Samantha McAllister has a secret, one she keeps hidden from even her closest friends. Sam is popular, part of the Crazy Eights clique, but daily she struggles with her obsessions. Sam is diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and regularly sees a therapist. A new friend enters her life and suddenly Sam finds herself sharing things with Caroline Madsen that Sam has told no one else. Caroline introduces Sam to the Poet's Corner and Sam's whole world changes. How will Sam handle the change?

Tamara Ireland Stone does an amazing job at sensitively portraying a teenager coping with a mental illness. From the social stigma to the very real fears that her obsessions could overtake her, Sam shows us the inner battle that someone coping with OCD faces on a daily basis. I love the Author's Note, both for the inspiration for the story as well as for the resources and additional information Tamara Ireland Stone conveys about OCD.

While the main storyline focuses on Sam's OCD, bullying is also an integral aspect of the story. Tamara Ireland Stone shows us the negative effects of bullying and the many shades it can appear in, from the obvious to the more subtle forms of social exclusion. It's difficult to step outside the boundaries of a clique, and Tamara Ireland Stone paints a very realistic portrait of the struggle Sam faces, both internally and externally, as she debates changes in her life.

The Poet's Corner sounds like such a sanctuary and place of affirmation, something that Sam desperately needs at this time in her life. I love each and every character Sam meets there, but most especially AJ. The fun poems about food made me smile, even as some of the other poems address deeper fears and issues faced by the teenagers in Poet's Corner. The Crazy Eights, on the other hand, are a little more difficult to handle as we watch the emotional devastation they cause with their drama. However, I particularly like Sam's therapist, Sue, as I appreciate seeing a mental health therapist shown in both an appropriate and helpful role.

EVERY LAST WORD just takes my breath away, even now days after finishing it. EVERY LAST WORD is the sort of book that I just can't recommend highly enough, as teenagers especially need to read this story! If you read just one young adult book in your life, make it EVERY LAST WORD as Tamara Ireland Stone has written an emotionally heart- wrenching and absolutely beautiful gem of a novel.