Description
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 unravelling 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.
A searingly candid reckoning with both love and loneliness, #1 bestselling author Ally Condie's The Only Girl in Town perfectly distils the messy, beautiful realities of growing up, growing apart and the courageous act of self-discovery.
Review
July Fielding finds herself alone. Everyone and everything in her town has disappeared. The only thing that re-appeared in her life is her cat, Yolo.
Told through the ‘Now’ and the ‘Once’, we slowly get an insight into July’s life as it once was—the all American high school girl, captain of the cross-country team, living her best life with and her friends and family. We also see the relationships between them all unfold—with Sam, her new college boyfriend who July cannot believe is even interested in her, her best friend Syd, her longest friend Alex, her new cross-country friend Ella, plus her brother Jack, and her Mum and Dad.
But we all know teenage relationships are never straight forward. And July’s situation is no different, except that she now finds herself alone. What if it was her fault that everyone left? And who is leaving her the pointed clues about how to get them back?
With only Yolo to talk to she leans on him, but she must make the decisions on her own about what to do and how to get out of this mess.
This is a very lyrically told story about love, friendship, loss, loneliness, depression and trying to findout who we are and who is important to us. It shows us that the decisions we make can impact on those around us and our relationships with them, regardless of how well intentioned those decisions might be.
This will enjoyed by those in middle to upper secondary.
Reviewed by Sam
