live normally without her gift now and trying everything she can to get it back.

Kai is on a mission and in trouble. Jo and her team end up in Tunisia trying to help him.

The way both of these books were written, left a constant movie reel playing in my head. It was so vivid and real with both books. The mathematical gift that Jo possessed gave Calculated such a unique perspective and I loved watching Jo trying to navigate everything around her without it while trying to get it back.

I loved the way the relationship between Jo and Noble developed and the surprises and twists with his character along the way.

Once again it was a wild, fun, exciting ride and I can't wait to see what is in store for these characters next.

FUCKING HELL THIS WAS GOOD!!!

I was seriously scared to read the sequel since I love the first a lot and kinda had high expectations, but dang this book was delivered!!! In the first book, we were dealing with economic collapse, and in this one, we're facing coding, hacking, and other stuff that I have no idea but I enjoyed it a lot!

I love that we have other prodigies with their own gifts, and all of them are so interesting and don't judge or look down on Jo because she doesn't have her gifts anymore, instead they try to help her get them back.

I love the new main character, the Coral Hacker! Oh boy, I love him. I love that the author made him half Arab. It's such fresh air to see an Arab character as a genius, kindhearted, down to earth, because I'm sick to see them always portrayed as a terrorist in western media.

And the love triangle in this book... Ugh! I don't know what to say. I mean how can you choose between two brilliant boys who delivered the best thing for Jo. Both of them have heart of gold. I kept biting my nails throughout, the pace is faster than the first book, also the actions are on point imho.

The ending though. It left a pang in my heart. I honestly almost shed a tear. Ugh, this is why I hate the bittersweet ending. My heart cannot deal with it. Also, the epilogue! WHAT ON EARTH!? I need book 3 now!

Please do me favor and read this series!

PS: Indonesia was mentioned here a lot since the character is like one of the bad guys. Keep it real here, I love my country but I know they can be doing something shady. I would even be shocked if creators never mentioned it before in any other spy film/book/etc lol! One critic, I've never in my life heard an Indonesian man named Genji. Haha that's all!

PS: pardon my grammar.....

Thanks to Nova McBee (the author), NetGalley, and Wise Wolf Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Math genius Jo Rivers is lost without her gift. Home after a terrifying ordeal in China (told in book 1 of the series), Jo works with PSS- Prodigy Stealth Solutions- to rejuvenate her hidden talent through sims, made dangerous by a forbidden hacker who sneaks intel even as he seems to help Jo.

Can she trust his word, or is he out to use her?

This reads like a YA version of Mission Impossible with cool tech toys, exotic locales and dangerous ops to save the world from extinction.

Even though I hadn’t read the first in the series, it was fairly easy to catch up on what was happening. The characters are interesting, the plot complicated.

Overall, a page-turning read!

Loved this sequel! Fabulous character arc, new and exciting locations and storyline and page turning plot. Bravo Nova, you nailed it!

Okay, so this is the sequel to Calculated, and you know how so often with these YA series the first book is brilliant, and then the follow up books fail to live up to the standard of the first? Yeah, well this one is NOT like that! 😊

I was slightly concerned that I wouldn’t like it just because Calculated ended so beautifully & I didn’t want to mess with that ending! And then I heard that a love triangle was being introduced in this one and I was like, noooooooooooo!! The empath in me does NOT like love triangles… someone always ends up heartbroken 💔 (for the record I am #teamkai and nobody is changing my mind!! 😂)

But I have to say, I was not disappointed once I read it! This one is every bit as good as Calculated! Possibly even better. Although personally, I probably still prefer Calculated just because I love the retelling aspect! But this one was just as fast-paced and intriguing as the first! And the character development is excellent and the plot complex. Colour me impressed.

I actually can NOT wait for book 3 (Activated) now!!!

If you like suspense and/or YA and/or stories about math geniuses, this is definitely a must-read!

Thanks so much to @wisewolfbooks and @netgalley for the review copy! I was only required to provide an honest review in return.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an Early Reading Edition of this book... Unfortunately I didn't even get around to reading it until the day it became available for sale lol

I always struggle with writing reviews because I generally am just a mess on this inside after I finish a good book. This book was incredible. It's hard to make a sequel that is on par, or even better, than the first book, but Simulated accomplishes just that. This book is full of action, puzzle solving, almost-romance, an exciting new country and culture to learn about, an amazing plot, and math superheroes! I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I'd read an exciting book about math prodigies (let's be honest, they are basically superheroes) and enjoy it as much as I did. There is so much depth into the story and I absolutely love how well the author represents other cultures. It is classy and tasteful, but doesn't overwhelm or confuse. Everything is described so beautifully, it makes me wish that I was a math genius. I will forever be thankful that I stumbled upon this series and it has easily moved into probably my top 10 books of all time.

