Zenn Diagram is the debut novel of journalist Wendy Brant, and will appeal to those who enjoy contemporary teen romance, paranormal / sci-fi themes. Eva Walker, the main character, is a math genius with an amazing talent: by touching a person’s calculator she can immediately see what area of math is tripping them up, and hence she is an amazing math tutor. But while the algos she senses from the calculator gain her prestige and respect, even from the football coaches and players, she still has virtually no friends. The reason is that she cannot get close to anyone because if she touches someone’s clothes, phone, and especially their skin, she can feel their emotions and know all their fears, insecurities, and secrets. (It reminds me a bit of some of the characters in the Twilight series, although Eva is a human and not a supernatural being).

For the most part, Eva finds it safer to just keep her hands to herself and her distance from everyone. And this works for her until she meets the tall, dark, and extremely good looking Zenn Bennett. Even his jacket gives off an aura that literally knocks her over. She falls for Zenn, realizing that she can touch his skin without having visions. But the trade off is that she discovers the history that links them, and that is where the plot conflict arises.

Zenn Diagram presents an unusual combination of math, romance, and paranormal, with a strong female math nerd protagonist.