Zenn Diagram

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Author(s)

Wendy Brant

Publisher

Kids Can Press

Genre(s)

Contemporary

Age Range

14+

Release Date

April 04, 2017

ISBN

9781771387927

Eva Walker is a seventeen-year-old math genius. And if that doesn’t do wonders for her popularity, there’s another thing that makes it even worse: when she touches another person or anything that belongs to them — from clothes to textbooks to cell phones — she sees a vision of their emotions. She can read a person’s fears and anxieties, their secrets and loves … and what they have yet to learn about calculus. This is helpful for her work as a math tutor, but it means she can never get close to people. Eva avoids touching anyone and everyone. People think it’s because she’s a clean freak — with the emphasis on freak — but it’s all she can do to protect herself from other people’s issues. Then one day a new student walks into Eva’s life. His jacket gives off so much emotional trauma that she falls to the floor. Eva is instantly drawn to Zenn, a handsome and soulful artist who also has a troubled home life, and her feelings only grow when she realizes that she can touch Zenn’s skin without having visions. But when she discovers the history that links them, the truth threatens to tear the two apart.

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2 reviews

Zenn Diagram

January 17, 2017

Overall rating

4.7

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ZENN DIAGRAM by Wendy Brant is such an original and intriguing concept. Eva Walker, the protagonist, has a fresh, compelling voice that makes me love reading about her life. She is less interested in being pretty and more excited about being a math genius. She works hard to help her parents, but is not perfect. She is a nuanced character that feels overwhelmingly real and relatable, and ultimately is just a great role model for young readers. However, while Eva seems like a normal, down-to-earth girl, she is harboring a deep secret. Whenever Eva touches someone or their belongings, she can feel their emotions, problems, and deep thoughts. As a result, Eva avoids intimacy and people, at least until she meets Zenn.

The plot of ZENN DIAGRAM follows the typical Boy-Meets-Girl, Boy-Loses-Girl, Boy-Gets-Girl-Back prototype, but all the details in between are unpredictable and surprising. I did not expect the major plot twist or the great dialogue on trust, forgiveness, and letting go that comes after. Consequently, without being overly didactic, the story touches on many moral topics for the readers to ponder. Additionally, the pacing of the book is fluid and well-structured, so much so that I read all 315 pages in one sitting. In fact, I could not put the book down. I had to know what was going to happen.

For me, the only weak element of the novel is the ending scene between Eva and Zenn. I would have liked a more intense, epic reconciliation after all they had been through. Though it is understandable that they love each other, they never say it, and the final pay off seems to be lacking. Overall though, ZENN DIAGRAM is a fantastic read that paints a beautiful picture of family, friends, romance, dreams, hardships, and life. The relationship between Eva and Zenn is especially electrifying and will leave the readers swooning.

Good Points

Strong female character!

Elisha Jachetti, Staff Reviewer Top 50 Reviewer 198 reviews

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A proportional analogy

June 19, 2017 (Updated: June 19, 2017)

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5.0

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Zenn Diagram is like an art tree branching out with mathematical symbols and equations, rooted on a history which later on blooms in to a gift. It is a beautiful story where Art and Mathematics is a face to face, side by side thing fitted to find each other's perfect romance inasmuch as they are destined to be. Puzzled? Well, I have a proportional analogy for that, Math : gift = fractals : destiny. I got you more confused?

Well, it is about a seventeen year old Math geek, Eva who have an amazing gift (if she could ever call it amazing) to know a person's secrets, emotions and fears. Like when she touches their calculators while tutoring, she gets the algos (short for algorithms: nerd alert!). By touching other people's things, she have these visions — the fractals — which she really stays away from. Calculator visions were nothing compared to what she gets when having those fractals. It was like a tsunami, a hurricane of things, forming an array of patterns, shapes and colors with intricate details leaving an imprint of overwhelming emotions she really doesn't like to have. That earned her an unfair reputation of being a neat freak thus making it really hard for her to have normal friends and normal relationship which involve touching of course. In short, she doesn't have a carpe diem, be in the moment normal kind of life.

“All it does is remind me of all that I will never have: simple touching. Warm skin on warm skin. No fucking fractals.”

Until Zenn walks in to her life who, even made her swoon over using math analogies on their first meeting. He is a hardworking and responsible guy who have a great passion with art. They easily got closed and drawn to each other until they're feelings were hard to resist. Eva learned that he's the only person she can touch without having those chaotic fractals. Until she discovers the shared history that bonds their lives forever. Will the truth breaks them to stay away from each other or will it more be the reason for them to stick around and never let go?

The sparkles of light between Eva and Zenn were irresistible. I felt like a normal teenager again, reading sugary and sweet stuff like this. I enjoy every single moment of spending my time reading every single word! I love arts and Math (they are an amazing combo by the way) as much as I love books. So it didn't surprise me at all that Zenn Diagram earned a spot to my must-have-must-buy books. Other than putting a catchy title and intriguing cover, Wendy Brant brought a unique approach of putting all the elements of this book, forming a connection to each and gives an unforgettable experience, perfect for readers who have a home grown love for both paints or colors and numbers or algorithms, like me.

From fractals and algos to Eva and Zenn's shared familial history, there have more Venn diagram between them and the gift that truly blooms? The destiny of being together.