Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Series: Pushing the Limits #1
Published by Harlequin Teen on July 1, 2012
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Goodreads
SO WRONG FOR EACH OTHER...AND YET SO RIGHT.
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.
But when Noah Hutchins, the smokinghot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.
Rose’s Review
This was my second time listening to this book. (I have never actually read this book, like in print. The first time, I rated it a 4. This time I struggled between 4 and 5 stars, deciding that a solid 4.5 stars is more the case and rounded up.) Told from the alternating POVs of Noah and Echo, Pushing the Limits is a mature YA read for those whole like contemporary romance, but it is certainly not a light hearted read. I loved Noah and Echo and was equally interested in each character’s stories. Noah is oh so sexy, and your typical bad boy with a heart of gold. Echo is socially withdrawn with severe “daddy” issues. Actually, she has family issues period. Both characters have been dealt a debilitating hand by fate. Katie McGarry, the book’s author, did a masterful job of getting me to instantly like and care about what happened to her characters. I really wanted to see Echo heal and Noah get his family back. I even cared what happened to the supporting characters. Isaiah and Beth, Tyler and Jacob, Lila, even Grace was interesting. What I really noticed the second read-(er, listen-) through, was the McGarry did not rush her story. I really liked that she took the time to develop the plot, yet the story got going right away. I was interested from the first 30 seconds into the book. I also appreciated that McGarry did not end the book abruptly. Noah and Echo’s lives were messy. And it would have been a huge injustice to their story if the author simply tried to end everything with your typical YA high school romance neat with-ribbon-and-bow ending. She took the time to really flesh out all the major (and even more minor) plot points and left me with an ending that I found remarkable and extremely satisfying. I would definately recommend this read to anyone who liked Slammed by Colleen Hoover and Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. Also, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Dare You To.
Completely agree with Rose’s awesome review!