Every Last Word

Product Information

Every Last Word” by Tamara Ireland Stone features several compelling characters, each contributing to the story’s exploration of teenage life, mental health, and the pursuit of self-discovery: Romantic, unpredictable, relatable, and so very enjoyable. This important story must be made into a movie.” — Arnold Shapiro, Oscar & Emmy-winning Producer A brilliant and moving story about finding your voice, the power of words, and true friendship. I couldn’t put it down until every last word was devoured.” — Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club and We Can Work It Out Sets up an expectation that love cures mental illness: I hate this, I hate this, Oh my God, I hate this! If love cured mental illnesses, I would have been cured years ago. Love does not cure mental illness. I know I am not everyone’s cuppa tea and I am seriously okay with that, but it took me years to be okay with that. I wish I had realized it sooner. I love that Every Last Word helps teach that message.

Shows a positive portrayal of therapy:I loooove that Sam has a healthy relationship with therapy and understands the importance of keeping up with it. The author did her research:I love that Stone actually took her time to do her research, and it shows in many of the examples of OCD in the book. Surprisingly enough, this book did a 180 spin soon later and progressively got better. Sure, Sam still had these hella annoying and fake friends, but I started to get over that because we see less of them the more involved Sam becomes with her new friends. I particularly love Caroline, who is just such a supportive friend and funky girl that wears the best t-shirts. She also suffers from depression, though I personally would have liked to look into that a little more (but I totally get why the author did not). OH MY GAWD I CANONT BELIEVE THAT SHE WASN'T BLOODY REAL. I loved the twist but gah... WHY YOU DO THIS TO MY FEELS? I have trust issues now. AJ: A member of Poet’s Corner, AJ is a talented musician who catches Sam’s attention. He had a negative past encounter with Sam and her friends, which adds tension and complexity to their growing relationship. This story follows Sam, a girl dealing who was diagnosed with Purely Obsessional OCD (aka Pure-O) at the age of 11. While she may look perfectly fine on the outside, each day she is battling with the uncontrollable thoughts that consume her.Samantha is part of the “Crazy Eights,” but also finds a home in Poet’s Corner. How do these two social groups contrast, and what do they represent in Samantha’s life? I don’t know what to say about the purely obsessional OCD that became the center of this book because obviously it’s not my place to say if it was portrayed in a good way. Obviously I think it captured the readers rather perfectly; drawing our attentions and making us feel for the characters, but it’s not my place to say if it was portrayed correctly. I’ll let others be the judge of that. Samantha McAlister is one of the most popular girls in school, from the outside looking in her life is perfect. She is pretty, intelligent, and friends with the right people. No one knows she suffers from OCD, which is real a testament to how little she trusts her friends. Samantha begins to redefine her concept of “normal” throughout the novel. Discuss this transformation. I know I'm not my mental illness. I think I'm an awesome person. I'm smart, I'm funny, I'm pretty good looking for my age. But at the same time, there's a part of me that just constantly whispers "You're not normal. You'll never be normal." It takes a lot of effort go to through my day sometimes.

Talks about medication: Sam is on medication, and even though she doesn’t consistentlytake it, the book shows how beneficial being on meds for mental illness can be. INTERVIEW | ReachOut | Living with a mental health challenge can sometimes mean living with a secret Caroline: A down-to-earth and humorous girl, Caroline becomes Sam’s new friend. She introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner and plays a crucial role in her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Real life doesn't work that way. Mental illnesses don't work that way. I know very well it doesn't work that way because I've got it.Be kind, be honest and be you and move on. It’s a great message and I adored reading this story! Highly recommend it for everyone!! Still,I really, really didn’t want this book to let me down. But, because of the ending, it did. I think itfailed a lot of people who have OCD. Every Last Word is a story about a teenage girl who is dealing with OCD. Samantha McAllister appears to be perfect on the outside, but inside she's a mess. She constantly worries about her friends finding out about her condition and the fact that she sees a psychiatrist. When Sam meets Caroline and gets introduced to the kids in Poet's Corner, everything changes for her. She finds herself coming out of her shell and embracing who she is. Samantha McAllister (Sam): The protagonist of the novel, Sam is a high school junior who struggles with Purely-Obsessional OCD. Despite being part of the popular clique, the “Crazy Eights,” she often feels alienated due to her secret condition. 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.

I loved this book, I mean epically loved it. I related so much to Samantha and you don’t have to be OCD to understand her. I think that just about everyone can relate to how Sam felt. Most everyone struggles with belonging and fear of judgment at some point in their lives. I love the lessons Sam learned and how she grew throughout the story. Every Last Word is a YA novel about 16-year-old Samantha. She’s a swimmer, popular, and looks just like everybody else. But underneath it all, she suffers from Pure-Obsessional OCD. She second-guesses every move, thought, and word in her life. She goes to therapy every Wednesday, but the last thing she wants is a change in her life. What message do you think Tamara Ireland Stone is trying to convey about mental health and self-acceptance? I absolutely loved the first two-thirdsof the book. I connected with Sam’s pain, and I feel like a lot of the OCD aspects were portrayed reallywell.Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now. Samantha was a likable character. I felt for her. I love how she dealt with all of her struggles and overcame her issues. Sam learns not only to accept herself but to stand up for herself and have friends that accept who she is. She was strong on her own, but I love her relationship with AJ as well. AJ really deep down cares for Sam and is there for her no matter what he finds out about her. They were a great couple. Opens discussion about Pure-O OCD:I guarantee that so many people have not heard about Pure-O. Every Last Wordhelped bring this mental illness to life.

I don’t know what to say about the purely obsessional OCD that became the center of this book because obviously it’s not my place to say if it was portrayed in a good way. Obviously I think it captured the readers rather perfectly; drawing our attentions and making us feel for the characters, but it’s not my place to say if it was portrayed correctly. I’ll let others be the judge of that How does Samantha’s relationship with her therapist, Sue, aid in her journey towards self-acceptance? I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. This is an author I've always been meaning to read, she has another series that looks good but I never got around to it. I love reading stories where the main character becomes disillusioned with their current life style and looks to other ways of spending their time. It's one of the better ways of promoting character development in a story (and we all know I must have my character development!) so I really enjoyed this book. As she finds her voice among the outcasts, we are reminded of the transformative power of art and connection. Stone’s work is a compelling reminder that true acceptance often comes from unexpected places and that the battle for mental health is fought on the grounds of understanding and kindness. Sam’s journey—a tapestry of self-discovery, friendship, and revelation—leaves us pondering the weight of every last word in the narrative of our lives.

Customer reviews

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.” this book is sooo me. i loved it when i first read it a few years ago, and i love it even more now. down to every last word. I've been writing for a long time, but I became a published author when Time Between Us came out in 2012. I didn't set out to publish a bo …more Hi Kristine, AJ: I try to. I like to know where I stand with people, and I figure I owe them the same courtesy. I mean, I'm never rude or hurtful about it, but I don't see any reason to be fake. That's a lot of work”