Name: Pushing the Limits
ISBN: 9781921796845

Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits

Rendered a subject of gossip after a traumatic night that left her with terrible scars on her arms, Echo is dumped by her boyfriend and bonds with bad-boy Noah, whose tough attitude hides an understanding nature and difficult secrets.

Pushing the limits

I read this book around 2013 or 2014, and I remembered to enjoy it so much, and it's been so long since I last read it, so I had to hit the reread.

Throughout the book, I was cringing a bit. It is not because I don't believe teens can go through this and go over these feelings and trials and tribulations. It is just too cliché.

There were just a couple of things I couldn't get over with.

1- The fact that Noah was planning to do but didn't clean his act sooner, like yeah sure that probably proves that he is a teenager who was focused in that single dream he has hold on to for so long but like honest no brains my dude.

2- Mrs. Collins, like I liked her, her attitude and everything, but how like so random idk, I just couldn't get over how random it was she was able to keep tabs on them, like I know she had a few students but also she was only on the echo-noah project too head on, so I could actually believe she was counseling other students but what do I know if I never went through this.

3- Oliver and Ashley. Like, I  tried not to think about it too much, but also couldn't stop thinking how weird and how her parents were okay with it. Like, sure, there's a way to look at it that makes it less creepy, but Echo mentioning she got to spend her 18 birthday with her was too much for my old age sensibilities.

Regardless, when it came to the big action, climax, and conclusion of this book. I could remember why I liked it so much.

Actually 3.75 ⭐️ 

I read this book around 2013 or 2014, and I remembered to enjoy it so much, and it's been so long since I last read it, so I had to hit the reread.

Throughout the book, I was cringing a bit. It is not because I don't believe teens can go through this and go over these feelings and trials and tribulations. It is just too cliché.

There were just a couple of things I couldn't get over with.

1- The fact that Noah was planning to do but didn't clean his act sooner, like yeah sure that probably proves that he is a teenager who was focused in that single dream he has hold on to for so long but like honest no brains my dude.

2- Mrs. Collins, like I liked her, her attitude and everything, but how like so random idk, I just couldn't get over how random it was she was able to keep tabs on them, like I know she had a few students but also she was only on the echo-noah project too head on, so I could actually believe she was counseling other students but what do I know if I never went through this.

3- Oliver and Ashley. Like, I  tried not to think about it too much, but also couldn't stop thinking how weird and how her parents were okay with it. Like, sure, there's a way to look at it that makes it less creepy, but Echo mentioning she got to spend her 18 birthday with her was too much for my old age sensibilities.

Regardless, when it came to the big action, climax, and conclusion of this book. I could remember why I liked it so much.



Monicap

Oh. The. Feels.

I need help. See, I have this problem. This problem where, in contemporary-style trilogies, we have the first book, and I REALLY love the first book. And get really attached to the characters in the first book. And then I look up the second book, and find that, though at least one of the main characters of the second book was closely related to one of the main characters in the first book, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE CHARACTERS from the first book, And thus, I can't bring my self to read the second book. or third, for that matter.

((And I'm not kidding when I say this is an actual PROBLEM that I actually HAVE. As in, this is not the first time this has happened to me.))

HELP!

Zahra

*3.5 stars*

The story got boring and felt stretched in the middle chapters, but thankfully it picked up and THAT ENDING. I just feel really happy that Noah and Echo got what they deserved!

reread - I love a ya romance with serious issues mixed in and this one is really good 😊 

devin.reads

This book was so good! I found myself not wanting to put it down! Echo and Noah are so cute. The story and the characters were amazing. 5 out of 5 stars for sure!

Nicole Goldstein

More like 4.5 stars. There were tears and swooning in the best way. I fell in love with Noah and his story more than Echo but this didn't feel forced like a lot of dark contemporaries are. I loved it.

Barbara Kovács

This was awesome.
A lot of feels, romance, sadness, secrets and everything else is in this book.
It was a great pleasure to read this.
I loved every word. 
I loved Noah, and I still love him.
But I don't only love him.
I love the entire story.

Annabella

I seriously have no idea how to rate this book so I will probably leave it for when my feelings have calmed a bit.
I'm gonna be honest, here: ever since I read the blurb and the shiny reviews here I thought, well. If there's one word that this prompts into my brain that word is predictable. Was it? Yep. *Pops the p while looking for shelter* But, here's the thing, it also had ballsy scenes, which made it less cheesy than I expected. 
Did I like it? Yes.
Did I cringe at the overused references to cinnamon rolls and Greek Mythology? Hell, yeah.
Am I gonna read Book Two? Yes, but not right away. There's only so much PTL style one can read about in a short time.
Do I fervently wish for half stars? You bet your puppies.
 Actual 3.5

Sarah S

JoLee

Spoil Free Review

Review: 5 Stars - Amazing
Genre: Contemporary Romance - Young Adult 
Source: Bought

I was looking for a ansty-emotional, well written YA and Katie McGarry delivered. The best part of reading Pushing The Limits was going into it blind. The layers were nicely peeled away with Echo's past in remembering how she got her scars. How she got her scars broke my heart. 

