Note: clearing old books from before 2019

I read this in APril 2018 after choosing it in my BOTM box. It was not what I expected and just need not work for me. I picked it because I'm a bit of a math geek but it just didn't grab me like I expected. In fact it was a bit of a slow slog but I was determined to finish.

The cover art is gorgeous though!

I love The Family Fang.
I adore The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

This means I had high expectations for this book which, sadly, it did not deliver.

While the mystery of the equation is a really good concept, the MC was so depressing. Her feelings and actions with her family felt like it was dragging the story. I did enjoy some of the darkly veiled humor and the science was very interesting. It almost felt like this could have been two different stories instead

With the Wall Street Journal labeling as one of the “Mysteries: Best 2018” plus being Book of the Month Club Selection, “The Last Equation of Isaac Severy” was pre-sold to me. I always love a good mystery and this being a “math” mystery, my curiosity was truly piqued.

Unfortunately, this “novel in clues” turned out to be a dud. It came out as a slow-moving mystery, which turned out to be very little mystery at all. “The Last Equation of Isaac Severy” was a story about a dysfunctional family and growing old in America.

My minor in college was Math, but perhaps, things had changed so much since I was at university that I was totally lost about the equation. I just did not see its significance in the grand scheme of things.

But, the math aside, the interaction of Isaac Severy’s family was worth the read. I would have totally given this book 5 stars because of that. That said, I’m deducting two stars because of the “equation” aspect. Forgive this old fool who thought that some understanding in math will make this book truly interesting. I was wrong. I was lost. So, three stars it is.

“The Last Equation of Isaac Severy” is Rated T for Teens.

Comparisons have been made to The Storied Life of AJ Fikry and the title implied this was about mathematics (which made me hope it was along the lines of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore). Alas, it's not so much about a bookstore (there is one, which Hazel walks away from) and while there is the dangerous equation from the title (which is what Hazel is seaching for) it's not about mathematics in general.

What it is, however, is a literary fiction about family, aging, a bit of self-discovery - with a quiet mystery mixed in. This isn't a fast paced mystery novel, but Hazel Severy DOES need to find and destroy the dangerous mathematical formula that Isaac left behind when he died.

Of all the characters, I actually think that Isaac was the most intriguing - and he died in the first chapter. The book hooked me from the first sentence: "On the morning he was to die, the old man woke early and set about making breakfast". While Isaac is no longer alive, his presence is felt throughout the book.

The storyline unfolds slowly and, admittedly, a lot of the characters are pretty unlikable, but as it quietly progressed I found myself drawn in as Hazel searched to find the equation. There are plot twists, betrayals, and surprises. No roller coaster ride here, but a strong debut for author Jacobs.

I usually valiantly try to read every book that I receive through Netgalley. However, after struggling through 30% of this book, I couldn't read any further. If the book had stayed in the initial narrator's view of the granddaughter, I would have stayed with this book all the way. She was intelligent, human, flawed, but dedicated enough to her grandfather to find his secret. Her story line was interesting, I could see it going somewhere. I am sure when it all comes down to it, she figures the mystery out. Unfortunately, we get pulled into a couple of other viewpoints rather quickly and neither really interested me. I apologize I cannot give more of a review, but hopefully other readers looked on this book more favorably.

This book was very fun literary mystery. It is perfect for someone who likes to put pieces of a puzzle together, but doesn't want too much thrill. I enjoyed meeting the Severy family and how mathematics played a part in everyone's life.

You're introduced to the family after the patriarch, Isaac, is found dead. He leaves behind clues for Hazel, the least mathematically inclined member of the family, to find his final piece of work. Throughout the book, you see members of the family grapple with Isaac's death, and also other pieces of their complex lives.

A fascinating cast of characters that kept me engaged. And an equally fascinating plot. I really enjoyed this book.

There is a lot to like about this novel (quirky characters, a murder mystery, etc.), but for some reason it just didn't come together for me. Although I was able to skim through the math bits, I still struggled to get through it. There were too many characters for me to keep track of (a family tree at the beginning would have been super helpful!) and there were multiple POVs, so I felt confused most of the time. I also found the tone to be quite odd. There was humor in many scenes but then also a lot of dark situations and violence, so I felt like I had whiplash during the whole thing. I probably won't be recommending this one.

I requested this book after reading the blurb because I was intrigued by the idea of puzzles and mathematics serving to help determine what happened to Isaac Severy.

