The Zanna Function is a middle grade fantasy read with a very interesting idea for magic. While I do have some bits and pieces to pick with this book, I overall enjoyed it very much and will eagerly await to see how this will continue. Because this cannot be a standalone!

Overal the Zanna Function was written well. I did find some of the descriptions a tad on the boring bit. They made me zone out a bit which is a shame because some of those descriptions did tap into the magic bit. This is a magic school but please don’t let that bit stop you from picking this up. The magic is basically science and I liked how that was approached.

Story wise I thought this was an interesting, action and adventure plot. There were certainly moments where I was sure Zanna was right in her assumptions and other times where I doubted her. This mostly in case as to who the protagonist really was. I did find that the jumps we made throughout the school year were too big. I just would have loved more of a slower line in that. It was hard to feel that the end of the book was also the end of the school year. It felt like we were fast forwarded.

I did find that I found it hard to really feel as if our protagonist was really a threat. Their intentions did not seem to be very clear or jointed. I think that did take some of the impact out of the story at the end. However I see a lot of potential here. For a great world building. Great characters and an interesting magic system.

Speaking of characters, Zanna was a delight of a main character. She is actually really smart. It isn’t just said that she is but you can actually see in her actions and thought patterns that she is. This counts for her class mates as well. But the author also doesn’t forget that they are also still just 14. I liked how she seemed to instantly gravitate towards the girls. There was no real animosity there which was a great fresh of breath air to other school books. She does struggle with a boy but that didn’t really turn a romantic way.

I have to say that I loved Zanna’s relationship with her grandfather. She lives with him because of her father’s job that takes him away often. He is so supportive of her and there are just bits and things that show how well they know each other.

I DNF’ed this at 3 percent in. I was fine with it until people’s weight was used as an insult against them. It wasn’t used in a descriptive way. A descriptive way would have included what they actually looked like other than just being “fat”. It was used in a negative way, to insulate that they’re bad because they’re fat. I don’t condone fat shaming and that’s why I dnf’ed it. It described a character being even fatter than the previously introduced character and that all he could focus on was his food. I would not recommend this to anyone.

3.25 stars

The Zanna Function is science-based magic book where everything is controlled through the use of its function (kind of the sum of its makeup, previous experiences, and presence), which Scientists, the people who can do this, learn through Chemistry, Physics, Self, and Maths. It follows a girl from our world, Zanna, who discovers that she is Scientist and attends their school, St Pommeroy's. She is being chased by this strange person, however, who attempts to stop her from attending this school. As Zanna goes through school, she must face this person in order to ensure her safety.

The novel makes for something of an adventure novel, as very little of it is actually based at the school. It keeps your interest pretty well because of its relatively brisk pace and short length; the story always seemed to be moving. The characters, while kind of wooden, were each unique, none feeling like a filler. I wasn't surprised by what Zanna chooses at the end, but it made the book go up half a star because it fit perfectly with the whole story. My only qualm with the story is that I don't see many kids being familiar with things like friction, Newton's laws, or atomic structure (among other things), so I think that this book may be a little off-putting when it hits the school section. A lack understanding, however, does not impede the progression or fun of the story, so it isn't too much of an obstacle. I enjoyed this a lot, and I think this book is perfect for kids who like reading and science.

A digital copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Book: The Zanna Function
Author: @danielwheatley
Publisher: @jollyfishpress
My rating: 🦋🦋🦋/5
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A fourteen year old girl, Zanna Mayfield gets an invitation to join a magical school for gifted children. However this isnt a typical magical, wizards school. Every student at St. Pommerys is gifted with a unique ability to bend and mend with science. Zanna is put through some really hard times throughout her first year which gives her a chance to learn the depth of her abilities.
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So i wont say this book was as good as Harry Potter but it was definitely close, if you’re a HP fan then you will definitely enjoy this magical read. The book is well written, very different from other fantasy books, the places and characters are well described and very easy to like.
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One of the books that leaves you with this-shit-was-lit feeling. Must read, recommended to readers of all ages ❤️
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*This book was sent to me by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Writing: 4 Plot: 3 Characters: 3
Context / world building: 4

A YA adventure story based on Scientists who use their superior intelligence to engage with the world via direct manipulation of the Functions that comprise any object (or person). Students at St. Pommeroy’s School for Gifted Children (which is a kind of Hogwarts for Scientists) study a combination of Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Self, where the latter is an exploration of the extremely complex function that describes a unique human being.

