Tamara Ireland Stone

Consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off, a girl coping with Purely-Obsessional OCD learns to accept herself and take control of her life through her experiences in poetry club.

Every last word

Ieva Valachaviciute

These walls heard me when no one else could. They gave my words a home, kept them safe. Cheered, cried, listened. Changed my life for the better. It wasn’t enough, But they heard every last word.

Hailey Rae

I spare him the effort and feed him the line. “I know I’ve got this side of me that wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just fly the whole mess into the sea.” I pull up to a red light. “I love that line. I don’t often want to grab the yoke and crash into the sea, but sometimes I do.” 

I’m mentally spent. Out of words. Out of thoughts. It feels so good to be this empty. It’s so peaceful. 

“You seem to know how to articulate your feelings and share them with other human beings. I’m afraid my gift is the exact opposite; I’m skilled at holding everything in.”

Asking all of them to give me a chance to show that, deep down, I’m not who they think I am. Or, maybe I’m exactly who they think I am, but I no longer want to be.

Ausrine Blazyte

 "When am I going to stop making mistakes, Sue?" Her laugh catches me off guard, and I look up at her, wide-eyed and confused.

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" she asks. I stare at her. 

"Mistakes. Trial and error. Same thing. Mistakes are how we learned to walk and run and that hot things burn when you touch them. You've made mistakes all your life and you're going to keep making them." 

The trick is to recognize your mistakes, take what you need from them, and move on."

Silver Linings Playbook meets Before I Fall in this New York Times best-selling novel about understanding and accepting your unique self. 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 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. "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

Every Last Word

Brooke O’Connor

Carice Men

— This book was really well written imo from a representation perspective, especially considering the author does not experience OCD herself. 

— She wrote it for a young family member who was recently diagnosed with OCD, which I think deserves its own entry here

— Summer Sam vs school-year Sam. This was one of the most accurate aspects. My anxiety behaved in a similar way during high school. I was very happy summer Norie and then very anxious, very depressed school Norie. 

— Sam questioning which thoughts were healthy

— I think some of the other characters could be fleshed out a bit more. We get glimpses into their lives as Sam gets closer to them, but I wanted a bit more, especially in relation to the character who the plot twist revolves around. 

— I REALLY appreciated how the author did not "fix" Sam, but the ending wasn't as strong as it could have been (in regard to the fallout from the twist).

— Overall, I don't have anything I absolutely hated. 

★★★.75 for a wonderful experience but I wanted just a tad more

Norie

The Good: 

— This book was really well written imo from a representation perspective, especially considering the author does not experience OCD herself. 

— She wrote it for a young family member who was recently diagnosed with OCD, which I think deserves its own entry here

— Summer Sam vs school-year Sam. This was one of the most accurate aspects. My anxiety behaved in a similar way during high school. I was very happy summer Norie and then very anxious, very depressed school Norie. 

— Sam questioning which thoughts were healthy

— THAT TWIST

The Meh:

— I think some of the other characters could be fleshed out a bit more. We get glimpses into their lives as Sam gets closer to them, but I wanted a bit more, especially in relation to the character who the plot twist revolves around. 

— The counselor's reaction was off

— I REALLY appreciated how the author did not "fix" Sam, but the ending wasn't as strong as it could have been (in regard to the fallout from the twist).

— Overall, I don't have anything I absolutely hated. 

★★★.75 for a wonderful experience but I wanted just a tad more

It was a good book but not for me. Also I didn't like Caroline idk if that's an unpopular opinion.

Josie h

I really liked this book, oomf recommended me this book and i went in blind and did not expect to love it so much 

Isabella 

I liked this book! I appreciate how the author thoroughly researched everything possibly can about a certain topic which is definitely needed if they were to represent it. I don't know if the representation is accurate, but it surely brought more perspective to it. I liked the story and the characters. It does focus on mental illness and bullying, but it wasn't a heavy read. I kinda expected the ending, so I wasn't really surprised. Overall, this is a nice read.

Julie Rubens

Wow. 
I read this book for a school assignment and I'm so glad I picked it! This is truly one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking stories I've ever read. I love this book with all my heart and can honestly say that this book has now become one of my all time favorite books! 
I love how this book is a story about a girl struggling with her OCD, but it's not just focused on that. It's also about friendship and needing to feel loved and appreciated and the struggles of always feeling left out. I like how Sam is obsessed with the number 3 since it's my favorite number too and I loved reading the poetry, it was so good! Also, the plot twist was so heartbreaking, but so important for the story and it was very well thought out! 
I can go on and on about this book, but I won't. All I have to say is that I truly think everyone should read this book, because it's beautiful and amazing and you will not regret it.

