Pushing The Limits

By Katie McGarry

I can't remember the night that changed my life. The night I went from popular girl to loner freak. And my family are determined to keep it that way.

They said therapy was supposed to help.

They didn't expect Noah.

Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned me about. But he's the only one who'll listen. The only one who'll help me find the truth.

I know every kiss, every promise, every touch is forbidden.

But what if finding your destiny means breaking all the rules?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Aug 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781460804773

Katie McGarry

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Echo

My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has…well…issues. How do you think I’m doing?

That’s how I would have loved to respond to Mrs. Collins’s question, but my father placed too much importance on appearance for me to answer honestly. Instead, I blinked three times and said, Fine.

Mrs. Collins, Eastwick High’s new clinical social worker, acted as if I hadn’t spoken. She shoved a stack of files to the side of her already cluttered desk and flipped through various papers. My new therapist hummed when she found my three-inch-thick file and rewarded herself with a sip of coffee, leaving bright red lipstick on the curve of the mug. The stench of cheap coffee and freshly sharpened pencils hung in the air.

My father checked his watch from the chair to my right and, on my left, the Wicked Witch of the West shifted impatiently. I was missing first period calculus, my father was missing some very important meeting, and my stepmother from Oz? I’m sure she was missing her brain.

Don’t you just love January? Mrs. Collins asked as she opened my file. New year, new month, new slate to start over on. Not even waiting for a reply, she continued, Do you like the curtains? I made them myself.

In one synchronized movement, my father, my stepmother and I turned our attention to the pink polka-dotted curtains hanging on the windows overlooking the student parking lot. The curtains were too Little House on the Prairie with the color scheme of a bad rave for my taste. Not a single one of us answered and our silence created a heavy awkwardness.

My father’s BlackBerry vibrated. With exaggerated effort, he pulled it out of his pocket and scrolled down the screen. Ashley drummed her fingers over her bloated belly and I read the various handpainted plaques hanging on the wall so I could focus on anything that wasn’t her.

Failure is your only enemy. The only way up is to never look down. We succeed because we believe. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Okay—so that last one didn’t make the wall of sayings, but I would have found it amusing.

Mrs. Collins reminded me of an overgrown Labrador retriever with her blond hair and much too friendly attitude. Echo’s ACT and SAT scores are fabulous. You should be very proud of your daughter. She gave me a sincere smile, exposing all of her teeth.

Start the timer. My therapy session had officially begun. Close to two years ago, after the incident, Child Protective Services had strongly encouraged therapy—and Dad quickly learned that it was better to say yes to anything strongly encouraged. I used to go to therapy like normal people, at an office separate from school. Thanks to an influx in funding from the state of Kentucky and an overenthusiastic social worker, I’d become part of this pilot program. Mrs. Collins’s sole job was to deal with a few kids from my high school. Lucky me.

My father sat up taller in his seat. Her math scores were low. I want her to retake the tests.

Is there a bathroom nearby? Ashley interrupted. The baby loves to sit on my bladder.

More like Ashley loved to make everything about her. Mrs. Collins gave her a strained smile and pointed to the door. Go out to the main hallway and take a right.

The way she maneuvered out of her chair, Ashley acted as if she carried a thousand-pound ball of lead instead of a tiny baby. I shook my head in disgust, which only drew my father’s ice-cold stare.

Mr. Emerson, Mrs. Collins continued once Ashley left the room, Echo’s scores are well above the national average and, according to her file, she’s already applied to the colleges of her choice.

There are some business schools with extended deadlines I’d like her to apply to. Besides, this family does not accept ‘above average.’ My daughter will excel. My father spoke with the air of a deity. He might as well have added the phrase so let it be written, so let it be done. I propped my elbow on the armrest and hid my face in my hands.

I can see that this really bothers you, Mr. Emerson, Mrs. Collins said in an annoyingly even tone. But Echo’s English scores are close to perfect….

And this was where I tuned them out. My father and the previous guidance counselor had this fight my sophomore year when I took the PSAT. Then again last year when I took the SAT and ACT for the first time. Eventually, the guidance counselor learned my father always won and started giving up after one round.

My test scores were the least of my concerns. Finding the money to fix Aires’ car was the worry that plagued my brain. Since Aires’ death, my father had remained stubborn on the subject, insisting we should sell it.

Echo, are you happy with your scores? asked Mrs. Collins.

I peeked at her through the red, curly hair hanging over my face. The last therapist understood the hierarchy of our family and talked to my father, not me. Excuse me?

Are you happy with your ACT and SAT scores? Do you want to retake the tests? She folded her hands and placed them on top of my file. Do you want to apply to more schools?

I met my father’s tired gray eyes. Let’s see. Retaking the tests would mean my father hounding me every second to study, which in turn would mean me getting up early on a Saturday, blowing the whole morning frying my brain and then worrying for weeks over the results. As for applying to more schools? I’d rather retake the tests. Not really.

The worry lines forever etched around his eyes and mouth deepened with disapproval. I changed my tune. My dad is right. I should retake the tests.

Mrs. Collins scratched away in my file with a pen. My last therapist had been highly aware of my authority issues. No need to rewrite what was already there.

Ashley waddled back into the room and dropped into the seat next to me. What did I miss? I’d honestly forgotten she existed. Oh, if only Dad would, too.

Nothing, my father replied.

Mrs. Collins finally lifted her pen from the page. Ask Mrs. Marcos for the next testing dates before you go to class. And while I’m playing the role of guidance counselor, I’d like to discuss your schedule for the winter term. You’ve filled your free periods with multiple business classes. I was wondering why.

The real answer, because my father told me to, would probably irritate multiple people in the room so I ad-libbed, They’ll help prepare me for college. Wow. I’d said that with all the enthusiasm of a six-year-old waiting for a flu shot. Bad choice on my part. My father shifted in his seat again and sighed. I considered giving a different answer, but figured that reply would also come off flat.

Mrs. Collins perused my file. You’ve shown an incredible talent in the arts, specifically painting. I’m not suggesting you drop all of your business courses, but you could drop one and take an art class instead.

No, my father barked. He leaned forward in his seat, steepling his fingers. Echo won’t be taking any art classes, is that clear? My father was a strange combination of drill instructor and Alice’s white rabbit: he always had someplace important to go and enjoyed bossing everyone else around.

I had to give Mrs. Collins credit; she never once flinched before she caved. Crystal.

Well, now that we’ve settled that… Ashley and her baby bump perched on the edge of the chair, preparing to stand. I accidentally overbooked today and I have an OB appointment. We may find out the baby’s gender.

Mrs. Emerson, Echo’s academics aren’t the reason for this meeting, but I understand if you need to leave. She withdrew an official letter from her top drawer as a red-faced Ashley sat back in her seat. I’d seen that letterhead several times over the past two years. Child Protective Services enjoyed killing rainforests.

Mrs. Collins read the letter to herself while I secretly wished I would spontaneously combust. Both my father and I slouched in our seats. Oh, the freaking joy of group therapy.

While waiting for her to finish reading, I noticed a stuffed green frog by her computer, a picture of her and some guy—possibly her husband—and then on the corner of her desk a big blue ribbon. The fancy kind people received when they won a competition. Something strange stirred inside me. Huh—weird.

Mrs. Collins hole-punched the letter and then placed it in my already overwhelmed file. There. I’m officially your therapist.

When she said nothing else, I drew my gaze away from the ribbon to her. She was watching me. It’s a nice ribbon, isn’t it, Echo?

My father cleared his throat and sent Mrs. Collins a death glare. Okay, that was an odd reaction, but then again, he was irritated just to be here. My eyes flickered to the ribbon again. Why did it feel familiar? I guess.

Her eyes drifted to the dog tags I absently fingered around my neck. I’m very sorry for your family’s loss. What branch of the armed forces?

Great. My father was going to have a stinking coronary. He’d only made it clear seventy-five times that Aires’ dog tags were to stay in the box under my bed, but I needed them today—new therapist, the two-year anniversary of Aires’ death still fresh, and the first day of my last semester of high school. Nausea skipped and played in my intestines. Avoiding my father’s disappointed frown, I took great pains to search my hair for split ends.

Marine, my father answered curtly. Look, I’ve got a meeting this morning with prospective clients, I promised Ashley I’d go to her doctor’s appointment and Echo’s missing class. When are we going to wrap this up?

When I say so. If you’re going to make these sessions difficult, Mr. Emerson, I will be more than happy to call Echo’s social worker.

