Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

EVERY LAST WORD is an exceptionally well-written and beautifully-told story about a girl who has spent most of her life hiding the fact that she’s suffering from OCD, desperate to not only appear normal but to be normal. It’s a story that is heartwarming and heartbreaking and incredibly moving. It puts readers in the main character, Sam McAllister’s shoes, giving them a glimpse at what it’s like to live with a mind that has the tendency to spiral out-of-control and the fear that thoughts could turn into actions that could be harmful.

Samantha McAllister never had a problem fitting in, at least not on the outside. She was one of the “Crazy Eights” – she was pretty, she was popular, she was athletic, she went to all the right parties, she went to all the best concerts. But on the inside she knew she didn’t fit. Her OCD, with thoughts that sometimes went to dark places and behaviors she was certain would label her as actually crazy, guaranteed that. She just needed to be able to continue playing the part of normal. The problem was it wasn’t getting any easier.

But when she meets Caroline, a girl who doesn’t seem to care about how she looks or how she dresses or what her friends think of her, a girl completely unlike herself, everything starts to change. She is introduced to a whole new world – one of words, of expression, of people who are confident and supportive. And she hopes to be, she wants to be, she thinks she can be, like them. Someday.

Tamara Ireland Stone did an incredible job with her story. She made Sam someone readers could connect with, empathize with, like and root for. She made her sympathetic but not pitiable. She gave them a better understanding of Sam’s particular brand of Pure-O. And she showed how with hard work, medication, therapy, and the right non-toxic environment that this disorder can be managed.

And she did this in a way that is captivating and wonderful, and sweet and sad and romantic and emotional.

EVERY LAST WORD sheds some light on a disorder that can be debilitating. It tells a story that is inspiring and uplifting and utterly enchanting. It is peppered throughout with some truly fantastic poetry. It delivers a love story that will make readers smile. And it adds a twist that is sure to surprise.

It is a gorgeous and amazing and unforgettable must read.

There aren’t enough words to describe how much I loved this book! Every Last Word is an important novel that shares Samantha’s story of suffering from OCD, more importantly, the obsessive part of OCD. She is a wonderful heroine to follow, because she cares so much and I loved seeing her grow more into a person who isn’t acting by others’ approval, but does things she wants and likes to do for herself. Very proud of her!

I really loved loved loooooved these following aspects of the story:

*friendship between Sam and Caroline
*the idea of The Poet’s Corner
*everyone in The Poet’s Corner
*Sam x her love interest (it’s not mentioned in the blurb so I won’t spoil it to you if you are the kind like me who doesn’t always want to know who they are right off the bat)
*the therapist-patient relationship and how supportive Sam’s family was; it’s the perfect portrayal of how it should be — everyone working towards the same goal, trusting each other and not abusing that trust in any way!
*SWIMMING! If you didn’t know, I went swimming for 8 years. I was on our school’s swimming team and we took part in competitions + some individual competitions I’ve been to. I quit practice in my senior year of high school because I wanted to pursue other things, but this novel reminded me of how much I loved swimming and how much I’d love to pick it up again for myself. It was described very well and Sam’s passion for it was very endearing.
*s-e-x positivity ✓✓✓ ٩(˘◡˘)۶
*the poems
*the awareness this novel spreads

Also, I have to mention, I didn’t see the twist coming???? I saw it coming like right before it happened but HOLY SMOKE! That was brutal and so unexpected. Note @ Tamara: this was cruel and I cried a lot; way to pack a punch like this! I liked how important this part was regarding the whole scheme of things. The author note was so important and super emotional, so don’t miss that for sure!

I never really thought about ableism slur that much to be honest, but this book shows us why ableism language is bad, because by using the “i’m so OCD about this and that” and “my OCD side is the reason for …” when we don’t really suffer from OCD — it lessens the weight and struggle of people who do struggle from OCD.

Anyhow, this novel was everything I hoped it would be an more! So much love and respect for the author for tackling this story so gracefully and painting an important, well-written portrayal of the struggles of someone with OCD. With an authentic voice Every Last Word is bound to please a lot of YA contemporary fans!

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

El material de la portada es muy inusual, la historia parece buena, el único detalle por decirlo así es que la primer hoja venía un poco doblada, llegó súper rápido

I read this book for my book club and wasn’t expecting it to be much but wow, did it blow me away. Definitely a lot older than the intended audience (I’m in my twenties) but I’ve branded this as a must read for all ages. Was incredibly written, the characters feel full and you really connect, and touches on the importance of friendship while also maintaining a good amount of romance. Was engaged till the very last pages and wished there was more when it was done. TW for those who suffer from mental health issues though, so please be careful with that. In all though, this is a definite 5/5 for me.