The Only Girl in Town
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3.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
“An eerily beautiful and lyrical story of loss, grief, and how quickly relationships can change, while also changing us.” —Robin Benway, National Book Award winner and bestselling author of Far From The Tree and A Year to the Day
“Fast-paced, unputdownable, and full of heart and complicated emotions. An unforgettable story.” —Yamile Saied Méndez, Pura Belpré Award–winning author of Furia, a Reese’s Book Club selection
What would you do if everyone you love disappeared? What if it was your fault?
For July Fielding, nothing has been the same since that summer before senior year.
Once, she had Alex, her loyal best friend, the one who always had her back. She had Sydney, who pushed her during every cross-country run, and who sometimes seemed to know July better than she knew herself. And she had Sam. Sam, who told her she was everything and left her breathless with his touch.
Now, July is alone. Every single person in her small town of Lithia has disappeared. No family. No Alex or Sydney. No Sam. July’s only chance at unraveling the mystery of their disappearance is a series of objects, each a reminder of the people she loved most. And a mysterious message: GET TH3M BACK.
From the #1 bestselling author of the Matched series, The Only Girl in Town is a searingly candid reckoning with both love and loneliness that perfectly distills the messy, beautiful realities of growing up, growing apart, and the courageous act of self-discovery.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
One summer day, rising high school senior July Fielding is walking back to her car from an afternoon at Fall Creek when she has the sudden realization that she's all alone—not just in the woods, but in her town as well. Her family isn't at home, no one is answering her texts, and when she tries to leave town, an invisible barrier prevents her from crossing city limits. As July frantically tries to uncover who or what is leaving her mysterious "GET THEM BACK" messages and determine where everyone went, alternating sections titled "Once" and "Now" chart her life before and after her loved ones' disappearances. But as July delves deeper into the current mystery, memories of previous drama begin to unfurl, blurring the line between past and present. Liminal-feeling therapy session interstitials provide glimpses into July's struggles with her mental health. July's raw and sometimes unreliable narration amps up the suspense in this cleverly rendered speculative read by Condie (The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe), who ruminates on issues of anxiety and depression in a way that feels at once fresh and grounded. Characters read as white. Ages 12–up.
Customer Reviews
Unique story!
The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie is such a unique story with an unconventional structure. The chapters alternate between the protagonist July’s present time and her past, filling out the strange premise based about a teen who finds herself completely alone in her neighborhood and unable to leave. July spends her time alone chasing clues, hoping to find someone—anyone. All the while, the flashback chapters reveal more and more about what had happened in July’s life, how everything had fallen apart for her. Throughout, the voice is true to Ally Condie’s classic YA voice. She has a way of creating characters who seem to speak directly to the reader with so much emotion and authentic teen angst. The story itself was a brilliantly crafted mystery—fast paced with plenty of twists and surprises. I recommend this one to fans of Ally Condie books!