Calculated - by Nova McBee Hardcover

About the Book

Teen math genius Jo Rivers is kidnapped for what her math gift can do. To gain her life back, Jo escapes and plans revenge on her powerful captors-but an old vow, an off-limits boy, and a looming international crisis stand in her way.

Book Synopsis

Soon to be a major motion picture!

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.

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.

With themes of revenge and forgiveness, loss and identity, brainpower versus brutality, and the triumph of right over might, it will resonate with readers everywhere.

"A high-stakes YA tale of betrayal, revenge, and numbers." - Kirkus Reviews

Review Quotes

"A high-stakes YA tale of betrayal, revenge, and numbers. An enjoyable thriller with an intriguing, relatable protagonist." - Kirkus Reviews

"This delightful book will hook readers from the first page and have them longing for more."- School Library Journal

"Calculated is a fast-paced and thrilling story that will keep you reading long into the night. Its twists and turns will take you from Shanghai's glittering high rises to underground prisons and the plights faced by the characters who feel achingly real. An action-packed adventure with heart." - Judy Lin, NYT bestselling author of A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON

"An intense and wonderfully complex thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages!" - Jessica Day George, NYT bestselling author of SILVER IN THE BLOOD and the TWELVEDANCING PRINCESSES series

"Calculated is smart with plenty of page-turning action, and a brave heroine who is deeply relatable. The timely subject matter is heart-wrenching even as it inspires us to use our gifts to make a difference in the world. Twisty and original, this story will keep readers guessing and hoping to its pulse-pounding end!"

- Lorie Langdon, best-selling author of the Disney Villain Happily Never After Series, Olivia Twist and the Doon series.