Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas

by Zarina Macha

'Every Last Psycho' contains two tales of two girls; 'Every Last Thought' and 'Psycho Girl.'

One girl hears voices screaming in the shadows; the other burns with self-absorbed hunger.

Every Last Thought:

‘Rocking backwards and forwards; deep breaths in and out’

Sixteen-year-old Tess Davis suffers from schizophrenia, triggered six years ago by the onset of her twin brother’s death. She’s felt broken ever since. But when new guy Ed moved to her school two years ago, life gave her a reason to live joyously. Ed made her happy, becoming the friend she needed. But she didn’t plan to fall in love with him, and love isn’t always requited.

Distraught by Ed’s new girlfriend and a horrific trauma Tess endures, she finds herself spiraling out of control and into cocaine-fueled delusions. Will she be able to regain a grip on life?

Psycho Girl:

‘Deep inside, I feel nothing. I am nothing.’

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Baxter is beautiful, confident, popular and well off. Everyone loves her; her friends, her family, her boyfriend. She is all set to apply to the University of Cambridge to study Law.

But when another girl in her year gets accepted into Cambridge and she doesn’t, Evelyn’s perfect mask starts to peel away. Murder, deceit and manipulation show Evelyn to be the monster she truly is. But will those around her realize it?

One is the victim of cruelty, the other creates it. One lives in the concrete jungle of London, the other in the suburban town of Bletchfield. Both novellas are in one binding, echoing the dark horrors within.

287 pages, ebook

Published June 5, 2019

About the author

Zarina Macha is an author, blogger, poet, musician, and YouTuber from London, UK. She has currently self-published twenty-one books: six under her name and fifteen as Diana Vale. In 2021, her young adult novel Anne won the international Page Turner Book Award for fiction. In 2023 she released Tic Tac Toe, a young adult dystopian novel that satirises wokeism, identity politics, and political correctness.

She began publishing her work in 2018 while completing a degree in Songwriting and Creative Artistry from The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in Guildford. Her three published YA fiction works are Every Last Psycho (2018), a compilation of two novellas that deal with heavy trauma and mental illness; Anne (2019), a coming-of-age novel about domestic violence, and Around Midnight (2020), a novel about an emotionally abusive teenage relationship.

She has also published two poetry volumes; Art is a Waste of Time (2018) and Single Broke Female (2019). Both explore the essence of womanhood, including sexuality, femininity, and emotional angst. She has performed her poetry at various functions in London, including Poetry Unplugged, the Farrago Slam, and the Global Fusion Music & Arts Spoken Word events.

In 2021 Macha began writing contemporary new adult romance under the pen name Diana Vale. Her Kirk University books are standalone stories about students who find love at university. This fictitious university is based on the real-life University of York in northern England where Macha briefly attended prior to ACM.

Reviews

[Britt Nichole · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Stars

{Title}: Every Last Thought
{Trigger Warning}: Rape, Substance Abuse, Schizophrenia
{Review}: All right, so, I usually love dark themes in books, and I LOVE the references to The Bell Jar - it was one of my favorite assigned readings in school when I read it in 11th grade. From what I remember about the book, I think I can definitely see some parallels between Tess and Sylvia Plath/her character.
However, I think the plot itself - and Tess's first person narration in general - could have been handled a lot better.
There are a lot of very, very dark things in this first novella - substance abuse and rape only top off the fact that Tess already has schizophrenia and pretty severe PTSD. But it's the rape/sexual assault in particular that I want to talk about. It was... pretty painful to read, though not necessarily because of the event itself. It was hard to read because the way the author wrote it out was... not great. Like, at all. Not only did the scene itself read totally insensitively, but Tess's narration afterwards is just... completely cringey and... eh. There was a scene, maybe a week after the rape or something, where she consents to sleeping with someone and she STRAIGHT UP narrates, "Not like it's my first time... ha ha to me." Which... just... reads like... no. I know that victims of violent crime all handle the aftermath in different ways, but the fact that the rape was thrown in there for NO other purpose other than "just for the hell of it" just seems like a major slap in the face to actual sexual assault victims.
Tess also, in general, just sort of read like a brat - both before and after the assault - though I think that has more to do with the fact that the author's writing style just... is not that great. There's a LOT of "telling" instead of "showing," and the amount of mistakes and typos - on one page, let alone the whole story - was pretty ridiculous. There was pretty much no plot other than the assault and Tess having reactions triggered by her mental illness. The whole thing read like a sloppy second draft in need of plot tweaking and major editing.
{Rating}: 2 Stars ⭐️⭐️

