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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
I absolutely loved this book! I immediately fell in love with the characters, and the storyline definitely kept me interested and wanting to read more! I would highly recommend this book if you are into young adult contemporary books. Can't wait to read more from Katie McGarry; her writing was amazing!
For a more in-depth book review, check out my book blog, A Nook of Blankets and Books!
http://anookofblanketsandbooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/pushing-limits-book-review.html#more
For a more in-depth book review, check out my book blog, A Nook of Blankets and Books!
http://anookofblanketsandbooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/pushing-limits-book-review.html#more
Přesně takovou knížku už jsem hrozně dlouho ve svým životě potřebovala.
I fell in love with this book. It is absolutely amazing and the reason why i loved it soo much is because they had mystery, suspense, reality, romance and many more! I would totally recommend this book to people. It was a really good book
This is a highly enjoyable read. Not only do the characters and romance captivate, the overall plot is also interesting. I really wanted Noah and his little brothers to be okay, and I hoped Echo could figure out how to deal with everything that had happened to her.
I admired Echo’s strength and I adored Noah’s protectiveness. They seem like the perfect fit together, and their relationship had a great build-up with the right amount of drama.
If I had to point out a flaw to this novel, it would probably be its length. And that’s not to say that it ever felt like it started to drag or become boring, but it just seemed a bit too long. Some bits could have probably been cut. This wasn’t a huge issue though, especially since I still enjoyed every sentence I read.
I admired Echo’s strength and I adored Noah’s protectiveness. They seem like the perfect fit together, and their relationship had a great build-up with the right amount of drama.
If I had to point out a flaw to this novel, it would probably be its length. And that’s not to say that it ever felt like it started to drag or become boring, but it just seemed a bit too long. Some bits could have probably been cut. This wasn’t a huge issue though, especially since I still enjoyed every sentence I read.
Ahhhh oh my god. It’s unusual for me to read realistic fiction. I’m more of a fantasy, dystopia, sci-fi, omg magic kind of junkie. But this turned out to be one of the most heart-wrenching beautiful books I have ever read. Seriously. By Katie McGarry.
The Plot: So much is going on. Both Echo and Noah are incredibly damaged teenagers. Both find it hard to trust adults and have multiple issues in their personal lives. One day Echo is popular and untouchable, the next she is gossiped about because of the mysterious scars she can’t remember getting on the day she almost died. She wants to know, but she can’t. Her broken mind has suppressed the memories. Not only that, her mother has a restraining order and her controlling father has remarried with her previous babysitter. Yes problems. Noah’s parents died in a fire and ever since then he has struggled through multiple brutal foster homes. Labeled a bad boy, he has turned to drugs and using girls. He has one goal, to get his beloved younger brothers (my god they were adorable) out of the system that hurt him so badly. Both are brought together by a school guidance social worker named Mrs. Collins (a.k.a. The best adult in this whole dang book, I want to meet her) and start to fall for each other as they struggle to solve their problems.
The Characters:
Echo: Brave, brave, Echo. She struggles to remember what happened to her on the dark night she almost died (yes she eventually remembers what happened) and it’s terrible. No person should ever have to go through that. Not to mention how she has to deal with her overbearing, pressuring, so controlling father. Honestly, it’s amazing how she doesn’t just break and go stark-raving mad. She is just so heroic and fierce no matter what she goes through.
And then came Noah….
Noah: Asdfghjkl. Can’t describe him. Ahhhhhh so gorgeous, with a wounded soul. So perfect and daring and brave and omg his love for his brothers. One thing I thought was stupid was dude, really? Drugs? How are you going to get custody over them if you do drugs? He drops them though, so I was ok. Anyway, of course being a struggling, single dad-like older brother is not a great plan but hey, all he wanted to do was spare them his own experiences. He is so protective really, it just broke my heart into pieces, over, and over, and over again.
Mrs. Collins: I loved this woman. Every single bit. Omg the bad driving, the random rapid-fire questions, the supportiveness, how she lives up to her word, everything. Especially the bad driving. I couldn’t stop laughing. Anyway, she is a freaking genius and I am so glad I have adults similar to her in my life. She is god-sent to Echo’s and Noah’s lives and I love, love, love how she blackmails Noah into being a good, little boy haha. If she wasn’t in the story, it wouldn’t have been half as good. Or it wouldn’t have even taken place, because honestly, she is the best thing that happens to Noah and Echo (other than each other).
