Book Review: Pushing the Limits

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
July 31, 2012
Harlequin Teen
392 pages
Source: Personal Purchase

Goodreads Summary:

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 smoking-hot, 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.

My Review:

With many friends recommending this book, I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype. Well, it did. I simply loved this book. Echo and Noah are characters you cannot help but fall in love with. Echo has her mysterious scars that she hides and Noah has a tough exterior hiding the pain of his life. I loved how the backstory to each of Echo's and Noah's lives slowly unraveled throughout the novel. I loved how the relationship between Echo and Noah also worked itself throughout the book. Their stories are heart-breaking and I just wanted to wrap my arms around them both. They had to endure so much at such young ages. They may have had much to work through personally, yet I loved how they were able to support each other, needing and being there for each other when they didn't even know they were looking for someone to need.

The secondary characters were also well thought out, whether little brothers, parents, friends, etc, they added so much more depth to the story. They weren't just two-dimentional cardboard characters used as filler. Echo's dad was not my favorite, but Mrs. Collins was a refreshing adult character who persevered with Echo & Noah. It was nice to see a YA novel that admits that there are adults out there who can and will help.

The story was amazing and the ending was perfect. Well done, Ms. McGarry! This is one of those books I will gladly reread. I'm also looking forward to Beth's story in Dare You To coming out next year.

 

5 ECSTATIC STARS