Where All Things Will Grow

The fourth book in the Old Wounds series by N.K. Smith is amazing. Brilliant ending to a brilliant story.

Sophie and Elliot come to realize that they love each other so much but they've been using each other as emotional crutches and that's not healthy for either of them. After a scary altercation between the two of them, they break up and go their own way for summer break.

Elliot checks himself into an in-patient program and with the help of Dr. Emmanuel he comes to terms with his feelings for his mother, father and brother. In that time Sophie learns a lot about herself too and opens up to her dad more.

But then Sophie falls into a coma and when she wakes shes not the same. She and Elliot have yet another obstacle to tackle, but they overcome it together.

I absolutely loved this series and the ending of this book was perfect, any other ending and I would have hated it. So much love and hatred, fear and strength wrapped up in 15 chapters is unbelievable. I definitely recommend this book, and series, to anyone with a heart.

Weight of the World by N.K. Smith

Weight of the World, N.K. Smith’s third novel in the Old Wounds series continues with the heart wrenching story of Sophie and Elliot and their attempts at acquiring some type of normalcy in their lives. Sophie has made some progress by refraining from drugs and sex but struggles to deal with her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Through Sophie’s increased closeness with Elliot, it becomes clear that Elliot has a lot bottled up inside of him that is boiling to the precipice.  

Elliot opens up a little to Sophie and tells her about living with his overly religious, brutal father but holds back from telling her the whole story. Through the author’s switch of narrator from Sophie to Elliot, the reader is allowed to step into Elliot’s mind and understand him better.

Sophie has found herself in a new position where someone in her life needs her for more than just her body and she’s not sure how to handle it. She chooses sobriety and self control for Elliot’s sake, begins to love him and hate herself for not being “right” for him. Meanwhile, she continues to deal with her father’s attempts to patch their relationship and her therapists’ attempt at getting her to talk about subjects she’d rather bury.

The end of this novel left me with an aching heart, a few tears in my eyes and a deep need to find out what happens next. There is so much more to uncover about Sophie and Elliot and their seriously disturbed childhoods. I truly look forward to reading the next instalment of this amazing series.