The Friends: Lila, Isaiah and Beth. I’ll start with Lila – even though she is popular, she is genuinely a friend to Echo. She really cares about her, is there for her, and doesn’t drop her just because Echo has weird scars and a crazy mother. She is another really supportive character who I loved. Isaiah and Beth. Hmm…also drug addicts (I hate drugs so not cool with me) but the love they kept denying between them was so cute. I felt so horrible for Beth with what she has to go through with her mother and her mother’s deranged boyfriends. When Noah and Isaiah went to defend her I almost cried (I did cry a lot throughout the book)but I was so happy. However, the trouble she gave Echo was not okay with me. She was just annoying at times. Isaiah was just adorable, with his obsession with Beth and cars. They were Noah’s family in a way and they also made the book special.
The Romance: Noah and Echo were perfect for each other. The end. Just kidding but seriously they were so beautiful and adorable. I couldn’t stop smiling, or laughing, or crying. Ahhhh gods. When they admitted they loved each other (Noah, why the heck did it take you so long you were making me NERVOUS!) it was just so flawless. Their love was pure and untainted by their pasts and it was delicate and vulnerable yet strong and unbreakable. Does that make sense? Probably not, but it was magnificent all the same.
Overall: This book is a mad crazy, wild rollercoaster ride. If you can’t stomach incredible emotions just coursing through you with no control over them, then don’t read this book (if you are this person you are a ninny and a wimp with no feelings). Otherwise, get ready for tears and laughter and OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED and OMG PLEASE NO and I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I’M GOING TO BALL UP AND CRY. Cause that’s how absurdly good this book was.
The Plot: So much is going on. Both Echo and Noah are incredibly damaged teenagers. Both find it hard to trust adults and have multiple issues in their personal lives. One day Echo is popular and untouchable, the next she is gossiped about because of the mysterious scars she can’t remember getting on the day she almost died. She wants to know, but she can’t. Her broken mind has suppressed the memories. Not only that, her mother has a restraining order and her controlling father has remarried with her previous babysitter. Yes problems. Noah’s parents died in a fire and ever since then he has struggled through multiple brutal foster homes. Labeled a bad boy, he has turned to drugs and using girls. He has one goal, to get his beloved younger brothers (my god they were adorable) out of the system that hurt him so badly. Both are brought together by a school guidance social worker named Mrs. Collins (a.k.a. The best adult in this whole dang book, I want to meet her) and start to fall for each other as they struggle to solve their problems.
The Characters:
Echo: Brave, brave, Echo. She struggles to remember what happened to her on the dark night she almost died (yes she eventually remembers what happened) and it’s terrible. No person should ever have to go through that. Not to mention how she has to deal with her overbearing, pressuring, so controlling father. Honestly, it’s amazing how she doesn’t just break and go stark-raving mad. She is just so heroic and fierce no matter what she goes through.
And then came Noah….
Noah: Asdfghjkl. Can’t describe him. Ahhhhhh so gorgeous, with a wounded soul. So perfect and daring and brave and omg his love for his brothers. One thing I thought was stupid was dude, really? Drugs? How are you going to get custody over them if you do drugs? He drops them though, so I was ok. Anyway, of course being a struggling, single dad-like older brother is not a great plan but hey, all he wanted to do was spare them his own experiences. He is so protective really, it just broke my heart into pieces, over, and over, and over again.
Mrs. Collins: I loved this woman. Every single bit. Omg the bad driving, the random rapid-fire questions, the supportiveness, how she lives up to her word, everything. Especially the bad driving. I couldn’t stop laughing. Anyway, she is a freaking genius and I am so glad I have adults similar to her in my life. She is god-sent to Echo’s and Noah’s lives and I love, love, love how she blackmails Noah into being a good, little boy haha. If she wasn’t in the story, it wouldn’t have been half as good. Or it wouldn’t have even taken place, because honestly, she is the best thing that happens to Noah and Echo (other than each other).
