Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1) in E.Y.A.B.

Jul 08, 2011 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-summer-must-reads, net-galley

OMG where to start with this review. First I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read and ARC copy. I have to say that I have never ever read such an emotional book that tore at my heart. I cried and I laughed and I was sad all in one night. Pushing the limits was like reading about reality for foster kids and for teens who have horrendous things happen to them. The rich are not tax exempt from traumatic things happening to them and I was glad when Katie brought that out. I have see OMG where to start with this review. First I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read and ARC copy. I have to say that I have never ever read such an emotional book that tore at my heart. I cried and I laughed and I was sad all in one night. Pushing the limits was like reading about reality for foster kids and for teens who have horrendous things happen to them. The rich are not tax exempt from traumatic things happening to them and I was glad when Katie brought that out. I have seen a lot of foster kids make it out of the ghetto as it is referred to. So enough of my babbling and on to the story that had my heart beating so fast and will stay with me forever!

Noah... Noah... Noah... Lord Noah is a guy that is broken. He has lost everything. He lost his parents the night of the fire and then he lost his brothers to a foster family. He went to one home and they went to another. He works to make money to save for college and to get his brothers back. He is the EPITOME of bad boy! The one your parents told you to stay away but deep down Noah is brilliant and has qualities he would to share but the system has made him hard so he keeps everything bottled up inside.

Echo... Lord have mercy on Echo.... she has gone from Miss popular with everything to Miss Freak with nothing in a nano second. What happens behind closed doors has finally met reality. Echo has suffered at the hands of someone she had trusted and love and all she has now are nightmares and scars. Her father is drill Sargent and very controlling over her and she has a step mother she hates and her real mother is MIA and forbidden to see her and the icing on her cake is her brother Ares is dead. What is a girl to do when she is so broken.

Noah and Echo are put together by the social worker at school. She wants Noah to get his grades up so he can go to college and she knows that Echo is on the only person who can help him. What they don't expect to happen is that Noah and Echo fall in love and help each other heal a past that is wrought with disappointment and pain. Noah can give Echo what she needs and Echo can give Noah everything he needs. Will these two polar opposites be able to wade through the mud and be together or will the past and the need for normalcy haunt them and tear the apart?

This story is so heart breaking and full of raw emotions and situations that you will need a box of tissues while you read it. Katie thank you for writing an EPIC story and I look forward to reading more from you.

Noah and Echo's song is Broken by Seether http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ecIdZ...
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Jan 27, 2012 Rose rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, young-adult, slice-of-life, drama, netgalley, romance, tough-subjects, characters-of-color, realistic-fiction, contemporary

"Pushing the Limits" is a solid coming of age, romantic story between two teens who have some very major issues to contend with. Noah and Echo swing in very different social circles but have more colliding points together than they thought possible. They see the same school therapist and both want in on their private files to deal with some very personal issues - Noah dealing with his fragmented family while Echo struggles to remember an attack that shook her world for quite some time. The two f "Pushing the Limits" is a solid coming of age, romantic story between two teens who have some very major issues to contend with. Noah and Echo swing in very different social circles but have more colliding points together than they thought possible. They see the same school therapist and both want in on their private files to deal with some very personal issues - Noah dealing with his fragmented family while Echo struggles to remember an attack that shook her world for quite some time. The two find themselves connecting in ways they never thought possible, though at the same time have to struggle to keep themselves from being pulled apart, by the elements around them as well as each other.

When I consider the collective whole of the story, I liked it. There's a part of me, at first, that struggled to figure out why I didn't love this story, because its right up my alley in terms of the kind of story I like - dealing within a contemporary environment, dealing with some very tough issues for the teen characters told within, not necessarily having the most likable characters yet allowing one to get inside their heads for a time, and showing a growing point where the characters come to terms with their issues and even find love for each other. The familiar structure/elements of the story really didn't bother me at all as I was reading this.

So what was the problem?

I found in retrospect, I could easily say what my issues were with the story. For one, it was probably about 100 pages too long. The story's more drawn out for the drama and relationship aspects than it should've been, though I appreciated some of the scenes that provided the development of the characters. Still, Echo's revelation about the night she didn't remember and how she came to have the scars could've come sooner than it did while still having an impact. As well, I think Noah could've come to terms with his brothers' custody situation among other matters much sooner than he did, and it still could've had a potent impact. There were many excessive betweens that could've been eliminated from the story and "Pushing the Limits" could've still had the same potency and development in both the relationship aspects and the tough issues it chooses to tackle in Echo and Noah's narratives. That excess slowed the story momentum quite a bit for me (though I have to admit I was invested in the characters enough to compulsively continue).

