Publishers Weekly
07/22/2019
This adrenaline-charged thriller by Gibbs (the Spy School series) introduces 12-year-old supergenius Charlie Thorne and sends her, with two CIA agents, in search of a world-changing equation developed by Albert Einstein before his death. Charlie is skipping university classes in Colorado to ski forbidden slopes when she is tracked down by agents Dante Garcia and Milana Moon. They need her help to find Pandora, an equation concealed by Einstein that could make both cheap, clean energy and terrible weapons. The Furies, a white supremacist cell, is hot on Pandora’s trail, and Garcia believes that only Charlie can solve the clues that Einstein left behind and get the CIA there first. Clues take them to Israel, where both groups run afoul of the Mossad. Bullets fly, bodies fall, puzzles lead to more puzzles, and chases via skateboard and Humvee ensue at a breakneck pace. In addition to all the action, Gibbs slips in a few lessons on cryptography and Einstein, and poses questions about moral uses of power that give this adventure depth. Charlie is a terrific hero—outrageously smart, courageous, and still believable as a kid. After this explosive start, young readers will eagerly await her next adventure. Ages 10–up. (Sept.)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Grabenstein
"Stuart Gibbs’s CHARLIE THORNE AND THE LAST EQUATION is fast-paced, smart, and action-packed. Gibbs knows how to write a real page-burner. Charlie Thorne is a younger, smarter, cooler version of Jason Bourne."
Booklist
"Gibbs deftly pens an Alex Rider–level adventure with this series starter...It doesn’t take a theoretical physicist to predict that this series will be popular."
From the Publisher
2019 Parents' Choice Recommended Seal award winner
recommended School Library Connection
"Action-packed and thrilling."
James Ponti
"Whether she’s catching big air on her snowboard or deciphering clues hidden by Albert Einstein, Charlie Thorne is an ideal hero for a new generation. Her pulse pounding adventure unfolds like one of the equations she’s so skilled at solving – the final answer remains concealed until every last variable has been uncovered."
Edgar-award winning author of the Framed! and City James Ponti
"Whether she’s catching big air on her snowboard or deciphering clues hidden by Albert Einstein, Charlie Thorne is an ideal hero for a new generation. Her pulse pounding adventure unfolds like one of the equations she’s so skilled at solving – the final answer remains concealed until every last variable has been uncovered."
Booklist
"Gibbs deftly pens an Alex Rider–level adventure with this series starter...It doesn’t take a theoretical physicist to predict that this series will be popular."
Chris Grabenstein
Stuart Gibbs’s CHARLIE THORNE AND THE LAST EQUATION is fast-paced, smart, and action-packed. Gibbs knows how to write a real page-burner. Charlie Thorne makes smart cooler than cool! Charlie Thorne is a younger, smarter, cooler version of Jason Bourne.
School Library Journal
09/20/2019
Gr 4 Up-Charlotte Thorne, aka "Charlie," excels at everything. Only 12 years old, she is an intellectual prodigy who despises not just her uncaring, manipulative parents, but anyone or anything that seeks to exploit her intelligence for their own purposes. She enjoys taking chances, such as snowboarding with sorority girls rather than attending her college classes where she knows more than the professor. The book opens with Albert Einstein's death and the immediate descent of CIA agents on his house. Charlie's half-brother works for the CIA, and he manipulates her into helping them locate a formula created by Einstein that has been hidden since the 1930s. They want Charlie to solve the emerging clues for Pandora's Box, an equation developed by Einstein that solves the world's energy needs. However, various world powers and criminals are also racing to solve the formula's intricate puzzles and develop a weapon of mass destruction. Initially, Charlie is unwilling to assist in the mission, but gives up the fight once her brother acknowledges that he is aware of a crime that Charlie committed that could send her away for a long time. The quest for the formula takes them from Israel to the Hubble Lab in California, following clues that look like mathematical equations. The inclusion of famous historical figures in a modern setting will effectively entice those interested in biographies, and the worldwide travel keeps the plot fresh. The action doesn't slow down for a minute and readers will enjoy the journey. Puzzlingly, Charlie's background doesn't prepare her to be so skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and she can also be a bit bratty at times. However, these aspects pale in comparison to the writing skills of Gibbs. VERDICT Run, don't walk, to purchase this title. Readers will be thrilled with this amazing math-infused adventure. A first purchase.-Amy Caldera, Dripping Springs Middle School, TX