Books

THE HURTING

A contemporary Wuthering Heights, THE HURTING is a young adult psychological thriller about twisted love, obsession and sacrifice, set against the stunning backdrop of remote Norwegian fjords and an abandoned wolf reservation.

Nell's family arrives in Norway in financial disgrace. She is dominated by her family - her religious father and her sister, whose cancer stops Nell from embracing her dreams of a musical career. She doesn't believe in love, either, until she falls for Lukas. But Lukas has his own dark agenda, and in this tale of hidden secrets and shocking twists, he manipulates Nell closer to the point of no return. How far is she willing to go for love?

Praise for THE HURTING

The FT : “The grandeur of a Norwegian setting is not the only thing that sets  Lucy van Smit’s debut apart…The Hurting becomes a tale of raw survival when Nell has to navigate the icy, wolf ravaged wilderness…”

The Bookseller: “Shocking twists and secrets aplenty in an intense, compelling, epic noir thriller played out against an atmospheric Norwegian setting.”

‘It’s brilliant!  Really, really good – and I’m not just saying that.  I finished it last night and was genuinely sad it had come to an end.  It’s very powerful and so vivid;  some authors are good at characterisation, some at setting…you seem to excel at both.  I’m seriously impressed.” Katy Fletcher, Dulwich Prep. Librarian.

“Compelling, dark, enthralling – read it now! Don’t you just hate it when you fall in love and steal a baby? Seriously, Lucy Van Smit takes an ‘out there’ premise and draws the reader in, via layered plotting and nuanced characterisation. The Nordic backdrop is fabulous and Nell is an enigmatic lead, complex and flawed and absolutely compelling. I can see this as a movie, for sure. Loved it and very, very much recommended.”  L.V. Hay, Script Consultant, Author, Script Editor.

“There are no words to describe the beauty that is The Hurting … but I will try. I was instantly sucked in by the beautiful prose and atmospheric setting. The reader is effortlessly transported to the freezing wilderness with Nell and the dangerous wolf boy. Smit has an authentic teen voice and does a fantastic job of taking the older reader back to their teen years. That all consuming infatuation, the guy you can’t stop thinking about – the text pulsed with teenage obsession.” Amazon Reviewer.

“Have I said how much I really love ‘The Hurting’? I have read it twice now – just a gorgeous, gorgeous piece of writing. My niece (who’s at Rugby) has completely flipped for it and made all her friends buy it – it’s totally intense and cool is her review.” Cat Muir, Screenwriter, Children’s Novelist.

“And the WRITING.  Oh my goodness your writing.  You don’t miss a space for punch and power.  No fluff.  Some absolutely beautiful ways of saying things that make you almost breathless with description, followed by another and another – all in the same paragraph.  Till you’re overcome with the intensity of your feelings and how you can put them across.” Pamela Townley, Author, Screenwriter.