4/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jo, a girl of many names, was kidnapped by a very famous criminal. Jo has a unique ability--she sees the world in numbers. She's forced to use her ability to make money for criminals. Hating her gift, Jo is miserable until she meets Red, a fellow prisoner who helps her see the world differently. When an opportunity to be free appears, Jo takes it and finds herself faced with even larger problems that will impact the entire world. She's the only one with a chance at solving these problems--but even she can't do everything by herself.

This book was pretty interesting! It takes place in Shanghai, China which was pretty cool! Jo is an interesting character and her gift is fascinating as well. There is a lot going on in this book--Jo's mission for Chan, Jo's personal goals, etc. The different POVs from the past through the present told the story in an intriguing way. However, a lot of this book is spent in the narrator's head. The story mostly is told through the thoughts of the narrator. That makes sense due to the nature of Jo's gift, but the lack of action made it hard for me to stay interested. Towards the end, the action does pick up and it was enjoyable! I thought this book was going to be a stand alone, and I was surprised when some stuff at the end suddenly made a sequel seem necessary. I thought the plot was wrapped up rather nicely, and I thought it would make a great stand alone book. Hopefully the sequel is just as intriguing as this book was!

Ultimately, this book has a lot of good concepts and the author is an incredible writer! I really enjoyed the fact this book takes place in China. I think a lot of readers would love Jo and her story!

As a fan of complex mystery novels, you start to see a lot of similarities between books rarely seeing anything treading new ground. This is an exception to that. A wonderfully told tale of mystery with all the elements added in that will satisfy any cravings; aspects of a thriller, action packed sequences and even a touch of romance. These all combine to form intriguing characters and carefully woven plot points.

I was sad when I realised I was near the end, as satisfying as it had been to read I wanted more. So imagine my not when a sequel is very nicely set up. I can't wait, bring it on!

I was expecting something really original but I’m really picky when it comes to books with a main character being used for her/his/their special ability (I love this trope) and this one didn’t deliver as much as I wanted.
The way it was told bothered me as well: the pace wasn’t as exciting and thrilling as I thought it would be (too descriptive or a lot of talking instead of action scenes) and tension was lacking.
I found it too political for my taste but it is for sure a well-detailed story.
On the positive side, Jo is a complex and interesting character - she’s a brave and loving person as well as a genius - and I felt for her regarding her shattered past. Her journey is memorable and I must say that the ending intrigued me. Moreover, the story happens in Shanghai which was really refreshing (and I’ve learned a couple of things).
In conclusion, an enjoyable story with a surprising main character but the execution wasn’t the best in my opinion. I’m sure people will love it though!