I fought the smile tugging at my lips. Mrs. Collins played a well-choreographed hand. My father backed down, but my stepmother on the other hand…

I don’t understand. Echo turns eighteen soon. Why does the state still have authority over her?

Because it’s what the state, her social worker and myself think is in her best interest. Mrs. Collins closed my file. Echo will continue therapy with me until she graduates this spring. At that point, the state of Kentucky will release her—and you.

She waited until Ashley nodded her silent acceptance of the situation before continuing. How are you doing, Echo?

Splendid. Fantastic. Never worse. Fine.

Really? She tapped a finger against her chin. Because I would have thought that the anniversary of your brother’s death might trigger painful emotions.

Mrs. Collins eyed me while I stared blankly in return. My father and Ashley watched the uncomfortable showdown. Guilt nagged at me. She didn’t technically ask me a question, so in theory, I didn’t owe her a response, but the need to please her swept over me like a tidal wave. But why? She was another therapist in the revolving door. They all asked the same questions and promised help, but each of them left me in the same condition as they found me—broken.

She cries. Ashley’s high-pitched voice cut through the silence as if she were dispensing juicy country-club gossip. All the time. She really misses Aires.

Both my father and I turned our heads to look at the blond bimbo. I willed her to continue while my father, I’m sure, willed her to shut up. God listened to me for once. Ashley went on, We all miss him. It’s so sad that the baby will never know him.

And once again, welcome to the Ashley show, sponsored by Ashley and my father’s money. Mrs. Collins wrote briskly, no doubt etching each of Ashley’s unguarded words into my file while my father groaned.

Echo, would you like to talk about Aires during today’s session? Mrs. Collins asked.

No. That was possibly the most honest answer I’d given all morning.

That’s fine, she said. We’ll save him for a later date. What about your mother? Have you had any contact with her?

Ashley and my father answered simultaneously, No, while I blurted, Kind of.

I felt like the middle of a ham sandwich the way the two of them leaned toward me. I wasn’t sure what prompted me to tell the truth. I tried calling her over break. When she didn’t answer, I’d sat next to the phone for days, hoping and praying my mother would care that two years before, my brother, her son, had died.

My father ran a hand over his face. You know you’re not allowed to have contact with your mother. The anger in his voice hinted that he couldn’t believe I’d told the therapist this tantalizing tidbit. I imagined visions of social workers dancing in his head. "There is a restraining order. Tell me, Echo, landline or cell phone?"

Landline, I choked out. But we never talked. I swear.

He swiped at his BlackBerry and his lawyer’s number appeared on the screen. I clutched the dog tags, Aires’ name and serial number embedding in my palm. Please, Daddy, don’t, I whispered.

He hesitated and my heart pressed against my rib cage. Then, by the grace of God, he dropped the phone to his lap. We’re going to have to change the number now.

I nodded. It stunk that my mom would never be able to call my home, but I’d take the hit…for her. Of all the things my mother needed, prison wasn’t one of them.

Have you had contact with your mother since then? Mrs. Collins lost her friendliness.

No. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Everything inside of me ached. I couldn’t keep up the I’m fine facade much longer. This line of questioning ripped at my soul’s freshly scabbed wounds.

To confirm we’re on the same page, you understand that contact between you and your mother while there is a restraining order, even if you initiate it, is forbidden.

Yes. I took another gulp of air. The lump in my throat denied the entry of the precious oxygen. I missed Aires and, God, my mom, and Ashley was having a baby, and my dad was on me all the time, and…I needed something, anything.

Against my better judgment, I let the words tumble out of my mouth. I want to fix Aires’ car. Maybe, just maybe, restoring something of his would make the pain go away.

Oh, not this again, my father muttered.

Wait. Not what again? Echo, what are you talking about? asked Mrs. Collins.

I stared at the gloves on my hands. Aires found a 1965 Corvette in a scrap yard. He spent all of his free time fixing it up and he was almost done before he went to Afghanistan. I want to restore it. For Aires. For me. He didn’t leave anything behind when he left, except the car.

That sounds like a healthy way to grieve. What are your thoughts on this, Mr. Emerson? Mrs. Collins gave great puppy dog eyes—a trait I had yet to master.

My father scrolled again through his BlackBerry, his body present but his mind already at work. It costs money and I don’t see the point in fixing up a broken-down car when she has a car that works.

Then let me get a job, I snapped. And we can sell my car once I get Aires’ working.

All eyes were on him and now his were on me. Without meaning to, I’d backed him into a corner. He wanted to say no, but that would bring down the wrath of the new therapist. After all, we had to be perfect in therapy. God forbid we take advantage of it and hash out some issues.

Fine, but she has to pay for the car herself, and Echo knows my rules regarding employment. She has to find a flexible job that will not interfere with her schoolwork, the clubs we agreed upon or her grades. Now, are we done here?

Mrs. Collins glanced at the clock. Not quite. Echo, your social worker extended your therapy until graduation because of your teacher evaluations. Since the beginning of your junior year, each of your teachers has noted a distinct withdrawal from your participation in class and in your social interactions with your peers. Her kind eyes bored into mine. Everyone wants you to be happy, Echo, and I’d like you to give me the opportunity to help.

I cocked an eyebrow. Like I had a choice about therapy, and as for my happiness—good freaking luck. Sure.

Ashley’s perky voice startled me. She has a date for the Valentine’s Dance.

Now my father and I took our turn speaking simultaneously. I do?—She does?

Ashley’s eyes darted nervously between me and my father. Yes, remember, Echo? Last night we discussed the new guy you’re into and I told you that you shouldn’t dump your friends at school while you obsessed over some guy.

I deliberated over which part disturbed me more: the imaginary boyfriend or that she claimed we’d had an actual conversation. While I was deciding, my father stood and put on his coat. See, Mrs. Collins, Echo is fine. Just a little lovestruck. As much as I enjoy these sessions, Ashley’s appointment is in twenty minutes and I don’t want Echo to miss any more class.

Echo, are you really interested in making money to fix your brother’s car? Mrs. Collins asked as she stood to escort my father and stepmother out.

I pulled at the gloves I wore to cover my skin. More than you could possibly imagine.

She smiled at me before walking out the door. Then I’ve got a job for you. Wait here and we’ll discuss the details.

The three of them huddled together on the far side of the main office, whispering to one another. My father wrapped his arm around Ashley’s waist and she leaned into him as they nodded at Mrs. Collins’s hushed words. The familiar pang of jealousy and anger ate at the lining of my gut. How could he love her when she’d destroyed so much?

Chapter 2

Noah

Fresh paint and the scent of drywall dust made me think of my father, not school. Yet that smell slapped me in the face when I walked into the newly remodeled front office. With books in hand, I sauntered toward the counter. ’Sup, Mrs. Marcos.

Noah, why you late again, muchacho? she said while stapling papers together.

The clock on the wall flipped to nine in the morning. Hell, this is early.

Mrs. Marcos stepped around her new cherry desk to meet me at the counter. She gave me crap when I came in late, but I still liked her. With her long brown hair, she reminded me of a Hispanic version of my mother.

You missed your appointment with Mrs. Collins this morning. Not a good way to start the second term, she whispered as she wrote my tardy slip. She tilted her head toward the three adults huddled together in the far corner of the room. I assumed the middle-aged blond woman whispering to the rich couple was the new guidance counselor.

I shrugged and let the right side of my mouth twitch up. Oops.

Mrs. Marcos slid the tardy slip to me and gave me her patented stern glare. She was the one person at this school who didn’t believe that me and my future were completely fucked.

The middle-aged blonde called out, Mr. Hutchins, I’m thrilled you remembered our appointment, even if you are late. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind taking a seat while I finish a few things. She smiled at me like we were old friends and spoke so sweetly that for a moment, I almost smiled back. Instead, I nodded and took a seat on the line of chairs pushed against the office wall.

Mrs. Marcos laughed.

What?

She’s not going to put up with your attitude. Maybe she’ll convince you to take school seriously.

I rested my head against the painted cinder-block wall and shut my eyes, in need of a few more hours’ sleep. Short one person for closing, the restaurant hadn’t let me go until after midnight, and then Beth and Isaiah kept me up.

Mrs. Marcos? asked an angelic voice. Can you please tell me the upcoming dates for the ACT and SAT?

The phone rang. Wait one sec, said Mrs. Marcos. Then the ringing ceased.

