"When Strato Nyman’s parents decide to relocate themselves – and their arguments- to the countryside, leaving his London school for Gifted and Talented children behind is just one of the new problems he faces. Being a genius, and the only black kid in the school, is going to make fitting in at his new school a real challenge and when the school bully singles Strato out for special attention he just wants to disappear. A strange encounter with a moustachioed man in a dusty bookshop offers a cryptic answer to his troubles, but can the power of invisibility really be useful to a scientist like Strato?"Strato is a wonderful character: pragmatic and articulate, with a genuine thirst for knowledge, he is a believable, endearing and a quite unique narrator. His thorough explanation of particle physics experiments are told with awe and excitement that never bog the reader down, and his blossoming first romance with fellow science fan Susan Brown is a lovely addition.
Exploring parents on the brink of separation is a common subject for young teen novels but the injection of quiet magic and bright science give this story real energy. The lines between magic, science and reality are blurred together just as they should be, for they are all made of the ‘quantum froth’ on the ‘cosmic cappuccino’ that makes ‘science the magic that is around us all the time’. I loved the bringing together of magic and science, showing how they are not that different; magic merely a science we have yet to understand. The mysterious Dr Ojebande always dressed in black was a wonderful addition to the story, I loved the reveal at the end and his quiet practical type of magic. Overall a quick, light read that leaves a good taste in the mouth.
Age Rating 11+. All above board, does contain the mention of witchcraft if that bothers you.
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