---

{Title}: Psycho Girl
{Trigger Warning}: dark themes, mental illness
{Review}: I'm sorry, really, but I... couldn't even make it all the way through this one. I was able to read five full chapters, but the main character is such an annoying little brat that I HAD to put it down - especially after that cringey, half-assed (is that a pun?) sex scene with David. I just. Between Evelyn complaining about how much better she is than everyone else, saying she wants to punch everyone in the face, and the cringey ways she described David's dick, I... couldn't, anymore. No thanks.
Much like Tess in Every Last Thought, Evelyn is not a great main character. However, I could actually STAND Tess. Between Evelyn's character and the author's same mediocre writing, I was so physically and emotionally exhausted by the material that I just... couldn't even entertain the thought of continuing further. Psycho Girl displays the same mediocre writing (I didn't see as many spelling errors this time, but I did only make it five chapters through), to the point where I seriously question whether either of these stories went through ANY sort of professional editing. I seriously doubt it.
Murder is mentioned in the summary, but I didn't even make it to that point - if it's anything like the rape scene in Every Last Thought, though, then I'm pretty confident in predicting that it's probably not worth reading anyway. Evelyn would probably make a comment about the blood getting in her "perfect" hair... and then go jump on David's dick again (or any of the other 17 guys she's bragged about being with).
{Rating}: 1 Star ⭐️

---

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
These stories would work so much better if they were fleshed out more - though I fear that Evelyn would need a total face and personality lift all together. The promises of a dark plot don't do these novellas justice at all, and I feel like I've just read something that my ""edgy"" 12 year old self would try to write. Everything was very half-assed, and I feel like the author didn't even skim through either story at all before choosing to hit "Publish" on Amazon.
Every Last Thought was bearable, at least, but Psycho Girl made *me* feel like I was the one needing to bang my head against the wall. Stories where the main character is the villain CAN be passable, but there HAS to be something about the villain that connects with readers - otherwise people just end up closing the book, because why the hell would they ever support the bad guy? Evelyn was NOT that character, and reading her narration was like dragging nails down a chalkboard. I'm sorry, but she just... didn't work. Not at all.
I normally love dark plotlines, but these stories left me wanting a lot more, and not in the good, demanding a sequel way. The first story is, hey, maybe worth checking out because maybe the plotlines that bothered me would hook another reader. But that's all I can do - the majority of these works ended up being not what I hoped for or imagined.

Overall Star Rating (0-5): 1.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review. *

Dark, gripping, and unsettling at times, this psychological drama spins two tales of troubled teens; schizophrenic Tess and psychopathic Evelyn.
Recommended for mature readers aged fourteen and over who enjoy intense young-adult books about mental illness.

I found both stories interesting and they captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going to happen in both of them. I wouldn’t read this book again. I didn’t like Tess or Evelyn. They’re not very likable characters but I think the author did a good job writing them.

[Steph Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

These two novellas have many similarities: both feature a young, female protagonist; both deal with some very difficult issues and both employ a first-person perspective.

In ‘Every Last Thought’ the first person narrative gives a fascinating insight into the inner life of someone struggling with her mental health and substance addiction issues due to self-medicating her distress. These are weighty topics and seeing them from Tess’ viewpoint really brings home the reality of day-to-day life when you cannot trust what your own senses are telling you.

This effect also influences the reader, as Tess is, of course, an unreliable narrator and therefore it is difficult to trust her perceptions of events. Also the stream of consciousness style of writing from the point of view of a character as chaotic as Tess makes the plotline quite scattered and disjointed, as it reflects her mental state.

I have a lot of sympathy for Tess, as she is clearly dealing with huge issues: *Trigger Warning* her story involves death, violence, rape, mental illness, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts *end TW*. However there is an inherent selfishness in her as a main character, as she treats every other character, friends, family, as pieces to be moved around and discarded at her convenience. This is perhaps a symptom of her youth or the difficulties she is facing, but it makes it harder to empathise with her as she makes her demands on her loved ones with little thought for their needs.

Likewise, Evelyn in ‘Psycho Girl’ is an equally problematic character. Again, we receive the story from her narrative voice and it is a cold one. She lacks empathy or compassion for anyone around her, making her a very difficult character to like or empathise with. In addition to disparaging comments on racial accents, she makes observations like the following:


I believe that homeless people, beggars, disabled people; anybody weak deserves to die. The weak must be weeded out, as they bear no contribution to society.

– Evelyn in ‘Psycho Girl’ (Every Last Psycho, Zarina Macha)

I recognise that these are the views of the character and not the author, but they make uncomfortable reading!

I did like the comparisons the author drew with films like American Psycho and The Bad Seed, which fits in neatly with the overarching theme of the two novellas – the reality of mental illness vs our perception of it (first-hand or via pop-culture). Also I thought it clever that the climax of this story brought us back to the difficulty in trusting our perceptions of reality when viewed through a flawed lens.

Overall these were two quite challenging novellas. The idea behind each is a fascinating one, but I felt that the execution did not quite come off as well as it could have, mainly due to the inherent difficulties of these particular narrative voices.

It is also difficult to identify the readership for this book, as the teen protagonists, school settings and ‘growth journey’ storylines all suggest teen/YA (and that is how Amazon has categorised the book) however the casual sex, explicit rape and violence and frequent expletives tip the balance into a more adult audience, in my opinion.

There are few books that take the brave step of expressing mental illness directly from character to reader in the way that Zarina Macha does here. If you are interested in a different perspective on the issues mentioned then these stories certainly provide it!


