Seventeen-year-old Sophia is a math genius, so surely she'll be on easy street after graduation.
Except she's just learned child prodigies become either smash hits or total meltdowns after high school. Now with her BFF sending off college applications, Sophia's feeling the pressure to lock down her own future before she's left in the dust. But when mysterious playing cards keep turning up inside her textbooks, she's really thrown off course.
Joshua is Sophia's classmate: adorkable, charmingly carefree, and an amateur magician. He's crushed on Sophia for as long as he can remember. With a ton of romantic gestures up his sleeve, Joshua thinks now is the perfect time to tell Sophia how he feels. He doesn't know how very wrong he is.
Told in a dual narrative, this opposites-attract, young adult rom-com offers plenty of laughs as Joshua stumbles again and again to impress the most skeptical audience that magic has ever met: Sophia. But if Joshua truly cares for her, first he'll have to work on his timing and meet Sophia halfway. It'll take a scientific feat of magic to dazzle and bewilder the smartest girl at school.
Australian with Sri Lankan heritage, Sophia is an intelligent young woman, a prodigy mathematician enduring debilitating social anxiety and becoming increasingly infatuated with Grigori Perelman, a recluse Russian mathematician. Sophia is a wonderful character, ingenious and accomplished which often leads to a lack of perception. Unlike Elsie who is leaving for the United States, Sophia isn't optimistic about university and consistently devalues her own intuition. The depiction of Sophia's social anxiety was wonderfully portrayed. As her narrative progressed, she begun to recognise how her anxiety manifested but also sought professional guidance. The tension between Sophia and her brother Toby furthered Sophia's anxiety, especially spending time with Elise and the effortless relationship with her siblings.
Joshua is enchanting. As an illusionist he believes in the impossible. Joshua doesn't place importance on his education and is ostracised by his peers. He's a modest young man who has been captivated by Sophia since the tender age of thirteen but as an introvert, feels intimidated by Sophia's presence. I loved the relationship Joshua shared with thirteen year old sibling Gillian, who has perfected teenage angst. Often a formidable presence, Joshua continues to persist to rebuild his relationship with Gillian despite her defiance.
The romance was captivating and a wonderful progression from a gentle, tentative friendship. Discounting the student body, Joshua has a wonderful company of friends who are accepting, supportive and encouraging. I appreciated how Joshua allowed Sophia to set the boundaries of their friendship, understanding that it was important for Sophia to remain in control of her societal environment due to her anxiety.
The Secret Science of Magic is magnificent. A charming coming of age narrative of existing within the moment. Phenomenally sublime. Magical. http://www.divabooknerd.com/2017/03/blog-tour-secret-science-of-magic.html
