Cute, adorable, and completely nerdy this book was such a lovely magical realism contemporary that made my heart feel warm inside. Eva sees fractals whenever her hands make contact with anyone or anything that has any attachment to a person emotionally. This makes for some interesting situations as Eva tiptoes around people and gets thought of as a major germaphobe.

In comes Zenn who is both your typical bad boy, but also not bad at all. He is respectable, hardworking, kind (especially to Eva’s adorable siblings) and is one hell of an artist. It turns out that Eva and Zenn stir up a connection that because of dramatic circumstance may either keep them tethered together or hurl them further apart.

There is so much beauty in this book that comes along with the fractals.


They are infinite patterns that continue on and on and they are all so complex but in a mathematical sort of way simple. I love that that’s how Eva learns about others with her gift, because the artistic nature of it makes me want to bask in just the thought of it.

In a way it perfectly describes the relationship between Eva and Zenn, hopelessly complex yet gorgeous in simplicity. It also reminds me that love at its core is simple, but as things collide and add on to it the complexity can be overwhelming and what once was love could shift to grow stronger or to fracture apart.

I love how imperative family was in this novel. Both on Eva’s and Zenn’s end. Eva’s parents do their best to be as involved in Eva’s life as they possibly can and a lot of Zenn’s actions and beliefs as a character are due to how he had to grow up and survive without a dad and with a mom who doesn’t really know how to be a mom.

This novel was beautifully done. It surprised me how delighted I was to read it. It filled me with a happiness that I will fondly keep in my heart.

This was a delightful surprise - one of the most enjoyable YA contemporaries I've read in a while. The writing was witty and seamless, the characters complex, and the story both fun and suspenseful. I actually laughed out loud several times throughout the book. I also loved the hint of magical realism. My only caveat is that I wish that I had seen a tiny bit more character development from Eva. That aside, this is the perfect, un-put-downable summer and/or YA read.

I wish I cold get its hardcopy soon. This books was so cute, super adorable. The best thing was - contemporary mixed with sci-fi. Isn't it interesting? I would recommend it to you if you are into these genres.

Did not finish. Somehow I managed to get to Chapter 20 or something, though I had no idea how I did that. It didn't catch my attention. The main character was whiny, thought her gift was the only reason why she's smart. She's also sexist, relayed on stereotypes to judge people and she was very annoying.

This is not my favourite 'nerdy girl meets cute boy' book that I've come across (I've read something similar before that was called something to do with Digit), but I did enjoy it for some easy summer reading. It was predictable and not exactly thought provoking, but enjoyable all the same. I am a little disappointed that I never really got an answer as to why Eva gets her visions when she touches people or objects, and the *SPOILER ALERT* explanation of her and Zenn being so close after the accident that he somehow comforted her was just far too corny for my liking. I am aware I sound like I am really slating this book, but I still devoured it in a single evening.

I DEVOURED this book in one sitting!

This story is so much more than your typical coming of age story, but with lots of twists. I have to say that this plot surprised me more than I ever anticipated! There is so much more to this story than a girl crushing on a boy she can't touch and I was totally invested.

Eva's gift of reading people's emotions and anxiety was a very neat addition to this story. It helps to reinforce her personality and actions in a way that you wouldn't get otherwise. And of course, it adds some drama to the backbone of this coming of age story. Perhaps the story would have been stronger without this premise (because there is a much deeper plot at play) but I did like this refreshing twist that gives this story a flare unlike any other I've read.

Eva was absolutely hilarious as a heroine. She's also very relateable in terms of her journey and insecurities. And Zenn is such a swoon-worthy hero and I immediately fell for him. He's got that mysterious aura around him and is so genuine that it's hard not to like him.

This was a great story that reminded me that there is more to YA contemporary fiction than lots of angst and landing the popular guy; it can also be about heart and growing up despite the circumstances.

This book was so touching. I liked the plot twists. I would definitely recommend this book for others to read

I am sorry I never got a chance to read this. My phone would not download it. I apologize.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Zenn Diagram.

After experiencing a tragic car accident as a baby which left her orphaned, Eva was left with a horrible gift. At the touch of another person, or their property, she experiences "fractals" which allows her to see the struggles and obstacles of others. Enter Zenn who is attractive, mysterious, and completely smitten with Eva. The feeling is mutual, but will her aversion to personal touch or closeness get in the way of a relationship.

