Friday, August 10, 2012

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry


Two people who seem very different outside.

Echo craves for ‘normal’ sense in her life. After the attack that ruins her life, everyone in the school thinks that she’s a freak. Echo is ready to give out anything to remember the night she was attacked. The night she went from popular into outcast. If she can get her memory of the night back, everything will turn back to normal. Normal.

After the beating in his first foster house, Noah is labeled unstable by the system. The only thing that keeps Noah’s head barely out of the water is his younger brothers. He has to get custody of them. If only he can get hold of the private file about his brothers’ foster parents, he can prove to the system that he’s supposed to be the one who raises his brothers.

When Noah brings Echo to a plot get into their file in their guidance counselor office, that’s what their relationships should be. Partner-in-crime. Friends, maybe. But not lovers. Sparks fly, but surely they are not meant to be?

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

And yet, they do.


Pushing the Limits is sexy, crazy, and realistic. It deals with heavy issues and sometimes, it can be very depressing. If I hadn’t braced my heart for the blows coming, I would have been a mess right now. The characters are very realistic, and the plots are so carefully written that I felt like flowing through the story.

Echo and Noah might be the most defensive characters I’ve ever read. I didn’t warm up to them instantly, but in the end I cared for them like a good friend. They are definitely not perfect, but together, they are strong enough to face whatever in front of them. Echo and Noah… they mend each other’s broken heart. It’s very strange and ironic that both of them think that the other one is too good for them.

Sexual tension between Echo and Noah is so palpable, like blazing fire. As if the air gets electrocuted just by having the two of them near. Trust me, it’s practically impossible not to fall for the romance in the story.

He shifted so that his body rested beside mine, his leg and arm still draped over me. I felt small under his warmth and strength. His chocolate-brown eyes softened. “Being with you feels good. Touching you—” he tucked a curl behind my ear “—feels good. I have never wanted anyone like I want you. There’s nothing you can do wrong when just breathing makes everything right.”

I love the POV in Pushing the Limits. Since this book has dual POV, we have privilege to get inside Echo and Noah’s head. I love discovering shocking things, like Echo’s scars, from Noah’s POV. Noah’s thoughts about his brothers got me a bit teary, because there’s no doubt how much he loves them and how he puts his brother as top priority. Echo’s dark moments felt even more realistic because we experienced them with her. I also really enjoyed the bits of mystery of the night Echo got attacked because we are as much in dark as the characters in the story.

Pushing the Limits is a wonderful read and although some may be put off because of the drama in the story, I really like the character development in this book. Watching them grow up is my pleasure, and I just want to give a big hug to Echo and Noah in the end. They were faced with problems that no teenagers should have ever faced, but after all, they survive.

Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good.






I rate this book:
Four cups of tea. Amazing! Love the book, it’s simply awesome. I love the tea flavor!  A strong recommendation.

25 comments:

  1. I love dual POV's in books, so that makes me very excited about this book. I should really check this book out, it sounds like something I'd enjoy!

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  2. Reading this now, and I'm having a hard time putting it down.. gotta sleep sometime though.. Great review :)

    Keely @ Realms of an Open Mind

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  3. Thank you for the review. This is one of my favorite books this year, glad you liked it too.

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  4. I loved this book, and am really glad that you did too! I agree, the sexual tension between Echo and Noah was very hot! I loved it, and totally fell for the romance. Thanks for your lovely review, Hilda! :) xxx

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  5. I've been reading so many great reviews of this one. I can't wait to start reading it. I know to expect some heavy themes but I think I'm going to enjoy it regardless.

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  6. OMG Amazing review!!!! I'm SO happy you loved this, and I agree! I loved the mystery, and I loved how we got to get to know Echo a bit better. Her scars are what make her who she is, and the fact that Noah is so amazing about, well, everything, made me love PTL so much! Amazing review, my friend!

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  7. Beautiful review, Hilda. I agree that this book is pretty drama-filled. I doubt things like that happen to people in real life, but it's fiction, so anything can happen right ? ;)
    I love your review for the book, Hilda. You wrote it really nicely.
    I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the book, hon! :) <3

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  8. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Hilda! I was just a tad bit put off by the drama in this story too, but I loved the manner in which Echo and Noah's romance played out and the character development of their individual personalities as well as their chemistry when joined was perfect. I also really enjoyed the dual perspective and thought both Echo and Noah's voices were so distinct and unique which is always important in novels like this. Anyway, yet another amazing review, Hilda! :)

    ~Keertana
    Ivy Book Bindings

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  9. Lovely review, Hilda! I'm so glad you enjoyed this in the end. Like you, I didn't warm to Echo and Noah instantly, but I did grow to really love them. The dual point of view really helped with appreciating each character better. I can't wait to read Beth's story now. :)

