Every Last Word by Tamara Stone (4/5)

The novel Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone, published in 2015, is a contemporary young adult novel. The story takes place in the high school life of the main character, Samantha McAllister, a semi-popular teenager who has a hidden struggle with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Samantha is part of the "Crazy Eights," a group of popular girls who basically rule the social life of the school. From the outside, her life appears perfect, but on the inside, she struggles with her obsessive OCD and the constant need to keep her inner self hidden from her friends. But, her life turns upside down when she finds a secret room in the school's basement with a group called the "Poet's Corner", a group of misfits. The group finds peace in writing and sharing poetry, hence the name, providing Samantha with an escape from her “popular life” and the pressures that come with it. As Samantha involves herself more with the “Poets Corner”, she begins to reveal her true self and begins to feel more comfortable with her OCD. In the “Poets Corner” group, a talented poet named AJ catches Samantha's heart with his words. Their connection grows deeper as they go down the road of friendship and romance. With AJ's support, Samantha goes through therapy and starts to challenge her anxiety as she finally starts to learn to embrace her inner identity. I can relate to this book so much because the novel explores the struggles of a female high school student. Samantha's journey in high school resembles a reminder to us that appearances on the outside can be deceiving and that everyone carries their own battles underneath. This book had me in tears by the end and I couldn’t put the book down in between. I also really enjoyed how the author included the imagery of swimming at the beginning of the novel because I swim and I could really relate to the imagery. Overall, I really enjoyed the references the book made and how it left its mark on my brain. I would recommend this book to others as it will really change their perspective on the world and how they live their life in the future.