SYDNEY'S SONG

In Uaro’s debut novel, a young girl must adjust to life after her parents’ divorce.

Seventeen-year-old Sydney, who lives in Australia, details the shock and heartache of learning that her parents, seemingly the perfect couple, are divorcing. She discovers this the day that she gets her first real job, working at a call center. She wanted to tell her parents about the new gig, but she catches her mother kissing another man, and everything sours. Sydney throws her energy into work, a job that is made all the more exciting by the upcoming Olympics, which generates many calls to the Transport Information line, where Sydney works. But nothing prepares her for the biggest excitement of all: Pete, a handsome young man from Boston who charms Sydney. As she withstands endless rude phone calls and navigates a steep learning curve at her job, she builds new friendships and a budding relationship with Pete. But Pete has secrets of his own, ones that jar Sydney as they stir up the trauma of discovering that her parents were cheating on each other. Sydney faces her fears and works through her concerns with Pete. But as her life finally seems to be turning in a positive direction, Pete returns to Boston and falls out of touch, leaving Sydney to suspect the worst. Something far more tragic has occurred, however, and it threatens both of their futures. As Sydney continues to transition into adulthood, she becomes all the more aware of how pain can change a person. Told with the breezy, fanciful narration of a young adult, Sydney is a lovable, memorable character. Her trials through love, disappointment and betrayal help shape her as the novel traces her development. The well-drawn characters she meets and the lessons she continues to learn keep the plot riveting, with no telling what will come next.

A warm, enjoyable coming-of-age tale.