Thursday, August 16, 2012

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publishing Date: July 31st, 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 385 pgs
ISBN: 9780373210497
Source: ARC received from NetGalley for honest review

Rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:
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:
Wow! What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said. This book is AWESOME! The book is told from the perspective of two different people: Echo and Noah. These two just take your heart and rip it out as you read the book. I have to say that I was crying throughout a good portion of this book.
Echo is a teen girl who has just been through a traumatic experience with her mother and she can't remember it. On top of that she is living with her overprotective father and her pregnant former babysitter turned step-mother. Noah is a young man whose parents died and he was separated from his brothers when they were all put into foster care. He struggles with his sense of responsibility to his brother and also trying to take care of himself. The story revolves around both Echo and Noah and how they eventually begin to fall for each other.
This book is not for the faint of heart. It is raw and emotional and this is the reason why I gave it 5 stars. It is difficult for people to write about these kind of struggles while trying to find a balance. You don't want it to be too intense and you also don't want to make it too light. I think this is especially difficult when writing a teen book. Kudos to you McGarry because you have written a thought-provoking and well-written book.
I have to say the parts that were the most difficult to deal with were the ones where Noah is interacting with his brothers. I just can't fathom how brothers can be separated and then made to visit with a social worker present. It was so sad and I thank my lucky stars that nothing like that has happened to my 5 siblings and I.
I am not going to lie, I am having a really difficult time putting into words what I loved about this book. I seem to be rambling and all I really want to tell you is to go out and buy this book right now!

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