This was cute. I liked the reminder that most everyone has pretty rough "fractals" as we are all living a very real life. I thought the rated R language was unnecessarily excessive considering the story. I feel like the author was trying to add an edge, but it felt really forced.

Eva is a mathematical genius, but thats not her only talent. She has the ability to know someones deepest darkest secrets just with one touch. Whether it be their hand, or their hoodie that they wear all the time, she sees patterns that tell her everything.

Enter Zenn, new boy who has very dark images that worries Eva, but will that be enough to put her off him?

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. I think its a great way to mix a little bit of fantasy in, but still keeping it somewhat realistic. Eva as a character was very relatable to me, right down to the nerdiness. Zenn was also very likable, and although it was slightly love-at-first-sight-ish, I think it was very cute.

It wasn't that predictable, but it did end slightly abruptly. I think it could have flowed more, as it did feel slightly rushed.

All in all, very cute read, that I couldn't put down!

'I like the library.'
'Obviously.'
'I do. I like it better than I like most people. It's quiet. It has substance.'

Eva is a math whiz who has special powers (aside from the math stuff). She gets "fractals" when she touches other people or their belongings, which can tell her their deepest darkest secrets. She uses this talent of hers to identify people's weak areas in math (by holding their calculators!) while tutoring them. When a new cute guy at school (Zenn) approaches her for tutoring, she gets a fractal that practically knocks her out. Read the book to find out what happens thereafter :P
This turned out to be a fun, contemporary YA romance, without being overly dramatic.

3.5 stars...
I'm rounding up to four stars as I think there are a lot of people who would really enjoy this book.
It's not an amazing book in my opinion, there isn't anything here that hasn't been done before. Essentially girl has issues, boy has issues, girl meets boy, they fall for each other, maybe they can fix each others issues, random twist related to issues, boy and girl learn something about each other and themselves. See how it's pretty much every coming of age story ever?
But there are some super cute quadruplets in the story that are only three years old. :)

The uniqueness here is in the idea that our lead gal cannot touch anyone without being bombarded with their feelings. This leads into a whole series of odd events that drive the story forward.
I don't want to give anything away because the 'reveals' are interesting and I think knowing things in advance would ruin the book for most. But essentially there are a lot of stereotypes that are broken down (bare with the first couple chapters because they set-up why nothing she thinks is right in them later on). Overall Zenn Diagram is an excellent commentary on how everyone deserves a chance to be happy and no one person's pain, grief or hardship is bigger than another's.

I think this book would be interesting for many teens to read. They are likely to learn something from it about the nature of sacrifice and that no one person's 'horrible' events in their life trumps someone else's. I guess that's why I'm rounding up to 4 stars, the reality is that everyone has issues and no one person's issues are more dramatic, painful or bigger than others. I do really like this main point that Wendy Brant makes. I like it because I believe it's true. Your pain or grief is relevant to you in it's size, not in how large it appears to others. Hardship is not quantifiable, it is individual to each person and cannot be put on a mathematical scale and measured.

I would recommend this book for anyone who needs a reminder that it's not a game or contest to try and one-up one another in bad things that have happened to us. Alternatively it's not about one-upping good things either. It's just about living and being happy.
Any other issues aside, that may have to do with the writing or overall story, Brant portrays the message that everyone deserves to be happy very, very well.

A NetGalley e-book in exchange for an honest review.

“Why was the math book sad? It had to many problems”

Oh my. I am a sucker for puns and horrifically awkward moments. The start of the book sucked me right in.

I liked the witty banter and the pre-school level jokes cracked. I liked the direction that the author took with Eva’s “gift”. It did get a little repetitive in the explanation of how it worked though.

Then, plot twist. It is amazing how interconnected people’s lives are in reality and it was thought out well in this story. A modern Romeo and Juliet.

It had the potential of a 5 star read but the ending fell a little flat for me.

I really enjoyed this book and the messages it portrayed. I think it's a good book for young adults to read about since it has some important discussions in it. Definitely recommend it.

With a unique and interesting premise, I was so ready to love this book, but unfortunately the slut shaming and the rushed ending kept me from truly falling in love.

Eva Walker can't touch anyone or anything without getting an inside look at a person's emotional turmoil and she's been this way for as long as she can remember. Since she can't touch anyone, she remains withdrawn and has one friend and her love of math for company. Enter a boy named Zenn who needs math tutoring whose jacket almost makes Eva pass out from the emotional sucker punch, and of course she can't stay away.