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  10. GAAAAHH >_< I loved the way you described the tension between Echo and Noah, and that quote was on blazing fire -burns up- I've yet to read it yet but thanks for the heads up because even if I do brace myself for emotional crashes, I'll still be a bit of a mess, haha! This was an amazing review for this book, Hilda! <3 Can't wait to meet the characters and watch them grow ^o^

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  11. Fantastic review! It took me awhile to warm up to Noah and Echo, but once I did I loved their characters! I'm so glad you liked this one, and I can't wait to read the next book... which I think is Beth's story? :P

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  12. Yaaay I'm so glad to hear you like it! I just got this from Netgalley and now I can't wait to read it! Absolutely amazing review Hilda! :)

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  13. Aww, how I fell in love with story! I am totally NOT a contemp person, but this is on my favorite list for the year!! It took me a while to really like Echo and Noah, like you, but in the end, I was totally rooting for both! I also LOVED the double POV. That has to be one of my favorite parts of the story! I loved getting into both Echo and Noah's heads. It was so wonderful to see what they thought about each other.

    Fabulous review Hilda! <3 I'm so glad you loved this one like I did. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next!

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  14. Amazing review! I was wary of Noah at first, too. But I instantly warmed to Echo! I absolutely adored her. Their romance is so perfect! I'd kill for something like that.❤

    Ikr, Noah's brothers were the cutest. I wish I could meet them! And the resolution between his foster parents and Noah at the end is so sweet.

    This is my number one Summer read, I loved is so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it too, Hilda. (:

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  15. I have heard amazing things about this book. I have it sitting in my NetGalley account, and your review has convinced me to make this the next one I read. Great review!

    s @ Oh! Paper Pages

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  16. I LOVE THAT YOU LOVED THIS ONE, Hilda! Amazing review as always :D I love love loved their chemistry too. They were on fire :D I miss the blogosphere too, Hilda :( I'm finally done with a major event in college so I SHOULD have more free time. For the time being, at least. Ack, final year is nuts. I just want to sit somewhere and rea and blog :') Miss you! thanks for your sweet comment, you're such a doll <3

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  17. I'm glad you like this book! It seems like EVERYONE loved it. Echo and Noah really are characters you care about and their chemistry is really intense. Wonderful review. :)

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  18. I'm so glad to see you loved this one too, Hilda! Noah and Echo were so perfect for each other! I LOVE the quote you picked, it makes me want to read this all over again. Wonderful review. :)

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  19. Great review, I'm glad that you loved this one! I hear so many great things about this, but I still.. not falling in love with it. I just don't like the sound of it :p

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  20. Eeeep! Yay, Hilda! Pushing the Limits is one of my favorites for 2012. :) It was so hawwwttt and good. Dual POVs FTW! (That is, if they're done right. ;D) I pretty much adored Noah and Echo, because those two were farrrr from perfect, BUT THAT MAKES THEM ALL THE MORE REALISTIC. Yey yey yey YEY for imperfection, no? ;3 Lovely review, Hilda~ I always enjoy reading your thoughts. :D

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  21. YES YES YES! I'm so glad you loved this, Hilda <3 It's certainly one of my favourite books of the year :) I agree that it was superbly written and I loved how realistic it was - a perfect read!

    'Sexual tension between Echo and Noah is so palpable, like blazing fire. As if the air gets electrocuted just by having the two of them near.' Agree agree agree! I loved how their relationship developed into something so hot an electrifying <3

    I got a little teary too during the scenes with Noah and his brothers - my heart broke for Noah that he was separated from the two people who loved most!

    Amazing review as always, Hilda <3

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  22. Gah! Can't wait to get my hands on this! The premisis of it sounds promising. And i love the sound of the different POVS (i love different POVs.)

    As always, awesome review, Hilda! :)

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  23. I completely agree with everything you said in your review, Hilda! Pushing the Limits is definitely one of the best contemporary novels I've read this year. Noah and Echo's relationship was AMAZING and like you said, their sexual tension is so palpable like a blazing fire! The alternating POVs between Noah and Echo was great as it allowed us to better understand them as a character! Absolutely can't wait for Beth's story too ;)

    Awesome review, Hilda! ♥ SO glad you enjoyed it!

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  24. Glad you enjoyed this one Hilda. I loved it too. The dual POV is great, it's not often we get the guys POV too. And like you I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the incident with Echo too. Great review :)

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  25. BEAUTIFUL review! I LOVED this book, and I'm so glad you did, too! Many tears and stomach flips and OMFG NOAH AND ECHO ARE SO HOT ♥

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