A chair down the row from mine shifted and my mouth watered from the aroma of hot cinnamon rolls. I snuck a peek and noticed red, silky, curly hair. I knew her. Echo Emerson.

Not a cinnamon roll in sight, but damn if she didn’t smell like one. We had several of our main courses together and last semester one of our free periods. I didn’t know much about her other than she kept to herself, she was smart, a redhead and she had big tits. She wore large, long-sleeved shirts that hung off her shoulders and tank tops underneath that revealed just enough to get the fantasies flowing.

Like always, she stared straight ahead as if I didn’t exist. Hell, I probably didn’t exist in her mind. People like Echo Emerson irritated the crap out of me.

You’ve got a fucked-up name, I mumbled. I didn’t know why I wanted to rattle her, I just did.

Shouldn’t you be getting high in the bathroom?

So she did know me. They installed security cameras. We do it in the parking lot now.

My bad. Her foot rocked frantically back and forth.

Good, I’d succeeded in getting under that perfect facade. Echo…echo…echo…

Her foot stopped rocking and red curls bounced furiously as she turned to face me. How original. I’ve never heard that before. She swept up her backpack and left the office. Her tight ass swayed side to side as she marched down the hallway. That wasn’t nearly as fun as I’d thought it would be. In fact, I kind of felt like a dick.

Noah? Mrs. Collins called me into her office.

The last guidance counselor had major OCD issues. Everything in the office perfectly placed. I used to move his plaques just to mess with him. There’d be no such entertainment with Mrs. Collins. Her desk was a mess. I could bury a body in here and no one would ever find it.

Taking the seat across from her, I waited for my ass-chewing.

How was your Christmas break? She had that kind look again, sort of like a puppy.

Good. That is if you considered your foster mom and dad getting into a screaming match and throwing everyone’s gifts into the fireplace a good Christmas. I’d always dreamed of spending my Christmas in a hellhole basement watching my two best friends get stoned.

Wonderful. So things are working out with your new foster family. She said it as a statement, but meant it as a question.

Yeah. Compared to the last three families I had, they were the fucking Brady Bunch. This time around, the system had placed me with another kid. Either the people in charge were short on homes or they were finally starting to believe I wasn’t the menace they’d pegged me to be. People with my labels weren’t allowed to live with other minors. Look, I already have a social worker and she’s enough of a pain in my ass. Tell your bosses you don’t need to waste your time on me.

I’m not a social worker, she said. "I’m a clinical social worker."

Same thing.

Actually, it’s not. I went to school for a lot longer.

Good for you.

And it means I can provide a different level of help for you.

Do you get paid by the state? I asked.

Yes.

Then I don’t want your help.

Her lips flinched into an almost smile and I almost had an ounce of respect for her. How about we shoot this straight? she said. According to your file you have a history of violence.

I stared at her. She stared at me. That file was full of shit, but I learned years ago the word of a teenager meant nothing against the word of an adult.

This file, Noah. She tapped it three times with her finger. I don’t think it tells the whole story. I talked to your teachers at Highland High. The picture they painted doesn’t represent the young man I see in front of me.

I clutched the spiral metal binding of my calculus notebook until it stabbed the palm of my hand. Who the hell did this lady think she was digging into my past?

She flipped through my file. You’ve been bounced around to several foster homes in the past two and a half years. This is your fourth high school since your parents’ death. What I find interesting is that until a year and a half ago, you still made the honor roll and you still competed in sports. Those are qualities that don’t usually match a disciplinary case.

Maybe you need to dig a little further. I wanted this lady out of my life and the best way to do that was to scare her. If you did, you’d find out I beat up my first foster father. Actually, I had punched him in the face when I caught him hitting his biological son. Funny how no one in that family took my side when the cops arrived. Not even the kid I defended.

Mrs. Collins paused as if she was waiting for me to give her my side of the story, but she was sadly mistaken. Since my parents’ death, I’d learned that no one in the system gave a crap. Once you entered, you were damned.

Your old guidance counselor at Highland spoke highly of you. Made the varsity basketball team your freshman year, honor roll, involved in several student activities, popular amongst your peers. She surveyed me. I think I would have liked that kid.

So did I—but life sucked. Little late for me to join the basketball team—halfway through the season and all. Think coach will be fine with my tattoos?

I have no interest in you re-creating your old life, but together I think we can build something new. A better future than the one you will have if you continue down your current path. She sounded so damn sincere. I wanted to believe her, but I’d learned the hard way to never trust anyone. Keeping my face devoid of emotion, I let the silence build.

She broke eye contact first and shook her head. "You’ve been dealt a rough hand, but you’re full of possibilities. Your scores on the aptitude tests are phenomenal and your teachers see your potential. Your grade point average needs a boost, as does your attendance. I believe those are related.

Now, I have a plan. Along with seeing me once a week, you will attend tutoring sessions until your G.P.A. matches your test scores.

I stood. I’d already missed first period. This fun little meeting got me out of second. But since I’d actually gotten my ass out of bed, I intended to go to class sometime today. I don’t have time for this.

A slight edge crept into her tone, so subtle I almost missed it. Do I need to contact your social worker?

I headed for the door. Go ahead. What is she going to do? Rip my family apart? Put me in the foster care system? Continue to dig and you’ll see you’re too late.

When was the last time you saw your brothers, Noah?

My hand froze on the doorknob.

What if I could offer you increased supervised visitation?

I let go of the doorknob and sat back down.

Chapter 3

Echo

If only I could wear gloves every moment of the day, I’d feel more secure, but the stupid dress code wouldn’t let me. Because of this, my wardrobe consisted of anything with long sleeves—the longer the better.

I clutched the ends of my sleeves and pulled them over my fingers, causing my blue cotton shirt to hang off my right shoulder. My freshman year, I would have freaked if people stared at my white skin and the occasional orange freckle. Now, I preferred for people to look at my bare shoulder instead of trying to catch a glimpse of the scars on my arms.

Did she say who it was? I bet you it’s Jackson Coleman. I heard he’s failing math and if he doesn’t get his grades up he’ll lose his scholarship to college. God, I hope it is. He is so hot. My best friend, Lila McCormick, took her first breath since I’d given her the rundown on my counseling session and the tutoring job Mrs. Collins spontaneously created. With her nonstop mouth and tight clothes, Lila was Eastwick High’s own version of Glinda the Good Witch. She floated in her own beautiful bubble spreading happiness and cheer.

As Lila moved her tray down the lunch line, the smell of pizza and French fries made my mouth water, but the nausea roiling in my stomach kept me from buying food. My heart thundered and I hugged my sketch pad closer to my chest. I couldn’t believe I was actually in the lunchroom. Lila and I had been best friends since preschool and the one thing she’d asked of me for Christmas was that I ditch the library and reclaim my old spot at our lunch table.

It may have sounded like an easy request, but it wasn’t. The last time I’d eaten lunch in the cafeteria was at the beginning of May during my sophomore year: the day before my entire world fell apart. Back then, no one stared at me or whispered.

Who’s hot? Natalie cut the line by sliding her tray between me and Lila. A group of guys behind us groaned at her boldness. As usual, she ignored them. Natalie was the second of two people who refused to treat me like a social pariah because of the gossip flying about me at school.

Lila pulled her sleek golden hair into a ponytail before paying the cashier. "Jackson Coleman. Echo is going to tutor some lucky guy and I’m guessing it might be him. Who would you

