Every Last Word

By: Tamara Ireland Stone

Narrated by: Amy Rubinate

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 the 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.

©2015 Tamara Ireland Stone (P)2015 Ideal Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Clueless meets Dead Poets Society with a whopping final twist.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

“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)

“Sam’s life begins to change on the first day of her junior year when a mysterious student introduces her to the Poet’s Corner...There Sam finds artistic freedom, love, friendship–and a problem more frightening than any she’s faced before. Rubinate’s characterizations and a surprising ending enhance this story.” ( AudioFile Magazine)

Great story read by a valley girl.

Great book for YA but the narrator's voice is so affected, I could hardly stand it. It was like listening to a 1980's valley girl. But the storyline was terrific.

OCD like you've never seen it!

What made the experience of listening to Every Last Word the most enjoyable?

This will be another book I suggest to #yearofya May chat and I just loved Audible's Amy Rubinate as she narrated Samantha (Sam's) grappling with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) from the age of 11. Sam decides to keep this secret from her friends, who are not really nice girls, and there is a slippery slope in the pecking order of their friendship. So things begin to change when one day a girl a few lockers down talks to Sam in school and as she gets to know Caroline, Sam begins to see what a true friend is. I liked how vulnerable Sam was but how strong she was when it came to swimming, confiding to her doctor in weekly sessions and trying to control her OCD's dark thoughts and obsessions. I learned so much about this disorder from this book and the author has a NOTE at the end with important information. A great read for students, teachers and guidance counselors! Highly recommended!!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Samantha because she was so believable with her friendship with Caroline, her relationship with her doctor/therapist, her poetry, her family. I understood how important her friends were & even though they were toxic, Samantha could not talk to them about their failings and her insescurities.

What does Amy Rubinate bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love Amy Rubinate's voice; she was perfect for Samantha as a character who is insecure, obsessive, and as the story continues delusional and then as the story ends, her voice is one of strength and happiness.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What? You got a problem with obsessions?!?

Chills.

Untill about 2/3 of my way through this book, I was content… but waiting for what more there was. And let me tell you there was more and as soon as that ball dropped, the book completely turned from a good book to a great book.

Super good writing, odd narrator choice

The story is incredible. I couldn’t stop reading! However, I was confused by the narrators voice. She sounded like a 30 year old woman, not a teenager. Once you get over her voice a couple hours in, you stop realizing it and start focusing more on the story line. Great insight on mental illness and the trials of being in high school at the same time. So happy I read this despite the reviews on the narrator’s voice.

Good book!

i love this book! but i feel sometimes the reader was too... Robotic and unfeeling... it was annoying at times but i absoloutly love this book.

Great story, irritating narrator

This is one book that I would have enjoyed more in print. Usually narrators bring a story to life for me, but in this case the narrator was so irritating it actually deadened the story. The Valley Girl-type affectation and the habit of stretching syllables into different pitches and sighs was incredibly distracting and the cadence and rhythm was the same no matter what emotion was being conveyed. Props, however, to the author. The story was clever and well-researched.

Absolutely amazing

I would catch myself listening for hours I loved this story so much. The struggles of a young woman with OCD and feeling like I’m there with her experiencing her anxieties with her. Beautifully written. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy.

Fantastic book :)

This is probably my favorite book I've ever read I've read it like 12 times lol

Horrible narrator

Wasn’t even able to finish the book because the narrator is horrible. Her voice is so monotoned and sounds like an older lady even tho the book is about a high schooler. She tried to make her voice sound younger by using a valley girl accent but just makes it worse.

Love!

I was seriously sad when it finished. I tried this book 3 times until I got over the first couple of minutes then, I fell in love with it. Easy listen and the twist in the story was definitely CRAZY