‘Sophia and Joshua will crawl into your head and heart…their story is nothing short of magic’ – Will Kostakis, author of The First Third and The Sidekicks
‘The irresistible gravitational pull between these two geeky outsiders is smart, funny and magical.’ – Lawrence Leung
Sophia is smart. Like, genius-calculator-brain smart. But there are some things no
amount of genius can prepare you for, and the messiness of real life is one of them. When everything she knows is falling apart, how can she crack the puzzle of what to do with her life? Joshua spends his time honing magic tricks and planning how to win Sophia’s heart. But when your best trick is making schoolwork disappear, how do you possibly romance a genius? In life and love, timing is everything.
From the award-winning author of Life in Outer Space and The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl comes this captivating novel about two extraordinary teens, and the unsolvable problem of life after high school
Find The Secret Science of Magic on Goodreads
Indie Book Awards Longlist (2018), CBCA Book of the Year (Older Readers) shortlist (2018)
Buy The Secret Science of Magic at Readings, Amazon, Fishpond, Angus and Robertson, Booktopia, BookDepository, QBD, and at all good bookstores
‘Keil is brilliant at making her characters feel so real they could jump of the page.’ – Angela Crocombe, Books and Publishing
‘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…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, Readings‘
Opposites attract in The Secret Science of Magic, a charming and witty story of individuality and what brings people together…this unconventional love story brings two atypical teens with very typical needs happily together’ – Foreword Reviews
‘As soon as I started reading this I quickly remembered Melissa’s other two wonderful stories, and why I loved them so much. Her writing is like a meal at a fancy restaurant – it asks to be devoured quickly but I just want to savour it and enjoy every piece…Overall this is another brilliantly written contemporary YA romance, involving two unusual teens. I absolutely loved this, and I’m sure you will too!’ – Lamont, Secondary Fiction Book of the Month
‘The Secret Science of Magic is magnificent. A charming coming of age narrative of existing within the moment. Phenomenally sublime. Magical.’ – Divabooknerd
‘Complete with quirky characters that you can’t help but fall in love with, pop culture references, and adorable yet realistic romance, The Secret Science of Magic has scored itself a special place in my heart. This is a book I’ll be recommending for quite some time to come.’ – Written Word Worlds
Excellent character development of the protagonists (Sophie and Elsie are “brown girls” of South Asian descent; Joshua is white), their diverse group of friends, and their families (Elsie’s brothers, especially, are a hoot) makes the romantic relationship just one among several satisfying story strands, and witty dialogue keeps pages turning.’ – The Horn Book Magazine
Melissa Keil 