Zanna is thrilled when she is invited by mysterious letter to attend the school due to her promising intellect. However, things start to go wrong even before she makes it on the first day. Someone is trying to kidnap her and even the Primers (the Scientist police force) appear to be stymied.

The writing is good and the story is interesting. I wonder if the author served a stint as a middle school science teacher because he does a good job of making the science approachable and interesting. He does a plausible job of explaining how any object is kind of the sum of the functions that describe and engage with it. To me the characters act more like middle school kids than high school kids. And I found the random, non-essential asides about who liked whom and who was dating whom to be completely gratuitous and jarring with the rest of the pure adventure oriented plot. I don’t understand why the author (a man) decided to write a book about a female protagonist, but the lines about dating and the constant reference to “the girls” really didn’t ring true to me. And although the situation is resolved at the end, we don’t actually get closure as to the “how” and “why”. Perhaps this is leading up to another book, but I’m not really happy with the way things were left.

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. It wasn't for me. I"m sorry.

You know how a really great book will make you do one of those sighs of satisfaction that start from somewhere near your toes after you're done? The Zanna Function was one of them for me. Its hard to sort out my thoughts on the book because I don't think I've quite returned to the real world yet. So, bear with me for a somewhat rambling review.

I described this book until about the halfway point as "Harry Potter - but a girl - with science instead of magic". And, honestly, I feel like that's a fairly accurate summation of it. And not a bad way to recommend a book at all, in my opinion. Look, I skip around with middle grade stuff. I've read Harry Potter, of course, and Percy Jackson. So I know that 'the special school for gifted/different kids' is a fairly commonly used thing. I know that for the first part of the book, I was unconsciously comparing the characters in the books to their Harry Potter equivalents. And I also know that I moved past that fairly quickly. Like many books, much of The Zanna Function is familiar. However, a good writer can take the familiar and turn it into a story that still feels engrossing and enjoyable. This is where Daniel Wheatley excels. 

The Zanna Function has a fast pace, solid dialogue, and just enough hints of teen hormones to engage its intended age range. The author spent just enough time on the world-building to give us a watercolor of what St. Pommeroy's looks like, and it was fascinating. I loved the set-up, the mishmash of buildings and the chaos of ridiculous irons everywhere. It felt like a hidden world that could have been set at any time in the future. 

I loved, too, that the characters were the curious, the intelligent. It's not magical ability per se, but a thirst to take things a step further. To learn and learn and learn some more. (Okay, yeah, there is an element of special ability to it, but still.) That there was a hidden place for children who needed an environment that was meant to push them to their limits. It says something about my opinion of today's society that a book about a place where kids with special abilities in math, physics, and chemistry need a protected place to learn resonated with me. When common sense feels decidedly uncommon, when people to choose to believe things that we proved wrong centuries ago, it's hard to maintain hope for the forward progress of humanity. When we know better, when we could do better, and we don't. Yes, part of me could very easily believe that the people with the thirst for knowledge and the push to know more could face a modern day version of what Giordano Bruno went through. 

There are problems, though. Ones that I hope get rectified in later books. Zanna's friends don't stand out in any particular way. The author skims scenes that the potential to develop the relationships between the school mates. He also skips through large chunks of time for no apparent reason other than just wanting to move the story along. And, while part of me did appreciate the ending, I have to wonder if most readers are going to get it. Basically, Zanna (and her relationship with her grandfather) is interesting, the world has a good foundation in place with great potential for later, but where some of the story is a finished painting, the other parts are still a rough sketch. 

Overall, while I'm willing to admit that The Zanna Function does have it's issues, I'm still sticking with a 5* rating. Even if the writing was a bit rough, the story itself still swept me away. You've got to give this a shot.