Then Mum asks the question she’s been dying to ask.
‘So how’s Ed? I haven’t seen him in a while.’
I stop eating. Freeze. My spoon hovers in mid-air. Stare straight ahead at nothing. Once again, they glance at each other. Dad stretches out a hand, waving it in front of my face. I see Mum try to stop him. Too late. She knows he shouldn’t have done that. Slowly I turn to face him. ‘Your mother was just asking a simple question.’
Get up. Hands fly in the air. Table knocks over. Crash. Cereal falls everywhere. Parents skid back on their chairs. Dad rescues his newspaper. I stand; blue eyes cold and expressionless, staring at the upturned table. My parents are silent. Without blinking, I leave the room. Don’t want to be late for school.

– ‘Every Last Thought’ in Every Last Psycho, Zarina Macha

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Sara Oxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Last Psycho by Zarina Macha a differing pair of four-star reads. This was a good collection, but they could have done with being longer, but I always feel that with shorter stories. This consists of Every Last Thought and Psycho Girl and I think in my eyes Psycho Girl was the stronger story, it just seemed to flow more naturally. Every Last Thought covers some very dark topics and shines a light on some that we don’t often see, the light shining I liked, but the dark topics I didn’t enjoy the way they were dealt with. I am sure some will see it differently, but If that was done differently this could have been a good story. Psycho Girl was a good story when you got into it, but I nearly couldn’t as the main character is a horrible person, I never write that and I am so anti-violence, but if I met her in the street and she spoke like she does in the story I would struggle to hold my temper, but the author got a very strong emotional response from me and that makes this the better story for me.

[C.M. Fritzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Last Psycho is a collection of two novellas by Zarina Macha, a British author based in London. As an American reader, it was extremely interesting to read the characters’ inflections and diction as well as get a glimpse into the university and schooling systems.
In both novellas, the narrator is in school preparing and working through A-levels. Tess, in ‘Every Last Thought,’ is struggling with schizophrenia and addiction (to both substances and her best male friend) while Evelyn, in ‘Psycho Girl,’ feels confident that she will be accepted into Cambridge. The focus is not, however, directly on school but rather the narrators’ lives and desire. The first-person present tense perspective allows the reader to truly see what is happening from the characters’ minds and each narrator is unique.
Macha captures both personalities expertly. Tess’s voice is immature and deeply broken. She is dealing with paranoid schizophrenia with auditory and visual hallucinations. She had a twin that was killed in a car crash and has replaced his influenced in her life with her friend Ed. Dealing with more than her internal mental difficulties, Tess soon spirals further out of control and must decide if she wants to recover at all.
Evelyn, however, is poised and haughty. She shows all the signs of a psychopath and does not understand why others have any sort of emotions. She is never embarrassed, that she makes explicitly clear, and she will definitely be accepted into Cambridge. No question. She is the ideal choice. Her father is the only one she truly clashes with as, it is hinted, he also carries psychopathic traits.
I enjoyed both novellas. I am not usually a fan of present tense narration, however Macha uses it well and I quickly adapted to present tense. I enjoyed the psychology in both characters. Both stories are fairly dark and include somewhat mature themes, however Macha handles it in such a way that I believe her stories can still be enjoyed by a wide audience. College students or seniors in high school (or equivalent) in any country will enjoy these novellas as, even if they cannot relate directly to the characters’ mental disorders, they can relate to the stress of revising for finals and applying to colleges. (Revising means to study, correct?)
Zarina Macha did provide a free copy with no obligation to review and these are my honest opinions. I did purchase this and her poetry collection through Kindle Unlimited and am enjoying her poetry collection as well. I’m glad I was able to read her words.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains two novellas about two different teen girls. Both hit you upside the head and you don’t know which way to turn as you feel empathy and compassion for both characters as they go through life’s motions all on their own. I loved each novella for two different reasons but I’ll explain later in this review.
In “Every Last Psycho,” you find yourself feeling nothing but compassion for 16-yr-old Tess as she’s lost her brother which is a tough pill to swallow as she struggles through life without him. That is until she meets Ed who helps her cope with the loss and live life joyously but she didn’t plan to fall for him since the favor isn’t always returned. Agitated and upset by Ed’s girlfriend, she’s now turned to drugs to cope. As the reader, you’re praying and hoping poor little Tess finds her way back to sobriety and in better mental health because she could most definitely use a break. This book triggered me a lot and stirred a lot of pent-up emotions. I most definitely enjoyed reading it, though.
In the second novella, “Psycho Girl,” we meet 18-yr-old Evelyn as she hides behind her exterior persona: typical type A personality. That is until she applied to the University of Cambridge and didn't get in. Evelyn turns into someone unrecognizable as her perfect image fades away. Homicide, deception, and exploitation follow as not only does Evelyn become a narcissist but a complete psycho! Is it too late for those she loves to see or is she doomed at her own fate?
This collection of novellas has its share of twists and turns for both main characters and it keeps you addicted to each page! The fact you don’t know what to do or how to feel about them and their life is unpredictable. I couldn’t help but feel Tess’ pain and despair while Evelyn was harder to love but you know why she did what she had to do. All of this and more make you very entertained by which way it will all end. These are original books with original plots from an author I recommend reading again and again. The twists of Evelyn’s life are very realistic as I’ve dealt with my share of narcissists and their control of fearing what’s uncontrollable.

