Book Review: Pushing the Limits

Pushing the Limits

By: Katie McGarry

Published By: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: July 31, 2012

Page Count: 384

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via NetGalley

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary Romance

I almost didn't read this one because the cover just screams cheesy. That would have been such a stupid mistake. I have yet again been reminded that judging a book by its cover isn't a good idea. Pushing the Limits is one of the best contemporary romances I have read since discovering Simone Elkeles and the Fuentes brothers. I have to admit that I might like Noah just a tiny bit more than the Fuentes brothers. You do get that sense of starcrossed lovers that the Elkeles books bring to mind, but its for very different reasons.

One of the things that I really love about this book is it is not just a cookie cutter romance with a gorgeous girl and a hot boy. Echo and Noah are teens with some serious emotional issues to overcome. Their lives are not easy and they know that being together comes with its own set of obstacles. The relationship between these two is real and isn't of the cotton candy variety. I loved seeing Noah and Echo shed their insecurities and learn how to be a couple. It was also nice that the novel bounced between Echo and Noah's perspectives so you could really understand their thoughts and actions. 

I went through the emotional gauntlet with this one. I laughed. I cried. I got angry. Only a talented writer and compelling writer can create such a response. I was rooting for a happy ending for both Echo and Noah from the first moment I met them. These are two kids who have been through so much. The supporting characters were also memorable and helped evoke many emotions as well. 

Pushing the Limits, at its core, is a story of survival, hope, and love. Life can really suck sometimes, but its the moments with those we love that can make all the difference. I am inspired to appreciate my loved ones a bit more after reading this novel.

A word of caution - Keep in mind that Echo and Noah are Seniors in high school so their relationship veers more in the adult direction. Be warned that this one fogged up my Kindle screen at a few points and might be a bit much for younger teens. There are also numerous instances of the F-word and lots of drug references. Is this typical of high school? Sure. Is this a book every parent will want their teen to read? Not so much. Did I enjoy it? Immensely. 

Katie McGarry is a force to be reckoned with in the YA world and I cannot wait to read her next book. She doesn't sugar coat the harsh aspects of life. I find that to be tremendously valuable in YA fiction. This is a novel that I had to force myself to read slowly because I knew the end was coming far too soon for my liking. This should be at the top of your pre-order list.

One Last Gripe: I was really frustrated by the foster system and how it often lets kids like Noah down.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The chemistry between Echo and Noah

First Sentence: "My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has... well... issues."

Favorite Character: Noah

Least Favorite Character: Grace

Summary:

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 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.