The Friends: Lila, Isaiah and Beth. I’ll start with Lila – even though she is popular, she is genuinely a friend to Echo. She really cares about her, is there for her, and doesn’t drop her just because Echo has weird scars and a crazy mother. She is another really supportive character who I loved. Isaiah and Beth. Hmm…also drug addicts (I hate drugs so not cool with me) but the love they kept denying between them was so cute. I felt so horrible for Beth with what she has to go through with her mother and her mother’s deranged boyfriends. When Noah and Isaiah went to defend her I almost cried (I did cry a lot throughout the book)but I was so happy. However, the trouble she gave Echo was not okay with me. She was just annoying at times. Isaiah was just adorable, with his obsession with Beth and cars. They were Noah’s family in a way and they also made the book special.
The Romance: Noah and Echo were perfect for each other. The end. Just kidding but seriously they were so beautiful and adorable. I couldn’t stop smiling, or laughing, or crying. Ahhhh gods. When they admitted they loved each other (Noah, why the heck did it take you so long you were making me NERVOUS!) it was just so flawless. Their love was pure and untainted by their pasts and it was delicate and vulnerable yet strong and unbreakable. Does that make sense? Probably not, but it was magnificent all the same.
Overall: This book is a mad crazy, wild rollercoaster ride. If you can’t stomach incredible emotions just coursing through you with no control over them, then don’t read this book (if you are this person you are a ninny and a wimp with no feelings). Otherwise, get ready for tears and laughter and OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED and OMG PLEASE NO and I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I’M GOING TO BALL UP AND CRY. Cause that’s how absurdly good this book was.
5 STARS!**spoilers
Pushing the Limits is a really amazing book. I loved how they were attracted to each even if they have problems of their own. Echo was dealing with knowing exactly what happened to her, while Noah was planning to get his brothers back after he graduates.
I understand why Echo was mad at Ashley. I think everybody would have reacted that way. I would've accepted her as family, but she can never truly be "mom". I hated how his father didn't answer her call. My heart really broke. When she remembered everything, I was really really sad for her! :'(
Noah :'( Him being away from his brothers was really painful to read. It was more painful to read that he was thinking of letting Carrie and Joe adopt them for good because they'll have better lives (rivate schools and all that). I was really sad when he finally agreed. That's real love. Even if it hurts for him, he needs to think of the future that his brothers will have. He really, really loved them.
I loved how in the end everything worked out. Noah's brothers were happy, he was happy with Echo, she had a new brother... Everything was well. :)
AMAZING BOOK.
Pushing the Limits is a really amazing book. I loved how they were attracted to each even if they have problems of their own. Echo was dealing with knowing exactly what happened to her, while Noah was planning to get his brothers back after he graduates.
I understand why Echo was mad at Ashley. I think everybody would have reacted that way. I would've accepted her as family, but she can never truly be "mom". I hated how his father didn't answer her call. My heart really broke. When she remembered everything, I was really really sad for her! :'(
"Did I call?" Because I would have. Living through sixteen years of my mother's highs and lows had taught me that her on no meds equaled adult-supervised visitation.
He looked away again. "Yes."
The heaviness of his words crushed my heart. "Did you answer?"
My father shoved his hand into his pockets and closed his eyes.
Noah :'( Him being away from his brothers was really painful to read. It was more painful to read that he was thinking of letting Carrie and Joe adopt them for good because they'll have better lives (rivate schools and all that). I was really sad when he finally agreed. That's real love. Even if it hurts for him, he needs to think of the future that his brothers will have. He really, really loved them.
Yeah, I knew all about scar tissue. Problem was, helping her (referring to Carrie) was only going to increase mine.
I loved how in the end everything worked out. Noah's brothers were happy, he was happy with Echo, she had a new brother... Everything was well. :)
AMAZING BOOK.
same thing. 2 lovers(both with 'drama past'), they hate each other, then they fall in love, then they break up and finally they will be together forever.
Cute, YA romance tgat faces some t9ugh life events. Both MC'S are strong and determined. The romance is gradual and feels realistic. I really enjoyed the detailed supporting characters. Tons of character development. An extremely well written story.