Reviews for Pushing The Limits

[tripsis_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As posted on booknook - YA and Fantasy book reviewsThere are not enough words in the universe to describe how much I love this book!I’ll admit I was skeptical at first. Contemporary books are normally not my thing. But Pushing the Limits got such rave reviews and I thought the plot sounded intriguing, so I figured I’d give it a whirl. I fell completely in love. I felt like I was Echo.. and Noah. Pushing the Limits yanked my heart out as I suffered through Echo and Noah’s pains, and then put it back together as they healed. I was living every moment with them, my emotions rising and falling with theirs.I laughed, I cried, I giggled insanely.. god, I’m ready to read it all over again!Okay, Ashley, focus.Pushing the Limits is riddled with raw emotion. It deals with some really intense issues that you wouldn’t usually expect in a romance novel, but that’s what makes it feel so genuine and so powerful.Throughout the entire book, it was so much fun watching Noah and Echo’s chemistry evolve. It’s the furthest you could get from insta-love. It starts out as sort of a “hate” relationship. Echo has this preconception of Noah as a troubled, bad boy, girl-using druggie. And Noah has a preconception of Echo being the pathetic, loner, possibly suicidal outcast. When their relationship evolves, you see both of these characters wondering why they’re falling for the other person. They don’t understand it; it’s weird; it doesn’t make sense. But somehow these two people are drawn together and attracted to each other because they manage to find common grounds in the darkest parts of their lives.Even if you don’t have a dark and terrible past like Noah and Echo do, this book makes you sympathize; it makes you understand. Every word on every page is so genuine and filled with raw emotion that you feel like you’re living the story. Pushing the Limits deals with topics like abuse, foster care, psychological disorders, and divorce. But don’t worry, it’s not all heavy, intense subjects.Echo and Noah both have ‘lesser’ problems as well — ones that most teenagers face and thus, might be easier to relate to for some people. They both just want to have normal lives. Echo struggles between two guys: the ex boyfriend who constantly tries to pressure her into having sex, and the bad boy who she thinks is probably no good for her. She worries about not having a date to the social dance, about never finding a guy who will love her, getting the courage to ask her parents for birth control, and so on. These are problems that most teenage girls think about at one time or another.My one grip? So much sexual tension and no climax! Katie, why must you taunt me so???This is definitely one of the best books — if not the best — I have read this year! I’ve already preordered my own copy of this book and I’m recommending Pushing the Limits to every single person I know!

[theeclecticreview · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Echo and Noah are two lost teenagers who just want to “find normal again”. Echo was one of the popular girls in school until she lost her brother from the war and an incident she can’t remember with her mother changed her life completely. Echo's thoughts are "My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has... well ... issues. How do you think I'm doing?"Noah was part of a happy family until tragedy struck and he lost his parents in a fire and he and his two younger brothers were thrown into the foster care system which separated him and from his brothers. Noah's thoughts are "'Good.' That is if you considered your foster mom and dad getting into a screaming match and throwing everyone's gifts into the fireplace a good Christmas. I'd always dreamed of spending my Christmas in a hellhole basement watching my two best friends get stoned." Can Echo and Noah ever trust adults again?See my complete review at The Eclectic Review

[vykic37 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Find this review and more at On The ShelfWhat can I say about this book? It is beyond fantastic! This book is so amazing and riveting and powerful and emotional and….I could go on for a while. Point is, this one is a must read. The story is wonderful and beautiful.This story is quite the emotional roller coaster. I laughed out loud a few times, teared up a few times and felt everything as if I was right there with the characters. All of the characters were so great and so real. Even Aires felt real even though we never got to see him, he was still solid in the story. Noah is definitely book boyfriend worthy, a bad boy and a protector. There is so much more to him than people give him credit for. Echo (I love the name) is stronger than she thinks she is and has a lot to deal with. I feel so bad that her “friends” were the way they were. I didn’t like the girls from school she hung out with at all, of course we weren’t really supposed to, either. And Mrs. Collins? If I ever need a therapist, I want her for the job!The writing was great and clear; it read so fast and I had to force myself to stop reading when I had to go to bed. There is so many different things that are going on in the story, but it wasn’t a cluttered story because of it, and the switching POVs wasn’t confusing either like they sometimes can be. This is a book I highly recommend and one you just can not pass up!Amazing, emotional, fast-paced, wonderful characters, a new favorite!

[zabetreading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: The cover is ok. It doesn't even come close to showing what a great book this really is. I am happy to see that Noah and Echo are pictured as described (even down to the long sleeves - though I would like to have seen her in gloves). The lighting is well done, but I'm not sure this one would stand out very well on a shelf.

The Gist: Overnight, Echo Emerson went from Miss Popularity to the High School Freak and no one knows why. The horrible scars on her arms prove to Echo that something awful happened that night, but she can't remember. Under the guidance of a new therapist, she meets Noah Hutchins, a boy who is not only dark and dangerous, but just as damaged as she is. Fighting their undeniable attraction, they set out to reveal each other's secrets. In order to do so, they must each let their guard down and let the other in.

Review: Jumping on the Awesome Book Band Wagon in 3...2...1... WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Confession time: were it not for the amazing reviews from other bloggers, I never would have picked up this book. I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction and I tend to steer clear of books that appear to focus mainly on a romance ESPECIALLY if they throw out the words "soul mates" or "destiny" (which the UK version does - right on the cover). But Pushing the Limits, is not one of those books. Yes, the romance is a big factor, but it loses center stage to some wonderful character development with a smattering of mystery.

McGarry has a remarkable skill in writing broken characters. Echo and Noah both had moments that forcibly grabbed me and threw me into their world. It is not often that a book can evoke such a strong emotional response in me, but this one succeeded. There were several instances where I blinked back tears or fought the urge to shake somebody (usually Echo's parents). The two main characters felt so real that I could easily picture them sitting in my classroom, trying to be invisible, while I sit behind my desk trying to think of a way to reach them. Those are the type of students that break your heart - when you can see so much potential being smothered by so much pain. As characters, Echo and Noah are always compelling, often raw and never boring. They carry the story and have the kind of chemistry that makes the reader's heart race right along with them.

I was impressed by the manner in which McGarry tackled the relationships not only between Echo and Noah but between all of the characters on the periphery, especially Noah and his brothers and Echo and her parents. It was heartbreaking to watch Echo interact with her "friends" and family as she struggled to meet their demands and win their love and to stand by while Noah spent supervised visits trying to maintain his connection to the two little boys who were his whole world. Throughout the novel, I was pleased to see a great deal of growth in both characters, but a realistic journey to it. There were struggles, there were setbacks, and, in the end, there were issues that weren't exactly solved, but where steps had been taken down the right path.

The writing in Pushing the Limits is clean (though I wish Noah would have laid off the siren and nymph comparisons) and the plot moves at a steady pace. In character driven novels such as this it is easy to let action and excitement fall by the wayside, but the truth behind Echo's scars is revealed in such as way as to keep the reader engaged. As Echo's memory returns in snatches, we begin to see the true horror and sadness behind what happened to her and how broken her family truly was. In splitting the narration between Echo and Noah, McGarry ensures that each chapter leaves the reader wanting to turn one more page, read one more line until, if you are like me, you have finished the entire book in just a few short hours.

The only mark against Pushing the Limits is that the sexual nature and vulgar language would prohibit me from recommending it to my Junior High students, though I highly recommend it for teens over 16 and adult lovers of YA novels.

Katie McGarry has earned a fan for life. I have already listed Dare You To (Beth's Story) as to-read and will count down the days until it's eventual release sometime in 2013.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Sexual Acts, Vulgar Sexual Language.
Violence: Fist Fight, Drugging, Attempted murder
Inappropriate Language: Varied and Often: Fuck, Tits, Dick, Ass, Shit, Bitch, Jesus Christ, Pussy, Slut, Bastard, Whore

Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking, Marijuana use,

Notable Quotables:

"She'd come home with me to act as my barrier for Family Firday - or as I liked to refer to it, Dinner for the Damned."

"No. I like my brian cells. I find they come in handy when I ... oh, I don't know ... think."

"Luke used to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls."

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Originally reviewed here. Some content has been pared from this review, long as it is. To read it in full, visit the blog.

Pushing the Limits is another one of those books that has been hyped like whoa. Odds are you've heard of it, and you've seen rave reviews full of swooning and OMGs. Having finished, I can tell you that these responses are entirely valid and deserved. While not a completely perfect novel, I simply adored it from beginning to end and know that I will definitely be making friends read it and rereading it myself through the years.

On a very simple level, Pushing the Limits could be dismissed as a romance about a popular, well-behaved girl and the foster kid bad boy against all odds and the opinions of classmates. However, that would ignore all of the things that make this novel exceptional. Their family issues and scars make Echo and Noah much more interesting characters and makes their relationship so much sweeter.

Echo's name is a bit ridiculous, a flight of fancy by an artistic mother obsessed with Greek mythology. Her name comes from a Greek myth in which the jealous Hera curses a pretty nymph with the inability to do anything but repeat the words of others, eventually fading into just an echo as we know it. This name suits Echo perfectly. She says and does what others want her to, especially her controlling father. Echo has classic daddy issues and does what he says to keep him happy: she joins the right clubs, dates the guy he approves of, and gives up her passion for art in exchange for business because he thought that was better.

Echo used to have the perfect, middle class life, except for her manic depressive mother. Pretty, popular and dating one of the coolest guys in school, Echo had friends, good grades and serious artistic talent. Her life fell completely to pieces after her beloved brother, Aires, who joined the marines, dies. At the beginning of Pushing the Limits, Echo is mentally and physically scarred, gossiped about constantly and abandoned by one of her best friends, Grace. Although her relationship with Grace was a fairly minor plot point, I think it added a lot of validity to Echo's high school experience.

Echo is forced into yet more therapy with a guidance counselor/social worker at school, as part of which she will tutor Noah, who needs to get his grades up. This way she can earn money to fix up her brother's '65 Vette. Noah, like Echo, is mentally and physically scarred. His parents perished in a tragic house fire, leaving him to the 'mercies' of the foster care system. Even worse, he is kept separate from his younger brothers, Jacob and Tyler, after he punches his first stepfather, unable to watch the man abuse his own son anymore.

Noah is, on the surface, the typical bad boy. He smokes pot, skips class, has tattoos, has one night stands with whatever girls he can get his hands on, and gets into fights. He's also sexy as hell and incredibly smart. Echo and Noah do not get along at first. Well, actually, he was totally willing to get *ahem* on board the Echo train at any point, but she hated his attitude and the rude things he said to her. Only as he came to know her back story and to realize that Echo is not the spoiled brat he took her for, does Noah really begin to care for. The same goes for Echo, as she learns that Noah has a reason for being the way he is.

I rooted for them wholeheartedly and definitely felt the pterodactyl butterflies alongside Echo at several points. Echo and Noah fit each other perfectly, able to understand one another's pain and emotions better than anyone else could. Noah is even so awesome that he was able to use the phrase 'make love' and make it sound sexy as hell, rather than contrived and disgustingly sappy. However, my main issue with the book was also bound up in this. They definitely ventured a bit too far into the melodrama at times, and there were some phrases that made me roll my eyes heartily, like this one: "Noah didn't walk, he stalked and I loved the mischievous glint in his eye when he stalked me." Yikes. I know what McGarry is trying to do there, but I'm really creeped out by any romantic reference to stalking; it's not stalking if you WANT him following you and he's not going to hurt you. Plus, I really hate the term of endearment 'baby' and Noah says it CONSTANTLY. Why couldn't he just call her Siren? I thought that one was cute.

McGarry's storytelling works perfectly. Told alternatingly from the perspectives of Echo and Noah, the story is much stronger than I think it would have been in third person or from just one perspective. Had I not had a view into his head, I am pretty sure I would have hated Noah for half the book, with his rude comments and behavior. Being able to see the thoughts behind his actions was immensely helpful. This also helped overcome some of the cheesily romantic dialog, because you then would get a view of the character thinking 'what did I just do?' and mentally facepalming.

I highly recommend Pushing the Limits to anyone who likes darker contemporaries. I also have to mention that this novel is a perfect readalike for fellow Apocalypsie novel Something Like Normal; these novels are clearly best friends, just like Travis and Aires totally would have been.

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pushing the Limits is about a good girl and a bad boy and their romance in a high school setting, so I hope you'll forgive me for going into it thinking of a YA Walking Disaster. I was expecting a violent guy, a good girl who hides her real nature, and a weird, nonsensical situation that throws them together with light smexy times to follow. But this book has none of that - it's about two people who have lost the trust of everyone around them, who are genuinely broken and are trying to achieve 'normal', whatever that might be.I was sucked into the story from the very first chapter, in which Echo and her family meet a new school counsellor. The next chapter is told from Noah's point of view, but I didn't realise until a few paragraphs in! Then I rejoiced: dual perspective, yay! Both Noah and Echo are painted vividly and came across as realistic characters for me. I have to admit I didn't like Noah in the beginning, I feel the author placed too much emphasis on how he thought that all girls exist just to please him (he has this weird idea that wearing a tank top under the low-cut blouse is an invitation to ogle, which ... it's not!). But he eventually grew on me, and I could see he genuinely cared for his brothers and wanted the very best for them, and loved Echo a lot. Noah isn't exactly bad - he's just as lost as Echo but he's found a different way to deal with it.Echo is my favourite character - I think she's strong and deals with all the difficulties in her life well. She makes a few decisions I didn't agree with, but I liked it when her friends called her out on her bullshit and she actually took a few brave steps towards recovering because of it. Her character development is amazing, and I sympathised with her a lot even while shaking my head at some of the things she did. In particular, I hated her friends, even Lila the best friend. They were a poisonous bunch of vapid fools who encouraged her to date someone who pressured her to have sex just because he was a jock and it made 'sense'. I know that in high school there is a lot of pressure to be 'normal' and to not draw attention to one's self, but the whole situation made me very uncomfortable.I really liked the character of Mrs. Collins, the school counsellor. She wasn't traditional by any means, and by making her a clinical psychologist the author gave Collins a lot of freedoms and (unrealistic) tendencies, but I liked it. It was so cute that she approved of Noah and Echo's relationship when everyone else was too busy judging them.Aside from the romance, I loved how gritty this book is - it doesn't shy away from mental illness and depression, from PTSD, from the unfortunate realities of the foster care system. I was struck by how real Pushing the Limits feels, how it could have been set at any high school, how it could have been about people I went to school with. There is nothing contrived or unrealistic about the plot, it's a natural progression from hanging out, to finding out how much Noah and Echo had in common, to them becoming friends and helping each other overcome their fears and mistrust of others. And if there's kissing along the way, all the better!Pushing the Limits is less about the romance between a bad boy and a good girl, and more about how they have been let down by everyone that was meant to help them. It's less about the kissing, and more about how Echo and Noah grow, find strength in one another, and come to trust those around them. It's a realistic, edgy book that I really enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to reading Dare You To.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

[mrso822 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was a bit hesitant going into Pushing the Limits. I have kind of been in a book slump where I would think books were okay or maybe like them a little, but the books that reached out and grabbed me and made me keep reading were few and far in between. And I have a pretty hit or miss track record with contemporaries. However, I had heard good things about Pushing the Limits (which is why I purchased it on sale back in December), and I had an eARC of Dare You To to read, so I decided to pick it up. And let me just tell you that it did not disappoint. Pushing the Limits was exactly the book I needed to help me with my slump!

The two main characters are Echo Emerson and Noah Hutchins, and the book is told in their alternating perspectives (which are clearly marked at the beginning of each chapter). When we first meet them both, they are meeting with and waiting, respectively, for the school’s new clinical social worker. We learn very early on that both of them have had some sort of trauma or difficulty in their pasts, but we aren’t sure exactly what it is at first. Echo has had a very traumatic experience that her brain has repressed the memory of, and she mostly works with the social worker/therapist to try to remember them. Noah is in foster care after the death of his parents. They are thrown together when Echo begins tutoring Noah. Very early on, they have a very tumultuous relationship, but the more time they spend together, the more they find things they have in common.

I thought that Echo was a wonderful character. She’s insecure and confused, but after her past experiences, it’s not surprising. She has scars all over her arms, and she can’t remember how they got there. She knows one tiny aspect that she wants to keep secret from everyone else, but because of this, she is subject to all sorts of whispers and rumors. She has gone from the popular girl to the outcast. She also has a strained relationship with her father and stepmother. I really enjoyed seeing her navigating these relationships while trying to remember what happened to her, reclaim her past, and establish her future.

Noah is amazing. I don’t typically like the bad boy with the good heart, but we very quickly find out that there’s much more to him than what he seems. He’s not really all that bad, but does have a hard exterior, for a very good reason. His interactions with Echo were some of my favorite scenes in the book!

Echo and Noah each have two close friends, with one that really stands out. For Echo, it’s Lila McCormick. She’s a pretty, popular girl, but she’s not petty (That would be reserved for Grace.) She is really there for Echo when she needs her and a great friend. This made me really happy because my oldest daughter’s name is Lila, and I’m not sure I could have handled a bad character with one of my daughter’s names! Noah’s friend is Isaiah. With piercings and tattoos, he comes across as scary and intimidating, but he’s a really great friend to Noah.

I think my favorite part about Pushing the Limits was the mystery. We learn little bits about Echo’s and Noah’s pasts at a time, so it really takes almost the whole book to find out the full extent of their pasts. It was a bit dark at times and definitely dealt with some tough subjects, but I thought it really worked, as it was interspersed with friendship, love, and character growth.

The ending was great, too. We get enough resolution to be happy with events, but enough left open for more character growth and realism.

Overall, I thought that Pushing the Limits was a really captivating story. I loved the writing style, I loved the characters, and though a bit sad, I loved the storyline, especially the way it all came together. I would absolutely recommend Pushing the Limits (and already have, in fact!)

This review can also be found on my blog

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a gritty, romantic story about two troubled teens. Noah and Echo alternate in telling the story from their point of view and they are both extremely likeable characters, despite their flaws and insecurities. Noah, may be a 'bad boy' on the surface, but deep down he is a caring, considerate human-being and I can see teenage girls falling for him in a big way. I enjoyed watching the romance develop between Noah and Echo, they are perfect for each other. Too often in YA books, the characters are madly in love by page 10, but in "Pushing the Limits" love grew gradually making it more realistic. This is an emotional read about growing up and facing reality, and one I would recommend to older teenagers.

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Where do I start? Seriously, Pushing The Limits is everything I want in a book. Great characters, solid plotting, and the type of story that makes you want to cry and smile in equal measures. This is contemporary writing at its finest. No mermaids, no werewolves. They aren't necessary here. All the reader has are Echo, Noah and their stories, and you know what? It's perfection.

I truly don't believe that there will ever be two characters that I will love so wholeheartedly as I love Echo and Noah. Both broken in their own ways, these two fit together perfectly. Echo Emerson is a shell of the girl she once was. The death of her brother, the loss of her mother, and the inability to remember how she got her terrible scars, all eat at her on a daily basis. Meanwhile Noah Hutchins is lost in his own world. Fighting the foster care system and trying his best not to get close to anyone. If there's one thing Noah knows, it's that getting close to someone means you can get hurt.

Then, they meet. Did I mention the word perfection? There's no insta-love here. Just a slow progression of two people who go from being wary of one another, to slowly trusting one another, and finally to having that pure feeling of contentment every time they're together. Echo and Noah have the type of romance that makes you sniffle and giggle in the same sentence. I'll be the first to admit that I have a massive crush on Noah Hutchins. Don't let his bad boy persona fool you. There's a great guy under there. So great in fact, that he's my new favorite male character. I dare you not to swoon.

What is really impressive about Pushing The Limits though is how well it deals with so many different issues all at the same time. Echo and Noah may be facing two very different backgrounds, but their problems are deep. Problems that range from high school issues, to the foster care system. Their lives are the type of gritty reality that a lot of teens face, and most people don't want to acknowledge. Life for these two is far from normal. It's this that teaches them that sometimes, just sometimes, you have to make your own normal.

There really aren't enough words in the world to describe my feelings for this book. You should know that love is all I have for Katie McGarry and her characters, and that I am so happy that I took the time to meet Echo and Noah. I hear that there's another book coming out from one of the other character's point of view! If Pushing The Limits is any indication of the brilliance that will be within those pages, I can't wait.

[itsbookishme · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written story. Echo and Noah are dealing with emotional scars from unfortunate life experiences, when you put two wounded souls together like McGarry did in Pushing The Limits you can get a very dependent couple. But with Echo and Noah I didn't get that, they were both so independently strong that they brought out the best in each other, the parts each didn't realize they had. Echo and Noah were very supportive and thoughtful of each other. They both didn't want to be a burden for the other. It was so impactful to the story to see Echo and Noah be the beacon for healing in each others lives.

There are some very self-absorbed people in this story, toxic people no one should have as an influence in their life. I was a little upset with Echo for not getting them out of her's sooner. There were also some positive influences too, like Beth(well, she might be a sort of), Isaiah and Lila, Echo's best friend. It was really nice to see how lost and damaged souls can find each other and be like family when your real family isn't there. Noah, Beth, and Isaiah's relationship added another layer to the story.

Really enjoyed this book, I felt an array of emotions, from sadness, to pride for how Echo and Noah were able to get to a point where they can start trying to heal their wounds.

Not happy with how it just ended, wished it had an epilogue. I wanted to know more, how are things for Echo and Noah, individually and as a couple. Don't need to know what's going on 20 or 30 years into the future, would have been satisfied with a year or even just few months after.

[suzanneml · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was drawn into Echo and Noah's world straight away. They are well written characters, and I could easily imagine them. McGarry sold me on Noah Hutchins. He's the bad boy with the good heart, the one you want to be in love with you. Noah's devotion to his little brothers and his commitment to Echo made him all that more admirable. Echo's storyline was a tad bizarre, but interesting. The pace slows down towards the middle, but by no means stopped my interest in wanting to finish. I just wasn't compelled to pull an all-nighter to finish it. I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to reading more work by this author.

[liindasnow97 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Never judge a book by it's cover has never described something so right.I hadn't given this book a chance because, honestly, that cover made me think this was going to be a book about lots of physical activities (if you know what I mean ;) ).I was pleasantly surprised. This book was amazing, I loved the story of Noah and Echo and I liked their individual stories, too. Being in their heads was hard, specially near the ending when everything is either getting a closure or turning out to be something different.I think I fell in love with Katie's writing style, and I'm so glad I already bought the next book in the series, since I want to keep reading about this characters I loved (I think the next is Beth's story? That sounds interesting!)Anyone looking for contemporary YA romance with a strong story should read this book.

[brenda14_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great characters with amazing chemistry and flaring passion. Not only those it have intense scenes it also has funny and cute moments.

[booksovertv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Favorite of the year!

Pushing the Limits is a well written tear jerking page turner. With every turned page I was more impressed. My heart went out to Echo and it breaks for Noah. They are both courageous albeit naive. In this novel there was a bit of everything a reader of Contemporary Fiction looks for and expects, well done!


I would like to thank Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[milaxox-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply amazing :)

[sedelia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A book about two troubled teens trying to work through their issues and figure out their futures? Yes, please. Pushing the Limits is filled with drama, serious issues, and some very touching moments. Dealing with themes such as friendship and family, this is something that I think everyone can relate to.What Katie McGarry does is perfectly set up a situation with two characters that are impossible not to like. Told from both of their perspectives, I rooted for Echo and Noah from the very beginning (individually and as a couple). What I liked about them is that they are two responsible teenagers in very bad situations. These weren't even situations they brought upon themselves, but things that just happened and made a major impact on their lives, forcing them to deal with horrible things. I hate when authors portray teenagers as shallow and whiny; McGarry gives her characters something real to be troubled about and has them fight for what they want instead of sulking in their misery.And my goodness, does McGarry know how to craft an un-put-downable story! Don't even try to stop reading at the end of a chapter, because it won't happen. I would promise myself to only read a few chapters, only to find a few hours later that I've read a quarter of the book. It's a fast read that goes by even faster, because you won't want to stop reading. The characters sucked me in, and I found myself always needing to know what happened next.There were some problems with this novel. For one, the adults didn't seem very realistic to me. They were too over-the-top, not willing to listen to the teenagers or talk the problems out with them. While I'm sure this happens, I would have liked there to be a better balance. For most of the novel, it seems like the only two adults that really care are the therapist, Mrs. Collins, and Echo's former art teacher. Also, the connection between Echo and Noah got too strong too fast. I did like that the relationship took some time to develop, but it only took a couple of short meetings for Noah to start obsess about Echo. And there are some incredibly cheesy moments, but they are interspersed with some really sweet ones, so there is a balance, at least.Because of those problems, though, I had a hard time deciding what to rate this novel. While I was bothered by some things, I liked the characters, the themes, and how nicely the story unfolded. What it came down to was the fact that I enjoyed every second of reading Pushing the Limits, and I couldn't put it down. In the end, that's all that matters for me.*I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

[michealabeth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So makes my list of favorite books. <3Somebody recommended this book to me when I asked for books like the Perfect Chemistry trilogy by Simone Elkeles, and they were SO right. This book could belong in the Perfect Chemistry series; it's just that good.It was pretty close to perfect. The humor, the sarcasm, the amazing love story that turns out to be Noah and Echo. It's beautiful. Very realistic. The characters are faced with actual real life problems like Noah being in foster care and Echo dealing with why her parents divorced along with both of their dark tragedies. :)

[katebond-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So there are a lot of things that I really liked about this book. I thought it did a pretty good job of showing the good and bad of our country's foster care system. I liked that the love story never veered into that dumb Westside Story neighborhood of him being from the wrong side of the tracks blah blah blah...because he was only in that position because his parents died while he was in high school, forcing him from middle-class suburbia into foster care hell. It's a different take on the usual classist bullshit, and that was nice.

The character voices worked for me, although I'm reeeeeeally tired of the whole two-person first-person alternating by chapter thing. In general (although it's less of a problem in this particular instance), the male voice tends to read a little false when written this way. I will say this, though: It is VASTLY preferable to when an author writes the entire novel from one character's perspective and then gives us a snippet at the end of a few scenes re-told from the love interest's perspective (as in the Lux novels and Fifty Shades of Grey). I fucking hate that shit.

This is a sweet, wrenching love story in the vein of Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Where She Went. Just try not to think too hard about the logic of anything anyone does. Like, why didn't Noah's parents have a life insurance policy or ANY kind of plan in place to protect their children? And why did anything that any adult did relating to Echo make absolutely no sense what-so-ever? And since when is smoking pot such a big deal?

But like I said, it makes you feel things, and the dude is super-dreamy, and if you're in the market for a new YA novel without supernatural elements, you could do a lot worse than this little romance.

[thehidingspot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are times when I finish a book and I can't help but think to myself: why did you take so long to read this!? That's exactly what I was thinking when I finished Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits. This book has a compelling premise and a seriously swoon-inducing romance between two flawed and very different individuals who somehow seem absolutely perfect together.Pushing the Limits alternates between Echo and Noah's point-of-view, which works perfectly for this premise and these characters. Since both have their own set of complicated problems and difficult pasts, it felt important that both characters had an opportunity to share their POV regarding both the issues they're currently facing and the growing feelings between them. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't end up preferring one narrator over the other; they complimented each other well and I found myself excited to hear the other's take on situations and conversations.It's been quite some time since I've read a novel that focused on romance. I was feeling a bit burnt out and uninspired by those that I'd been reading; I wanted a romance with depth but all I felt like I was really getting was fluff and bad matches. Pushing the Limits reawakened by love of romance. Echo and Noah - and their story - made me want to fall in love again. McGarry's story evoked the excitement of first real, deep, complicated love that we all inevitably feel... and as horrible and distracting as it can be when you're going through it (as Echo and Noah clearly illustrate), there is something epic and wonderful about it as well!I highly recommend this first Pushing the Limits book from McGarry. The second book, Dare You To, has just released and I'm super excited to see if McGarry achieves the same level of emotion with her sophomore offering as with her first.

[vanyadrum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

NOTE: Thanks to Mira Ink (Harlequin UK) and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC of this book.

Oh My Goodness! Pushing the Limits was such an emotional roller coaster! There were highs and lows and passion and broken hearts! It was all that a reader would want from a great novel!

The writing style was perfectly constructed grammar and semantics wise. It was nicely edited, and even I (being the grammar error hound) couldn't find anything out of place. Which, believe me, says a lot. I loved that both POV's were unique. There are books where the POV's sound exactly the same - here they were different. We have two main characters, and they're more than happy to talk for themselves. And for each other.

Several scenes brought me close to tears, and believe me I would've cried, had I not read most of the book in the office. I felt the hurt, the passion, the LOVE, as if they were my own. Echo and Noah implanted themselves in my heart, and I believe they will remain one of my favorite fictional couples. Oh, let's not forget those other scenes that made me rock with laughter! I almost lost it in front of my boss, and had to increase the volume of my music just so he won't hear me cracking up!

Okay, so let's talk characters:

*Echo Emerson was the lost girl. She needed confidence, she needed strength, but most of all she needed her memory back. But, that could cost her her sanity. And still, she was brave enough to risk it, because what is a person with no memory? Especially when that memory holds the key to one's peaceful night sleep... I loved the way Echo changed, evolved and grew during the span of this novel. She started out as a shy, insecure, scared girl, who needed not only moral support. And then a certain boy's influence, along with her own fighting personality, lifted her up to an entirely new level. Her insecurities were forgotten, her selfishness and stubbornness were forgotten and she found a way to find the truth, to forgive and forget. I was completely blown away by Echo's mature way of thinking. She was one female I would never forget.

*Noah Hutchins was the bad boy with bad reputation and even worse habits. He drank, smoked pot and went from one girl to the next. Because his life wasn't easy. Being transferred from one foster home to another, after the tragic incident of his parents' death, had marked him forever. He used to be a basketball star in his early high school years. Now he was a failure. The only motivation for him were his two younger brothers, who lived in a different foster home. His only dream was to graduate, take custody, and raise them the best he could. Noble, but could a high school graduate handle such a burden? Thanks to the influence of two very caring people, Noah's life turned upside down and inside out in just a couple of weeks. He grew up, and finally there was progress for the better. I loved his personality and caring nature, even though he'd carefully wrapped it up in the usual bad boy facade. Totally swoon worthy is all I can say.

*Mrs. Collins was one annoyingly good therapist/social worker. She was so good understanding people's problems and helping them in unimaginable ways, that I couldn't help but love her. She went out of her way to help both Noah and his brothers, and Echo's troubled mind. I loved how she didn't buck under Echo's father's influence. She was totally hard core, and I loved her for it.

*Owen and Ashley Emerson, Echo's father and stepmom gave me the impression, initially, that they didn't really care about her. She thought so too. Until the truth was revealed. I truly felt sorry for them and then happy at the same time. I'm glad they didn't turn out to be the cold people I thought them to be.

*Carrie and Joe, Noah's brothers' foster parents, were perhaps the only characters my intuition was right about. I was glad things turned out the way they did for them. They deserved the outcome, every single bit of it.

There were other prominent characters, but if you want to learn more, you GOTTA READ THE BOOK! PUSHING THE LIMITS rocks, and you won't regret buying it! Have fun reading!

[tanat-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review to follow......fantastic story and writing.

[vtlucania · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was one of the best book I have read this year. Noah and Echo have to work through some real issues while living in the real world. I was attracted to this book because it was about real people, no vampires, wizards, witches, warlocks, shapeshifters, etc. Noah is a great guy not because he is the hero of the story he is the hero because he has had to grow up and deal with some real difficult issues that would ruin most kids and adults. Echo learns to be a strong female because of Noah who pushes her in a way no one else has-I am guessing that is part of reason for the title. My fear is the second and third books in the trilogy will not live up to this one. I really hope I am wrong. Great job on this one Katie McGarry!

[jodes101 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not the authors fault i think this book is written ... Ok but i am bored of this style of story.

[jwitt33 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My Opinion: Wow!! What an amazing debut from Katie McGarry! I had heard so many good things about this book and was really looking forward to reading it, and I have to say, the things I heard didn't do this story justice! I was drawn first to the mystery of how Echo got the "freaky" scars on her arms, since she had blocked it out I figured it must be something pretty bad, and it was, but what had me reading obsessively and flipping pages as fast as I could was the love story between Echo and Noah! These were two extremely emotionally damaged teens who you would never think would be able to begin to heal each other, but they end up working so well together that by the end of the book you can't imagine them NOT being there for each other.The story is told from two POVs: Echo's and Noah's. I love it when alternating POVs work this well because you really get to know the characters on an intimate basis since you are in essence in their minds and thinking their thoughts along with them (I don't know if this makes much sense, but if you've read a book where it works, then you'll know exactly what I mean!). Both Noah and Echo come from dysfunctional families and at the beginning of the book they are both distrustful and almost selfish in their desire to keep their problems to themselves, but as the story unfolds, they both grow and change so much, and it was such a joy to watch! Katie McGarry is exceptional at keeping the big reveal a secret until she hits you with it at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pushing the Limits and really look forward to reading Beth's story in Pushing the Limits #2, Dare You To. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, emotional contemporary YA romance :DI received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[gigisiriereads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written story. Echo and Noah are dealing with emotional scars from unfortunate life experiences, when you put two wounded souls together like McGarry did in Pushing The Limits you can get a very dependent couple. But with Echo and Noah I didn't get that, they were both so independently strong that they brought out the best in each other, the parts each didn't realize they had. Echo and Noah were very supportive and thoughtful of each other. They both didn't want to be a burden for the other. It was so impactful to the story to see Echo and Noah be the beacon for healing in each others lives.

There are some very self-absorbed people in this story, toxic people no one should have as an influence in their life. I was a little upset with Echo for not getting them out of her's sooner. There were also some positive influences too, like Beth(well, she might be a sort of), Isaiah and Lila, Echo's best friend. It was really nice to see how lost and damaged souls can find each other and be like family when your real family isn't there. Noah, Beth, and Isaiah's relationship added another layer to the story.

Really enjoyed this book, I felt an array of emotions, from sadness, to pride for how Echo and Noah were able to get to a point where they can start trying to heal their wounds.