For me Noah was the star in Pushing The Limits. He is a swoon-worthy, tattoo-sporting hero who will do what ever it takes to protect his loved ones. I loved that he never assumed anything about Echo and her scars. I get why Echo fell in love with Noah. Because of Katie McGarry beautiful writing voice I also fell in love with him. Loved watching Echo little by little forget about her scars around Noah.

The school counselor was a hoot and loved that her time helped break up the emotional aspect in Pushing The Limits. 

Pushing The Limits was a page turner for me. Read it in 2 days. If real life did not interfere I would of read in one sitting. I could not swipe my kindle fast enough to see how Noah and Echo story played out. I especially wanted to know their secrets. I do look forward to continue Pushing The Limits series. Especially when in the mood for ansty-emotional YA read.

Originally posted at Wickedly Delicious Book Blog

Jas Wang

Kathryn 

*3.75*
Ahhhh Im not sure how I feel. all in all this book was pretty good but personally I'm just not a huge fan of bad boy characters so that kinda turns me off to it. Would still recommend.

Becky

This book was not what I expected. I had no grand expectations for this book. Honestly I was expecting something worse than this. And to be honest I was expecting porr writing. The writing was not the best I've ever read, neither was it the worst. The pacing could have been a bit better and sometimes I was lost about a period of time that we skipped because often the editing in the book did not make it obvious that there was a break in the text to help signify the end in a scene. This led to some confusion for me as I occasionally wondered where someone came from and questioned if we had always been in this place.

But enough about the technical stuff, what about the story? The story was nothing groundbreaking. I did like how both characters had been developed well. We did not have Noah just being a stock love interest with no real character outside of being a hot bad boy. I liked the character development. It could have been better, at times everyone felt a bit predictable. I would have liked greater involvement from Echo's friends. More explanation behind Grace and more emotion in general on Echo's part because often I didn't know why Echo cared about her friends, or understand why Grace did what she did. One of the things I like most in contemporary books like this is good friendships and good well-rounded characters and I don't fully feel I got that.

But the story was good at least. I was always interested, and towards the end I was a bit bored but overall it was alright, so it got three stars from me.

Cindy Lee

More of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words 

 Cover: The cover is just beautiful. An awesome cover for the book :)

My Thoughts: 

First thing I just have to say, Echo and Noah are such emotional and awesome characters. I think what pushes them together (besides attraction) is that they both have really big issues. This was such an emotional read for me. Every blogger was like, THIS IS AWESOME.. And I was afraid I would be disappointed. Nope, not disappointment. BUT JOY... Okay, that's too emotional.

I usually only read paranormal books, and not something like this because I know I probably won't like it. But this was a very big exception. This book blew me away!! I clearly portrays the characters' emotions, what they're going through and their feelings for each other.

I just gotta say, Go out and pick up this book because it's very unlikely that you'll regret it :)

 Rating:

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5 Lattes

Shannon Thomas

I found this book extremely difficult to put down. From the first chapter I was completely glued to the book and the characters. I loved how mysterious it was at times and I fell in love with Noah almost straight away. Absolutely loved this book.

ashley hopkins

If you haven't read Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry yet, it's one that should definitely be on your list to read. From its highs of being well high to the lows of being treated like an outcast it is an emotional rollercoaster for the reader and the characters. 

No one will tell Echo what happened the night she got her scars. Not her father, step-mom, or her new counselor. If she tries to remember her world might just shatter completely.



I can't wait to read Beth's story in Dare you to.

Destiny J Tamayo

*****4.5******* I really loved the story and found myself loving the characters but in the beginning I didn't like echo until I was slightly passed the middle.

So I just reread this book about a year later. And I have to say I love it way more this time around. 
It follows the story of Noah and Echo two troubled souls who are struggling to find normal again. 
The characters were wonderful I have to say I'm particularly fond of Noah. I loved how each character was portrayed and that we got to see both their sides since each one had a story of their own to tell.

laura

Pushing the Limits: Spoiler Review I really loved this book. I really loved both echo and noah as a pair and as their own characters. I loved how this book liked at characters that I don't read about often or situations. It look at the complex issues in foster care and also the simple way things are looked black and white and no shades of grey. I loved seeing noah come to see how much he could give his brothers by staying their brother and not trying to take them from the only life the knew. I think I was even torn at what I wanted it him to do in the end but the book made my invested either way. I really at the end did see a change in noah and that was good.
 
I loved the mystery aspect that we saw in echo case. I loved how everyone in her life knew the truth about what her mother did to her but she could never remember. I had so many theories and the ending still broke my heart. It is painful but gripping to watch her fall down and just hope to get back up. 
 
