Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (2013-04-30)

I really loved this book. My emotions were all over the place, especially when it came to Noah and his brothers. I felt the love between them and the pain Noah was going through all at the same time. Both Noah and Echo had been through some terrible things in their young lives. The connection they shared was a great thing to watch develop. The connection between Noah, Isaiah, and Beth was a special bond in its own right. I had very mixed feelings with Echos dad and their relationship. I was so relieved for her when everything was said and done. I can't wait to continue with the other books and see what the future holds for all these characters.

Torn by tragedies from both their pasts, Echo and Noah connect with one another and begin a relationship that will make them whole, and eventually, one in being. There is a bond they form that will bring them so dangerously close together that it is hard to imagine one without the other. It's a scary thought when two people get so unbelievably attached, but it does complete their existence. Undoubtedly, it also helps them get through their emotionally compelling life struggles. But in the end, it was meant to be because their love for each other matured their emotional being by assuring them that they will forever have each other for one `normal' life together...breathtaking! Outstanding storyline, wonderful characters, and a well-written story just makes for one fantastic read. Highly recommend!

Echo had a tragic incident which she can't remember. She lost her brother who was her world and her mother is bipolar. She only remembers that she was at her mother's and something happened that she ended up shattering glass and fell on it, she's now scarred and people at school think she's a freak cutter but she's never corrected them just hid.

Noah lost everything the night his parents died in a house fire. His 2 brother's got separated from him in foster care and he's been fighting ever since then to get them to be a family again.His 2 brother's are adopted by Carrie and Joe who love the boys very much but Noah is sure there mistreating the boys.

Mrs Collins is the new counselor who really cares and wants to help both these students. There brought together by her getting Echo to tutor Noah so he can get caught up. She helps Echo to start remembering pieces of what happened to her that night and learn to accept it. She helps Noah to see that his 2 brother's are loved and cared for and better off with Carrie and Joe so he can look toward having a better future and still be a big part of his brother's lives.

I loved this story. Echo was so damaged and along came the hot bad boy Noah. I adored Mrs Collins she really cared. Of course i loved Noah, who wouldn't. I really loved this book.

I was anxiously waiting for this book to be released after reading the synopsis. This has been my favorite 2012 book. I can't wait for the rest of this series to be released and more from this talented author! I really enjoyed the growth of the characters in this story as they dealt with very difficult life issues. I work with children with trauma histories and the author did an excellent job capturing the emotional roller coaster ride they endure. The reader has a chance to see them face the past and have hope for a better future. The writing style, plot and chemistry is amazing in this book. How can you not love Noah!!! The cover of the hardcover edition is gorgeous. I bought this book in hardcover and ebook version so I will always have it to re-read.

This book broke my heart. It was a beautiful, but very painful book for me to read. I swear it was written for me. My mother is also bipolar and she and my father were both terrible parents. They loved me but they loved drugs more so they lost custody of me and my brothers and we were split up. The whole point of me sharing this is to show how much I was able to identify with the characters. Especially the love Noah had for his brothers. I love my brothers more than anything, as Noah did. He sacrificed his happiness for their's. To me that's what real love is: sacrifice. This book was brutally honest and I shed real tears over it. I don't know how the author was able to tap into these kinds of emotions. She must have experienced something similar to it herself or at least know someone who has because she has broken people down to a T. I'm not going to bother to summarize the story for you, just know that this book will open your eyes to a whole other world. Life isn't black and white and appearances can be deceiving. Heartbreak can come in the least expected ways. Even from a mother, who is the person you least suspect. But this book is also filled with hope. People can change and damaged people can start all over. This was a fantastic book. It really touched me and spoke to my heart. I highly recommend this book.

Echo is barely surviving her senior year after suffering a tragedy at the hands of her bi-polar mother. She has the physical and emotional scars to show for it. The only problem is try as she might Echo can't remember exactly what happened the night her mother tried to kill her. The closer she gets to the truth the more she fears she'll lose her mind and end up just like her mother. Her scars and lack of memory have made her a social pariah at school and left her mostly friendless and overly self conscious. Noah is trying to work the system and get custody of his two younger brothers. Life sucks since his parents died in a house fire two years ago, but none of that matters if he can prove his brothers belong with him. After spending two years in his own crappy foster homes, he's convinced his little brothers are suffering the same fate and will do anything to prove it. Echo and Noah find themselves face-to-face in the school counselors office and things only go downhill form there. Noah is a punk who's motto is to love'em and leave'em while Echo is an uptight prude from the popular clique. As the two of them are forced together an unlikely understanding and relationship unfurls, but can the two most broken people at school find solace in each other or will their tortured pasts keep them apart. This was a fantastic YA romance I'd recommend for anyone over 17 due to some violent and drug related situations.

This book was simply amazing. The pace was good, the dialogue and emotions felt real, I really loved this book and will read it again. Echo and Noah face a lot in their lives and it was emotional at times. I was so happy with the ending of the story, and it was believable. In so many stories lately the main characters love each other by the second meeting, in pushing the limits we saw how each character resisted the feelings for the other and went over reasons why they weren't good for the other and how they deserved better. It was refreshing to read a story where there isn't instant love declarations and there are real life issues to be dealt with. Really great story.

