A New York Times Best Seller If you could read my mind, you wouldn’t be smiling. Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn … consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off.
Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist.
Caroline introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear. Praise for Every Last Word”Clueless meets Dead Poets Society with a whopping final twist.” –Kirkus Reviews
“This book is highly recommended-readers will connect with Sam, relating to her anxiety about her peers, and root for her throughout the book.” –VOYA
“A thoughtful romance with a strong message about self-acceptance, this] sensitive novel boasts strong characterizations and conflicts that many teens will relate to. Eminently readable.” –Booklist
“A brilliant and moving story about finding your voice, the power of words, and true friendship. I couldn’t put it down ” -Elizabeth Eulberg, Author of The Lonely Hearts Club
“Brilliant, brave, and beautiful.” -Kathleen Caldwell, A Great Good Place for Books
“A riveting story of love, true friendship, self-doubt and self-confidence, overcoming obstacles, and truly finding oneself.” -Melanie Koss, Professor of Young Adult Literature, Northern Illinois University
“Romantic, unpredictable, relatable, and so very enjoyable.” -Arnold Shapiro, Oscar- and Emmy-winning Producer
“Characters to love and a story to break your heart. Readers will want to turn page after page and read every last word. Then do it all over again.” -Marianne Follis, Teen Librarian, Valley Ranch (Irving) Public Library
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4.5 stars. Thought provoking, heart string pulling, scarily relatable YA novel. A must read for teens with anxiety and OCD. A must read for adults with anxiety and OCD. Hell, a must read for everyone.
I love this book, it gives good inspiration to the reader! I normal have trouble finding books to catch my attention but this book did, I love how the author worded for a better understanding for the reader. I recommend this book for anyone who is looking for an inspirational book to read!
Wow! Every Last Word started out as a heartfelt novel about a girl and her internal struggles with OCD and her dysfunctionally evil group of friends and then hit me with a surprise that I never saw coming.
Great book! It was sad, humorous, romantic and full of teen angst, with a twist I never saw coming! I would highly recommend.
Wow. This book impressed me and that’s tough to do. It’s gorgeous. Poignant. Gripping. Heartfelt. Tragic. Hopeful. The development of Sam and her mental illness is unwrapped like a gift. And the exploration of relationships – healthy and unhealthy – are exceptional. This is an excellent book and so well written. I am going to be recommending this one to all fans of YA (and beyond). Excellent.
This book had such a great twist and was carefully crafted and well-thought out to create a wonderful story line
I’ve never read a book that accurately depicts OCD the way that this book does. People tend to forget about the obsessive part of OCD and only focus on the compulsive part. The reason why people with OCD have their compulsions is because of the obsessive thoughts that they have and I just think that this book shows it so well. It’s the first book that ever made me feel like I wasn’t crazy for the things that I do because of my OCD.
I loved that this story dealt with real life issues. A great read. Try it if you like books like All the Bright Places or The Goodbye Boyfriend: A Stand-Alone YA Contemporary Romance Novel (The Boyfriend Series Book 3)
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone is a contemporary YA novel about a high school girl with purely obsessional OCD, a lesser known form of OCD marked by internal obsessions and uncontrollable thoughts instead of outward compulsory behaviors.
The main character, Sam, is part of a popular, mean-girl clique called the eights. She has grown up with these girls, known them since preschool, but has never truly opened up and been herself around them. They don’t know about her mental illness and she is terrified of what may happen if they were to ever find out. She doesn’t want to be ridiculed or cast out of the group, so she keeps her OCD a secret.
Encouraged by her therapist to make new friends, Sam forms a life-changing connection with a girl named Caroline. Caroline introduces her to a secret poetry club where Sam makes new friends and experiences romance. Through writing and sharing poetry, Sam begins to find her voice, becoming self-confident and more assertive.
I really enjoyed this story. Sam was a very likeable character – very relatable. My heart broke for her as she struggled, experiencing confusion and pain. It was great to journey with her as she came into her own. This was an exceptional story, beautifully written – deep, poetic, and emotionally moving.
Thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4. Loved, absolutely loved the last 1/4. Stone has thoughtfully captured an authentic snapshot of OCD and woven a fabulous tale.