Ally Condie has been writing characters an d worlds that capture the imagination of young adult readers for over 10 y ears. This fall she will add a contemporary YA novel to her celebrated boo kshelf. THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN (Dutton Books for Young Readers\; on sale Se ptember 19\, 2023) is a biting and breathless story from the #1 New York T imes bestselling author of the Matched series.
\nFor July Fielding\, nothing has been the same since that summer before senior year. Once\, sh e had Alex to be her loyal best friend\, the one who always had her back. She had Sydney\, who pushed her during every cross country run\, and who s ometimes 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 t ouch.
\nNow\, July is alone. Every single person in her small town o f Lithia has disappeared. No family. No Alex or Sydney. No Sam. July&rsquo \;s only chance at unraveling the mystery of their disappearance is a seri es of objects\, each a reminder of the people she loved most. And a myster ious message: GET TH3M BACK.
\nA searingly candid reckoning with bot h love and loneliness\, #1 bestselling author Ally Condie&rsquo\;s THE ONL Y GIRL IN TOWN perfectly distills the messy\, beautiful realities of growi ng up\, growing apart\, and the courageous act of self-discovery.
\nAlly Condie\, the award-winning author of the #1 New York Times bestsellin g Matched series\, has crafted a brilliant new novel that hones the sharpe st edges of her always captivating writing style. THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN is bold and different\, but with the same heart and craft that have made her a reader favorite for more than a decade.
\nWhile THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN is contemporary YA\, it wouldn&rsquo\;t be an Ally Condie book withou t a twist of the fractured reality. Condie showcases her gift for world-be nding in July&rsquo\;s empty&mdash\;or is it?&mdash\;town of Lithia. The g hostly\, subtly dystopian hollowness feels both pervasively uneasy and inc reasingly desperate.
\nJuly&rsquo\;s story unfolds across two timeli nes\, juxtaposing the lonely Now in her empty town against the unravelling Once of her past. In THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN\, Condie paints an intimate po rtrait of what it&rsquo\;s like to be on the cusp of growing up\, when eve ryone and everything in your life is changing&mdash\;including you.
\n< p>Though never named outright as depression\, it&rsquo\;s clear from the j ourney through her recent history that July is struggling with loneliness\ , loss\, and a sense of isolation that has left her feeling like an outsid er and separate from others. Condie&rsquo\;s descriptions of July&rsquo\;s mental health are visceral. With each turn of the page you can feel July& rsquo\;s desperation to find an equilibrium and her frustration with her i nability to return to the &ldquo\;normal&rdquo\; she knew before that summ er. THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN is sure to resonate with readers struggling with their own mental health and those who are looking for human connection in a continually more isolated world.\nhttps://provolibrary.libnet.info/ event/8936782 URL;VALUE=URI:https://provolibrary.libnet.info/event/8936782 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/provolibrary/Condie-2023-s quare.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR