Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: eARC
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
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.
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Sometimes there are books you fall in love with before reading. Sometimes you just see it and know that it is perfect for you, that it will enter your heart and sink its claws in and refuse to go away. That's how Pushing the Limits was for me. I saw it sitting on my kindle and, even though the release date was more than a month away, I could not resist. I started it. And devoured it. And never wanted it to end.
Noah and Echo are two amazing, unforgettable characters. The narration switches between the two of them as we delve deep into their minds and their pasts. And even though it appears that the two have nothing in common, they are actually so perfect for each other. Noah has all the qualities that make up the cliche bad boy that is all too common in YA: player, loner, mysterious past, misunderstood...you get the gist. But he does the bad boy thing so well it definitely doesn't feel cliche. Echo is uptight and she has obedience issues. She jumps at her father's every command. Total opposites, right? No no no. They both have dark secrets and goals that seem impossible to obtain. Working together, they discover they are capable of facing the most difficult challenges of their lives--and falling in love along the way. Both of these characters had so much depth, and I connected to them immediately. Noah and Echo made this novel such an emotional--and incredibly steamy--ride!
Aside from the marvelous characters and their sizzling relationship, my favorite part of Pushing the Limits is that we just keep uncovering secrets. There's always another betrayal, another tidbit of information that someone has kept hidden to protect another person. It makes the book unpredictable, intriguing, and addicting.
Basically, this book is just amazing. One of the best contemporaries of the year. Actually, one of my favorite books of the year, period. These character and their story has stayed with me for months after I closed the book. If you like books with substance and lots of kissing, this is your book! And if you don't, Pushing the Limits might just convert you.
Also, don't forget to check out my interview with the author, Katie McGarry.
This is sitting on my shelf right now, I picked up a copy at BEA and I keep starting other books instead of this one. But your review, along with a lot of great buzz makes me think I need to push it to the top of my pile.
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