Ratings24
Average rating4.2
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. "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
Reviews with the most likes.
Very good. I haven't read a normal fiction novel as an adult lol but i grabbed this one because i wanted to know how my experience with OCD would line up with a fictional portrayal. Turns out the focus of the book was a lot less how distressing OCD is and more on her friends, which was a lot lighter of a read and very nice. The story was sweet and engaging!
I wasn't sure how I felt about Every Last Word at first. It was a bit corny and felt too young for me. As I continued reading, I became really invested in the relationships between the characters, especially that of Sam and AJ. But when I got to the big plot twist, it hit me like a truck. I was so shocked I had chills and had to put the book down. That plot twist really changed the way I perceived the whole book. I think a lot of people may start reading this book and think it's not for them (like I did