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Anya and the Light Above the Ocean
Not yet published
Expected 26 Feb 26A thrilling, heartfelt debut novel perfect for fans of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Ross Montgomery.
Anya reached out and placed her hand against the light.
And then she was gone.
When her mum disappears, Anya sets out to find her in the middle of a storm. Taking a boat out to sea, she encounters a strange window of light hovering above the waves. Transfixed, she reaches out to touch it. She then wakes in her boat, the sea now eerily silent.
With her mum still missing, Anya is packed off to stay with an odd, unwelcoming couple. Trapped under their watchful gaze, she uncovers a shocking secret that changes everything she thought she knew.
Anya must now battle to find the about her mum, about the Light, and about herself.
One of the most gripping and thought-provoking books you will ever read.
‘A singularly brave and reflective mystery with a thrilling sci-fi twist’ Ash Bond
'From the opening page, I felt I had discovered a lost treasure' Ross MacKenzie
Cover Illustration by Philip Harris.
Anya reached out and placed her hand against the light.
And then she was gone.
When her mum disappears, Anya sets out to find her in the middle of a storm. Taking a boat out to sea, she encounters a strange window of light hovering above the waves. Transfixed, she reaches out to touch it. She then wakes in her boat, the sea now eerily silent.
With her mum still missing, Anya is packed off to stay with an odd, unwelcoming couple. Trapped under their watchful gaze, she uncovers a shocking secret that changes everything she thought she knew.
Anya must now battle to find the about her mum, about the Light, and about herself.
One of the most gripping and thought-provoking books you will ever read.
‘A singularly brave and reflective mystery with a thrilling sci-fi twist’ Ash Bond
'From the opening page, I felt I had discovered a lost treasure' Ross MacKenzie
Cover Illustration by Philip Harris.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 26, 2026
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
How gorgeous is the cover? This is such a thrilling novel and is a perfect introduction to science fiction for middle grade kids.
Anya lives with her scientist mother, and when she goes missing at sea one night, Anya feels compelled to go and look for her. She finds her mother’s boat empty and a strange white light in the sky glowing above her. When she returns home, all is not as she left it.
This debut novel gallops along at a thrilling pace and is perfect for luring in reluctant readers. For part of the novel, we feel that we are in the dark as much as Anya, until the sense of disquiet and unease ruptures with a series of gripping twists which keeps us captivated right until the end. Even the ending itself was unexpected!
I can see this novel being read in the classroom, as it has the possibility to generate so many discussions about the nature of scientific discoveries, experiments, and ethics. It’s also a timely reminder for adults that authoritarian figures may not always have our best interests at heart and can twist the truth to benefit themselves.
At times there are rather too many helpful co-incidences but I’m not sure that younger readers will mind this too much. A lull in the pace now and then would also have been appreciated, just to give a bit of ebb and flow to the writing. Nonetheless, this is a really enjoyable read, and I look forward to seeing what the author will write next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Andersen Press for the ARC.
Anya lives with her scientist mother, and when she goes missing at sea one night, Anya feels compelled to go and look for her. She finds her mother’s boat empty and a strange white light in the sky glowing above her. When she returns home, all is not as she left it.
This debut novel gallops along at a thrilling pace and is perfect for luring in reluctant readers. For part of the novel, we feel that we are in the dark as much as Anya, until the sense of disquiet and unease ruptures with a series of gripping twists which keeps us captivated right until the end. Even the ending itself was unexpected!
I can see this novel being read in the classroom, as it has the possibility to generate so many discussions about the nature of scientific discoveries, experiments, and ethics. It’s also a timely reminder for adults that authoritarian figures may not always have our best interests at heart and can twist the truth to benefit themselves.
At times there are rather too many helpful co-incidences but I’m not sure that younger readers will mind this too much. A lull in the pace now and then would also have been appreciated, just to give a bit of ebb and flow to the writing. Nonetheless, this is a really enjoyable read, and I look forward to seeing what the author will write next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Andersen Press for the ARC.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews