Review: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Genre

YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date

July 24th, 2012

Publisher

Harlequin Teen

Available At
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Formats 

Hardcover
Ebook

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.


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!


Two characters striving to re-find a normal that doesn't exist anymore which forces them to find a new normal. 

I'm a huge fan of split perspectives, and Katie McGarry did not disappoint in that aspect. There was a vast difference between Noah's voice and Echo's voice that was hugely appreciated by this reader. Echo is more refined where Noah is more gruff, it was perfect. Also, since I'm a details person, I loved the little tells that McGarry threw into the mix, it was a successful way to connect the reader in a broader way. 

"Luke use to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls"

                                                                                              - Echo

Noah drinks, smokes pot, has sex, skips school and curses. You can label him the quentessential 'bad boy', but to me he was just a troubled teenager that was letting his past shape his present. I like, no love, when authors put in the not so pretty aspects of high school, or life in general. I don't know about you, but I was surrounded by Noah-type and Echo-type people throughout high school, may have been a little of both. As much as some parents don't want to admit it, this stuff really happens in high school, so why should authors not write about it? I was more than grateful that Katie McGarry put real-life instances into Pushing The Limits.

"Depth perception and beer obviously weren't related"

                                                                     - Echo

Another great thing? The character growth wasn't dependent on the romance. Echo and Noah grew together just as much as they grew separetely, which is pretty realistic, because some things you just have to learn or do on your own. They also gained insight from their friends which helped their individual or couple growth. All in all, there wasn't a single aspect of Pushing The Limits I didn't like. I found it realistic, with awesome characters and many deeper meanings buried within the story. 

If you love YA Contemporary Romance then make sure to read Pushing The Limits. If you are looking to dive into the YA Contemporary genre, there is no better place to start than Pushing The Limits. If you've read this book. . . I want your thoughts :)


PS, Katie McGarry is writing her next book about a supporting character in Pushing The Limits. Can. Not. Wait!

*Received my copy of the book from NetGalley*