Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits
by Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #1
Publication Date: 31 July 2012
Mira Ink, Paperback, 416 pages
Source: Library

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“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.

Rating: ★★★

To start, let me just say I really wanted to like this book. There were numerous positive reviews about it and the story sounded interesting, though maybe a little cliché. I don’t usually read contemporary books as for some reason, I usually find the characters immature or boring. That was half the case for Pushing the Limits. I couldn’t connect with Echo at all but was completely wowed by how admirable Noah was.

Noah used to be a normal teen, but after his parents’ death, being in the foster care system has hardened him. Although he may seem like a bad boy on the exterior, he’s actually an amazingly responsible and caring guy. While other teenage boys are prepping for college and their future, Noah is figuring out ways to gain custody of his brothers, who were separated from him by the foster care system. However, he’s not overly mature as his hormone-filled boyish side was still shown. I was a little bit concerned about how much he seemed to obsess with Echo’s appearance but… I’m not an 18-year-old dude so who am I to judge?

After an enlightening talk with a friend of mine, I decided not to say much about Echo as I really couldn’t stand her from the start. It wouldn’t really be fair to pass judgement on a character I just couldn’t understand. What I will say is, I don’t get why she’s so mean to her step-mom. I mean, she’s eighteen! Who throws childish tantrums when they’re almost adults? I’m sixteen and I know pretty darn well that when it comes to parental marriage issues, just leave it to them. We can’t be so selfish to expect their world revolves around us. So no, Echo just didn’t do it for me. (Plus she’s such a pushover, and I simply cannot stand characters like that.)

The story line was alright, if not a little predictable. The romance was full-on explosive, which should interest contemporary lovers. As for me, I prefer romance that slowly builds up with lots of development. Sometimes, Noah & Echo’s relationship seem based more on lust than love. Unfortunately, the only things that interested me was Noah’s side of the story and what exactly happened to Echo. If not for those two, I would’ve dropped the book less than halfway through.

Don’t let my not-so-positive review deter you from picking up this book though. Almost all my friends on Goodreads have given it either 4 or 5 stars. I just don’t recommend it for those who like a lot of action, twists, adventure and subtle romance.