What I liked: Hazel and Alex were amazing characters who I would be happy to revisit in another novel. Hazel is not very mathematical, making her stand out from nearly everyone else in the family. As she is adopted, this makes some sense, although there are other characters in the family whose mathematical shortcomings are discussed as well. Despite this, Hazel is the one Isaac chooses to leave a puzzle for, leading her to find the equation he was working on when he died. I also liked that there was a bit of a twist ending with Gregory, Hazel’s brother who is also a bit of an outcast in the family.

What I didn’t like: The equation Isaac left behind seemed a bit fantastical for my taste. Either it wasn’t very realistic or I’m not smart enough to picture it, but the equation and its purpose seemed a bit too fictiony for me.

Overall, I definitely did enjoy this book and would read more by this author.

This is a three-star book due to lots of plusses and minuses, rather than just an ordinary book.

On the plus side is engaging and amusing characters working through a delightfully complex plot. There's plenty of humor, striking situations and dialog. On the negative side is an excessive ratio of backstory to action, resulting in a glacial pace and often more interest in side issues the author drops than the nominal plot. Every time the plot picks up a little momentum, it fizzles out. The net is an unsatisfying novel, albeit with many entertaining and thought-provoking aspects.

My main personal complaint will not resonate with everyone. This is not a math novel [[ASIN:0312303025 The Parrot's Theorem]] or [[ASIN:0452287839 Euclid in the Rainforest]]. It's not written for math lovers, it's not even up to the level of a play like [[ASIN:B0094PM622 Proof]] or the television show [[ASIN:B000HZERI4 Numb3rs]]. There's no real mathematics in it, just math jargon and names mixed randomly in the dialog. The mathematics in this book are either lists of numbers or magic.

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs ended up being a very different book than I was expecting. I thought this was going to be a book about a young woman, Hazel, whose grandfather, a famed mathematician, dies and leaves behind an equation for her to track down and protect from anyone else. This is a plot in the book and we do go on a hunt with Hazel as she finds clues left behind by her grandfather and tries to decode their meaning but I think it is more a book about family and how our past influences us. This is a story about a very flawed family and the expectations that family members have for one another and the struggle of trying to live up to expectations whether they be assumed or reality.

The book is told in multiple perspectives from the different family members. It was easy to follow and I felt like I was getting to know the characters. Many of them were very quirky and I love quirky characters. Because the plot is based on mathematicians there is a fair amount of math talk. I’m not a math person at all but I didn’t feel lost and I didn’t feel like the math talk disrupted my experience of the book. The plot was a bit slow moving but done in such a way that I also read this quickly because I wanted to find out how it would end.

If you love a mystery that isn’t just a mystery give this book a try.

Yes, there is math but don’t be alarmed – you don’t have to understand any equations to read this book.

In this debut novel, our protagonist is launched into a strange, real life scavenger hunt. Isaac Severy, a brilliant physicist and mathematician is dead. His adopted granddaughter Hazel leaves a failing used bookstore and fizzling relationship in Seattle to attend the L.A. funeral.

At the reading of the will, she learns Isaac had a task for her. She begins to follow the (mostly) literary clues, and she slowly realizes he is trying to hide a mathematical breakthrough from the bad guys. It’s up to her to find it and destroy it before anyone else gets their hands on it. And it is Hazel’s point-of-view storyline that has the most spunk.

She jabbed at Close Door, that placebo of buttons. ~ Loc. 1704

The other storylines are shorter and fewer, which is for the best because they are far less interesting. Working on the puzzles with Hazel and seeing how the storylines become linked, is the strength of this book. As the story progresses, however, it becomes much more about Hazel’s relationships and inner thoughts.

She had to stop and grab hold of the starboard rail for a few breaths. She couldn’t let herself fall apart right now. It would only draw unwanted attention. ~ Loc. 3860

Though it’s not listed as such, the book felt more like a YA or new adult, rather than straight ahead adult fiction. The tone shifts from diverting adventure to a coming-of-age story. I much preferred the initial style, but either way it felt uneven.

It’s an enjoyable if imperfect read.

Thanks Touchstone and netgalley for this ARC.

This is a complex web of lies, murder, math predicting future murder, and a crazy family that it swirls around. You won't see the twists and turns coming which make this a refreshing, intense, and incredible read.

Thank you to NetGalley andTouchstone Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Yes!!! I really enjoyed this quirky, original, mathematical brain twister. Kudos to the publisher for getting their blurb right...This was “Family Fang meets AJ Fikry.” Hazel and the rest of the Severy clan gave me all the feels. This book was the perfect blend of comedy, drama, mystery and fun. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I got way more than I imagined. The only thing missing was a family tree to keep track of all the colorful family members.
If you are looking for a smart beach read, then grab a copy of The Last Equation of Isaac Severy. I promise, you’ll feel like the teacher’s pet.

