Book Review: Crash Into You



Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
(Pushing the Limits #3)
November 26, 2013
Harlequin Teen
474 pages
Genre: Mature Young Adult
Source: eARC from publisher for Honest review
(I also pre-ordered a hardcopy for myself.)

Book Blurb:

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

My Review:

Crash Into You is Isaiah's story, and if you aren't familiar with Isaiah from Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, then you'll get to know him here. McGarry does a good job of getting the familiar reader caught up with what we knew about Isaiah from the previous books, or getting the new reader up-to-date on who Isaiah is. You don't have to have read the previous books to read Crash Into You. I think it can be read as a standalone. Though you will meet some characters from the previous books, the hints toward their previous stories are vague and not overly spoilery, so that may just make you want to pick up those other books afterwards.

Not only is this my favorite cover of the series, but the story is also right up there with Noah and Echo's book, or maybe Isaiah is my favorite. What draws me into Katie McGarry's books is not only her writing skills, but the incredible characters she creates. I fell in love with Noah and Echo and was completely pulled into their story. I didn't fall in love with Beth, though I did like Ryan, so their story didn't completely win me over. But once again, Katie has struck gold with me with Isaiah and Rachel. I already liked Isaiah from the previous books, but we never fully got to know him, so I was really looking forward to getting to know him better this time around. Isaiah and Rachel's story did not disappoint. There is a certain beauty to their relationship, that two people seemingly from different worlds can completely bring out the best and true self in each other. They are both completely likeable both separate and together, their uniquenesses coinciding brilliantly. Swoon Isaiah! And I loved the interweaving of the love of cars and driving fast.

Yes, some of their circumstances got a little outrageous, and it really felt like all obstacles were against them, but their characters continued to shine through, and their relationship developed on a mature level. This wasn't just some lust-filled novel where the characters fell for each other physically. Yes, they were attracted to each other and have chemistry. But they bonded at an emotional level, and with that bond and its ensuing vulnerability, they were also forced to grow as individuals and help each other in ways they hadn't anticipated. On a side note, I must also say I like how McGarry involves adults in her stories, both good and bad and somewhere in-between, but they always have a certain relevance, which is just like real life.

We also get to revisit with friends from previous books as well as make some new friends. One particular minor character from before comes into play in this story, and I was so happy that he did! I'm still hoping Katie will give him his own book or novella some day. We are also introduced to the main male character in the next planned novel, Take Me On, and I can already tell it's going to be a another wild ride.

5 STARS

 

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