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas by Zarina Macha

5 Stars

This is my first time reading anything by this author, and I love the writing style and the flow of these stories. These were seriously tough stories to read, but written so well and although I don't have a lot of knowledge about these subjects I feel as though I understand them just a bit more after reading more about them. I imagine these two young women suffer from things that are a reality to people around the world, and my emotions were all over the place while reading.

The first novella dealt with a young girl Tess, who is dealing with Schizophrenia brought on by the death of her brother. My heart broke for Tess, she went through so much to deal with everything going on in her mind, tried everything to make it all go away. The guy she loves doesnt love her in quite the same way and bad decisions lead to something horrible happening.

I found myself pulling so hard for Tess, she truly was amazing and I wanted her so badly to find her way. I LOVED Ed and Monique in this story. They both genuinely loved Tess and she was so blessed to have great parents and a huge support system. I feel weird saying I loved this story but I did, it was very heartfelt and written with so much care.

The second Novella was even harder than the first, I had a really hard time with it and that stems I think from just not understanding the disease. My emotions struggled a lot during this one and although it ended as it should have it still made me really sad.

I will absolutely be looking for more books by this author. Although the subjects were tough they were written very well.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas by Zarina Macha is YA fiction- with darker elements, drama, sensitive subjects, and emotion.
I loved the cover, and thought the premise of this book sounded quite intriguing, so I snapped up a copy to explore. The book contains two novellas, “Every Last Thought” which follows Tess- and “Psycho Girl” which focuses on Evelyn. The stories are a little darker than I anticipated- which should have been right up my alley- but because they were such short stories, I think they fell short of the initial promise that they held.
In my opinion, I really think the ‘topics’ needed to be ‘fleshed out more’- the darker elements needed more time to ‘simmer’ and garner the depth and impact they might have otherwise had- but instead fell a little short due to trying to make the stories ‘fit’ in a smaller amount of space. I would love to see what they could become given more room to ‘grow’.
Will definitely check out her next book/s though.

Thank you, Zarina Macha!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an incredible read. It's a freaky insight into mental illness, instability, and the desperate need for early identification and treatment of mental illness. It really made me laugh, cry, and feel just about every emotion I could possibly feel. I'm like that when I read, and in life in general, I'm just very emo, but this was a real emo roller coaster. And in a good way... it really pulls you in and makes you think and feel what these characters are feeling. You can't help but feel for them and wonder how, why, etc. It's very visceral. I read this after a horror story, however, and i think it's time for something just a bit lighter! Lol ;-) for me, this was very deep and emotional. I think it should be read by someone with the emotional capacity to handle triggers and difficult situations, as it is a big dose of deep topics. That said, they're handled well and with care.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elouise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and actually quite scary stories of two girls. Both quite different from each other. These two stories have some commonalities. The first being they both deal with a mental illness. The first story is called Every Last Thought and it deals with a young girl and her thoughts about different things. She visits a therapist for her mental illness. And the story emphasized the way she thinks about events that happen to her in her life. The second story is called Psycho Girl deals with more of her actions as well as her thoughts. It contains a couple of murders, strong sexuality and mind numbing emotions.Both stories are deep in descriptive texts and Psychotic happenings. Very well written considering the inexperience of the author and show evidence that she will be a force to recon with as she matures in her storytelling. I thought the book was very good.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself immersed in this story. A thought provoking look at both ends of a mental illness. In Every Last Psycho, Tess has debilitating episodes that leave her weak and afraid. In Psycho Girl, Evelyn is perfect in every way. She expects that she should get everything she wants because she is superior to everyone else. Zarina Macha makes you realise that no two people are the same and everyone reacts differently to their situations. I would highly recommend this book. I received this book for free and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Around Midnight by Zarina Macha and loved it, so I was excited to read some of her other work. I was not disappointed. Macha writes about heavy topics that teens face in a realistic way. She doesn't shy away from the grittier parts of adolescence that most YA novels leave out. This particular book of hers is a quick read (it's two novellas) so if you're looking for something good to read that isn't a long-term commitment this is perfect.

[Ember Daley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the easily triggered, tread lightly, as these cover a lot of areas. These novellas were both amazing in their entirety! They were both quick reads, hard to put down honestly. I would recommend maybe for a little bit older group, but great nonetheless.

[Kimberly Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ARC copy with no obligation to review; this is my honest opinion.

I will start by saying that this book is not something I would usually read. It is darker, more confronting and yet there's something there that kept me engaged.

Author, Zarina Macha is a musician and a writer that was born in North London and currently studies Songwriting and Creative Artistry at The Academy of Contemporary Music in Surrey. Her debut book, Every Last Psycho, is a collection of two novellas; Every Last Thought and Psycho Girl. Both have a gloomy undertone that left me with a feeling of unease and angst mixed with a gratitude that, at the end of the day, I can close the book and go back to my safe and comfy life.

Every Last Thought is about a teenager (Tess) with Schizophrenia and her love obsession for her best friend (Ed). It is clear from the beginning that the story itself is going to be confronting. Sex, drugs and psychotic mood swings all present themselves throughout, with Tess's caring friends and worried family watching on.

Macha's ability to unfold an over-dependent relationship without glorifiying reality was well-received. She has proven she can write authentic characters, keeping with the selfish and self-absorbed mind of a teenager. Tess can't see past her own life to see the damage she is causing to her friends and family. That being said, it is probably the reason the protagonist is not overly liked. Tess portrays a lost teenager that basically destroys everything she touches. It appears as though Tess sets out with one goal; to gain attention. Whether it's negative or positive, she doesn't care who gets hurt in the process.

The side story of Zac is a welcome reprieve from Tess's wild obsession with Ed when she turns to cocaine. But this is short lived. Her obsessive personality turns her friendship with Zac into a depressive drug addiction that is basically paid for with sex.

The story is like witnessing a car-crash. It's horrible to watch, but you can't turn away.

Psycho girl has a similar protagonist. One that is not overly likeable and for some reason, I kept thinking about the book Carrie, by Stephen King when I read it.

The plot in this novella was less compelling than Every Last Psycho and unfortunately lacked depth.

The story is about a girl named Evelyn who has it all. Popularity, beauty, friends, the perfect boyfriend. But it is all for show. Simmering just below the surface of Evelyn's perfectly poised mask is a calculating, manipulative psychopath who will do anything to remain at the top. Evelyn is determined to go to only the best University and the story revolves around her attempts to get what she wants.

The reader is aware from the start that Evelyn is psychopathic and through her insane internal dialogue it becomes apparent how evil she is. Manipulating her friends, her acquaintances and her boyfriend into thinking she is perfectly perfect, we follow Evelyn as she conspires, cheats and even kills to get ahead. The only person that seems to have any idea of her psychopathic tendencies is her ever absent father who only comes home on the weekends.

Without giving too much away, the story unfolds exactly how you would think it would. Evelyn has a massive psychotic episode that even she can't cover up.

Both stories were entertaining to read and kept me engaged from start to finish. Although it is not the type of book I would usually pick up, if you like Carrie, Gone Girl or American Psycho, this book might be for you.

[Mannie MizzFizz Hagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard about this book I was really excited. And I anxiously awaited for this book to come out in paperback as I love the feeling of the paper between my fingers.
Before I had even started reading I knew that it would cover dark themes and have me tingling and engrossed into the story. I knew it would make me feel a little uncomfortable and question my judgements, decisions and perceptions.
However, I was somewhat mistaken. Why?? Because although I did love the book, I was completely surprised at how quickly both stories got dark. At how Tess’s obsessions, grief, hurt and loss are smacked into your face in the first few pages....no the first few lines. My family even questioned me why I was reading the book when I told them about it. At first I got annoyed at how some of the chapters were short and sweet (not sweet but you get what I mean...I hope😂) but as I continued to read I noticed that they were written in such a creative way that is indicative of the downward spiral of mental illness can take you. Your thoughts aren’t all logical, concise or thought out and the author has showed us, the reader just that.
Nevertheless, like I said, that creative feature annoyed me yet I can understand how mental illnesses especially for those who are going through it to see it as if their illnesses are annoying to people. People like Tess’s parents, Ed or Monique.
Another thing that I enjoyed about the book is that it shows the many people who care for her and makes her see that her life is worth living even with the demons telling her to do horrible things such as ‘kill her’ mother. I also enjoyed seeing Zac in a somewhat good light, despite his own situation.
On the other side, I found Psycho girl to be very methodical, to the point of suffocating which it would have been for her to remain behind that ‘perfect mask’. As with most readers, I found Evelyn to be the so called ‘bitch’, who needed to be put down a peg or two. She, how would I put this ‘makes Regina George seem sweet’ 😂😂
However, I also identified with her, not the crazy psycho who creates the cruelty in her world among the pages of Psycho Girl but the view to seem ‘perfect’, ‘beautiful’, ‘confident’ and ‘popular’ in this current day and age where instagram selfies, how many followers you got and who has the latest fashion or following the latest celeb gossip. I also understand the pressure to perform, to make that acceptance into the ‘Cambridges’ of the world. Furthermore, I understand the ‘distant feelings’ and not caring about people or being grateful which most teens and young adults do or seem to do. Guaranteed, she is a psychopath through and through but she is also a teenage girl (anyone who has teen in their age is a teenager in my book regardless of what the law says. Sorry not sorry 😂).
By viewing her in this way, I can see her for what she really is, human. Albeit with a whole lot crazy but still human.
The title suits both stories as many view those with mental issues as psychos or crazy because they don’t understand or just to be mean. Meanwhile the second novella whilst can be seen as the definition of psycho/sociopathic behaviour, I also see a hint of a mental illness as well as social constructs to be perfect and in control in every way. In that sense I see how both stories are intertwined with each other.
In any case, these novellas were beautiful written and I would definitely recommend others to read this book.

[Deb Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*


“Every Last Psycho: A collection Of Two Novellas” by Zarina Macha, is deep dark dive into the human psyche of two girls who suffer from a mental disorder.
The first book in the collection “Every Last Thought” is about Tess who is Schizophrenic. The book is in Tess’s narrative about her day to day thoughts and actions as she deals with her illness. There are two other characters in this book that stand out, the first is Ed, with whom Tess has an obsessive/codependent relationship. The second character is Monique, the gorgeous model friend that that Tess is envious of on some level.
Tess is a sixteen year old that has suffered with Schizophrenia since a tragedy occurred at an early point in her life. Zarina Macha, with her book takes you on a dark journey through Tess that makes you feel deeply for this character. The story touches upon issues such as rape, codependency, drug use/abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and meaningless sex as Tess falls down a deep dark hole, will she find her way out?

The second book in the collection “Psycho Girl” is about Evelyn who for all intents and purpose is about a beautiful girl who on the outside is someone that every girl would want to be ~ beautiful, charming, well-liked, has a good looking rich boyfriend by her side and many friends. However, digging deeper she is in fact a Psychopath, who feels nothing.
Zarina Macha, with this story also in Evelyn’s narrative takes us through the dark thoughts of this character and her utter lack of feelings, remorse, empathy, compassion and is narcissistic . The story touches upon meaningless sex and dark thoughts of causing intentional harm to others. Evelyn is truly the star in her own point of view so not many characters stand out other than her in her eyes. It is indeed intriguing to say the least to read about her utter disregard for humanity. What wouldn’t she do to stay ahead of the game in her life?

This is the first book I have read from Zarina Macha, who has definitely done her homework in regard the the behavior of Schizophrenics and Psychopaths. I am a nurse and well she wrote some very fascinating, insightful and detailed information regarding these Mental Health Disorders. This truly is a fascinating and disturbingly accurate portrayal of someone who would suffer from these mental illnesses. To my knowledge this may be the first book that she has written and if so she is definitely one to keep an eye on as an up and coming author and I for one am looking forward to more of her books.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent a free copy to enjoy and review. This has not affected the review I have given in any way.

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I would have given this book 3 1/2 stars, but I could not see as an option. I enjoyed both stories, but I feel that as one story is a lot stronger than the other, that this would be a fair score to give.

I actually read "Psycho Girl" first, which is the second story in the book. It seemed to appeal more to me from reading the blurb. There was an overall sense of humour and hyperbole in this story, which at times plays to its advantage, but at others makes it more difficult for you to suspend your disbelief. Psychopaths must be difficult to write about, and this story takes the idea of them into a direction whereupon they are defined not only as a lack of emotion, but also as a sadist. At times the writing of the character of Evelyn seemed indulgent in this idea, but it did not stop me from enjoying the story itself, which, far-fetched as it was, made for a read that I could not put down.
Now, I loved the first story ("Every Last Thought,") and felt that a lot more research and realism had gone into the character of Tess and her schizophrenia. Whilst there was less action in the plot of the first novella, its realism has firmly put it in place of my favourite story of the two, and I really felt I could empathise with this character and her struggles. I did wish that the ending was a little more evenly paced, however this does match with the pace of life associated with someone of addiction and mental health issues such as schizophrenia. The descriptions in this story stood out in particular. Whilst the descriptions in "Psycho Girl" did reflect the calculated, measured mind of a psychopath, I felt that the descriptive language in "Every Last Thought" allowed you to have a great sense of being there, feeling the main character's thoughts, bodily experiences, and the escapism she craves.
I look forward to more work from this author- for the first set of stories she has published, these have impressive firey ideas and character shaping. All of the puzzle pieces are there, they just need to be slotted together. With more time and experience, her creations have a lot of promise for the future.

[Petrina Binney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every Last Psycho by Zarina Macha
First published, July 2018

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This book is a collection of two novellas, Every Last Thought and Psycho Girl, both of which feature young, female protagonists with very dark thoughts.

I found the descriptions of mental illness, as experienced by Tess, the teenage main character in Every Last Thought, really interesting. I felt very deeply for her, especially with all the horrors and trauma she goes through. And I liked the character of Ed, best friend of Tess and the love of her life. I enjoyed the unrequited nature of the love story at the centre of Every Last Thought, and felt it balanced some of the darker themes quite well.

In Psycho Girl, Evelyn is a spoilt brat who thinks she’s better than everybody, feels entitled to an Oxbridge education and a selection of men to use for her own entertainment, and I couldn’t bear her. She tries to tear down a rival by manipulating the girl's intellectual insecurity, and I thought, although unlikeable, Evelyn was really well-drawn.

As much as I liked the writing, particularly in Psycho Girl, I did find some of the themes - schizophrenia, sexual violence, substance abuse and rape - very harrowing. Although I’m pleased I read the book, the gravity of the subject matter makes it a difficult one to recommend in general terms, without reference to the trigger warnings.

