BOOK REVIEW: Every Last Word – by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Every Last Word
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
First published: June 16th 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Finished reading: August 15th 2016
Pages: 368

“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.”

I have lost count of the times this book has been recommended to me and Every Last Word was actually on my list of most anticipated 2015 releases. So it’s easy to say I’m a bit ashamed I’ve only just now made time to actually read it… Because I can definitely understand why so many people love this book. I have to admit the beginning wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be. Still, the rest of Every Last Word more than made up for it as I flew through the pages and literally read it from start to finish it during my flight. The prose is beautiful and especially the OCD is brilliantly done; it was a really interesting new angle to an nowadays often used ‘mental illness’ theme. My favorite part of this novel by Tamara Ireland Stone would definitely be the Poet’s Corner and the poetry bits… And Caroline is without doubt a very interesting character/angle as well. Every Last Word has a few plot twists and an ending you probably won’t see coming straight away. It’s well written and the main characters and their emotions feel real. Don’t let the slow start keep you from finishing this story; it’s definitely worth the try!

Samantha McAllister looks just like any other popular girl in her class, but she has a secret that her friends would probably never understand. Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and her mind is always filled with dark thoughts and worries she can’t turn off. The OCD makes her daily life a struggle; constantly worrying she might have done or said something that would turn her friends against her. Then Sam meets Caroline, a girl that would never fit in with her popular friends. Even though they seem to get along from the start and somehow Sam shared her secrets with Caroline almost straight away, Sam still feels she has to keep their friendship a secret. But as she is introduced to the Poet’s Corner, a hidden room with a group of misfits who share a love for poetry, her secret becomes harder to hide. She is drawn to the group straight away, and slowly starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Will her popular friends reject her for hanging out with the Poet’s Corner? And what about that cute guitar-playing member?

I should have just listened and read this book ages ago, because I ended up really enjoying this read. The beginning was a bit slow, but the pace soon picked up and there is no doubt that Every Last Word is beautifully written as well. The Poet’s Corner and poetry bits were my favorite part of this novel, and I also liked the fact that OCD played a role in the story. It’s something I haven’t seen mentioned often in stories before… If you enjoy a good YA realistic fiction read, make sure to add Every Last Word to your wishlist.