The Only Girl in Town

August 1, 2023
A teenage girl finds herself alone after everyone else in her town mysteriously disappears, leaving her scrambling to figure out how to find them all. One late summer day, everybody in July Fielding's town disappears. She is left to piece together what happened, following a series of cryptic signs she finds around town urging her to "GET THEM BACK." The narrative moves back and forth between July's present and the events of the summer before, when her relationship with her best friend, cross-country team co-captain Sydney, starts to fracture due to a combination of jealousy over July's new relationship with a cute boy called Sam and sweet up-and-coming freshman Ella's threatening to overtake Syd's status as star of the track team. The team members participate in a ritual in which they jump off a cliff into the rocky waters below at the end of their Friday practice runs. Though Ella is reluctant, Syd pressures her to jump. Short, frenetically paced sections move the story along quickly, and there is much foreshadowing pointing to something terrible that occurred at the end of that summer, which may be the key to July's current predicament, but there is much misdirection too. Ultimately this is a story without enough setup to make the turn the book takes in the end feel fully developed or earned. All characters read white. A high-concept premise that falls short in its execution. (Fiction. 14-18)

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August 7, 2023
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. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

August 1, 2023
Grades 8-12 Suddenly faced with being the only living soul left in her small town, teen cross-country runner July is determined to get her loved ones back and figure out the meaning--and person--behind the strange messages she's finding in unlikely places. With only her cat for company in the present, July shares her story in alternating time lines of before and after everyone went missing, leading to a surprise ending that brings out themes of loyalty and doing the right thing. With limited characters for July to interact with, the pace is maintained through the driving question of "What happened?" This question applies both to the mysterious disappearances and to July herself, who repeatedly alludes to events in her many relationships, without specifics, until her story draws to a close. A novel that sometimes dips into verse, The Only Girl in Town may appeal to fans of the classic Z for Zachariah and Virginia Bergin's H2O.High-Demand Backstory: Condie is a frequent name on the New York Times best-seller list, and her many fans will be eager for her latest book.

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November 17, 2023

Gr 9 Up-From "Matched" trilogy author Condie comes this new novel. The story opens with July Fielding experiencing a nightmarish reality: everyone in town has disappeared. Or have they? She does find her cat, Yolo. Upon visiting her high school, July discovers that someone has written "Get Th3m Back" on the marquee. Readers and July are left with more questions than answers as that phrase appears in other places. As the book continues, July discovers objects referencing locations around town and memories of the summer before her senior year. The plot builds expertly, pulling readers in as they wonder what trauma July experienced and how the story will resolve. Through flashbacks, text messages, and counseling sessions, readers gain tidbits of July's summer. The ending may leave readers wondering what just happened, but the story is a relatable coming-of-age tale and one can forgive this abrupt landing. Plus, (spoiler alert) it has a happy ending. Condie's sparse text could be enjoyed by teens at a variety of reading levels. She also chose to leave the characters as mirrors in terms of ethnicity and physical characteristics. VERDICT Recommended where Condie's other titles circulate well.-Sarah Sieg

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