Review + Giveaway: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Summary/Cover Image from Author's Website:

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.

Review:

I have been eagerly anticipating Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry for months now. The moment I first heard about it I knew it had to read it, and thankfully, when the chance finally arrived, it was everything I hoped it would be, and much, much more! Quite simply, it was the edgy, romantic contemp I just love, something very similar to a Simone Elkeles or Jennifer Echols book.

Pushing the Limits tells the story of Echo and Noah, two troubled teens brought together by a determined social worker and an after school-tutoring gig. Echo used to be the popular girl. She had the right friends, the perfect boyfriend, and the looks and money to get her anywhere in life. However, after her brother’s death and her mother’s mental breakdown, Echo’s left with scars everywhere…figuratively and literally. She does not know where she fits in anymore…certainly not in her old life, but with Noah, her school’s bad boy, she begins to fit in as well as live again. However, Noah has his own problems. He lost his parents in a fire, and most visitation rights to his brothers, the only family he had left, after a fight with his first foster parent. Noah is determined to get his life straight and get his brothers back, but when Echo falls into Noah’s life, everything begins to change. Suddenly, Noah, the king of one-night stands, begins to fall in love with a girl who is majorly out of his league. Will Noah and Echo end up together? Will they end up getting their lives on the right paths, or will everything end up more screwed up then ever? Only time and more pages can tell in this fast paced and addicting read sure to leave any reader wanting more.

Sometimes a dual narration works beautifully, and other times not so much. With Pushing the Limits, the former occurred. Katie McGarry did a fantastic job of not only switching between Echo and Noah but also establishing them as such well-developed and fascinating characters. From the start, I was caught up their respective stores, and over the course of the book, I truly came to adore them. Both were so fragile and delicate because of all the pain they went through and the past, but together, they became an invincible team. Echo’s voice especially grabbed me. McGarry did a fantastic job of expressing Echo’s frustration of not remembering what happened that horrible night beautifully since I could honestly feel Echo’s frustration come flying off the page. I also thought McGarry did a good job in the transformation Echo faced from her past life to her new one. Her problems with her friends and ex, for example, seemed believable. Noah, on the other hand, was incredible as well. Not only because I swooned at everything he said, but also because of how he was such a nice person under that hard exterior. Seeing him interact with Echo as well as his brothers did a lot in the development of his character. I also enjoyed the wide variety of other characters introduced, such as Noah’s best friends and Echo and Noah’s social worker Mrs. Collins.
 
Another part of Pushing the Limits I adored was the plot. The revealment of Echo and Noah’s respective secrets was done with much suspense as well as grace, which left me to stay up super late to finish this one. I was always dying to know what would happen next. What happened to Echo that night? Was there more to Noah’s story then he lead on? The questions were constantly swirling around in my head. I also loved the romance in this one. Echo and Noah’s love was realistic, as had they’re problems and dilemmas, as well as super sweet. I loved seeing them interact, because not only did they truly support each other in ways no one else did, but they also were just the most adorable couple ever.

Lastly, McGarry’s writing was excellent! She did a fabulous job of presenting intense issues without shying away from details. The development of characters and plot was also well done, and I particularly loved the ending. It was bittersweet in some ways, but I couldn’t imagine it ending any other way!

In all, Pushing the Limits is a book I highly, highly suggest you pick up! It’s edgy, romantic, and suspenseful…what’s not to love about that?!

Grade: A+

Pushing the Limits (Amazon/ Barnes and Noble/ Goodreads/ IndieBound) will be released July 31, 2012!

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Book Trailer:

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I also have one copy of Pushing the Limits to giveaway thanks to Harlequin Teen and Media Masters Publicity.

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