Seriously, don't miss out on these books. Do yourself a favor and read them 📚💕

In this installment of the Calculated series, we find Jo going through virtual reality simulations to try to get her gift back. But to get even weirder, someone is in there with her, and they know a ton about her. Who are they and what do they want, and why do they keep warning Jo about Kai? As Jo tries to find this answer, she and a group of other prodigies are assigned to a high-tech mission in Tunisia that may involve some people from Jo's past.
This was as action-packed as Simulated, and the setting was really cool. I am excited for the next book in the series as this one ended on a little bit of a cliffhanger!

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!

Stimulated was just as action packed and exciting as the first book in the series, Calculated. Nova McBee uses a lot of metaphors and similes in her writing which goes a long way to help the reader visualize the setting. Stimulated takes place mainly in Tunisia, and McBee’s descriptive writing style really helped bring the local culture to life!

I’m not usually a fan of love triangles, but this one worked. Both guys are portrayed as being kind, genuinely good people who care for Jo, and I’m honestly conflicted as to who to root for.

This book also ended on a small, rather abrupt cliffhanger. I’m eagerly looking forward to the release of the next book in the series, Activated!

I received an ARC of Stimulated curtesy of Wise Wolf Books and Netgalley, opinions are my own.

I just finished the first book in this series, Calculated, in November so I was thrilled to see the sequel available so soon on NetGalley.

The second book starts with a slower pace of life for Jo back in Seattle. In the first book, she relied on her gift, the ability to see numbers everywhere and in everything, to make mathematical-based decisions. While Calculated is intricately plotted and full of action, Simulated has a bit of a different feel. At the end of Calculated Jo had lost her gift and is now like a fish out of water struggling to live without it. With the help of PSS and their simulations, she’s fighting to awaken it, but things aren’t going so well. Without the numbers to back her up, Jo is unsure of herself and her decisions, but then a mysterious hacker appears in her sims and guarantees he can help her regain her gift. I feel like most readers will figure out the identity of this hacker early on. Wickedly intelligent and good-hearted, he brings an addional layer of mystery and intrigue to the story. Jo wants to trust him, but her team and boss aren’t as convinced, and she finds herself at a crossroads in her life.

Jo is soon on a plane headed for a mission in Tunisia, but also with a secret agenda of locating Kai. As with the Shanghai setting in the first book, this novel immerses the reader in the country and culture of Tunisia (I especially enjoyed the food!). There’s no sophomore slump here. This heart-pounding sequel offers just as many dangerous and harrowing moments – especially since Jo can’t rely on the numbers and doesn’t hesitate to take risks. Several new characters are introduced, and I enjoyed meeting the other prods (prodigies) on her team.

I wasn’t sure if this was a duology or trilogy, but upon reaching the end I was thrilled to learn there’s a third book in the works. The epilogue offers a surprise that gives a hint where the next story may be headed. If you enjoy intelligent thrillers with spies, covert missions, and surprising twists (and math that’s faaaar out of your lane), add this series to your TBR.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Summary: This time Jo is slowly getting to be a part of Prodigy Stealth Solutions. She is running through sims to help her get back her gift. It's not working too well until a hacker starts coming in and talking to her through the Sims.
They try to catch him and end up letting him steal their most important tech which leads to problems galore.
In order to get the tech back, the team must travel to Tunsia to help the country with problems with various systems. Jo on a important side note is going to help Kai who's bio tag has gone offline.
When the mysterious hacker asked to meet Jo alone can she do it without betraying everyone she loves and trusting someone she knows nothing about?

How I Felt/What I Loved: The plot was fast paced but gave just the right amount of time to breathe. The new characters were amazing! I love the prodigy crew and the mysterious hacker. The love triangle, oh man. This one was expertly crafted. It's realistic and reminds me of being a teen and just feeling that instant chemistry between myself and a boy. The connection that you just can't ignore.
So many emotions! I love, love Calculated and Simulated did not disappoint. Simulated takes the action up another level along with a love triangle that will have you questioning who you are rooting for.

Setting: The tech in this book is so cool! I love everything from the hacking, sims, mapping to the stealthy bomb solution. Tunsiana is just gorgeous. What a great setting for a book. I'm planning my vacation to the desert next year, thank you.

The Writing: Nova's writing is always amazing so beautifully detailed with just the right notes. I love how she created fantastic characters, but also gives you a great feel of the culture.

Characters:
Jo: Trouble as Kai calls her is accurate to a capital T. I love how she does her best to protect the ones she loves even if it's dangerous.

Prodigy Crew: I love the genuis. I'm so impressed on how they help Jo, but also help her realize she has to be truthful with them.

Kai: You're favorite book boyfriend is back. He's just as swoon worthy with his new job.

Coral Hacker: I love the Coral Hacker. He is a great character that has you guessing if he's telling the truth or trying to lead Jo the wrong way. When you find out who he really is it's just the best.

Mara: I loved seeing her in that big sister role.