I really loved the scene she had with her mother cause it was so gut wrenching to watch and also my heart broke for noah in his scene with his little brothers. 
 
I also loved meeting the issiah and beth that we will learn more about in future books but I have fallen in love with her writing and i am excited to read much more by her.
 
Check out my video review:
coming soon!

Agata Tereszkiewicz 

I was waiting to write a review for this book because I didn't know if I just enjoyed it at the time of reading but with time I would forget all about it. But it has been over a year since I picked it up, and I can still tell you everything that happened in this book, it does hold a place in my heart. 

Where do I start? Noah and Echo, both have their own very serious issues and problems within the book, and they are not meant to be together but they are and it is everything I ever wanted. This book is FULL of angst and drama so if that isn't your cup of tea maybe don't reach for this book (ALTHOUGH it's WORTH IT). I enjoyed that even though this was clearly a romance Katie McGarry didn't purely focus on that, and each character had their own history and plot. And let me tell you how I thank Katie McGarry for creating a character like Noah. 

Although this book was everything I ever wanted in a romance, I can see why people find it problematic, so maybe look up the trigger warnings before picking this up.

Lisa W.

*** This book is actually rated a 4.90 for me***

This book provided every single feeling imaginable. I tip my hat to the writer Katie McGarry for accomplishing such an amazing product.

The only reason I could not give it a full five is because I was too deeply involved. I personally would have handled the ending differently (in Echo's scenario). This is not to say that she handled it inaccurately its just my personal opinion. I realize its much easier to say what I would do if in the position. I honestly think that McGarry handled the closing perfectly.

Although this story provided two different two different view points I only associated with one. Mainly due to my position as a female. I think believe the writer toggled between the two beautifully and gave each on its depth. Her ability to use real life situations that are rarely referenced was brilliant. As a YA product, pushing the limits is mature in its content. It takes a complex and open mind to take on the issue she addressed in this book.

I was also very impressed by how she kept Echo's virtue. I knew there was no way to have Echo and Noah in a relationship with sex being involved but she proved me wrong. Their relationship shared so many intimate moments and expressed love without tainting it with consummation. 

I also enjoyed McGarry's take on various types of friends. She introduced us to Isiah and Beth who will be intricate characters in books to come. Isiah's loyalty to Noah was remarkable and Beth's attitude showed the true character of teenage girls. Lila was the best friend imaginable and I was happy to have her in the story line. Whereas Grace I appreciated but hated at the same time. She was necessary to understand the alteration of Echo's life. 

Overall this book was great!

Izzy

HOLY SHIT! THIS BOOK WAS JUST AWESOME!

Ahead when I read the description my first thought was that this book is going to be completely like 'Perfect Chemistry' but after reading the first few chapters I noticed that this book is taking a whole different way than the books of Simone Elkeles.

The main characters were all so likeable. Echo..with her special name didn't annoy me a second and that doesn't happen often in YA books. I felt sorry for her at the time because she couldn't remember what happened to her and why she got her scars.
And Noah...sigh. Is this a curse or what? Why do all Noah's have to be that beautiful and just fantastic?

Clara hash

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK. 
I enjoyed every part of this book, it was so entertaining and emotional. I lo(oooooooooooooo)ve books with broken people who try to fix something in their lives. 
I cried, like a baby while reading pushing the limits. and that's not happening often.

I can't stop imagining noah's perfect body and oh god... i need to stop fangirling over fictional characters

SO, PERF BOOK FIVE STARS EVERYONE IS HAPPY EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT

As seen on Caity Reads.

This was such a great contemporary read, and definitely one of my new favorites. I loved both Echo and Noah so much, they were full of depth and I didn’t find myself getting bored or annoyed with their stories at all. This was my second Katie McGarry read, and I definitely was not disappointed. This is anything from your normal high school romance. They’re both dealing with very heartbreaking situations, and they’re kind of thrown together. This book had me in tears more often than I would like to admit.

Echo is dealing with the loss of her big brother, her memory loss of the night she got her scars, her father remarrying, and her stepmother’s pregnancy. While Noah is dealing with the loss of both of his parents, and trying to decide what is best for his two younger brothers. They’re both thrown into counseling at school, and it is there that they are paired for Echo to tutor Noah.

They slowly fell into this mixed up and messy kind of love. Each trying to help the other to find more information on their current situations. They’re both extremely strong characters emotionally. As someone who lost a parent in high school, I think Katie McGarry did a beautiful job of portraying the crazy emotions you feel during that time. I think she portrayed the loss well, and the characters reactions both seemed very real to me.

Overall, I really loved this book and would recommend you pick it up if you haven’t already. This is the first book in a series of companion novels, the next follows side characters from this book and I can’t wait to pick it up.

Tayler Park

I didn't love it but I also didn't dislike it. It was just okay.