When Mum fails to return from her nightly trip out to sea to conduct her cutting-edge experiments, Anya decides to row out in search of her, following a distant light across the rough seas. But this is no ordinary light, and when Anya reaches out and touches it, she knows no more until she wakes up in her boat on a quiet ocean. With Mum missing, she’s packed off to stay in a huge house with a cold and distant couple who barely acknowledge her, as she tries to piece together what’s happened and what Mum’s employer might be hiding about her disappearance. But the truth is far more shocking than Anya could ever have imagined and what she discovers changes all she’s ever understood about who she is and where she belongs.

This story is fast-paced, gripping and thought-provoking. Its speculative sci-fi elements are woven so beautifully into Anya’s story that young readers will find the concepts approachable and intriguing. You can’t help but root for Anya as she navigates her sinister new reality, not knowing who she can trust, and there are loads of twists and turns that make this book hard to put down. It has short chapters, an absolutely gorgeous cover and a concept that hooks you in and keeps you guessing. This book will appeal to mature upper KS2 and KS3 readers and would make a fantastic book for a book club as it raises plenty of points for discussion.