It's Over

by Laura L. Smith

"Laura Smith speaks for the broken. With a voice that’s warm and true, Laura gives words to those rendered speechless by issues that high school and college girls should never have to deal with—but so many of them do. In writing that’s raw, relevant, and real, Smith goes where few authors dare to straight into the heart of today’s young woman." – Amy Parker, best-selling author


"Contemporary university problems and family drama touch each of the main characters in IT'S OVER, the second installment in Laura L. Smith’s Status Updates series. Smith continues the graceful journey she started in IT'S COMPLICATED, and her readers will find lessons on every page. Female friendships, family love, and trust in God bring Smith’s characters through again!"     ~Laura Anderson Kurk, author of GLASS GIRL


"In IT'S OVER, Laura Lynn Smith confirms the truth we've been told that we are never alone in the midst of heartache and struggle. In fact, she takes us to a place where we not only get to see, but feel deeply the truth of the fact that every single one of us has a story. Every single one of us has experienced pain. But more importantly, that every single one of us has great hope. Laura Lynn Smith's writing strikes a deep chord in my heart. It makes sense. It's real -- and in my opinion, that transparency makes all the difference." ~ Holly Starr, Christian recording artist


--------------


When four college roommates lose pieces of their lives, the pain isolates and the tension rises. Emotions are hard to hide and even harder to tackle. How can the girls move forward, when there is so much pain in letting go? Together, Claire, Kat, Palmer and Hannah learn to lean on God and each other, and through it all they learn loss is a part of life.


--------------


Laura L. Smith loves God, her husband, her four children, writing and speaking. She writes real stories for real girls. Her previous books include Skinny, Hot, and Angry.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2013

About the author

Laura L. Smith lis a best-selling author and speaker. She loves Jesus, her husband, her four kiddos, music,books, coffee, France, and chocolate. Smith lives in the college town of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Reviews

[Laura Kurk · Rating 5 out of 5]

In It's Over, Laura L. Smith (author of Hot, Skinny, and Angry) continues the contemporary university stories of the four girls from It's Complicated. The girls, who have solidified their solid relationships on campus, must travel between home and school dealing with the worst parts of life--the death of a sibling, the aging of a grandparent, disloyal boyfriends, and the loss of a home. Through their trials, they continue to lean on one another and God, and find ways to be thankful even in the lean times. Smith crafts a story that will appeal to all girls.

Smith tackles incredibly difficult issues in this book--death, aging, depression, drug use, and jealousy and confusion. She folds story lines together so elegantly that readers will relate. It's a great reminder to all of us that all people have difficulties, no one is immune, and it is our job as caring individuals to sympathize and reach out.

My favorite part of this book, and this series, is that Smith writes about a time of life during which we have a tendency to be self-absorbed and turns that on its head. She shows the strain that comes from self-absorption and the beauty that comes from reaching out to others and to God. As in It's Complicated, Smith again teaches her characters to look away from mirrors and toward the people God has placed in their paths.

This is a fantastic read, one that will resonate with teens and college-aged girls and their mothers! I also recommend it for youth group use and situational studies. Fans of authors like Nicole O'Dell, Stephanie Morrill, Nancy Rue, and Melody Carlson will love Smith's style, voice, and subject matter.

[Kasey Giard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragedy greets Kat when she arrives home from college for fall break. Though her three roomies band together in support, Kat can barely find the strength to move through the motions of her life. Claire, still reeling from her own injuries of heart, seems to be the only one who can reach Kat. As Thanksgiving draws closer, each girl faces a shift in an important relationship, and as Claire suggested, each attempts to discover something to be thankful for amidst the rubble that remains. Palmer fields not-so-subtle comments on her waistline from her mother and expertly blocks her boyfriend’s attempts for sex. But can she stay pure and stay with Keegan? As in the first book, the four roommates draw strength from one another, support each other and encourage each other in faith.
Smith carries readers through a rainbow expertly rendered emotions, from happy holiday celebrations to the deepest of heartache and the purest dawning of hope. Each of the girls has a distinct voice with a different perspective. This is a great series for the reader looking for some fun, lighthearted moments and open to the deeper lessons life has to offer.