Reviewed by lindsey on
Every Last Word focuses on Samantha and the way she deals with her OCD and anxiety. She keeps it a secret, and no one, apart from her parents, sister, and therapist, knows about it. She plans to keep it that way, but it gets increasingly harder to hide it from her friends. She knows if they find out, they will drop her, and she doesn't want to deal with high school without friends - even if they're not the greatest friends. They're the most popular girls in school, and she doesn't want to give that up. After she meets Caroline, however, things start to change, and she isn't sure if she cares what her popular friends think of her after all.
I really enjoyed this novel. It held my interest from the start, and I was hoping that everything would work out for Sam in the end. I thought I knew how things would turn out, but I was completely shocked by the plot twist. About two pages before the twist was revealed, I stopped reading, and thought, "Wait... no way. There is no way the author is going to take the story in that direction." But she did, and it worked really well, even though it was heartbreaking. If I had been at home, I would have cried for the last 20% of the book, but unfortunately, I was reading during my lunch break at work. I managed to contain my tears, but it was a struggle.
Every Last Word isn't a perfect book, but it is pretty close. I thought the author did a wonderful job of dealing with Sam's OCD and anxiety, and I enjoyed the story. It flowed well and I didn't want to put it down. This book has excellent writing, interesting characters, and a serious plot, and it all works together exceptionally well.
Every Last Word is a wonderful example of a top-notch YA novel.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 9 June, 2015: Finished reading
- 9 June, 2015: Reviewed