One of the other issues in this is repetition. This came across in more than a few elements in the book. Noah called Echo "baby" way, way, way too many times for comfort in this book. I like terms of endearment, I don't even really have a problem with "baby". (Kind of made me think of the story behind TLC's song "Baby, Baby, Baby", and that made me smile, but that's a random tangent.) But when you're reading it for so many times, even if it is realistically what Noah would probably say in those situations, it becomes too distracting. Even some of the romantic moments between Noah and Echo were repeated (i.e. Noah cornering Echo with his body).

Noah and Echo themselves, as characters, were decent to me. I started off with qualms about how they would develop, but when I started seeing their vulnerabilities and personality traits for what they were, I was in for the long haul. I didn't love them, but I was able to connect with them in their moments of bliss and heartache. There are some very potent emotional blows this story has to deliver, and for the most part, I actually thought it was good. It held me, but the distracting elements of the length, drawn out drama, and repetition of the story distracted me, and I couldn't think of it as being more than what it was, a decent read.

Even so, this would be a book I'd recommend for YA contemporary romances readers with a focus on tough subjects. It's engaging and certainly worth reading, though with some noted caveats.

Overall score: 3/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Harlequin/HarlequinTeen. ...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Naomi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, netgalleybooks, kindle

The only books that get a full 5 star rating from me are the ones that once I have finished reading them, I could quite easily flip back to the first page & start all over again! Pushing The Limits is definitely one of those books!!!!

I was hooked from the very first page. The storyline is fantastic & the characters are even better.

Echo & Noah's relationship from the start is mesmerising. Echo is very shy & timid & has distanced herself from life since the trauma she went through previously. No ...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Sarah (Head Stuck In A Book) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: finished-copy

One of the best author debuts I've ever read, Katie McGarry is sure to be the next big thing in YA!
It's hard to describe just how much I loved this book, I was constantly thinking about it whilst I wasn't reading it, and when I was I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
It's the sign of an amazing writer when all you want to do is eat, breathe and sleep in this story which was both heartbreaking and intense, I loved the chemistry between Echo and Noah, they were perfect for each other and their s One of the best author debuts I've ever read, Katie McGarry is sure to be the next big thing in YA!
It's hard to describe just how much I loved this book, I was constantly thinking about it whilst I wasn't reading it, and when I was I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
It's the sign of an amazing writer when all you want to do is eat, breathe and sleep in this story which was both heartbreaking and intense, I loved the chemistry between Echo and Noah, they were perfect for each other and their struggle to find themselves and to fight for their love for each other just makes them one of my all time favourite YA couples.
The build up we get with Echo trying to regain her memories of that day that she has blocked from her mind, was a great suspense and I loved trying to figure out what had happened, and I never could have guessed what it was in a million years it was tragic, and I can understand why she didn't want to remember and why her brain shut down such a traumatic memory.
As for Noah well besides the fact that he's hot, the way that he cares for his two brothers was so sweet and he too had a tragic story which gave both of them a lot in common, these two damaged souls found solace in each other, and each found someone who could understand what had happened to the other.
What also made this book amazing was the alternating chapters, I loved that we could know what each other was thinking and could find out back stories to them both, the memories they both had of happier times back before their world's got torn apart.
The supporting characters in this book were really great Isaiah and Beth who were also battling their own demons and Mrs Collins, Echo and Noah's counselor and the reason for them officially meeting, if only all counselor's were as sweet and helpful as she was.
There was absolutely nothing I could find fault with in this book, I strongly urge everybody to pick this book up, clear some time because you'll definitely never want to put this book down.
I give this a huge 5/5. ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Shubba The Emo Reader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Reviewed On Totally Bookalicious: http://totally-bookalicious.blogspot....

I got this book AGES ago for review while it was up on netgalley for review. At the time I couldn't get into it but I now I know it was just my mood. When I seen the UK kindle version for only 20p before Christmas I decided to buy it. As I prefer reading a finished copy. Now I am kicking myself for waiting!! Pushing The Limits has got to be one of the best contemporary YA books I have EVER read!

Pushing The Limits is told Reviewed On Totally Bookalicious: http://totally-bookalicious.blogspot....

I got this book AGES ago for review while it was up on netgalley for review. At the time I couldn't get into it but I now I know it was just my mood. When I seen the UK kindle version for only 20p before Christmas I decided to buy it. As I prefer reading a finished copy. Now I am kicking myself for waiting!! Pushing The Limits has got to be one of the best contemporary YA books I have EVER read!

Pushing The Limits is told from two POVs. Echo and Noah. On the outside they are both polar opposites to each other but when they thrown together as part of their therapy sessions they realise they have more in common than they think. And pretty soon they are helping one another overcome things in their pasts and trying to make sense of the future.