Not happy with how it just ended, wished it had an epilogue. I wanted to know more, how are things for Echo and Noah, individually and as a couple. Don't need to know what's going on 20 or 30 years into the future, would have been satisfied with a year or even just few months after.

[mariannelee_0902 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pushing the Limits More reviews can be seen on my shared blog, Boricuan Bookworms

I have a thing for books about good girl meets bad guy. I&rsquo;ve read my fair share of these books, and I think that I already know everything about them. But this book&hellip; well this book definitely surprised me.

Echo Emerson is the school freak. She used to be popular, until the day she disappeared from school and returned as a different person. A person who hides the scars on her arms and can&rsquo;t remember much of what happened and how she got them. Suddenly, Noah Hutchins, the girl using bad boy, comes crashing into her life with his sexy smiles and irresistible looks. She doesn&rsquo;t want to fall for him and become another one of his plays, but he acts different with her. He understands and protects her and makes her feel normal. Too bad that Noah has problems of his own, and neither of them can fully love each other without risking important things from their lives&hellip;

Pushing the Limits isn&rsquo;t only about what happens to the good girl when she falls for the bad guy, no. This book is about so much more than that. It deals with real problems and gives us real solutions. It&rsquo;s about love, family, and most of all trust.

This story is told from both Echo and Noah&rsquo;s points of view. They both were really nice narrators, but I found I loved Noah&rsquo;s chapters more just because I wanted to know what was under his &ldquo;tough guy&rdquo; shell&hellip; and because of his crude honesty.

I didn&rsquo;t know much about Echo Emerson, other than she kept to herself, she was smart, a redhead and she had big tits.
&ldquo;Echo, you look&hellip;&rdquo; he let his eyes wander down my body and then slowly back up. A wicked grin spread across his face. &ldquo;Appetizing.&rdquo;

Now Echo for me was a different story. Echo broke my heart in every chapter, because I hated seeing her so sad.



I just wanted to pick her up and hug her until she stopped being sad. Echo was the best friend I&rsquo;d love to have.

Also, the romance in this book was beautiful. I loved seeing how Noah and Echo&rsquo;s relationship developed into a wonderful wonderful thing. Noah has reached the top of my book boyfriend list, and will definitely stay there sharing the spot with another Noah I love as well&hellip;

It was nice to see that not only did Echo need Noah, but Noah needed Echo. They needed each other to keep sane. Echo was basically Noah&rsquo;s first girlfriend, and although he was terrified, he took the plunge because he genuinely felt something for her.
&ldquo;Echo, I can&rsquo;t tell you what&rsquo;s going to happen because I don&rsquo;t know. I don&rsquo;t hold hands in the hallway or sit at anyone else&rsquo;s lunch table. But I swear&hellip; that you will never be a joke to me and you&rsquo;ll be much more than a girl in the backseat of my car.&rdquo;

Those words right there made me melt. Those words made me completely forget about how Noah was the biggest player in the world, and made me want to yell at Echo &ldquo;WHAT ARE YOU DOING STANDING THERE! HURRY UP AND FALL IN LOVE!&rdquo;.


Other than the romance, I loved how family was touched in this book. In most YA novels, the family basically doesn&rsquo;t exist, if only to be a placemat in the story. Here, family is a very important aspect. Echo&rsquo;s family is practically in tatters, and we get to see how they develop and mature around this. We see tons of character development, not only from Echo, but also from her dad and even her stepmom.

Noah&rsquo;s family doesn&rsquo;t stay behind either. Noah jumps from foster home to foster home, but now he&rsquo;s finally stayed in a home long enough to actually form a bond with their parents. Problem with this is that he&rsquo;s separated from his two brothers, 8 and 5 years old. His brothers are the world for him, and it hurts him to be separated from them. It actually hurt me that Noah felt as much pain as he did.



Also, this book has amazing secondary characters. Mrs. Collins is definitely my favorite one. She basically saved Echo and Noah. Without Mrs. Collins and her therapy sessions and her overall understanding of teenagers, I&#039;m pretty sure this romance would not have ocurred. I loved Mrs. Collins because she was the superhero of this story.

Katie McGarry is one of these authors who I&rsquo;d love to meet and give a big hug. She created a wonderful story with wonderful characters and wonderful situations that just steals your heart. I borrowed this from the library, but I&rsquo;ll be sure to buy this book (and it&rsquo;s sequels) so I can read (and cry into, and yell at, and laugh with) as many times as I want.

Rating: Without a doubt, 5 stars.

[dawn94-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of Echo, a high school senior whose life took a drastic turn 2 years ago. She may have blocked out the memories of that night, but they still affect her greatly. When she begins tutoring Noah, the bad-boy stoner with the leather jacket, she can't imagine ever "being" with him. They come from two different circles, after all. But, as time goes on, the pull they feel toward one another only increases. There's much more to this book: Echo working through her repressed memories, Noah working to get custody of his brothers, how these things affect their relationship with one another. I was completely engrossed in the story, reading it in less than a 24-hour period. I liked the main characters, as well as the side characters. There was a believability to it all. And the fact that all the storylines were wrapped up in ways that I fully approved of was an added bonus. :) I highly recommend this book to fans of Young Adult Romance (and it's only 31 cents for Kindle right now)!

[destinyisntfree · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. So I was a bonehead and had requested the later books in this series without having read this one. So, when this one popped up as 31 cents on Kindle, I jumped right on that.

To give you a bit of perspective... This was about 400 pages, I finished this in less than 24 hours. I cannot believe I did that, but I also couldn't put this book down no matter how hard I tried. I stayed up until 4 in the morning reading. Then I read when I should have been doing, um, other things. Granted, it is Bout of Books week, and I have a goal in mind for a number of pages to finish this week, but I am certain the result would have been the same regardless of what time it was.

Echo and Noah's stories are both heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. The amount of heartbreak in this book brought tears to my eyes on so many occasions, I have no idea how I have tissues left in my house.

The character development in this story was spot on, and I could imagine being a part of the story, sitting down and having coffee with the characters and being a part of their lives. I could imagine living through the experiences, both the beautiful and the horrifying. It felt so real to me, I imagine the story and the characters and the events will disturb my sleep for at least a night or two.

Want to know what happens and how the story ends? Get the book. Seriously, you really need to read this one. I don't care who you are, this book is a must read for everyone. There is a bit of language, but the story wouldn't have worked without it. It needed to be there. I don't say things like that often, but in this case, it's true.

Read the book, then come back and tell me what you think. I love hearing from people about stuff I have read.

[staciesnape-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Warning: May contain spoilers Echo Emerson was the girl in school that everyone wanted to be and every guy wanted to date, but when she up and left for months, only to return with scars on her wrists and arms, she's an outcast. Her father doesn't listen, her step mother (once babysister) is pregnant and her mother is no where to be seen. Why? because she's the one that hurt Echo.Echos mother suffered with bipolar disorder since she and her brother were a kid, but after coming of her meds to paint one day, Echo wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she got there. One thing is certain though, her mother tried to kill her. In the space of 6 months Echo not only lost her mother but her brother too, who died in the army, leaving nothing behind for her but a car.Noah Hutchins, once a model student and basketball player, is a stoner guy in foster care after he's parents died in a fire leaving him and his 2 brothers orphans. Fleeting from one foster home to the next because of violence, Noah is willing to what ever it takes to get back on the straight and narrow in order to hopefully get his brothers back, who at the moment he only gets to see for an hour of supervised visits fallowing his last fight.Thrown together by the schools new guidance counselor, Echo starts to tutor Noah, she does it for money to do up her brothers car, and Noah needing to get his grades up. Both have been through hard times in the past two years, but by becoming friends and finally learning to trust someone, they learn to not only deal with it but move on. They find love, friendship, acceptance and Echo slowly gets her memory back while Noah figures out its ok to let people inMy thoughts? it was a very well written book dealing with horrific things. The characters each have a little story of their own and you really get a feel for all of them. (well.. apart from some of Echo's friends. But they aren't really a big issue in the book). One of my favourite characters was Beth, even though she did annoy me at times, and one of the reason's why I haven't said much about her is I know the next book is about her so I'm going to save what I have to say about her till then.

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars. There was some good emotion here and a lot to deal with. Dings for all the unneeded swearing. And the whole "bad boy changed for good" thing was kind of annoying. There is not a redeemable person behind every jerk and I don't like it when girls are repeatedly told to go for someone who will probably always be a jerk. And one of my top pet peeves is the pet name baby. Super annoying.