Jo's Dad: I loved seeing him go from over protective to trusting, mentally unstable to a man with a plan to help the world.

I two hundred percent recommend this fast paced action and genuis packed book.

Thank you to Wise Wolf Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Trigger Warnings: Talking about the X girl, Violent politics and crime bosses

What do you do when your life suddenly becomes ... normal?

That's the question Jo Rivers is initially faced with at the beginning of Simulated. The story picks up a few months after Calculated ended, and Jo is back home in Seattle. And she doesn't know what to do.

Her math gift is still gone. And her dad is keeping an incredibly close eye on Jo, not wanting to lose her again. Sure, Jo is still able to help out at Prodigy Stealth Solutions (PSS), but that isn't the cure for her restlessness. After defeating Madam and King and saving the world from an economic crash, how can Jo go back to being a normal teenager?

Though, life isn't completely normal for Jo. Along with helping out with PSS, PSS is also trying to help Jo get her gift back by putting her through various simulations to try and trigger her gift. However, the simulations haven't really helped bring Jo's gift back--except for when a mysterious hacker breaks into Jo's simulations.

Four weeks after the first time the hacker breaks into Jo's simulations, she gets a call from the hacker, with a warning about Kai and a command to choose Tunisia. Shortly after, Kai goes missing and a file containing dangerous PSS inventions is stolen. And PSS has a job offer in Tunisia. Jo knows that Kai's disappearance, the stolen file, and the hacker are all connected. With a team of her PSS friends, Jo heads to Tunisia. Once she's in Tunisia though, Jo is forced to trust the mysterious hacker, who seems to be the only way to rescue Kai and the stolen intelligence.

I was privileged to get an ARC of Calculated last year and loved it. So I was so excited to get to read an ARC of Simulated.

Simulated has a different feel than Calculated. While Calculated feels a little bit more... gritty for lack of a better word since it is dealing with the Underground, trafficking, etc., Simulated feels more like a spy movie. We've got a team of geniuses with super cool technology at their disposal. But the different feel isn't a bad thing. It's just different.

I loved the bits of backstory that Nova wove into the story via Jo's Stage One simulations. Not only does it make Jo's character more developed, it is also super important to various aspects of the plot.

The plot.

First off, I just want to say one thing: Foreshadowing.

Nova does a great job of foreshadowing things that are revealed later on in the novel. She even began some of the foreshadowing for Simulated back in Calculated. And she does it very subtlely and very skilled. I honestly wouldn't have picked up on the foreshadowing in Calculated if I hadn't reread it before diving straight into SImulated.

And while the foreshadowing is subtle, as it should be, it isn't too subtle. You can pick up on it. I actually picked up on some of the foreshadowing and was able to guess two of the plot twists/reveals that happened. That was fun.

The plot of Simulated is paced really well. The story mainly takes place over the course of five days, but it doesn't feel rushed at all. And the suspense and tension are maintained very well. I was sucked into the story.

Now onto the characters!

Confession: When I read Chelsea Bobulski's endorsement for Simulated, I got really nervous about the love triangle. Love triangles can really bug me if they aren't done well.

However, the love triangle is done well. And it also kind of makes sense.

Aside from Jo, nearly all of the characters in Simulated are new characters. However, Nova paces out the character introductions and does them well so that it isn't overwhelming. And all of the new characters are great.

I was a little thrown off at first by Kai calling Jo "Trouble" as a nickname since he never does it in Calculated.

One of the things that I appreciated about Nova's endings is the way that she structures them. She wraps up the plot of the novel so that it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but gives a hint about the next book. That hint creates a need to know what is going to happen next to Jo and her friends, while not leaving the reader on too torturous of a cliffhanger.

Simulated is a great addition to the Calculated series, and I am very excited to see what happens next in Activated.

Cautions: light/moderate romance; four kisses; brief references to trafficking; brief non-graphic violence

It's very, very rare that I love a second book in a series as much as the first. Which means that I was a little nervous to read this book. Calculated was easily one of my top favorite reads of 2021, and I couldn't help but have really high expectations for this book. But I needn't have worried. Nova McBee is one of the most masterful storytellers in the YA genre, and this book was just was good as its predecessor!
What does a teen prodigy do when she's lost her gift? Team up with a mysterious hacker and a team of other prodigies to save the world, of course! The gadgets and bright world of Tunisia brought this story to life, and I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing everything they did. The bond I developed with these characters was so strong, and I feel like we're best friends. I can't wait for book 3!

An outstanding sequel filled with adventure, romance, and so much heart.

I am so incredibly impressed with this book. Not only does it continue with a character I have come to love so much, but it stands both alone and beside Calculated - striking a perfect balance that is rare for sequels.

As with Calculated, there are excellent themes of hope, gifting, trust, and love woven together in a way that still feels authentic to the you my adult perspective.

This book had me breathlessly turning pages and now eagerly awaiting the finale!