Book Recap: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry (ARC)

Cover Inspection:
If you think the book cover is hot,
then you should read the make out scenes in this book.
Sizzling.

SUMMARY (book description based on GoodReads):
"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.

"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

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.

BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	3.5
Plot	3.5
Writing	3.0
Characters	3.5
Ending	3.0
Overall Rating	3.5 Superior! (93% to 96%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:

Modern day Kentucky

MAIN CHARACTERS:
The story is told in the first person POVs of Echo and Noah. Echo is basically Ms. Perfect. She lives with her control freak father, who wants her to be everything he wants her to be. Her mother is bipolar, and so Echo's father obtained a restraining order from the courts to prevent her mother from seeing Echo. Echo's brother was a soldier, who died in Afghanistan. On the other hand, Noah used to be an honor student. But after his parents died in a house fire, he lost himself. He transferred from one foster home to another. He has tattoos, skips class, and became involved in drugs.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
Echo and Noah are both undergoing therapy. Their therapist decided that Noah needed motivation to study, and so she assigned Echo, the perfect girl with the perfect grades, to tutor Noah. Little did they know that Noah and Echo would find peace, solace, and love with one another.

LOVE:
Pushing The Limits is a wonderful, wonderful book. I loved every page, every word. But the following are the things that stood out for me the most:

One. More often than not in the YA world, one character is destined to save the other. It's rare that you find a YA book where both characters are meant to save each other. This is one of those books. Noah and Echo are each other's heroes. They make each other a better person. They bring out the best in each other.

Two. I like that this book is told in alternate POVs of Noah and Echo. Because the story is told in alternate POVs, the story wasn't boring at all (at least in my opinion). The reader will get a glimpse of what the main characters are feeling and thinking as the story moves. I loved the parts told in Noah's POV, especially when he is trying to reign in his hormones whenever he sees Echo. I applaud the author for writing a story that is real and authentic.

Three. I love that the author did not try to sugarcoat some things in this book. The characters dealt with the very harsh realities about life.

Four. I love that all the characters are flawed. Each one of them is damaged. They all have issues. But out of all the imperfect characters, I loved Noah the most. You see, Noah used to be the perfect son, the perfect boy: varsity player, good grades, popular with the girls. But after his parents died, he became the complete opposite. He's the boy that you would want to avoid: a stoner, curses frequently, uses girls for sex. Then he met Echo, and now he wants to be the boy that is good for her.

Five. I think the ending was wonderful. The characters did not get everything they want, just like in life. The story ended the way it should end, but I am completely satisfied.

NO LOVE:

I don't want to seem fake in my reviews, but I have to be honest. I loved everything about this book: the plot, the pacing, most especially the main characters.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
I am in love with Noah. He is passionate. He's got to be the most intense character i have ever met. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it.

FAVORITE LINE:

* This teaser is from an advance copy. The final copy of the book may contain changes.

I wanted her. All of her, but Echo deserved more than a quick thrill and better than a guy like me. Everything needed to be slow and deliberate. I wanted to blow her mind with every touch and every kiss so her every thought always came back to me.
I would never touch anyone else again without thinking about her.

MUSINGS:

This book would suck you in from the first page. Noah and Echo were brought together by tragedy, and it's beautiful how they help each other struggle thtough it all. The story is not just a love story. It deals with reality: child abuse, drug abuse, death, sex. It sends a beautiful message about life, family, love, dreams, and forgiveness. If you loved books by Gayle Forman and Sarah Dessen, then this book is an obligatory read. Truly, this book touched my heart. Pushing The Limits is one of the sweetest, sexiest, most romantic books I have ever read.

DOODLES:
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AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Katie McGarry

SIMILAR READS:
Books by Sarah Dessen and Gayle Forman

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: heavy
violence: moderate
sexual content: moderate to heavy
mature themes: heavy
age recommendation: 14+