Why we’re excited
Sylvia lost her boyfriend Laurence without warning, and nothing has made sense since. Then she slips into a parallel world in which her family never left China for San Francisco. Here Laurence is alive and well, and he has no idea who she is. So she sets out to rebuild their romance from memory, one moment at a time.
Ann Liang has become a favourite with teen readers through If You Could See the Sun, This Time It's Real and I Could Give You the Moon. This is a grief story wrapped in a second-chance romance, a good fit for anyone who wants their love stories to hurt a little.
On our most-anticipated list since 1 November 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about The Lost Life of Sylvia Song
We have reviewed 5 of Ann Liang’s books, with an average score of 4.2 out of 5. The one we rated highest is I Am Not Jessica Chen (4.5★); the most recent is To Dream in Darkness.
At 272 pages it is shorter than most romance books out in January 2027, where the typical length is about 368 pages.
From the publisher
Would you love every version of me? Would you love me in every life?
Sylvia had her whole life scripted. But when her boyfriend, Laurence, died suddenly, it felt like the movie cut off mid-frame, and she can’t seem to figure out how to live without him.
Until she accidentally stumbles into another world, where her family never moved to San Francisco from China. One small difference, and Laurence is alive.
And he isn’t hers. He barely knows her name. Certain she can make him fall for her all over again, Sylvia sets about recreating their love story, scene by scene, and finds herself falling in love all over again.
But all stories, even the best love stories, have to end. Sylvia will have to choose a world—his, or hers. Can she be brave enough to write a new ending?
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read The Lost Life of Sylvia Song yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
