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About The Book

“Fast-paced, smart, and action-packed...a real page-burner.” —Chris Grabenstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series

From New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs comes the first novel in a thrilling new series about the world’s youngest and smartest genius who’s forced to use her unbelievable code-breaking skills to outsmart Einstein.


Charlie Thorne is a genius.
Charlie Thorne is a thief.
Charlie Thorne isn’t old enough to drive.

And now it’s up to her to save the world…

Decades ago, Albert Einstein devised an equation that could benefit all life on earth—or destroy it. Fearing what would happen if the equation fell into the wrong hands, he hid it.

But now, a diabolical group known as the Furies are closing in on its location. In desperation, a team of CIA agents drags Charlie into the hunt, needing her brilliance to find it first—even though this means placing her life in grave danger.

In a breakneck adventure that spans the globe, Charlie must crack a complex code created by Einstein himself, struggle to survive in a world where no one can be trusted, and fight to keep the last equation safe once and for all.

About The Author

Photograph by Dashiell Gibbs
Stuart Gibbs

Stuart Gibbs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Charlie Thorne series, FunJungle series, Moon Base Alpha series, Once Upon a Tim series, and Spy School series. He has written screenplays, worked on a whole bunch of animated films, developed TV shows, been a newspaper columnist, and researched capybaras (the world’s largest rodents). Stuart lives with his family in Los Angeles. You can learn more about what he’s up to at StuartGibbs.com.

About The Reader

Emily Woo Zeller

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (September 17, 2019)
  • Length: 352 pages
  • Runtime: 7 hours and 39 minutes
  • ISBN13: 9781508287575
  • Ages: 10 - 99

Awards and Honors

  • Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
  • Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee (AZ)
  • Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Master List
  • Maine Student Book Award Reading List
  • Nutmeg Book Award Nominee (CT)
  • Great Stone Face Book Award Nominee (NH)
  • Texas Lone Star Reading List
  • Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee (MD)
  • Mark Twain Award Final Nominee (MO)
  • Iowa Children's Choice Award
  • Lectio Book Award Finalist (TX)
  • Sunshine State Young Readers Award, Grades 6-8 List (FL)
  • Vermont Middle-Grade Children's Book Award
  • Cartwheel Book Awards Nominee

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