Tuesday, March 25, 2014

YA Book Review: Pushing The Limits (Pushing The Limits 1)


Book Title: Pushing The Limits (Pushing the Limits 1)
Author:  Katie McGarry |WebsiteTwitterFacebook|
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA Contemporary
Series/Standalone: Series
Format: Paperback
Cost: $8.99
Pages: 392
How I got it: Purchase
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
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Synopsis:
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.
 It should say 'than, not then'
Courtesy of Parajunkee

I laughed quite a bit while reading this book. I literally stayed up all night just so I could finish the book, of course, silly me I started the book at 130 am and couldn't put it down until I finished at 730 am this morning.  I really enjoyed it, Noah and Echo totally had sparks that allowed them to be comfortable being sarcastic and witty with each other.  I loved that they were broken and that they struggled to find themselves without there being crazy drama. ( O_o I mean other than her mother and Noah getting into... you know what... ok so there was a little bit of drama.) I loved the feels from this book, the emotion that they had to deal with, the desire to be more than what they were right then. I loved their idea of 'normal'.

Echo's (whose name I love by the way) story is so heartbreaking. I mean the poor girl had the worst ever beginning, And high school gossip certainly doesn't help her make it through with her self esteem intact.  Afraid of what the scares meant she hid them and slowly withdrew so that others couldn't judge her for them.  I know she was kind of self centered (but then what kind of teenager isn't ??), but she's operating with a limited amount of information so therefore she's being her version of normal.

OMG Noah it's like reading Riley from Sweet by Erin McCarthy, he's so amazing, he's attempting to be the best brother he can be without losing himself, his entire focus is on his brothers.  He is actually a bit of a stoner because he's afraid of all the things his young shoulders have to hold. He's pushed into several different foster homes and each one was worse than the last and he's left to fend for himself. All due to one incident his life is completely torn apart.

I loved reading from both of their points of view as it allowed us to see more of the world they lived in. Their friends at least the good ones are actually well written.  I loved the flow of the story and that as each switch happened we learnt more about them and their personal situations. There were so many moments that kicked you in the chest when you didn't see it coming, I really loved Mrs. C the school counselor, she was awesome just enough batty, forgettable & eccentric enough to be cool to the kids and yet smart enough to keep the parents at bay.
 ★★★★
I'm definitely checking out the other books in the series, because I now know why everyone loves them so much!! 

It wasn't until I was reading Dare You To that I realized that the books have a soundtrack in the back, so guess who is getting their own list??!! Make sure to look out for that, the author's songs and the ones I thought of during the reading marathon.

Happy Reading

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