The Zanna Function is about a very smart 14 year old girl who receive an acceptance letter to attend an exclusive academy named St. Pommeroy's School for Gifted Children. She of course accepts and soon relives this school is more than she would have ever imagined. Zanna ,the main character, is immersed into this school where powers are generated from math and science to manipulate time and space. The use of magic by math and science is use really cool and gives a since of realism. From generating water by condensing vapor from air and , a delivery man made from coat hangers to little cubes that shoot out from the wall to clean your mess I really enjoyed the forms of magic. But with all this magic there is a mystery Zanna must figure out, because there's someone who doesn't want her to attended the school and they will go to great lengths to make sure Zanna doesn't stay there with the scientist as the students call themselves.
This book is fun and entertaining.

I expected this book to be enjoyable, but very familiar. How many books are there about a kid getting an out-of-the-blue invitation to a school that teaches magical, mysterious or otherwise unusual skill set? <i>H.I.V.E.</i>, <i>Evil Genius</i>, <i>Spy School</i>, <i>The Girl Who Could Fly</i>, <i>Steel Trapp: The Academy</i>, <i>Harry Potter</i>, the <i>Tapestry</i> series... etc.<br>
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What sprang to mind instantly upon reading the synopsis for <i>The Zanna Function</i> was <i>Simon Bloom: Gravity Keeper</i>, which has a very similar premise. I liked Simon Bloom, so I expected to like Zanna, and I was right! This book was enjoyable. But it was also much better than Simon Bloom. <br>
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First of all, I loved how Zanna told everything to her grandfather, and there was no annoying false life or facade to keep up. Mostly, though, the as-yet-unexplained mystery about <i>The Zanna Function</i>'s antagonist, and the book's concept of Self, added a level to the book that goes beyond the generic outline of a "special school, secret world" story. I look forward to seeing more.

Book: The Zanna Function
Author: Daniel Wheatley
Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis:
When fourteen-year-old Zanna Mayfield gets an acceptance letter from St. Pommeroy’s School for Gifted Children, she jumps at the chance to put her considerable intellect to good use. But nothing can prepare her for the first day, when she discovers that she is a Scientist —one able to see and bend the basic functions of the universe like velocity, gravity, and chemical reactions to her own purposes.

As Zanna struggles to make friends and learn how to use her abilities at her new school, her troubles multiply when a mysterious stranger begins stalking her, dead set on keeping Zanna out of St. Pommeroy’s. If Zanna has any hope of finishing her first year, she’ll need to master every function she can get her mind around—including the one that defines Zanna herself
Review:
For a middle grade fiction, I. ACTUALLY. ENJOYED. IT.
The plot of the book was light and easy to read. It gave me headaches because it reminded me of my subjects during high school; mathematics, chemistry and physics. It was fun to reminisce those subjects. Says no one ever. (Haha!)
The characters in the book are typical for me. They are the usual characters you seem to find me in a school where grades are important and rules are made to be broken. Sadly, I have to point out that I had a hard time differentiating the three girlfriends that Zanna Mayfield has. (Probably a change in their accent or language to set them each apart?)
I love also the representation of the teachers this are the stereotypical teachers that you would most likely find. I personally love Professor Fitzie. I think I can relate to her more than Professor Ms. Trout. If I would become a teacher, I would prefer to put positivity in everyone to encourage learning than use fear as a method of teaching.
In this book, there is a thing called an IRON. This iron is an object that you can relate to. This said object will also be part of your everyday life. If I had an Iron, I would prefer to be light like glasses or watch. I don’t like carrying objects and prefer to be on the go when the need arises.
Overall, I like it. It’s fun and easy to read. I would recommend this for people who likes a touch of magic and science. If you love Harry Potter you might want to check this out.

I really enjoyed this book. Zanna is a younger girl (14) accepted to a school for gifted students. They are gifted alright. This book is quite different, no one has super hero powers, they can bend and manipulate science ( you'll have to read it to figure that out). She gets kidnapped, bullied, typical kids stuff. Underneath this amazingly descriptive story is a teenagers journey to discover things about herself, just told in an entertaining fictitious way. The characters are likable. The plot of the story is interesting (I didn't want to put it down). The places are described well. The story flows well. Excellent book for any age!