67 pages • 2 hours read
Tamara Ireland StoneEvery Last Word
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Samantha "Sam" McAllister
Samantha, also known as “Sam,” is a pretty, brown-haired 16-year-old girl who suffers from OCD. For all intents and purposes, she is regarded as one of the “popular” girls at school. She is part of the clique known as the Crazy Eights, which is a girl group that is considered teenage royalty at Samantha’s high school. When she discovers a new friendship with Caroline, she is divided between the Crazy Eights and the members of Poet’s Corner. Samantha undergoes a transformation, which becomes particularly evident in Chapter 33, when she first stands up for herself and AJ to the Crazy Eights. That transformation is taken to its apex when Samantha ditches the Crazy Eights entirely, in favor of a new life with her boyfriend AJ and the other writerly misfits of Poet’s Corner. While the manifestations of her illness seem innocuous at first, such as needing to adhere to the number three, Samantha must come to terms with her mental instability when she realizes that her friendship with Caroline is a figment of her mind. In finally accepting herself and her illness, Samantha is able to let others, like AJ and the Poet's Corner members, see her true self.
Caroline Madsen
Caroline, on a surface level, dresses like an outcast by Crazy Eights standards: “Brown hiking boots. Baggy, faded jeans. An unbuttoned flannel shirt that might be considered cool if it belonged to her boyfriend […] Not a stitch of makeup.” (27). She is described as a “technophobe” by Samantha, which explains why they never text. Until the point that Caroline is revealed to be a hallucination, she is the best friend that Samantha has ever had and acts accordingly: “Caroline stands and starts clapping hard, and cheering way too loudly, and looking so proud of me, I want to burst. I take a bow, feeling a little proud of myself, too” (263). There is also a real, historical persona of Caroline Madsen, who is a teen that committed suicide in 2007. When Samantha finds out about Caroline’s death, she researches it online and discovers that most attribute her suicide to bullying: “Headline after headline reading, TEEN’S DEATH RULED A SUICIDE; BULLYING TO BLAME FOR LOCAL TEEN’S SUICIDE?; LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL DEVASTATED BY SUICIDE” (286). Caroline founded Poet’s Corner, with the assistance of the school’s janitor, Mr. B, when she needed a reprieve from the bullying. Samantha used her imagined friendship with Caroline as a coping mechanism, and Caroline's presence, albeit not real, allowed Samantha to open herself to new friends and experiences.
AJ (Andrew) Olsen
AJ is a member of the Poet's Corner, and he initially dismisses Samantha because the Crazy Eights bullied AJ, then "Andrew," in fourth grade due to his intense stutter. Samantha apologizes profusely when she realizes this, and he eventually lets her join the Poet's Corner. Although AJ is not conventionally attractive, at least by Crazy Eights’ standards, Samantha develops a profound friendship and relationship with him: “His dark blond hair is poking out from under the cap, and his eyes are this interesting brownish-green […] I try to read the expression on his face, but I can’t” (85). Samantha surmises that AJ is from a broken home: “I note the photos of his mom with the two of them, and I wonder what happened to his dad, but I don’t ask. I’m going with divorce” (167). Although Samantha fears that AJ will reject her once he learns of her illness, their relationship becomes life-changing for them both when he proves to accept her unconditionally.
The Crazy Eights
As the clique regarded as teenage royalty at Samantha’s high school, the Crazy Eights are comprised of Alexis, Kaitlyn, Olivia, Haley, and Samantha. They are superficial, catty, and cruel. In terms of looks, they are each attractive in their own way: “I glance up just in time to see the crowd part for Alexis. As usual, she looks like she just stepped off the cover of Teen Vogue, with her long blond hair, striking green eyes, and perfect skin” (23). With these factors combined, the toxicity of the Crazy Eights creates a hostile environment for actual friendship, and Samantha eventually leaves the group in favor of Poet’s Corner.
Sue
Sue, also known as "Shrink-Sue," is Samantha’s therapist. She is a “tiny Japanese woman with thick black hair that hangs to her shoulders, and she’s always impeccably dressed. She looks like she’d be refined and soft-spoken until she opens her mouth” (40). Until Poet’s Corner, Sue is the only person outside of Samantha's family that knows all of Samantha’s struggles with OCD. Sue is integral in helping Samantha manage and understand her illness, and she functions as the predominant adult-figure in Samantha's life. When Samantha has a breakdown after the realization that Caroline isn't real, Sue finds Samantha and brings her back to Sue's home. This gesture indicates that Sue cares for and views Samantha as more than just a patient.
