I’m really unclear on how to describe this book and rate it. Clearly YA and about the feelings of loneliness and isolation that can permeate our lives, even when we are seemingly surrounded by friends and family.

The chapters are short and abrupt. You flip pages very quickly and by the end, you’re reading as fast as July and Syd and Ella can run. You want to know what’s happening, what’s going on - your heart is beating faster.

This isn’t a story about a cross country team - it’s a story about letting others in and depression and vulnerability.

2.5 honestly

I am really confused on what this book is supposed to be. I was really intrigued by the plot with everyone in her town going missing, but the ending simply made no sense to me. It felt like a riddle almost that I couldn't solve.

As someone who isn’t much of a young adult reader now, I’m always nervous about picking up books for young adults. Regardless, I decided to give The Only Girl in Town a try because it was Ally Condie. Of course, the woman who wrote such a prolific series is coming out with something new so I had to pick it up.

This book follows July Fielding who wakes up one day and is suddenly alone. She’s at her house but no one else is around. As the narrative plays out, we get some chapters in the present with July and some in the past where we find out about a few incidents that impacted July. It can be a bit confusing when you first read it.

Regardless once you start reading The Only Girl in Town, you aren’t able to put it down. I don’t know if it’s Ally Condie’s writing style or just the way the story was told, but I read 70% of this in one sitting. The only reason I didn’t finish it was that I fell asleep so clearly, this book captured my attention and wouldn’t let it go.

The plot of the book was good and I loved unraveling the mystery but my only critique and main issue was with the ending. I won’t get into how the book ends, but I just wish we’d found out a little bit more. It just felt a little anticlimactic and I wish we could have gotten an epilogue or something.

As my first Ally Condie book though, I was thoroughly impressed. I can see why she was such a huge fixture in the bookish community with Matched. If anything, it makes me want to go back and read that series. Her writing style was so fun and punchy so it makes sense why that series was so popular.

I don’t really read much young adult anymore, but I think The Only Girl in Town is fast-paced and fun so it’s worth picking up. I think this would also be a great one to read if you’re a teacher as it could open up so much discussion or if you host a book club.

Gutwrenching story of July who goes through hell and back trying to get her lived ones back. If you want an exciting mystery this is it!

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review ... I've loved other books by this author but this one was a bit too odd and esoteric while also being soooo slow. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc.

I have so many issues with this book. One is that it needs trigger warnings BIG ONES.

Tw: suicidal thoughts, there’s probably more but words are hard because this book upset me.

Second off this book is told in dual timelines, maybe not cut them off so suddenly. Most of the book just stops abruptly before changing and it really annoying to read.

This may be one of the hardest books I have had to review. Because I finished it in one sitting. But I still can't tell you if I loved or hated it. The writing was short, easy to follow and left you engaged. The switch between the then and the now was easy to follow and didn't leave you confused. The FMC was unlikeable and likeable all at once. Because we can all relate ( even as an adult) to those feelings of being lost in your self. Where the uncertainty comes in is that I feel like there was too much unsaid and left to the reader to decide. I understand with the ending- "Was it real or in July's head" being in full Inception style. but the rest- how we got to this point.. Is still a little blurry and I can't tell if that was intentional or not. Did Ella die on the jump and that is what sent July into her state? Is she depressed just because Alex doesn't want to date her now, Sam broke her heart and Sydney went full mean girl? Was it a combination of all of those things? I still feel confused on what happened in the Once and what caused July to get to this point real or not. I feel like this maybe a book that needs a second read since I now know what to be looking for. And if that was the authors plan. Good job!
Star Rating between 2.5 and a 3 ( my highest is usually 4 stars)

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie has a truly unique plot of a girl alone in her town after everyone has disappeared. It is up to July to figure out what happened and "GET THEM BACK" as the signs all over her town say..

We also follow July in the summer before where July and her best friend Sydney's friendship is falling apart because of July's new relationship and because of a new girl Ella trying to take Sydney's spot on their team.

Would definitely recommend!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Wow. Just finished this and am in my feelings. Initially I wanted to give it 3 stars because I was frustrated with the ending. Giving myself a few moments to digest and I will reluctantly admit it deserves 4 stars. It is beautifully and smoothly written. It is lyrical. It reminded me at multiple points of a 90s alternative music ballad but I’m not sure if that’s only because it’s true to that genre or because that was the music of the feelings I had at the age portrayed in this book.

It took until about 60% in for me to start formulating what I thought was happening. I was wrong!! So wrong. But like most stories with a twist at the end, I can’t explain what I thought or how I was wrong without spoiling it for the next reader.

What genre even is this book? I expected a teen mystery/thriller. While it has some elements of that, ultimately I think it ends up being a psychological drama. There is an overarching theme about belonging that is aptly portrayed as feeling like the most important thing in high school. Especially toward the conclusion, it hints at suicidal ideation even though it’s not explicit-it’s more the utter feeling of loneliness and what to do with that.

