Ok such a dramatic YA novel, but really good. There was a lot of drama, but it wasn't annoying because it wasn't put in there randomly. The book started with two troubled people, trying to overcome the tragedies that had shaped their current lives. It ended with those two people overcoming them by making sacrifices and realizing that sometimes those sacrifices aren't a bad thing. I'll admit, I was crying towards the end. Something about both loosing family and realizing that it's for the best or the fact that both needed to learn to forgive, which is something I have a hard time doing. More than once I thought "nope I would never be able to do that." In the end I liked the story and I liked how things got resolved, don't think I'll ever re-read it cause I just can't re-read these types of books, but it was good.

This book was so good - I can't even stand it.
Noah has to be one of the most wonderful book boyfriends ever. His story is so touching & I cried my eyes out over it. Seriously.
Echo had her girly, over-dramatic moments, but it was wonderful to see her grow throughout the book. I was sad for her to start but then found myself in awe of her strength by the end.
The only thing that I didn't like (and trust me, I'm being really picky here) is how Noah calls Echo "baby" all the time - could there be a more generic pet name ever?

Now I need to read Beth's story in the next book!

There is nothing quite like being in the minds of two very broken teenagers. Echo and Noah have suffered in ways that are hard to fathom and that I wouldn't wish on anyone. We first meet Echo in the office of yet another social worker who has been brought on board to try to help Echo move past the events that occurred two years prior and that she can't remember but with vicious scars on her arms. She is trapped in her home with an uptight, overly controlling dad and a self-absorbed nanny turned step mother. In many ways, Echo is nothing more than living in the shadow of her old life, with few friends and virtually no social life.

Then comes Noah. He's the sexy bad boy we all want and love. Except that like most all of them, there's more than meets the eye. Noah, too, is living with the invisible scars of grief and loss, and is fighting for the one thing in his life that matters -- his brothers. When these two are paired up, Echo and Noah make a formidable team, scheming and learning to see past some of the body armor they've both been wearing.

What ensues is a story of such deep love, forgiveness, brokeness, sadness, redemption, and did I say it already, love. At times I was literally crying, tears rolling down my face, over the heartache that they'd both endured, the things they were giving up for themselves, for each other, while other times I was laughing at the fun these two teens were having... something they didn't get nearly enough of.

McGarry did a truly masterful job of getting inside these two kids' heads. Their thoughts, their actions, their emotions were on target the entire way through. Pushing the Limits is definitely not an easy read, but it's a beautiful one. At times I wasn't sure how things were going to end, but I was always hopeful. I'm grateful I took the chance.

I'd be remiss if I didn't note that I was granted permission to read and review this book by Harlequin Teen through Netgalley.

"Touching Echo felt like home…"
"Noah makes me feel safe."

Another YA book sucks me in and I absolutely love it.

"We’d read about sirens in English this fall; Greek mythology bullshit about women so beautiful, their voices so enchanting, that men did anything for them. Turned out that mythology crap was real because every time I saw her, I lost my mind."

Noah Hutchins is the bad boy; the stoner who loves to question authority and show that he can handle himself. But Noah is a foster kid who has been through numerous homes and whose life has changed since the death of his parents and the separation from his brothers.

"My insides had melted when Noah produced his wicked grin and gazed at me like I was naked. Luke used to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls."

Echo Emerson was the popular girl; she had the boyfriend, was on the dance team and had all the right friends until something happened to her to change it all and turn her world upside down. The sad part of this; she can’t remember what that something is yet has the physical proof and pain of it daily.

I LOVED this story. I find myself stumbling across some really good YA books that leave me speechless. As a hopeless romantic Pushing the Limits fed that part of me completely. What surprised me most was the depth and character development in this story. It did not read like a YA novel to me, it was more than I could have hoped for.

Echo and Noah are wonderful characters. They both have pasts that have led them to where they are and have to be dealt with. Only knowing one another from opposite sides of the cafeteria and rumors, they are thrown together by their shared school counselor. They need understanding and find it in each other where they least expect it.
Echo becomes Noah’s tutor with encouragement and a paycheck. These two opposites begin to attract and the magnetism is strong and undeniable. The suggestion to “just do normal” was a great way to get them to be together on a level they could handle but like all good romances; a level that gets blurred.

"Echo, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen because I don’t know. But I swear…on my brothers that you’ll never be a joke to me and you’ll be much more than a girl in the backseat of my car."

This is an emotional read for sure. It sucks you in from the start wanting to know the secrets and just wanting everyone to be okay. You will have strong feelings towards Echo’s dad and step mom, some of her friends and Noah’s but it is those feelings that add so much to this story.

Pushing the Limits is a stellar debut from Katie McGarry. This is a story that takes risks, that deal with painful subjects and does not disappoint the reader. Full of passion, loss, love, angst, betrayal, hope and the belief that one person out there can change you for the better, this is a must read.

*I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and Harlequin Teen.

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.

Loved it *sniffles* review to post soon

had a few minor flaws - mainly when it went a bit heavy on YA cliche phrases. but the story itself was so good that it deserves 5 stars anyway

I did not expect to like this, but I honestly fell in love. I loved the broken characters and their individual journeys as well as the love story. I did not expect it to break my heart as it did. Such a good read. I’m excited to read more of her work.

Katie McGarry had me hooked from the first page. I don't know that I've ever found myself holding my breath in suspense, laughing, crying, and cringing while reading one book. This one did that.
Pushing the Limits is beautifully written. The story is packed with tons of emotion (but it totally works!!!), and has a great cast of characters. A definite must-read for teens and adults!

I actually finished this a week ago and i've been meaning to write a review but got wrapped up in school and life and whatnot...anywhoo onto my REVIEW!!!
5 stars as you can see because let's face it- a story oozing with teen angst, two lovable down-to-earth main characters, some real and raw life situations and to top it all off, the romance- deserves five epic stars. And so i have given them to Pushing the Limits!!! * said in booming go-like voice*

Seriously though, this book was an amazing read. And again I've been reading books lately to hold me over and i end up loving them. This one passed my expectations: 1. the characters were so real and though none of what happened to them has ever happened to me i still felt a connection with Echo and Noah.
2. The plot was really good and i loved that they both wanted to use each other to get what they wanted but that in the end they wanted each other. 3. the romance felt real and didn't move super fast like in some books. I mean they didn't jump into sex (sorry if i ruined that for you but hey deal) they moved along and there were plenty of steamy scenes without being sex scenes.

I personally reccomend this book b/c it's an enjoyable read for anyone- just warning there is tons of cursing so if that's not your style then deal or don't read the book.
That's t just basically read this because it was so much fun to read and a book i'm going to keep recommending!