Book Review 165
A LIGHT FROM ELSEWHERE A quietly extraordinary debut - one that holds grief and wonder in the same hand, and asks whether the places we feel most lost might also be where we finally find ourselves. GENRE LITERARY FICTION | PUBLISHED 2026 | AUDIENCE YOUNG ADULT & BEYOND
Writing & Style Allen’s prose is simple yet
A Light From Elsewhere is raw in its approach to grief and mental health, yet restrained in how it tells its story. Centred on Esme, a young girl whose loss of her mother surfaces as depression, anxiety, and a peculiar ability to see things others cannot. The novel moves between two worlds: the safe, ordinary life that leaves her hollow, and a mystical realm where she unexpectedly discovers belonging. The Story Esme’s journey shifts when she meets Perkin and his mother Toni, whose scientific understanding validates everything she has been experiencing alone. In them she finds not just companionship but permission — to trust herself, to believe in what she sees, and to stop apologising for how her mind works.
descriptive, balancing clarity with mindful detail, softened by fairytale wonder. The deliberate pacing is the novel’s boldest choice: rather than pushing the reader forward, it invites stillness. That is where its considerable emotional power lives. “The world is like the pictures: it’s not one thing or another, but could be both, depending on how we see it.” — Toni, A Light From Elsewhere The Verdict A moving, layered debut for readers who value emotional depth over narrative speed. Required reading for anyone who has ever felt that the ordinary world wasn’t quite made for them.
DFE ACCREDITED - AWARD-WINNING - UAE & GCC - YEARS 7-13
About the Author, Harry Allen Harry Allen is an educator and debut novelist whose professional life has centred on understanding and supporting young minds. His work as Vice- Principal, Middle East at Minerva Virtual Academy, one of the UAE’s leading online schooling platforms informs every page of this novel, bringing authenticity and emotional intelligence to Esme’s inner world. Vice-Principal, Middle East · Minerva Virtual Academy
About the Author’s School Education That Sees the Whole Child
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Harry Allen’s profound understanding of how children think, feel, and grow is no accident. As the Vice-Principal, Middle East at Minerva Virtual Academy - the UK’s only DfE-accredited online school of its kind, he has spent years nurturing young minds across the globe. MVA’s award-winning online platform is built on the belief that every child’s mind works differently. From neurodiverse learners to high achievers, student-athletes to families across the GCC, MVA meets each student where they are, not where a system expects them to be.
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