It's been a long long time since I've given any book 5 Stars but Pushing the Limits pulled me in from the first page and held my attention to the very last! Dark, edgy, and perfect. Need I say more? Okay, probably...so I will.
Honestly, I was going to wait and write this review in a couple of days but I was discussing it with my girls over at Starbooks and I became inspired. I've never been much of a contemporary fan, but I'm finding myself reading more and more of them lately. I think it's because I love the darkness of paranormal romance and contemporary tends to be light-hearted and a little too happily-ever-after for me. Not a problem with Katie McGarry's debut Pushing the Limits.
Two teens who have been through traumatic and horrifying life-altering events. One withdraws into herself and the other becomes the bad boy you can't help but love. If Noah and Echo could be summed up as "withdrawn" and "typical bad boy" then 5 stars wouldn't be called for. Fortunately, Ms. McGarry has created deep and complex characters who embodied so many emotions I sometimes felt a little overwhelmed. But...people, especially hormonal teenagers, are never as clearly cut and simple as some writers would have you believe.
"My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has...well...issues. How do you think I'm doing?" - Echo
So many times when an author writes about tragedies I feel like I am standing on the outside looking in. I connected with Echo instantly. Because Echo has suppressed her "incident," the reader discovers what happened to her as Echo remembers the bits and pieces. Watching her put the puzzle together created a perfect amount of suspense. Gosh...I really don't want to write any spoilers, but I can't really avoid this one. Spoiler Warning: Even though I knew Echo should avoid her mother at all costs, I completely understood her need to seek her out. Partially because Echo needed to understand why her mom did what she did and partially just because her mom is her mom...you know? Spoiler over!
"I wrote about the person I love the most, my older brother, Noah. We don't live together so I wrote what I imagine he does when we're not together."
"And what is that?" prodded the stout man.
"He's a superhero who saves people in danger, because he saved me and my brother from dying in a fire a couple of years ago. Noah is better than Batman." The crowd chuckled.
"I love you, too, lil' bro." - Noah and his brother Jacob.
And Noah...well, let's just say WOW! Talk about a young man with issues who has handled them horribly, but I understood every broken piece of him and could imagine myself reacting in the same ways. There's so much depth to his character. Yes, he is the pot-smoking, gave up on life, who gives a damn guy...at least on the outside. Internally, he has two younger brothers he loves and wants nothing more than to assure they are safe. Victims of a horrible house fire that took their parents, these three boys got thrown into the "system" and separated. Noah's innate instinct to protect all children earns him the reputation of being unstable and violent, so his visitation rights with his brothers range from monthly supervised to nonexistent. But Noah doesn't give up easily. Noah's love for his brothers and their family bond brought a whole other level of emotional attachment to his story.
We'd read about sirens in English this fall; Greek mythology bullshit about women so beautiful, their voices so enchanting, that men did anything for them. Turned out that mythology crap was real, because every time I saw her, I lost my mind. - Noah
Noah earned my love and devotion not only because of his blood family devotion but his devotion to foster siblings too. Anybody who is as protective and supportive as Noah is innately good, no matter how much they wish otherwise. I actually think Noah reminds me a bit of my oldest daughter who has told me on more than one occasion that she's tired of "always being the good girl." I simply remind her that she knows who she is deep inside, no matter what she does or doesn't do.
"Do I need to contact your social worker?"
I headed for the door. "Go ahead. What is she going to do? Rip my family apart? Put me in the foster care system? Continue to dig and you'll see you're too late."
"When was the last time you saw your brothers, Noah?"
My hand froze on the doorknob.
"What if I could offer you increased supervised visitation?"
I let go of the doorknob and sat back down. - Noah and Mrs. Collins
Mrs. Collins may be my favorite adult character in a YA book ever. She's new to the school system but a completely awesome clinical social worker. Whether she meant for the outcome to be what it was or not, she understood both Echo and Noah on a level no one else ever could. Pairing them accomplished much more than I expected and their characters complimented each other perfectly.