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas
By Zarina Macha
5 out of 5 stars

The book Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas are two tales with two very interesting main characters. The first one is Tess Davis. She is in the story Every Last Thought. Tess is a young girl who has schizophrenia triggered by the death of her twin brother. She is trying to survive, and this story tells about her downward spiral after living through a horrible trauma, as well as discovering that her best friend, Ed, who she is in love with, has a new girlfriend. Will she be able to stop the spiral? Tess is a character that I grew to like. I also liked her friend Ed. He does his best to try to help Tess no matter what. In the second story, you meet Evelyn Baxter. She is a young girl who I found to be independent, confident, and always seems to get her way. What will happen when she is not accepted into the University of Cambridge and another girl is? What is really behind the perfect mask that Evelyn wears? This is a dark tale that had me turning pages. Both of these stories take you on a journey that you will not soon forget. I know I thought about them even after I had finished the last page. This author does an amazing job of creating both storylines and characters that are unforgettable. This is a book that I would recommend reading.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a set of two novellas from Zarina Macha whom I had read before and was certain I needed to read these as well as soon as I saw them. I have to start off with the major trigger warning I think just needs to be said. These books are not for the faint of heart when it comes to topics such as, substance abuse, rape, severe mental illness, and many more heavy topics that come with those together as well. The concepts and other literary and also other media forms that were pulled in and used were unique and I enjoyed the aspect. I will say overall these two novellas lacked a bit for me. Not in content because that is for sure there but in the way that I wanted to connect with these two women and really feel the emotion and the turbulence that the author wanted to achieve. I struggled to hear their voice and have sympathy for them when these books would have done significantly better to me to have had some sympathetic and approachability to them. I overall could get behind Tess more so in ‘Every Last Thought’. I feel as if she had the most potential for me to relate to. These stories do provoke thought and feelings so I have to give them that. I look forward to seeing what other dark topics Zarina Macha will take on in the future and how they will come out.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!
Very interesting read. Not really my scene, but I was easily pulled into both stories. Both stories are very rough in that they include some sensitive topics such as mental illness, rape, drugs and murder.
My heart was completely broken for Tess. The first time it broke was when she lost her brother and because of it turned into a schizophrenic. The second time my heart broke was when she confessed her feelings to Ed and was regretfully denied. The third time my heart broke was when she turned to hard drugs to cope with all her pain and the voices she hears. I can’t help but wonder how many people out there are dealing with schizophrenia and aren’t getting the help they need, and could end up in a similar situation to Tess.
The second story was a bit different for me than the first. Evelyn, I could not stand her. The fact that she goes completely insane because she doesn’t get into her dream school but her rival and the girl she is trying to sabotage not to get in, does, sends her into a mental breakdown. She turns into the true version of herself which is very ugly.
Overall a great set of 2 stories that touch on mental illness and both stories were very well written. I will definitely have to check out more by this author.

[Kerry carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has 2 stories inside.

The first one called Every Last Thought is a real hard story to read. It contains themes such as mental illness, rape and drug and alcohol abuse. Although these are hard subject to read about it has been written with respect. We follow the journey of Tess. A teenage girl who suffers from schizophrena. She struggles with life as the voices in her head make life hard. So she uses alcohol and eventually drugs to cope with it. Its a heartbreaking and also an eye opening story.

The second story is called Psycho Girl. This is a different type of story about a girl called Evelyn who is a psychopath. On the outside she is a normal girl who has everything she wants. Great grades, a perfect boyfriend, good friends. However she hides a secret from everyone. She doesnt care. She has no feelings or thoughts for anyone but herself and what Evelyn wants she gets one way or another. Her life progresses well. People see her as driven and determined but when she gets rejected by the college she wants to go to she snaps and the true Evelyn comes to light. It is a very chilling story and scary to think that there are people living like that, happy, normal lives until something makes them snap.

[Daisy Fallows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every last psycho is a novella of two short stories concerning two teenage girls both facing different mental health issues.

The first story, Every last thought, is about a girl named Tess who deals with schizophrenia and other hard hitting issues such as drug abuse, sexual assault and extreme dependence on people. Although the topics can be triggering, Macha pulls the reader in and shows us how mental illness can affect a persons life, and I felt as if I was in the story with these characters, feeling the same emotions.

The second story, Psycho Girl, is about the narcissist Evelyn, whose belief is that she is better than everyone and expects an offer from oxbridge. When things don’t go her way, she ruins lives including her own. Although the reader may not agree with her beliefs, they are compelled to continue reading to see what she does next, and justify her actions. You end up agreeing with her in some parts, as Macha makes the character soo realistic. I would say the ending of this isn’t as good as the first story, as to me, it was a bit rushed, and I wanted to how Evelyn dealt with the consequences.

I did find the topics in this novella quite dark and a lot for a YA, however, Macha perfectly explored and concluded all the heavy components in such a short book.

[Heather Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from this author and she got my full attention. I absolutely love a good psycho thriller but this author exceeded all my expectations. This book contains two novellas of two very different teenage girls. You will have a love and hate relationship with these girls but it will definitely open your eyes. I was so addicted to these stories I read them both in one day. I can’t wait to see what this author will write next.

