A vibrant western Sydney setting gives this love story an edge

FICTION
Something New
Alex Sarkis
Ultimo, $34.99

In Alex Sarkis’ debut novel Something Blue, a main character navigating a break-up returns to the suburbs of her youth to find herself again. And in the book’s sequel (and the author’s second novel), Something New, that main character, Nicole Najim, makes a homecoming of a different kind, returning to Australia during the pandemic, once again unsure of her direction in life. All she knows, it seems, is that she’s leaning west.

It might seem a predicable premise for a women’s fiction novel, but Something New has edge thanks to its vibrant western Sydney setting, conflicting characters and a slight criminal underworld flavour.

The book follows Nicole, a Sydney photographer reeling from the imprisonment of her childhood sweetheart Danny, just after they finally confess their feelings for one another. Saddled with his physical and emotional distance and her family’s pointed disapproval of their union, she flees to London to distract herself, helping to launch a friend’s fashion label. The change of scenery is enhanced by the gorgeous, attentive and charming Jamie, a former professional soccer player who manages to woo her despite her reluctance. The two enjoy the perks of a romance far from the prying eyes of her community, until the borders reopen and Nicole returns home, only to discover that the charges against Danny have been dropped, and he’s once again a free man.

So begins the emotional pull between the maverick she’s always known and the dependable boyfriend, a pull that renders the protagonist frustratingly indecisive, until you remember she’s a byproduct of a traditional culture and insular community, with rigid social codes and expectations.

Sarkis tells the story over two time periods – Nicole’s life in London and her return to Sydney months later – to demonstrate the role that our immediate environment (and the people in it) can have on our feelings, choices and capabilities.

The setting is incredibly immersive and well-drawn, and this, together with its characters, intersect to paint a portrait of the western Sydney we know from memes and stereotypes, but with depth and plenty of heart. Her characters are just as comfortable dodging police, breaking COVID restrictions and talking to mob bosses as they are quoting the Bible and going to confession.

While some resemble caricatures, none are gimmicky or patronised: instead, the author has drawn from an obvious attention to, and affection for, her community, in all its merits and imperfections. She’s tender with them, even in their foolery (like when they’re sneaking around lockdown restrictions to get their eyebrows waxed, or buying a green Lamborghini to cruise around with a baby in) and she reveals their layers when and where it counts.

The book has all the hallmarks of a light summer read, but it’s also gritty and visceral, with enough “no way” moments and romantic drama in it to sustain you until the finish. It tackles culture and faith, real love and comforting romances, family and friendships, and even grief. But it also offers a subtle commentary on the way that western Sydney lockdowns were handled, depicting the injustice of constant police and military presence among Sydney’s most culturally diverse communities while their counterparts in the eastern suburbs enjoyed beach days.

Something New is a commendable second book that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but gives us a narrative that draws us in without any lingering after effects, and it’s in this dependency that a reader finds comfort. It’s like catching up with an old cousin: you know exactly what you’re going to get, but it doesn’t make the company any less enjoyable.

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