"Baby, no one would ever make the mistake of using the word ugly with you. Especially with me around. He pushed the curls off my face, his fingers leaving a burning trail. "Everything about you is beautiful and sexy as hell." - Noah
Both Noah and Echo have so much to overcome and Noah has so much to fight for, including Echo. Their emotional roller-coaster caused the deepest parts of my soul to ache. I wanted to jump in the book and fix everything for them, as impossible as it would be. I think that's where my attachment to Mrs. Collins came from. She always had Noah's and Echo's best interests in mind, even when they didn't like or trust her. And...Mrs. Collins doesn't dwell on making them like her, she gains their trust with actions as opposed to words. Nothing comes easy for any of them, but eventually, things do come together.
I kissed her lips. Soft, full, warm--everything I'd fantasized it would be and more, so much more. Echo hesitantly pressed back, a curious question for which I had a response. I parted my lips and teased her bottom one, begging, praying, for permission...She opened her mouth, her tongue seductively touching mine, almost bringing me to my knees. Flames licked through me as our kiss deepened. Her hands massaged my scalp and neck, only stoking the heat of the fire. - Noah
The book is written in first person from both Echo's and Noah's perspectives. Since I had an egalley from NetGalley, the POV's bled into each other. I'm certain the finished product will be better defined. I loved getting inside Noah's head and seeing his heart-ache. I know some people don't like dual POV's and for so long, it was a huge No-No, but I love seeing more than one side of the story. I'm one of those nosy people who want to know what the other main characters are thinking and third person omniscient sometimes seems a step or two removed for me.
My final thoughts:
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is a book filled with warring emotions. Pain and numbness. Loss and gain. Heart-ache and love. Dark intermingled with moments of light. Brutality and gentleness. Two teenagers who lose everything separately and then find their way together. There is nothing I didn't love about this book. The emotions are raw and gripping, the friendships real and imperfect, and the romance is slow burning, building into a heated flame of passion.
Side note: If there were any problems with the writing, I was too absorbed in the story-line to notice. Ms. McGarry's world-building and story-telling skills rocked my world!
*This book was obtained via NetGalley and HarlequinTeen Publishing in exchange for my honest review. No money exchanged hands. Both the cover-art and the synopsis were obtained from Goodreads for the soul purpose of this review.
Honestly, I was going to wait and write this review in a couple of days but I was discussing it with my girls over at Starbooks and I became inspired. I've never been much of a contemporary fan, but I'm finding myself reading more and more of them lately. I think it's because I love the darkness of paranormal romance and contemporary tends to be light-hearted and a little too happily-ever-after for me. Not a problem with Katie McGarry's debut Pushing the Limits.
Two teens who have been through traumatic and horrifying life-altering events. One withdraws into herself and the other becomes the bad boy you can't help but love. If Noah and Echo could be summed up as "withdrawn" and "typical bad boy" then 5 stars wouldn't be called for. Fortunately, Ms. McGarry has created deep and complex characters who embodied so many emotions I sometimes felt a little overwhelmed. But...people, especially hormonal teenagers, are never as clearly cut and simple as some writers would have you believe.
"My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has...well...issues. How do you think I'm doing?" - Echo
So many times when an author writes about tragedies I feel like I am standing on the outside looking in. I connected with Echo instantly. Because Echo has suppressed her "incident," the reader discovers what happened to her as Echo remembers the bits and pieces. Watching her put the puzzle together created a perfect amount of suspense. Gosh...I really don't want to write any spoilers, but I can't really avoid this one. Spoiler Warning: Even though I knew Echo should avoid her mother at all costs, I completely understood her need to seek her out. Partially because Echo needed to understand why her mom did what she did and partially just because her mom is her mom...you know? Spoiler over!
"I wrote about the person I love the most, my older brother, Noah. We don't live together so I wrote what I imagine he does when we're not together."
"And what is that?" prodded the stout man.
"He's a superhero who saves people in danger, because he saved me and my brother from dying in a fire a couple of years ago. Noah is better than Batman." The crowd chuckled.
"I love you, too, lil' bro." - Noah and his brother Jacob.
