The Secret Science of Magic - Melissa Keil

The Secret Science of Magic

By: Melissa Keil

Paperback | 2 August 2023 | Edition Number 1

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Joshua – a magic-loving nerd – has a huge crush on Sophia. She’s an actual genius, especially when it comes to maths, but finds relationships much trickier to decipher. She tells herself she doesn’t have time for one, anyway; her life plan revolves around finishing year twelve and, after that, university.
 
But, as she and Joshua get to know each other, Sophia can’t help wondering: what if there’s more to life than academics? And what if there are more pluses than minuses in taking a risk?

Now, Sophia’s faced with a problem no amount of studying can solve: what’s the formula for balancing life and love?

From Melissa Keil, the award-winning author of Life in Outer Space and The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl, comes this captivating novel about first romance, owning your choices, and what to do when your lifelong dreams no longer equate to happiness.
  • Shortlisted for the 2018 CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers
  • Longlisted for the 2018 Indie Book Awards: Young Adult, 2018 ABDA Awards: Best Designed Children's Fiction Book
  • A 2018 CBCA Notable Book of the Year for Older Readers
Industry Reviews
‘Sophia and Joshua will crawl into your head and heart ... their story is nothing short of magic.’
– Will Kostakis, author of We Could Be Something and Monuments

‘The irresistible gravitational pull between these two geeky outsiders is smart, funny and magical.'
​– Lawrence Leung

‘Another winner from Melissa Keil, this time involving a genius-level girl whose anxiety threatens to overwhelm her completely. Sophia suddenly finds herself spending time with history geek and nerd magician Joshua, and Keil explores the notions of timing, attraction, and of course, mental health through a thoroughly entertaining, diverse and satisfying story. A terrific Australian voice, Keil is consistent and authentic. No long review here, just all the love.’
– Trish Buckley, CBCA Reading Time 

‘Melissa Keil’s The Secret Science of Magic is a heartwarming story. Keil avoids pigeonholing characters and issues. Here she considers diverse personalities and intelligences, while subtly touching on race.
Year 12 students Sophia and Joshua share the narrative. Sophia is a maths genius with an eidetic (photographic) memory. She seems to be at the higher end of the autism spectrum. People have always tried to “fix” her, so she’s unsure how to be normal and has learned to be silent rather than embarrass herself. 
Joshua barely speaks at school. He does magic tricks and his longstanding but unnoticed interest in Sophia is kindled because she sees magic in maths. He can’t focus on things that don’t interest him, so his academic studies are faltering. Outside school, though, he is a different person: he could never be overlooked and stands out “like a cosmic spotlight is following him”.
Josh makes his move with magic tricks, leaving a two of hearts in Sophia’s pencil case. Sophia starts to notice Josh “like a nebulous element in the universe that has suddenly become perceptible” but mistakes her symptoms of love for illness. He is encouraged by her willingness “to meander down our weird conversational rabbit holes” but is always aware of timing, the magician’s fundamental tool, as he pursues the secret science of magic.’
– Joy Lawn, The Australian 

‘Melissa Keil is one of the best voices in Australian YA fiction. Her wonderful contemporary rom-coms are always populated with a brilliant cast of well-drawn characters, and The Secret Science of Magic is no exception. The two teenagers at the heart of Keil’s third novel are Joshua, an amateur illusionist who taught himself magic to help manage crippling social anxiety, and Sophia, a maths genius with an eidetic memory and a terrible fear of burning out and disappointing everyone around her (not least herself).
As the end of high school looms, Sophia’s panic attacks increase, exacerbated by her best friend’s impending departure, an ill-advised enrolment in drama class, and sudden occurrences of unexplained phenomena that seem, well, to be somehow centred around her. The person responsible for the phenomena is – of course – Joshua, who has loved Sophia from a distance for over five years and recently decided to make a long, complicated, elaborate play for her heart. A play that involves exploding roses and trick coins, and definitely has absolutely nothing to do with avoiding the big question of what he’s going to do after he finishes Year 12.
Like her previous novels, Keil’s The Secret Science of Magic is a book with a lot of heart that deals with complex questions of love, identity, friendship and family in a sympathetic and realistic manner. Sophia is a fantastic character, and her first-person narrative reminded me how refreshing it is to read a story from the perspective of a female character who is almost certainly on the autism spectrum. Sophia’s observations of the world around her are unexpectedly witty, and her pragmatic view of the world contrasts beautifully with Joshua’s empathetic and romantic nature. If you’re looking for a sweet, sparkling YA novel with hidden depths and one of the sexiest first kisses I’ve read, then this is the one for you.’

– Lian Hingee, digital marketing manager, Readings

 

'Melissa Keil’s The Secret Science of Magic is a unique and compelling twist on the typical romance novel. Shifting away from the typical “quirky” star-crossed lover archetypes, Keil has created the kind of relatable and complex characters that exist in real life, but rarely ever play a starring role in the media.

Sophia is so much more than a child prodigy – Keil lets the readers see the struggles “gifted” students often go through regarding their social lives, relationships and fears about the future. Sophia’s intelligence often seems like more of a curse than a blessing, as her logic-based way of thinking means she has a hard time empathising with people. Keil’s writing makes it clear that Sophia’s problems won’t magically disappear if she falls in love, but it does show how the right person should be able to support her through her struggles.

Josh is not the average love interest. He’s nerdy, loves magic, and doesn’t know where his future is headed. While he feels a connection with Sophia and tries to impress her, he never tries to force himself on her and he does his best to understand her boundaries. He’s a refreshing break from the suave, over-confident guys that are usually the focus of young adult novels.

While initially Josh sees Sophia as a romanticised version of herself, he’s interested in her because he likes her eccentricities, not because he wants to fix them. Their romance is beautiful and unique because neither of them are forced to change their nature in order to make the relationship work. The novel focuses on the two getting to know each other, not rushing into a relationship that acts as a solution to all of their problems.

The Secret Science of Magic is a sweet and heartwarming love story that puts focus on the people behind the romance. Keil gives us characters that are wonderfully flawed, and we love them for it.' – Squishy Minnie bookstore

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