Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Hardcover, 384 pages.
Published: July 31st, 2012 by HarlequinTEEN
Source: Netgalley/HarlequinTEEN
"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.
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.
"An edgy romance that pulls you in and never lets go. I was hooked!"-Gena Showalter, New York Times bestselling author of the Intertwined series.
This is one of those reviews that it's hard to know what to add to what's already out there. Have you looked on goodreads? The reviews for this one are overwhelmingly good. There are few (if any) that are three stars or less. And this book deserves it. It really is a fabulous read.
Echo and Noah were both characters I loved. And one thing that I found so incredible was their growth. Both of them grew so much through the book. We start out seeing a weak and meek Echo who can't seem to stand up to her overbearing father. As the book goes on she slowly starts to find her way through the jumbled mess that is her life. She's got some real strength in her, she just had to find it. And Noah starts out being a rude bully but almost immediately we see that's not really him. He's built up a wall around himself and keeps everyone at arms length. But as they each keep getting tossed into situations together they realize they have more in common then they thought and maybe there's more to the other than they ever dreamed.
The romance was sweet and while I'm not a big fan of the mean guy turned nice, the mean guy stuff really didn't last long enough for me to have a chance to get annoyed. So fortunately it didn't become an issue. I don't really know what to say without spoilers, but this was one of those romances that you just really want things to work out between the two. For the differences and obstacles to be pushed aside.
This isn't all just romance. It's about family, and friendship and finding yourself and your strength. Echo has lost a lot. Her brother died, her mother is gone, and she's scarred for life. Literally. Most her friends have ditched her and she's very alone. All she has is her overbearing father. Watching the family dynamic work out was great. People have faults and people make mistakes. Finding forgiveness and a way to move on isn't easy, but we need to find a way.
Noah's parents died in a fire and he's living in a foster home. His two little brothers are in another foster home and all he wants is to be with them. This was the aspect of the story that actually made me cry. I understood how he wanted his brothers and how he was in an impossible situation. Watching him figure it out and struggle with his emotions and pain and find his way was incredible. Any guy that loves his brothers that much is someone you really can't help but love.
I really enjoyed this story with layers of pain and recovery as each of them works out their issues and finds their way in life.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.
This book qualifies for the 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge.
