Thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Ally Condie’s mystery novel is chilling and thought provoking. 

“The Only Girl in Town” is told from the perspective of July Fielding, the only person remaining in her small town of Lithia after everyone else mysteriously disappears. Her only chance at unraveling the mystery and getting back her friends and family is a series of objects and cryptic messages that serve as reminders of her past. 

One of my favorite aspects of this novel are the short, lyrical chapters. Each chapter is around 1-2 pages in length, resulting in a fast paced novel that builds suspense. The cliffhangers and climactic moments in conjunction with the central mystery of “The Only Girl in Town” were gripping, making it impossible for me to put it down. 

I also like how Condie organized the novel’s timeline. The reader jumps back and forth between July’s past and present, trying to piece together the events leading up to her loved ones’ disappearances. I found myself trying to solve the mystery behind their vanishing using the clues that Condie sprinkled throughout and she successfully had me guessing at every turn!

Unfortunately, when the pieces finally came together, I didn’t fully understand what Condie was going for with her big reveal at the end. There were timeline inconsistencies that threw me for a loop and too many elements left up for interpretation. Still, I did resonate with the novel’s commentary on love, loneliness, and letting go of the past.