Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant really surprised me. When I first saw it, I was interested in how the author would incorporate a more sci-fi sounding concept into a contemporary, but it ended up working out perfectly. The main character is funny and relatable, and the way the book is written is just what I like. Even the title is a math joke!
Author: Wendy Brant
Publisher: KCP Loft
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Rating:
The more I touch someone, the more I can see and understand, and the more I think I can help. But that’s my mistake. I can’t help. You can’t fix people like you can solve a math problem.
Math genius. Freak of nature. Loner.
Eva Walker has literally one friend—if you don’t count her quadruplet three-year-old-siblings—and it’s not even because she’s a math nerd. No, Eva is a loner out of necessity, because everyone and everything around her is an emotional minefield. All she has to do is touch someone, or their shirt, or their cell phone, and she can read all their secrets, their insecurities, their fears.
Sure, Eva’s “gift” comes in handy when she’s tutoring math and she can learn where people are struggling just by touching their calculators. For the most part, though, it’s safer to keep her hands to herself. Until she meets six-foot-three, cute-without-trying Zenn Bennett, who makes that nearly impossible.
Zenn’s jacket gives Eva such a dark and violent vision that you’d think not touching him would be easy. But sometimes you have to take a risk…
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant
This book has an interesting concept, especially for a contemporary. The main character has the ability to tell what a person is feeling when she touches something that they own. I enjoyed the way that Eva uses her ability to help others and figure out where they’re struggling when she’s tutoring them instead of manipulating everyone. The originality of this book made it interesting to read, and I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for something new.
❀ A Perfect Main Character
Eva is the perfect main character for Zenn Diagram. She is logical and a math genius, but also pretty funny. I appreciated her geeky jokes scattered throughout the book. Eva is also relatable since she is awkward and more introverted. I felt bad for her as I was reading, since there are so many things she can’t touch without getting a vision, but she doesn’t complain about her ability. Whiny characters are a major turn-off for me, so I was glad to see that Eva is so agreeable.
❀ Wonderful Writing
The way that Zenn Diagram is written is so satisfying. There are some heavy topics mentioned in the book, but Wendy Brant doesn’t go too far discussing them and going off-topic. Zenn’s mom’s habits, for example, are shown enough for the reader to get the idea. I also really appreciated the plot twists, as I certainly didn’t see the major twist coming. The pacing in the book is perfect, as well.
❀ A Unique Book
Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant is a unique book about a girl with special abilities. The main character is awkward and relatable, and the writing style is excellent. This book is perfect for all the math geeks – and everyone else – out there.
About Wendy Brant
At age ten, Wendy Brant wrote her first book, My Mysterious Double, the story of a girl and an impostor pretending to be her. Years later, after graduating with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University and completing the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver, Wendy wrote adult fiction (albeit unpublished) while working as an HR manager and being a mom. But when she started reading the same YA books as her kids, her attention and passion shifted. Now she likes to write about isolated teenagers who somehow find a way to connect with others, and she's also a sucker for a little romance.
Wendy lives in the Chicago area in the best neighborhood in America (as crowned by Good Morning America in 2010) with her husband, teenage daughter and son, and guinea pigs Mac and Tosh.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.