Hazel Severy has been set in a quest by her recently deceased grandfather, Isaac Severy a renown mathematician. His letter to her stresses secrecy and suspicion of everyone else within the family and without. This charming narrative poses puzzles and clues to help her solve find his last equation and deliver it safely to his only trusted friend. Even without a facility for numbers, I found the puzzles interesting and the book enjoyable.

The vibe of the book is a bit like a scientific Adams family. The book details give a fair overview of the story which centers on Isaac's Severy's death and the search by various people to obtain his last Equation. It was an engaging and easy read, Nova Jacobs keeps the pace going without stumbling in the middle which makes it a book I recommend to anyone looking for an entertaining read. I did feel that the book has dark aspects to it that are taken a bit lightly which contributes to an Adams family vibe but I wasn't always sold on it. Because the book is a light exploration into the idea that life can be stripped down to a formula I think it worked but I wouldn't have minded a darker, more serious exploration. That said, I recommend this to anyone looking for a character driven, slightly philosophical read. The characters are quirky and charming, the atmosphere draws you in and I could see myself reading it a second time.

A Math Cozy

The coolest character in this book dies on the third page, but he still dominates the action, so that gives you an idea of what you're in for.

The heroine of the tale, Hazel, owns a failing bookstore, which gets the book some "Fikry" and "Penumbra" comparisons, but this isn't a bookstore story. This is sort of an American Masterpiece Theater story with an arch mathematical macguffin that keeps everyone running around. That is not intended at all as a criticism.

We open with Isaac Severy's death, (murder? suicide? accident?), and turn directly to his funeral. Isaac was a math genius and we get to meet all of the genius offspring at this funeral. Through the eyes of Hazel, (who isn't a math genius, but is just logical), we get to meet all of Hazels crazy genius aunts and uncles, and their spouses, and all of the cousins whose apples are lying right under their various trees.

The idea here is that Isaac created a world changing equation, hid it, and has tasked Hazel to find it and deliver to a certified good guy. Everyone else wants it too, but they are all devious and various shades of bad guy. Hazel has to follow clues, choose whom to trust or avoid, and survive to the end of the book. Meanwhile the family, an entertaining bag of nuts, circles around her doing their own idiosyncratic awkward or creepy or mean or gormless individual things. It's fun in a well written, fast paced, and entertaining fashion.

Of the two best characters, one is dead. Old Isaac was very big on letters, exposition, and chatty clues, so we hear his voice throughout the book. Everyone has memories of Isaac and flashbacks about Isaac and stories and pictures of Isaac, so he seems to be always alive on the page, dead though he may otherwise be. As to our heroine, she is rational, normal, and not in the same angst/dysfunction category as any of her relatives, and so she makes a great guide through the book.

The book is fun and smart. It sometimes zigs when you expect a zag, and it's not afraid to go a bit over the top on occasion. I liked the big reveal, although some have expressed dissatisfaction. (I didn't expect to learn the secret to life, the universe, and everything, (which, by the way is "42"), and so I wasn't let down.) I thought this was way more clever and ambitious and sly than most, and quite entertaining.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Here’s a modern “Nancy Drew type” mystery for adults. Hazel Severy, adopted into a family of mathematical geniuses, plays the girl sleuth well. She didn’t have much trouble leaving Seattle and her struggling bookstore when the family patriarch, Isaac Severy, died after sending her a letter explaining that she was to protect his last equation. Although it seems that one of the more intellectually gifted members of the family might have understood the task better, Hazel does her best to follow her grandfather’s instructions as she attempts to make sense of why this equation is so important to so many people. There are relationship issues galore among the members of this high IQ family, and these add both interest to the story and possible suspects to the list of those who might be trying to gain access to the equation. Clues about Hazel’s family are sprinkled throughout the book, and all of the threads are pulled together nicely with the resolution.

When I first started breading this, it seemed as if was going to be a treasure hunt of a novel. The treasure belonging to a highly touted mathametician, and the treasure a brilliant equation, which many seek. When Isaac died under suspicious circumstances his granddaughter is left a letter containing clues as to where this equation is, and also to whom he wants it given.

But....this is not exactly a treasure hunt, it is also or maybe more about a family with the majority of family members having a certain type of genius. The few that don't are somewhat dismissed, not valued as highly. Many of them have secrets, are more or less than they seem. A rather dysfunctional group of characters.

I thought this was written very well, in fact the writing drew me in more consistently than the story. The story itself, started out strong, kind of lagged and lost me in the middle, and then picked up again in the latter third. Except for a few, I found the majority of characters unlikable. All in all for me it was an okay read, a different read, with some wonderful writing.

ARC from Netgalley.