Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry ~ Review

Source: Received from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

My Summary:

Two years ago Echo had the perfect life.  Popular with a jock boyfriend and some serious art talent, she had it all.  Then something happened, something Echo doesn't remember, leaving her with horrible scars on her arms and back.  Now she's a freak at school, afraid for anyone to see her scars and unable to explain what happened.  Dropping out of the popular crowd, she works hard not to be noticed.  But Noah notices her when he's forced to accept her tutoring or lose his dream of getting his family back.  And once Noah has noticed a girl, it's too late for her.  He's a bad boy player but is he playing Echo?  Their secrets unite them around a purpose that brings them closer to healing from their past.  But will their crazy attraction for each other survive when all the truth is told.

My Thoughts:



5 stars - Schedule your time for this one cause once you start, there's NO putting it down.

I absolutely LOVED this book.  Don't be expecting your typical bad boy player meets his match in the popular crowd and they live happily ever after with only a bump or two along the way.  NO this book has a couple of mysteries wrapped up between two people brought together in their desperation to cope with the hand they've been dealt.  And while the attraction is clear, the circumstances make it difficult for them to be together.  And as the truth of their secrets trickle out over the course of the book, these two grow in unexpected ways maturing beyond many of the adults around them.

I really loved the characters in this book.  Echo was in the popular crowd but now she isn't accepted unless she can figure out how to go back to normal. While she may feel weak, she grows so strong that she puts Noah's well being ahead of her own and I was proud of her.  Noah lives in foster care, let down by the state that should have protected him after his own life changing tragedy.  While he starts with that you can't hurt me attitude, he learns the effect of choices and the power of love.  Both main characters are real and grow so much over the course of the book.

As for the story, I was curious from the beginning what was up with Echo.  I had figured it out before she did but the details proved important.  Noah, on the other hand, I thought was pretty straight forward only to be proven wrong.  Together they try and discover the answers to their problems and the blend was compelling.  I finished the book in one sitting, loving every page.

I will say that the one thing that was strange about this book was the sudden POV changes.  I'm wondering if the formatting will be different in the finished book, which may make it less confusing.  The ARC that I had, had POV changes within paragraphs.  I'm hoping there are breaks when the finished book is available.  I quickly adjusted to this and loved the book.

Contemporary YA your thing?  Then don't delay on this one.


Quotes I loved:

I must have killed a lot of cows in a past life for Karma to hate me this much.  Maybe I'd died two years ago and unknowingly entered hell.  Doomed to spend the rest of eternity living with my father and stepmother and retaking the ACT over and over again. (Kindle location 1087 or 3958)

No way.I stalked over to Echo, feeling like a tiger after its prey.  She backed up against the wall, but I kept up my approach.  I pressed against her, feeling each sensual curve.  I wanted to touch every inch of her body.  Her sweet smell intoxicated me.  Her eyes kept their laughter, but her smile faded as she bit her lower lip.  Damn, did she have any idea what she was doing?  For a girl hell-bent on keeping me away, she sure did everything to turn me on.  
"You were saying?"  I lowered my head and inhaled the warm cinnamon scent at the nape of her neck, allowing my nose to skim along her inviting skin. (Kindle location 1371 of 3958)

She unlocked her hands from my  neck and pushed her body against my arms, but I wasn't ready to let her go--not yet.
"Noah?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm kind of done hugging you."
Reluctantly, I let go.  (Kindle location 1586 of 3958)

My siren had sung to me for way too long, capturing my heart, tempting me with her body, driving me slowly insane.  Now, I expected her to pay up.  (Kindle location 1965 of 3958)






13 comments:

  1. OMG! It sounds awesome. I'm getting this book right now. Thanks for the review. Jennifer Echols and Simone Elkeles seem to agree with you as well ;-)

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  2. I have been counting down the days for this book from the moment I saw that summary and after reading your review I want the book even more!

    Teresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives

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  3. "Schedule your time for this one cause once you start, there's NO putting it down." SO TRUE!!!

    Sudden POV changes were a problem for me too... I mean how do I know if it's The guy or the girl but apart from this and the cursing I can't find any faults :)

    Krazyyme @ Young Readers

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  4. Oh thank God I wasn't the only one who noticed those POV changes! At first I was so confused but I got into it, too! :) I absolutely loved this book so much! It was emotional and unlike those other contemporary books with the bad boy and the popular girl, like you said. :)

    Eileen @ ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***

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  5. I noticed the same thing about the POV's. The chapters would start Noah, but then they would switch to Echo and not say Echo. It was easy to tell when they switched, but it was odd that they didn't specify Echo's parts like they did with Noah. This book was amazing though and I need to get myself a finished copy when it comes out. This is a book I will read over and over again.

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  6. Can't wait to read this!! Yours is the 1st review I've read that mentions the abrupt pov changes. I hope the finished copy differs. Otherwise...yay! I'm so ready.
    Great review!

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  7. Whoa, I just keep reading great reviews of this one! Your review has me really eager to finish the three books standing in the way of me and PTL! I LOVE YA contemps and especially with what you had to say about which characters you thought you had figured out but didn't, like Noah...I can't wait for this one. Thanks for the GREAT review, Val!

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  8. I'm so excited for this book!
    And all I can say about your review, Wow!
    It made the waiting even harder!!

    Great Review!
    :)

    MagenCorrie@Corrie the book,crazed girl

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  9. I loved those lines too. Great review and I loved this book too.

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  10. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK!! (it needed CAPS!) I feel like the wait has been forever. At least we're finally in the release month for it! Great review :-)

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  11. AH! I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. Great review, you've made me want to read it even more... if that's even possible? And I'll be sure to look out for the POV changes.

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  12. Great that you linked in. If you check back in a day or two there should be a nice collection of books.
    Have a super day.

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