And Noah...well, let's just say WOW! Talk about a young man with issues who has handled them horribly, but I understood every broken piece of him and could imagine myself reacting in the same ways. There's so much depth to his character. Yes, he is the pot-smoking, gave up on life, who gives a damn guy...at least on the outside. Internally, he has two younger brothers he loves and wants nothing more than to assure they are safe. Victims of a horrible house fire that took their parents, these three boys got thrown into the "system" and separated. Noah's innate instinct to protect all children earns him the reputation of being unstable and violent, so his visitation rights with his brothers range from monthly supervised to nonexistent. But Noah doesn't give up easily. Noah's love for his brothers and their family bond brought a whole other level of emotional attachment to his story.
We'd read about sirens in English this fall; Greek mythology bullshit about women so beautiful, their voices so enchanting, that men did anything for them. Turned out that mythology crap was real, because every time I saw her, I lost my mind. - Noah
Noah earned my love and devotion not only because of his blood family devotion but his devotion to foster siblings too. Anybody who is as protective and supportive as Noah is innately good, no matter how much they wish otherwise. I actually think Noah reminds me a bit of my oldest daughter who has told me on more than one occasion that she's tired of "always being the good girl." I simply remind her that she knows who she is deep inside, no matter what she does or doesn't do.
"Do I need to contact your social worker?"
I headed for the door. "Go ahead. What is she going to do? Rip my family apart? Put me in the foster care system? Continue to dig and you'll see you're too late."
"When was the last time you saw your brothers, Noah?"
My hand froze on the doorknob.
"What if I could offer you increased supervised visitation?"
I let go of the doorknob and sat back down. - Noah and Mrs. Collins
Mrs. Collins may be my favorite adult character in a YA book ever. She's new to the school system but a completely awesome clinical social worker. Whether she meant for the outcome to be what it was or not, she understood both Echo and Noah on a level no one else ever could. Pairing them accomplished much more than I expected and their characters complimented each other perfectly.
"Baby, no one would ever make the mistake of using the word ugly with you. Especially with me around. He pushed the curls off my face, his fingers leaving a burning trail. "Everything about you is beautiful and sexy as hell." - Noah
Both Noah and Echo have so much to overcome and Noah has so much to fight for, including Echo. Their emotional roller-coaster caused the deepest parts of my soul to ache. I wanted to jump in the book and fix everything for them, as impossible as it would be. I think that's where my attachment to Mrs. Collins came from. She always had Noah's and Echo's best interests in mind, even when they didn't like or trust her. And...Mrs. Collins doesn't dwell on making them like her, she gains their trust with actions as opposed to words. Nothing comes easy for any of them, but eventually, things do come together.
I kissed her lips. Soft, full, warm--everything I'd fantasized it would be and more, so much more. Echo hesitantly pressed back, a curious question for which I had a response. I parted my lips and teased her bottom one, begging, praying, for permission...She opened her mouth, her tongue seductively touching mine, almost bringing me to my knees. Flames licked through me as our kiss deepened. Her hands massaged my scalp and neck, only stoking the heat of the fire. - Noah
The book is written in first person from both Echo's and Noah's perspectives. Since I had an egalley from NetGalley, the POV's bled into each other. I'm certain the finished product will be better defined. I loved getting inside Noah's head and seeing his heart-ache. I know some people don't like dual POV's and for so long, it was a huge No-No, but I love seeing more than one side of the story. I'm one of those nosy people who want to know what the other main characters are thinking and third person omniscient sometimes seems a step or two removed for me.
My final thoughts:
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is a book filled with warring emotions. Pain and numbness. Loss and gain. Heart-ache and love. Dark intermingled with moments of light. Brutality and gentleness. Two teenagers who lose everything separately and then find their way together. There is nothing I didn't love about this book. The emotions are raw and gripping, the friendships real and imperfect, and the romance is slow burning, building into a heated flame of passion.
Side note: If there were any problems with the writing, I was too absorbed in the story-line to notice. Ms. McGarry's world-building and story-telling skills rocked my world!
*This book was obtained via NetGalley and HarlequinTeen Publishing in exchange for my honest review. No money exchanged hands. Both the cover-art and the synopsis were obtained from Goodreads for the soul purpose of this review.