The first novella was about a teen girl named Tess. She is dealing with Schizophrenia brought by her brother’s death. Tess has a hard time making friends because she is a weird girl. She has two best friends Ed and Monique. Tess loves her friends and one day she tells Ed that she really loves him. Will Tess get what she is looking for or will something else come along?

The second novella is about a college girl named Evelyn. She is very confident and always gets her way. Evelyn is in complete shock when she finds out that she doesn’t get her way in something that really matters. She ends up doing some horrible things to herself and others. Will someone stop her before it’s too late?

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas by Zarina Macha. This is a collection of 2 stories about young girls with severe mental issues. The first Every Last Thought is about 16 year old Tess Davis who suffers from schizophrenia that is triggered by her twin brothers death. When she meets a boy at school named Ed he gives her a new lease on life. She and Ed are best friends and all is great until she start falling in love with him. When Ed gets a girlfriend Tess is shattered. She starts to spiral out of control again adding cocaine to the mix and she doesn't know if she will ever recover. The second story is about 18 year old Evelyn Baxter who seems to have it all. Popular, rich, tons of friends, beautiful and great boyfriend but when she applies to the University of Cambridge to study law and another girl in her year get in and not her Evelyn's true colors come out. Murder, lies and ugliness ensue as the real Evelyn is revealed. These stories are so good and will keep you in the edge of your seat!

[Dawn Daughenbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star
Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas by Zarina Macha

Every Last Psycho : A Collection of Two Novellas by Zarina Macha is two different stories that will grip your heart from the very beginning and doesn’t let go till the end. There are twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what happens next. My emotions were all over the place . Up first we have Tess and she’s a young girl who has schizophrenia that is triggered by the death of her twin brother. This is the story of her downward spiral after she’s been through a horrible trauma. Then there is Ed whom is her best friend and who she is in love with but he has a new girlfriend. Can she stop the downward spiral she’s found herself in? Second up we have Evelyn’s story and she is an independent young woman who doesn’t get excepted into University but another girl does. Find out what happens next. Will everyone see thrme true Evelyn? Both of these stories will keep you guessing till the end. I can’t wait to read more from this Author. I highly recommend reading this Book.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the first book psycho girl test is not the most likable person. I understand she has mental issues and I get that, but even people with mental disorders can be unlikable. I did like the book and thought the author did a great job with it. I must say though I thought the second but every last thought was much better and even though they have dark themes in it, I thought the author dealt with them in a real way and not a phony Hollywood funny way. Then again there is no great way to deal with such issues. I also want to send kudos to the author forthree times before the stories even start she puts trigger warnings so kudos to you. A lot of authors do not do that and that really gets on my nerves, but this one did three times. If you like real life gritty stories you’re going to like these two books and although separately they or short reads together they make a perfect afternoon read or a Quickread while waiting for an appointment or just a quick lunchtime read. Either way you should read these books.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a young-adult thriller book that has two short stories about two different girls. This is not my first book by this author but it is my favorite for sure. They are both great stories that have characters that took me on twists and turns that kept me turning pages just waiting to see what would happen next. First, Tess is a girl that suffers from schizophrenia who falls in love but she learns that her love is not reciprocated. She loses control of her life and drug induced delusions take her to another place. Will she get a grip on her life before it is too late? Then you have Evelyn who is loved by everyone. She applies for university but what happens when she doesn't get in but another girl does will keep you turning pages to the end. Will everyone see the monster she truly is? Both stories had me sitting on the edge of my seat and had me engaged to the end. I highly recommend this book and this author.

[Candida Furbush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Last Psycho: A Collection of Two Novellas
by Zarina Macha

This is a dark and haunting read. Both books were very intriguing and informative. The first one is about Tess and her schizophrenic spiraling that brought forth an emotive response. I found myself hoping that despite her mental illness she could find some long term happiness. I liked the characters of her two good friends that just wanted what was best for her and wanted to be there for her as much as they could for their age.
The second story was about Evelyn and this book also brought up emotions, it was just a different kind. It's a sad thing to read about someone who doesn't feel the things that you know most of us feel. The author did an excellent job writing about these issues that I honestly don't know much about. I had a hard time putting this book down. I found it to be different from anything I have read before. I recommend this book.

[Meg Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Contains graphic depictions of violence, sexual assault and drug abuse. Some material may be unsuitable for minors and thus should proceed with caution**
This is a first time author for me. This book has two separate novella’s. The first has Tess as our lead female character- she’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia triggered by the death of her twin brother Stanley. This is her story about dealing with her diagnoses and how she copes with things, which really isn’t a healthy way to cope, but I’m not schizophrenic so I don’t know how horrible day to day life would be. The second story has Evelyn as our main lead female character. She’s everything every girl wants to be- confident, beautiful, popular and rich. However, on the inside, she’s empty without any feeling and cruelty hiding under the surface. Will her friends and family notice before it’s too late? Both of these stories were decently told, with originality in the way the book unfolded.