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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Pushing the Limits RATING: 3.5 stars-ish.
I was never one to read contemporary YA. I think I simply got my fill when I was younger as we have a YA series written by famous teen book author (at least in Portugal) Maria Teresa Maia Gonzalez. She wrote numerous adventure type books featuring teenagers but she also wrote a series (called Profession: Teenager) in which she explores several subjects and problems that teens generally have: image in high school, bulimia, broken homes, among others. I always thought she had a very realistic outlook on these issues and I loved her books when I was younger.
American contemporary YA is different. It generally follows the same structure: you have a boy and a girl one or both are troubled and they end up together and supporting each other through their problems. While I like this formula as much as the next person, the thing I loved most about Gonzalez's books was that romance was usually not needed for the characters to move forward; they do it by themselves. Also, in some books, the changes the characters go through aren't going to make everything peachy and sometimes they even make wrong choices.
So why am I talking about another YA series in my review for Katie McGarry's "Pushing the Limits" you ask. Well, I just want to establish the background; the possible reason why I don't find "realistic YA" as enticing as many other people do. While they do bring up serious issues, I feel these books are so formulaic I end up not paying enough attention to the issues they address.
"Pushing the Limits" suffers from the same problem. I mean it is obviously a love story so I don't get why exactly both characters need to be so troubled. And their issues are so... strange, or Echo's are anyway, a convergence of events so bizarre that it is probably quite rare in real life.
Still, while the cliches abound, McGarry does know how to write. It was a compulsive reading but I must say I was disappointed with the cliche characterization of most of the characters (especially Noah). Where is the cute, awkward geek in these books? He never gets to be a hero! I want YA fiction with a game geek and/or an otaku for a change... I'm kind of tired of pseudo-bad-boys who sleep around and are "reformed" by the heroine. Oh well :P
But it was a nice read anyway. Echo and Noah's voices were realistic enough, likable enough and the issues were well explored.
Overall: a typical contemporary/ realistic YA book that failed in its characterization and fell into the same old formulas for this kind of book. However, the writing was very good and Noah's choices at the end made him a lot more likable to me. It was a good book, but more of a romance book than a "let's explore teen issues" book.
I was never one to read contemporary YA. I think I simply got my fill when I was younger as we have a YA series written by famous teen book author (at least in Portugal) Maria Teresa Maia Gonzalez. She wrote numerous adventure type books featuring teenagers but she also wrote a series (called Profession: Teenager) in which she explores several subjects and problems that teens generally have: image in high school, bulimia, broken homes, among others. I always thought she had a very realistic outlook on these issues and I loved her books when I was younger.
American contemporary YA is different. It generally follows the same structure: you have a boy and a girl one or both are troubled and they end up together and supporting each other through their problems. While I like this formula as much as the next person, the thing I loved most about Gonzalez's books was that romance was usually not needed for the characters to move forward; they do it by themselves. Also, in some books, the changes the characters go through aren't going to make everything peachy and sometimes they even make wrong choices.
So why am I talking about another YA series in my review for Katie McGarry's "Pushing the Limits" you ask. Well, I just want to establish the background; the possible reason why I don't find "realistic YA" as enticing as many other people do. While they do bring up serious issues, I feel these books are so formulaic I end up not paying enough attention to the issues they address.
"Pushing the Limits" suffers from the same problem. I mean it is obviously a love story so I don't get why exactly both characters need to be so troubled. And their issues are so... strange, or Echo's are anyway, a convergence of events so bizarre that it is probably quite rare in real life.
Still, while the cliches abound, McGarry does know how to write. It was a compulsive reading but I must say I was disappointed with the cliche characterization of most of the characters (especially Noah). Where is the cute, awkward geek in these books? He never gets to be a hero! I want YA fiction with a game geek and/or an otaku for a change... I'm kind of tired of pseudo-bad-boys who sleep around and are "reformed" by the heroine. Oh well :P
But it was a nice read anyway. Echo and Noah's voices were realistic enough, likable enough and the issues were well explored.
Overall: a typical contemporary/ realistic YA book that failed in its characterization and fell into the same old formulas for this kind of book. However, the writing was very good and Noah's choices at the end made him a lot more likable to me. It was a good book, but more of a romance book than a "let's explore teen issues" book.
I very much enjoyed this book. Dual POV, almost an enemies to lovers, and lots of trauma to work through. Both want to take the shortcut to get their answers but instead work together to put in the work. The tension and flirtation between the two is great and I loved the banter. This is the type of high school relationships I like to read about. Also I loved how we were in the dark with echo about her trauma and it was slowly revealed as she was trying to remember.
it starts great, but somewhere in the middle it gets a bit slow and the end it's kinda... blaaah. The whole happy ending does not suit itvery much, considering how the novel develops. I think the end lacks a bit of dramatic depth.
Review on my blog: http://aideensbookobsession.blogspot.ie/2017/06/pushing-limits-by-katie-mcgarry.html?m=1
...Wow. So I bought the e-version of this book on a whim, because it was only $1.79 on Amazon, and that is a choice I will never regret. McGarry has crafted a raw, gripping contemporary novel that deals with love, loss, and both physical and mental scars. She captures the voices of Echo and Noah flawlessly, bringing them to life and thoroughly developing them in a way that few authors can do in the span of one book. It's a bittersweet though ultimately beautiful novel that left a lasting impression on me.
When I first read Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, I read it straight through without stopping. Raved about it to anyone who would listen and just fell in love with Alex and Brittany.
For me, Pushing the Limits surpassed Perfect Chemistry in every way.
This was a phenomenal story with incredibly real characters whom I couldn't get enough of.
I highly recommend this first installment of a promising series/trilogy.
For me, Pushing the Limits surpassed Perfect Chemistry in every way.
This was a phenomenal story with incredibly real characters whom I couldn't get enough of.
I highly recommend this first installment of a promising series/trilogy.
This book is not perfect, but it is the beginning of one of my favorite book series, and it introduces us to some of my favorite book characters.
Rozhodně jedna z lepších v žánru. Čtení jsem si náramně užívala a i když Echo občas excelovala v umění lézt mi na nervy, odpouštím jí. Nevím, jestli jsem to jen já, ale při čtení jsem střídavě dostávala záchvaty pláče a pak se usmívala jako idiot. Shrnutí - mooooc dobrý! Nutno podotknout, že mou úplně nejoblíbenější postavou v celé knížce je Aires, a to tam ani nebyl.
I'm not usually a fan of contemporary sort of novels but this book blew my mind! You can bet that I'l be back for more of McGarry's works.
**Language and Content Warnings**
I like the idea of this book. I liked the back stories of the characters and learning about them and what their journey's would be.
Yet, I didn't feel very connected to the characters. Their situations were real and and I could understand the pain they were going through...but their personalities? emotions? I just couldn't feel who they were.
I like the idea of this book. I liked the back stories of the characters and learning about them and what their journey's would be.
Yet, I didn't feel very connected to the characters. Their situations were real and and I could understand the pain they were going through...but their personalities? emotions? I just couldn't feel who they were.