‘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. She’s awkward but not shy, needs space, loves Doctor Who and can quote from Game of Thrones.
Joshua barely speaks at school. He is remarkable for his height and for hiding behind his messy hair. 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”.
He is friends with Camilla and Sam, characters who return from Keil’s first novel, Life in Outer Space. Josh makes his move with magic tricks, leaving a two of hearts in Sophia’s pencil case. He progresses to the grand romantic gesture of a flaming paper rose and screens a Doctor Who Christmas special on the vintage projector in biology.
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 new 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