Echo and Noah, awwwwwww. They are so cute! Echo, she is hurting so much. She is fragile but strong at the same time. She wants to remember what happened to her but is also terrified of what she will discover. Noah, oh lordy lord. Can I have me a Noah Please?!? He is so lovely. Yeah, he comes across as bad boy but he has a good heart when it comes to those to cares about. Together, Echo and Noah, they bring the best out in each other. And they just so sweet. And they chemistry between them? *swoon* It is hot!!

Katie McGarry? Lady, you kept me up until 2.45 to finish this freaking amazing, outstanding, fantastic, heartwrenching story. She has such a talent for making the reader truly feel everything (boy do I mean everything) that the characters went through. I cried so much during this, sad tears, painful tears and happy tears. I was a big blubbering mess. And I loved it!!

As I mentioned the first time I read this I couldn't get into. It was ALL me and the weird mood I was in at the time because Pushing The Limits was nothing short of mindblowing! The story is exciting and emotional. For a book that is around 400 pages I read in one night!! Pushing The Limits isn't one of those books that has twists and turns. It's more about two teenagers discovering who they really are and growing up. About loving yourself and no letting what other people think get to you and putting those who love first and doing what's best for them. And I think Katie McGarry is conveyed this wonderfully!!

Overall, I CANNOT recommend this book enough. If you haven't read it then please go now!! It's super cheap on Kindle if you aren't sure about it. If you have read it then you know my review has did this book no justice at all!! There aren't enough word in the world in truly express my feelings on this novel.

I am going to talk a little about both the UK cover and US. Now, I do kind of like the UK cover. I think is portrays the characters looks very well. And anyone else agree that Echo looks like Lily Collins (Mirror MIrror/City of Bones) And Noah looks like Jack O'Connell (Skins) I think they are just perfect and I totally picture them while reading. HOWEVER, have you seen the US Hardback?? It's fits the story perfectly. It's just amazing and really gets across the relationship between Echo and Noah. ...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Rose 📚🌹 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorite-all-the-time, ebooks, young-adult, read-in-2012

"Normal. She wanted normal and so did I."

Nothing is normal anymore for Echo and Noah. Not when Echo's brother Aires had died and her mom went crazy and tried to kill her. And Noah lost his parents and now wants to get custody of his two little brothers over their foster parents.

They are not the same person anymore. Accidents happened and poof~~ the world seems to be torn apart. Echo used to be a happy, cheerful, popular girl, until that one dreadful night she spent with her mother. It only tak "Normal. She wanted normal and so did I."

Nothing is normal anymore for Echo and Noah. Not when Echo's brother Aires had died and her mom went crazy and tried to kill her. And Noah lost his parents and now wants to get custody of his two little brothers over their foster parents.

They are not the same person anymore. Accidents happened and poof~~ the world seems to be torn apart. Echo used to be a happy, cheerful, popular girl, until that one dreadful night she spent with her mother. It only takes one night, one moment, to make Echo wakes up in the hospital room and finds out that she has lost pieces of her memory. There are reddish scars on her hand, and how could a popular girl handle scars? She quits. And that makes her peers at school began to whisper, laughed and even talked behind her back said she has gone crazy.

On the other hand, Noah doesn't do better. His life sucks and he knows it. But then he met Mrs.Collins, a social worker who unlike the others, seems to care with his life. Echo and Noah are on the same class. And now she is assigned to be his tutor. The girl rocks every man's life yet doesn't know it. Does Echo deserve a man like Noah? No, he thought she deserves better. But he can't take his eyes off her. Their lives are so complicated it hurts.

"The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see - the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it."

I really like this book. It reminds me a bit of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, which is good. This book brings sadness and huge changes to both main characters. There I watched them struggle for life, one tries to dig into her past to find the truth, and the other attempts to win a battle of custody of his brothers. I really love this couple. They are cute together and what is more important is they complete each other.

"There's nothing you can do wrong when just breathing makes everything right."

Last night I found myself crying, this book not only touches my heart but it really opens my mind. I made a mental note that if our boyfriend only ask for sex, then he is not interested with us but our bodies. If he loves you, then he will wait. He will wait until you are ready. And if your boyfriend or your friends can't handle you at your worse, then they don't deserve you at your best.
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Mar 20, 2012 Bianca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, best-characters, put-life-on-hold-to-read, books-i-loved, guys-i-wish-were-real, romance-i-envy-and-love, front-covers-i-love, goodreads-reading-challenge-2012

Really liked this book!

It was one of those fun reads, reminded me of Sarah Dessen or Courtney Summers writing. It felt much the same, one of those great quick reads that you can’t put down!
The characters felt real, and I enjoyed watching them make their way through their problems and finally begin to heal.

Only one thing….. I hate that he refers to her by that nymph crap and siren stuff! Didn’t go much on that! Ohhhh and Luke is an insensitive jerk!!

Other than that loved the book, recommend it t ...more

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