Thank you to Viking Books For Young Readers, an imprint of PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, and Netgallley for the digital arc
Over the course of senior year at Green Bank High School in rural West Virginia, two girls interact anonymously through drawings and messages stashed in a very old physics book located in the high school library. Both want to escape. Kepler, has been in Green Bank her entire life and she plans is to go to college, study astrophysics, and never come back. Copernicus grew up in San Francisco but was sent to live with her grandparents when her astrophysicist mother died and her dad was not able to cope. She is artistic and finds the difference between Green Bank and San Francisco somewhat alarming. Copernicus also wants to know why her mother left Green Bank and never returned. The character development, plot twists, and the illustrations make this book one of 2025's best titles.
#TheSecretAstronomers

Not only is this book beautiful, but it centers the magic that is teen friendship, and you get to witness platonic love that blossoms between two very different girls living in the same lonely place.

I absolutely loved this book. It was well developed and incredibly creative. I loved the banter between the two characters and how they became close. It was a hard book to put down. Everyone should defend check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Two teen girls begin strange pen pal relationship by writing in an old astronomy textbook in the Green Bank High School in rural West Virginia. Using aliases, they discuss the mystery of one’s deceased mother, the difference between rednecks and hillbillies, racism, white supremacy, poverty, special needs and more. Told with drawings, collage and post it notes in the pages of the astronomy text, it’s a fascinating friendship that helps the girls’ to solve the mystery and understand themselves and their families better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
#TheSecretAstonomers #NetGalley

This unique epistolary novel showcases an unexpected friendship between two high school girls who remain anonymous to each other in a small rural town in West Virginia. Copernicus has just moved to Green Belt to live with her grandparents after her mother's death. She has found a secret note from in her mother's room to find the oldest book in the library. Although she doesn't know why her mom mentions the book, Copernicus starts writing in it as a journal until Kepler writes back. Kepler has lived in Green Belt all her life and her family before her has too, but Kepler wants to get out and go to college. The two girls become friends and create the Secret Astronomers Club to find out why Copernicus' mom wrote the note.
The two girls have different backgrounds, but unite over this mystery. They take time getting to know each other's perspectives in a way that wouldn't be possible if they interacted in-person rather than notes (pen-pal style).
I appreciated that Kepler stood up to Copernicus' social justice ideas, often pointing out that "rednecks and hillbillies" were not being given the same benefit of the doubt as other groups, but she also admits not everything her town does is right either. Kepler is deeply connected to her home and will defend it while also knowing she wants to leave for college.
The novel mainly focuses on their friendship with the mystery of Copernicus' mom being secondary. The resolution of the mystery wasn't totally satisfying and was fairly easy to figure out.

The Secret Astronomers is an illustrated, epistolary novel following two teen girls as they pass notes and drawing back and forth in an old library book. Copernicus is new to the small Appalachian town and struggling after her mother died. Kepler is born and raised in the town and has plans to be the first person in her family to go to university. Together, they team up to solve a mystery featuring crop circles and secret crushes.

This was a really fun book! I adore epistolary novels and the art in this one was so beautiful and intriguing. I loved the concept of the book. The notes passed back and forth were so interesting and I loved the discussions that were brought up. Grief, disability, acceptance, judgment, family, and friendship were such poignant topics the author discussed so well. The mystery element was also teased really well and while I guessed the ending, I still really enjoyed it.

Copernicus and Kepler are such opposites, but their friendship was so lovely. Their discussions of their family and feelings felt so realistic and relatable. I loved the support they had for each other. Copernicus’s relationship with Ray outside of the notes sounded so sweet and wholesome.

Overall, if you like coming of age novels with a mystery element or are always excited to read epistolary books like me, you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

Thank you to Penguin Teen CA for the arc!

This was an amazing concept and an amazing book! While I do not necessarily condone damage to books this was a clever idea for two people to communicate with each other. I loved the slow burn unraveling of the mystery behind Copernicus' mother and the emerging details about each of the girls themselves. The artwork was also fun along with the classic high school shenanigans.

The format of this book alone is enough to draw in readers, but then the story just takes hold and won't let go! I loved how the book was formatted as though it was actually the diary in an old textbook. Different teenage issues were addressed throughout the story, but in an accessible and entertaining way. Things like death and grief, disability, fitting in, friendship, and so much more. Plus the mystery the two characters were trying to solve kept the plot moving. This will be a great book for reluctant readers, due to its format, but also for avid readers with the story. I would wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone!