Every Last Word
by Tamara Ireland Stone
E-book edition, pages
Published June 16th, 2015 by Disney Press
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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.
I was in the middle of reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, when suddenly, the contemporary mood kicks in. So I just scrolled through my e-reader, and find this book being the only contemporary there I haven't read. I know nothing about this book (which is the first time, since I always read the summary before reading) and take a leap of faith. Turns out it was really worth it. I really liked this one.
I think this book sends a really great message to readers. Our main character, Sam, has pure-O OCD. She's not tidy or keep fixing things, like common perception of OCD. But she thinks about something, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She can't sleep, she'll get anxiety, and just interferring with her daily life. This book really potrays that part accurately. The author has done research before writing this book, and it's shown in the way she potrays Sam. Her stream of thoughts from when she's fine to when she's obsessing are gradual and nicely paced. The great things are Sam has great, supportive family that always by her side, and has really healthy relationship with the psychiatrist. I mean, she's hiding her OCD from her friends, but she's seeking for help. And I think that's a really great message. This book also deals with typical high school life; popular cliques, toxic friendships, and crushes, which makes this book even more relateable and heartfelt.
Another reason why I really liked this book is I find the main character, Sam, relateable. I find swimming and morning walks calming (swimming does this for her) and as she find outlet with poetry, I also find outlet in writing. I don't know, reviews, short stories, imagines, lists, anything. When I'm stressed out, or when I can't sleep, my mind tend to get really crowded and buzzed, and sometimes it's exhausting. I find writing lists or whatever in my head in chaotic ways really help, even though it's incomprehensible sometimes XD
Another reason why I really liked this book is I find the main character, Sam, relateable. I find swimming and morning walks calming (swimming does this for her) and as she find outlet with poetry, I also find outlet in writing. I don't know, reviews, short stories, imagines, lists, anything. When I'm stressed out, or when I can't sleep, my mind tend to get really crowded and buzzed, and sometimes it's exhausting. I find writing lists or whatever in my head in chaotic ways really help, even though it's incomprehensible sometimes XD
I was really surprised when I read about Caroline though, because I just finised The Dream Thieves and I can't have Noah 2.0. But I'm really glad that's not the case, even though that chapter really broke my heart. I felt really sorry for Sam.
I'm not an expert on poetry, nor have I ever understand one, so I won't give any review about that aspect. But I really like the people in Poet's Corner, how open and friendly they are, and how acceptable they are with Sam.
So overall, I really enjoyed this book. The story is simple and really heartfelt. It doesn't have memorable characters, but the story itself is really beautiful.
- 12:30 PM
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