Title: Silent: Every Last Word
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Publication: June 16, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Teens & YA
Source: Netgalley
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
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.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I love books that touch on subjects most people find taboo to talk or write about. Mental illness or mental disorders is definitely one you don’t see written into much YA & teen fiction books. Tamara Ireland Stone took a personal experience in her life and wrote it into a beautifully sculpted work of art. There is not enough praise I can give “Every Last Word” to adequately explain how wonderful this book is.
“Every Last Word” follows the story of Samantah “Sam” McAllister, prominent popular girl with something going on every weekend. Everyone has secrets, though. Sam is hiding a mental disorder that forces her to pretend to be someone she isn’t in order to stay with her inner circle, no matter how “mean girl” they can get at times. Que the entrance of Caroline, a completely different type from whom Sam surrounds herself with, but instantly draws her in. Caroline helps Sam find her voice and become a stronger version of herself, but twists and turns mark every corner of this book.
This story tells the struggle of a girl who has inner demons she is trying to face, all while hiding them from everyone but her family. A true coming of age story. This book could not come out at a more perfect time. In a world where people are bullied for who they are and forced to be what society expects, “Every Last Word” shows that it is OK to be a little weird and crazy. This story will hit every facet of your emotions; from happiness, anger, love, and incredible sadness at times too. I give praise to Stone for writing such an incredible book. Finished in under 24 hours, I would read this book again tomorrow.
Whether you are 12 or 60, this book is a great read to enjoy this summer. It may sound cliche, but hats off, round of applause, high five, etc. to Stone for “Every Last Word”. This easily makes my top 5 for 2015 so far!
“Every Last Word” is slated for release on Tuesday, June 16th, 2015. Make sure to pre-order now on Amazon or Barnes and Noble! You can also find it in your local book store starting on release day. And in case you have a bad memory like me, add it to your TO READS list on Goodreads so as not to forget! You can find the author, Tamara Ireland Stone at her website here and find more of her work!