Things did not resolve in the way I expected but maybe the ending is ultimately the happiest ending of all? Also, Yolo is the real star of this book. Never before has an author so accurately captured the essence on a cat.

Yes, I will recommend.

I love Ally Condie so I scooped this up when I could. I feel like it is a wonderful example of the things adolescents go through. This poor girl is alone in her town and someone might be there messing with her. Meanwhile she is trying and wishing for people back. She is focusing on her friends and beating herself up for not wishing for her family back, but they are there in her mind.
The cat is the best character ever.
The book gets sadder and more intense as our girl works through her memories.
I liked the end.

I think this might be the saddest book I've read in a long time. It was short and dreamlike but the sense of sadness and dread was so strong. I think some people might dislike the ending but it fit the book.

Thank you @penguinteen @duttonbooks for the #gifted copy of this book.

What it’s about: July Fielding wakes up one day completely alone. Everyone. Gone. Poof. Into thin air. The entire town of Lithia has disappeared. As she explores the town she sees several messages across town which all state: GET TH3M BACK. This has her questioning what she needs to do in order to make it happen!

Thoughts: I am not sure if it’s just me but I feel a bit confused after the ending of this book. I am still pondering the overall point and my thoughts on this book as a whole. It could be just me, but I feel like I may have missed the sentiments behind the what the author was trying to accomplish. The book felt more artistic than what I am used to so thinking maybe it was me as the reader vs. the book itself.

I THINK the author was trying to convey being alone amongst a group and how tough it can be growing up. I say this because as July explores the town it felt like she was alone but in the company of the people she loves. Almost being unseen. The characters I didn’t really connect with which I think added to my inability to grasp this book fully. Overall I would say to give this book a try because I think unfortunately for me this was a “me” problem vs. a book problem.

For the first time ever I have a read an arc two months in advanced and finished it before the release date!!!! Yay I'm so happy for me!!!! Anyways before I begin my actually review I wanted to say a big thank u to Penguin Teen for sending me an e-arc and a physical arc too, all my opionons are my own!
So I wasn't thinking I would love this one tbh because I've read another book by this author that I didn't loved but boy was I wrong! I really enjoyed this and the ending actually made me tear up. This story follows our main character name July Feilding and she was just having a normal day durning the summer when one moment she had her whole town with her and the next they disapeared! What would u do if ur whole town disapeared? I think I would do anything I can that won't get me in troubled.
There was a moment in this book where I was like: Wow this is getting kind of dark for a contemporary and then I remember this is also a bit of a thriller so that explains it too. I think this was an algory for July's depression, so totally check out all the trigger warrnings from this before reading. I would say check this book out when it comes out in September on the 19th because I really enjoyed it! 4/5 STARS

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Okay, I LOVED this. Loved it. I was hooked the entire time I was reading, and I honestly couldn't predict the twists and turns, and that kept it fresh the entire journey. Can't wait to add this to my bookshelf this fall! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I picked this up because I loved the author's previous books. This one has a totally different vibe/writing style. It wasn't for me but I hope people that enjoy this type of writing (kind of poetic??) will pick this up because I can see how it is unique and different!

Lyrical and haunting, this book takes readers on an emotional journey through an empty town filled only with memories.

When everyone she loved disappeared, July Fielding is left alone in a shell of a town. All the places she knows are still there, but none of the people. Someone's left an ominous message on the high school marquee. And she misses everyone.

Through flashbacks, the reader learns that July once had a thriving social life as the co-captain of the girls' track team and a college boyfriend. But an incident made her friends pull away, and now they've all disappeared, along with every other living human.

When July manages to wish her cat back into existence, she wonders if she can bring others back. Soon, she begins to suspect that she's not alone, and whoever is hiding in the shadows is leaving messages for her to follow.

July is sweet, sympathetic and broken. I enjoyed watching her try to get ahead of whoever's playing a game with her in the empty town.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

Such an intriguing story! I was racing to see what happened at the end! I was just pretty confused at some points.

The first thing I felt while reading this was lonely. As we only really follow one character you would think "well that's why it's easy to feel lonely" but at the beginning, the chapters don't have much to them.. Very few words. It just feels eerie.

I liked that we got to see the past as well as July by herself in her town. This book was a fast read but I felt it's very up to interpretation as to how you take it.

What do you do if everyone you loved disappeared?
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July Fielding wakes up one day all alone in her town. Every insect, animal and person is gone. Her former best friend, her first love, her ex-boyfriend, her freshman shadow, her brother and parents: all gone. She starts to get clues from someone, though. Does this mean she isn’t alone after all? When a sign appears on the marquee GET TH3M BACK she knows she has to face her fears, her memories and her grief to figure out who is leaving the messages and how she can get them back in her life before she’s left alone forever.
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This is not your usual Ally Condie YA dystopian book It is more realistic fiction than that with short prose-like chapters that have you flying through the novel Fans of We Were Liars will really like the writing and nebulous ending that was open to interpretation. This title releases 9.19.

CW: depression, suicide ideation, mental health issues