It was one of the first books I read as a judge for the Cybils award, and after reading 81 more books within two months, I still reflect on it. Tamara Stone’s words are beautifully written and filled with honest emotion and insight into the head of a teen who wants to hide how she is different from her popular friends.ħ.

The poetry sprinkled throughout the book brings complexity to the characters and their relationships and ultimately makes the book a masterpiece in plot and storyline.Ħ. As a writer, this book inspired me to write more. The poetry in this book helps teens understand that just writing your feelings down makes life better, whether the words are beautiful or not. There is a completely surprising twist at the climax of the book that makes makes the story tie together beautifully.ĥ. We need more realistic portrayals of therapy in teen YA books!Ĥ. Sue is portrayed as a loving, supportive, helpful person who makes Sam’s life better. Sam is diagnosed with OCD and is talking with her therapist, Sue, weekly. This is the type of book that helps teens understand what it feels like to be anxiety ridden.ģ. Tamara Stone clearly researched OCD and accurately portrays the thoughts and feelings of someone with an anxiety disorder.

But Sam goes from being a girl who is scared of people knowing about her condition, to a girl who learns to own it and be who she is, surrounding herself with people who know about her condition and support her.Ģ. She spends every second worrying about how what she does or thinks will make her seem crazy. Sam is an authentic teenaged girl with OCD who has successfully hidden her condition from her friends.

Every last word stone