About three pages into the book we get our first "I'm not like other girls" comment from Eva. Admittedly, Eva <i>isn't</i> like other girls; she's not like anyone. Her comments lean more toward slut shaming territory than pointing out how different she is with her unique ability though. When she talks about how her family is bribing her three year old siblings to use the toilet as a way of potty training, she says, "I just hope it doesn’t mean they’ll grow up to be slutty girls who give it away to any cute boys who buy them dinner" which was just completely unnecessary. When her best friend starts hanging out with a new guy, Eva is immediately on the defensive about it and believes her friend is abandoning her. She does come to realize she might not be in the right in that scenario, but the rushed ending leaves that thread a little tangled and she still has "I'm not like other girls" thoughts. They happen so frequently I just couldn't enjoy myself while I was reading.

The ending just comes out of nowhere - there's a small bit of resolution and a tiny epilogue, but it wasn't enough to fully satisfy me. The relationships don't have time to fully settle after the big emotional climax, so you're just left sitting there like, "oh." I just wanted more.

The redeeming quality of this book was mostly the family dynamic. I really liked the familial relationship - Eva's siblings were adorable and I liked the obvious respect for each other she had with her parents. Unfortunately this wasn't enough to save the book for me.

I'll be honest contemporary is one of those genre's for me that I am either all in or not a fan; this one did not take long to make itself heard, and man if I am not all in.

This sweet and slightly dark contemporary covered topics I did not expect. It follows the story of Eva who whether she likes it or not can sense who a person is, and to an extent their past by touch. Unexpected right? She also lives with her parents, (her father is a pastor) and four younger quadruplet siblings, she's wicked smart and as such is a Math tutor. Where she meets Zenn, the new kid. And we follow their friendship through many revelations, first loves, and teenagers being teenagers.

There is a few things about this book that should be acknowledged minor spoilers ahead. As mentioned her father is a Pastor, and there are undertones of Christianity through out. I am not a religious person, however I did not feel that it was the main focus and really our main character isn't quite sure of what to believe either. We also find out that her parents are not her biological parents they are her aunt and her uncle. There is a line about maybe getting a trait (skepticism of god) "from my real father" no quotations around "real" like later in the book. I am not sure if this was fixed, but as an adoptive mother it was rather jolting especially since up until that point there is no inkling that they are not her biological parents. I want to be clear that she adores loves and appreciates her (adoptive) parents and my concerns about the terminology did eventually ebb but it needs to be noted. as well as the last and you may want to consider this a trigger warning but there is talk of drunk driving and a tragic outcome as a result, nothing graphic, but a trigger warning none the less.

Over all this was solid 4 star read. I definitely will, and do recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e copy to read and review.

Such a cute story about the two teenagers - Eva and Zenn. Eva strugglingly with her seeing fractals when she touch anyone around us and surprisingly, Zen is not giving her any fractals. There are somehow having connected to each other without knowing why and soon both of them will find out why.

Tbh, I'm having a but of struggle reading the first chapter thought that I won't enjoy it but guess what? I'm freaking wrong because I do enjoy this math geek (which I hope I have those kind of math geniuses in my blood) story and I really love it. Chapter after chapter it keeps getting better and more enjoying, make me want to know what, why, who and how.

Rating: 4.5 stars

MY REVIEW


Zenn Diagram follows the story of Eva Walker, who is the ultimate math nerd. Not only is she really great at all things math-related, but she also just flat out loves math. It’s her passion and she’s not afraid to admit it. Eva is a bit of a loner though, not because she’s a math nerd, but more so out of necessity. She has a condition where when she touches someone or touches something that belongs to them, she gets visions. The more troubled the person’s life is, the more dramatic and violent these visions are and the more unbearable they are for Eva. They can literally bring her to her knees and so for this reason, Eva tends to limit her contact with others. She has one close friend, Charlotte, who knows about Eva’s visions, and beyond that, the only real social interactions she has are with the students that she tutors in math. Eva is a whiz when it comes to tutoring, not just because she has mad math skills, but because she can actually get visions of what exactly a student’s math struggles are just by touching their calculators. This is probably the only way her “gift” comes in handy.