First and foremost, hello Andrew Olsen. I know real life Andrew Olsen holy shit lmao. 

Samantha. I saw myself in Sam sometimes. She's a very relatable main character. I have friends but sometimes I feel like were all changing and it's not the same anymore though I'm not really sure if I am the one who's changing or just realizing something. Some tears had shed. The twist in the story had me in tears, Jesus. This novel made me realize that it's okay to be different and you are special on your own way.

Lauren

This is a really unpredictable book, I was kind of confused where it was going in the start but it definitely surprised me, SCARED ME even towards the end. I really liked the vibe of this world and the calm i felt whenever i’d read the swimming scenes.

Daniela Castrodes

mari

** spoiler alert **
           This was the first book that got me out of a reading slump. It was a gift and. It is completly different from everything I read and I personally thought it was a very light book. However, it did have some very heavy topics that made me cry. I was rooting for Sam the whole book and I’m happy that shes doing so much better now.

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 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

Die ersten drei Viertel hat mich das Buch jetzt nicht so umgehauen, obwohl ich es sehr süß fand. Ungesunde Freundschaften hinter sich zu lassen, war auch sehr relatable für mich. Der Plottwist kam unerwartet und ich liebe es sehr, wenn man beim Lesen einen schweren Schlag in den Bauch bekommt und man den Schrecken durch die Seiten hindurch spüren kann. Der Aufbau zu diesem Twist war auch echt gut eingefädelt. Verrückt wie man eine Figur vermissen kann, die gar nicht existiert, auch als Lesende. Bisschen unrealistisch fand ich die Therapeutenszenen (vor allem als Sam, dann plötzlich bei ihr Zuhause war und die allgemeine Tatsache, dass sie sie beim Vornamen nennt). AJ einfach Ehrenmann bei dieser Unterstützung (und Gitarre spielen ist wirklich hot).

Jack O‘Conner

i just couldn't put this book down cause i loved it so much all the way through!! watching the main character sam go through all this stuff, learn how to accept herself and make new friends was absolutely beautiful. and don't even get me started an AJ, i loved him so much. also tbh something like the poet's corner is something i would have needed as well when i was younger, so it really was heartwarming to read about the acceptance that the people there have towards others. also the plot twist had me staring at the wall for a couple minites to process what was going on!

kristin :)

honya

i am not okay. like i actually wanna kms rn. the way i’ve NEVER cried this much before, not even while watching all 4 seasons of miraculous ladybug. i sort of expected the plot twist but in an unexpected way cuz when it hit, i could not, for the life of me, stop crying. i feel like i was sadder than sam tbh😍 anyways this has potential to be my new fav book ever just because of those moments after the plot twist…

This book means so much to me. Ever since I read it a few years ago, I couldn’t get it off my mind. Now, where I‘ve re-read it, I realized that Sam and me have gone trough so much of the same stuff, but I don‘t know if it would‘ve helped if I knew about it on my first read. It helps that I can find my comfort in it now. 

Tabea

Hannah Yang

I feel obliged to begin by saying that I don't know anything about OCD, so I am unsure whether or not Tamara Ireland Stone captured it perfectly or completely misunderstood it.

I did read Every Last Word at midnight (ironically), so I'm sure my brain's a little wonky, but I thought that Every Last Word was... amazing. Stellar. Stunning. I liked how it wasn't just about Sam's OCD, but rather how it affected her every day and how she eventually managed to sort of find a way to put the fear that came with her OCD aside. Plus, I adore poetry, so this book was totally for me! 

Sam was a likable main character. As the narrator, I found her voice a pleasant one to read to and the thoughts she had, while obsessive, were understandable. I like the poems she wrote, too. However, I really really wanted her to do something bad because of her thoughts. Not because I wanted her to be a "bad guy", but I wanted to see how Sam would react, and how others would react. It felt like her OCD was really just there when it needed to be, and was otherwise brushed off.

AJ was a likable love interest, but I didn't like that he was the love interest. Don't get me wrong, he was sweet and he made sense. I enjoyed his backstory of being bullied by Sam and the Crazy Eights. I just thought that his backstory could have added a lot of character potential as a person who could keep Sam away from the Poet's Corner and cause her to feel really really bad. As soon as their love story began, the awful things Sam used to say to him were completely forgotten. There weren't any real fights, and though Sam had her insecurities they really weren't too big of a deal. I wanted to see more from him. 

