Every Ugly Word is a book that left me with a myriad of thoughts and feelings, and until now I'm still finding them so hard to put into words. I'm really not certain what I should feel about this book, but it is definitely a well-written debut and I did enjoy reading it. 
 There is no doubt that this book is a page-turner. At the very beginning of the book we are introduced to a gripping premise and there's also a ticking time bomb that adds a sense of suspense to the story. Ashley is telling her shrink the long story of how she even had to see him in the first place. Framing devices are sometimes confusing to me, but this one worked pretty well, and also served to remind the reader of that constantly ticking time clock. Also, the writing wasn't overly lyrical or flowery, but solid and well polished, and the transitions between Ashley's recount and the present-day are smooth and seamless. 
 There is also no doubting how raw and emotional this piece of writing is. Ashley is cruelly and relentlessly bullied at school, and the bullies do all kinds of terrible things to her. It's very clear that they'll pull out all the stops to bring her as much pain and humiliation as possible, and it's very hard to watch Ashley's ridicule and suffering. (Bullying is a personal trigger for me, as it's happened to me before, and I've always had low self-esteem and insecurity issues which just made it worse. I know how it feels when you believe every word they say about you, when you start to see less and less worth in yourself, when you truly think that every stinging comment thrown at you is true. It's not. You are beautiful, and you are wanted, and you are loved.) 
 Aimee Salter's story stands out in one way: Ashley sees an older version of herself in the mirror, and her older self can talk to her. But this is also the downfall of the book. This space-time continuum concept, while interesting, made for a very confusing ending. It's the main reason why I didn't really enjoy this book. Besides, Ashley spends half the book wilfully ignoring the advice her older self gives her. I'm pretty sure if I was talking to someone who'd been through the exact same things I did and was trying to warn me from the wrong paths, the last thing I'd do is ignore her. And the big reveal at the end was just utterly confusing. I spent a lot of time trying to understand what had happened in the end, and I still didn't get the parallels, if there were meant to be any. It was like the perspective of the book suddenly changed without any warning to the reader and it really threw me off. 
 But Aimee Salter does write good, believable characters. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and backstab each other for their own personal gain and I love it. Her characters are vibrant and alive. That being said, Ashley didn't really appeal to me as a heroine. She wasn't any less real, I just thought that there would be some character development, some character arc or turning point where Ashley stood up to the people tormenting her, found some creative way of retaliation, or maybe even did something about it - transferred schools maybe, or approaching someone. But she didn't. She just sat back and took it and I did feel for her so much, but ultimately I felt she was lacking. 
 I've seen so many rave reviews about Every Ugly Word, so I guess I'm one of the minority in saying that I thought this book was purely average for me. It didn't start out like that, though - my boyfriend picked a random book off my tbr and it just happened to be this, and I remember when I was reading the initial chapters I was entirely hooked. The flaws I've pointed out could be subjective and many other readers might not see them as issues. Nevertheless, if you've ever been bullied, stepped on, or treated like a doormat, you must read this book. It is relatable and will resound with your soul and break your heart.