The visions Eva has have plagued her pretty much all her life and although doctors have no idea what has caused them, Eva is a girl with a plan. She plans to go to college, study neuroscience, and find the cure herself! When we meet Eva, she is actively making plans to apply to elite colleges such as MIT and Northwestern and to apply for as many scholarships as she can to make her dream a reality.

Enter Zenn Bennett. Zenn is a new student who walks into Eva’s life when he needs help with math. During one of their tutoring sessions, Zenn accidentally leaves his jacket behind and Eva, without thinking, grabs it up to take it to him. The fractal that hits her is so dark, violent, and upsetting that she literally collapses on the floor. In spite of this, however, she stills feels herself drawn to Zenn. He’s cute, funny, appreciates her math nerd humor, and she feels a connection to him that she hasn’t felt with anyone else before. Is there anyway this can work out for Eva?



LIKES
Eva. I am all about main characters who are a bit nerdy, so I adored Eva. I mean, seriously, how cool is it to have a girl that’s into STEM as the protagonist? I also loved that she wore her nerdiness loud and proud and was just downright hilarious at times. I would have totally wanted to be friends with Eva if I went to her school and the vibe I got from Eva was that if she didn’t have this issue about getting physically close to people, then she probably would have had tons of friends and been actively involved in many social circles.

I think the author did a wonderful job of making Eva a relatable and sympathetic character. I understood the hurt, resentment, and even jealousy Eva felt when her only friend Charlotte suddenly becomes interested in dating and the two of them start drifting apart because Eva can’t really follow suit and date as well. It’s very easy to relate to her plight because these visions really are keeping her from living her life the way she wants to. How can she have friends, boyfriends, etc., if she has to cower away from all physical contact in order to keep the visions (or fractals as she refers to them) at bay?

Zenn. I loved Zenn as much as I loved Eva. He’s a gifted artist and he’s also sweet, funny, and super cute. He also has this tremendous sense of responsibility that’s very appealing and that makes him a character that is easy to sympathize with. Early on we learn that he is working three jobs while trying to go to school because his father is out of the picture and his mother is a mess. He would actually love to go away to art school after he graduates but it just doesn’t seem in the realm of possibility based on his current circumstances.

I fell in love with Zenn the moment that he showed that he totally “got” Eva’s math nerd humor. He totally appreciates her nerdiness and the two of them just instantly click. Theirs is a relationship that you can’t help but root for, whether Eva and Zenn just become really close friends or if they can actually get past those darn fractals and date each other. Their chemistry is just so sweet and after seeing what both of their lives have been like up to this point, it’s like “Please just let them be happy together!!!”

The Fractals (or Visions). While Zenn Diagram would have been a great contemporary read even without Eva’s issue, I loved the little almost sci-fi twist that these visions throw into the mix. The fractals themselves fascinated me. They’re not exactly psychic visions, but more along the lines of colored patterns that she sees when she touches a person or something that belongs to them. The more personal the item, the more intense the visions. They’re traumatic for Eva because while she can’t necessarily sense actual events that have happened to a person, she senses all of the emotions from the events. So if someone has been abused or otherwise had something horrible happen to them, it’s all laid bare for Eva just by touching something that belongs to them. Not only is it overwhelming when it initially happens, but Eva also finds it heartbreaking because she automatically wants to “fix” whatever it is that has happened to the person, but knows she’s can’t. Eva says that the only people she can really bear to touch are children because they’re still so innocent and their fractals are therefore peaceful and soothing.



DISLIKES
The only moment where I felt a little let down was where I guessed what was going to happen regarding a certain scholarship that is mentioned throughout the novel. I don’t want to give too much away, but as soon as I read about it and then saw who had applied for it, I totally guessed how it was going to play out. I still love the direction the story took but just wished it hadn’t been quite so easy to guess.



FINAL THOUGHTS
If you think you would enjoy a contemporary YA read with a sci-fi twist and if you love nerdy main characters, I’d definitely say to give Zenn Diagram a try. Zenn Diagram is one of those books that I probably wouldn’t have picked up if not for the recommendations of some of my fellow bloggers. I’m so glad I listened to those recommendations though because I really loved it.



RATING: 4 STARS


Thanks so much to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This in no way affects my opinion.

Personally, I never liked math. But Eva convinced me there might be something to it--if only I even owned a calculator for her to touch. This book was definitely interesting. There are a few things that are a little predictable, but ultimately I loved this book and would buy a copy as a gift for my sister any day.

Unable to actually open the file. So am currently unable to read. My apologies.