The Crazy Eights were kind of just... there for me. Even though Sam was supposed to find better friends, I didn't really see their bad sides, apart from Kaitlyn and occasionally Alexis. I wanted to see them be outright cruel at times, or at least be characters that readers could connect to. However, most of the time they were just there, and even though they're just supporting characters, the Crazy Eights supposedly play a more significant role in Sam's life. However, the poets from Poet's Corner all had their individual personalities, which I loved. 

I don't know exactly what I liked about Every Last Word. Maybe it's the way Sam and AJ made me smile. The quirky shirts Caroline wore. The poetry. The shivers I got after reading it. Let's just say... I would wholeheartedly recommend Every Last Word to anyone.

This book was very interesting to read. It gave us a look inside the life of Sam, who suffers from OCD and let's us accompany her along her journey of finding her true self. 

The plottwist was just incredible and gave me goosebumps. 

I definetly recommend you to read it. It's quick and easy to read.

Lisa

This book was very interesting to read. It gave us a look inside the life of Sam, who suffers from OCD and let's us accompany her along her journey of finding her true self. 

The plottwist was just incredible and gave me goosebumps. 

I definetly recommend you to read it. It's quick and easy to read.

Yasmin Dunnewind

This was such a informative and amazingly written book. I loved Sam (3 letters) so much and you really got to understand her, which made you love her even more. Her way of thinking, her fear of not abandonment but fear of change of what she knew. I loved the twist at the end which I totally didn't see coming. I loved AJ and Sam, Sue and Sam, the Poets corner and every member in it. I just thought it was such a informative and heartbreaking story, definitely indulge in this master piece!!

If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling

Everyone’s got something. Some people are just better actors than others

I didn’t go there looking for you. I went looking for me.” My voice is soft, low, and shaky. “But now, here you are, and somehow, in finding you, I think I’ve found myself

Mistakes. Trial and error. Same thing. Mistakes are how we learned to walk and run and that hot things burn when you touch them. You’ve made mistakes all your life and you’re going to keep making them

You look around at the people in your life, one by one, choosing to hold on to the ones who make you stronger and better, and letting go of the ones who don't

I’m merely reminding you to embrace who you are and surround yourself with people who do the same

Feeling all the pain of letting them go. And knowing I did the right thin

This book was so warming and gut-punching at the same time. It takes me back to being in high school, and dealing with the nerves of leaving out growing friends behind and the immense thoughts that come from that. Sam has OCD, and it really puts into prospective how some people cannot control their negative thoughts, the way their anxiety causes insomnia without medicine, and how it can affect your everyday life mentally - and not just physically. I loved learning and watching Sam grow into her own person, and be okay with not being classified as “normal” and loving herself for who she is. I wish there was more, or one more page because this storyline consumed me and stayed extremely close to my heart the entire time.

rlly rlly good!, pretty slow beginning but rlly worth it cause it leads to an amazing plot twist. AJ is my dream guy 

Tuleen Joudeh

Toni Scola

This is an amazing book that brings attention to OCD, but also how it’s okay to be an outcast and not in the popular crowd. I don’t wanna give spoilers, just read!

Nouran Hazem

This is definitely for the anxiety girlies and I loved it so much.. I related so much to Sam and just a lot of it resonated so much for me.. this book just felt like a therapy session for me…it was perfect.

 "I think all of you have a gift I don't possess. You seem to know how to articulate your feelings and share them with other human beings. I'm afraid my gift is the exact opposite; I'm skilled at holding everything in.”

“Everyone’s got something. Some people are just better actors than others.”

“If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.”

Tish

I know I would’ve eaten this up when I was in high school when this came out but... I just didn’t enjoy it all that much. It was just okay and the plot twist all the reviews are talking about was sooo obvious to someone who NEVER sees plot twists coming so, take that for what you will.

Shaimaa Emad Fekry

you ever pick a book n you know it's gonna be good but it ends up being great???
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CLAUDIA VALDES

This took me a fattie to read but only because I kept putting it off. After I got hooked, I couldn’t stop reading it. It was pretty interesting and I liked how realistic the book felt. The topic of OCD was so perfectly managed. And it felt like an inside glimpse into it. The plot twist wasn’t as big, I figured it would be as such from the first page but I still enjoyed the concept and the development of it all.

Every last word

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