The premise can easily be convoluted and high-handed, but the author makes it compelling and complex. The idea of switching pov every chapter was unique and propelled the story rather than distracting from it. There was little to no backtracking which was nice. The story itself is rather cliche, though the movement of the pieces was done quite nicely. I would not have been nearly as forgiving as the main protagonist, but that's just me. Nothing felt too easy or like an easy out like many books of a heavy nature tend to do. The characters are allowed to follow their paths and really hash out what they're going through. I'd definitely refer it to a friend. It does drag a bit, but that could just be my attention span.

While I did like this book, the oversimplification & repetitiveness of Noah's chapters became rather irksome & unrealistic. I couldn't believe that the only thoughts in his head were "I need my brothers!" & "Echo has a nice ass/big boobs/etc." I also thought it strange & irritating that he constantly thought to himself, "Damn. I'm really falling for this girl. She's more than a one-night stand." I'm not sure if it was the character or the author, but someone was utterly incapable of comprehending that we got it the first six times. Yeah, men have a reputation for their one-track minds, but damn. Ms. McGarry, PLEASE read how a male author portrays a male character as you continue this series.

Additionally, the family dynamics with Echo were hugely off for me. Her damaged relationship with her father - especially in the wake of what happened to her & his part in it - seemed completely opposite of what it should have been. To constantly take her step mother's side, never tell Echo he loved her, try to deny her the one piece of her brother - his car - she had left, the brutal amounts of pressure? It sounds nothing like the loving father we meet at the end of the book - nor the guilt ridden, unsure one - & more like a person who genuinely doesn't care about his child. Although it could possibly have been explained as based on perception since Echo thinks her father hates her, other characters notice it, too.

I did enjoy the book & it was definitely worth the .31 cents I paid for it on Kindle, but it lacked depth, originality, & craftsmanship. Remember, dear authors: Show, don't tell.

Excellent coming of age story about a girl who survived an attack so traumatic she repressed all memory of it and her struggle to get her memories and her life back. A young man with younger brothers to protect and the despair of losing loved ones and dealing with the stigma of foster care. Sinking further into desperation they find acceptance and love in the least likely place. Each other.

Emotional, heart wrenching, wonderful and therapeutic even. Read it, it's great, but keep the tissues handy.

I absolutely loved this book! I immediately fell in love with the characters, and the storyline definitely kept me interested and wanting to read more! I would highly recommend this book if you are into young adult contemporary books. Can't wait to read more from Katie McGarry; her writing was amazing!

For a more in-depth book review, check out my book blog, A Nook of Blankets and Books!
http://anookofblanketsandbooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/pushing-limits-book-review.html#more

Pushing the limits was an amazing read!

From the cover, I was a bit hesitant to buy this book and read it, but bought it anyway from the talk from how great it was. And I have to say that I was a but wrong.
Echo is a girl who is deeply saddened by the death of her brother, who fought in the Afghanistan war. On top of that, her mother committed a horrible act against her one night that she can't seem to remember. From that, a therapist tries to help Echo retrieve the memories from that one night that her brain would not let her think of.

Noah, the bad boy in her school is also trying to deal with his own problems. He is attempting to take custody of his two brothers, which are in the hands of another couple. Echo seeks comfort in someone, who is Noah. The two have opposite social lives, and different personalities. But somehow, they come together.

The scars that lay on Echo's arms have somehow turned most of her friends away, even her best friend. Despite their differences, they attempt to make their relationship work, even if others don't agree with it.
This was a nice read, that wan't too short, and had me laughing at some points also.

The switching between Echo and Noah's point of view rally added to the story; it let the reader know how each of them felt on any situation. It also made the characters more likable. If the point of view had only been on Echo, I would have really hated Noah. Absolutely no huge spelling mistakes except for one at the beginning.
I would recommend this to almost any teen/adult!

This book is absolutely amazing.I stayed up until 5 am reading i just couldn't put it down. Echo and Noah are perfect together.
Beautiful story of two highschoolers who lives have been flipped upside down and all they want is normal back again but maybe normal isn't what they need. Noah sees the perfection in the imperfect Echo while she hides behind her longsleeves after the incident she can't remember. Echo knows there is more to Noah than the girl using slacker he appears to be.While they fight their own demons from the past they may find a future in each other.

Noah and Echo are two broken teenagers with beautiful souls. It's heart breaking the situations that each one of them are experiencing, and dealing with at such a young age. Noah and Echo find each other and together they struggle to put their shattered pieces of their lives back, and finding love along the way. This is an amazing, heart wrenching YA book that's a must read. First time reading a book by Katie McGarry, and I loved it.

Katie McGarry is a literary genius! I love books and sometimes I tear up, but not a lot. During Dear John I cried once. During movies, even the sad ones, I don't cry but this, made me bawl. I cried so many times, I don't even know. And even after I finished it, I cried thinking about certain parts in the book. I'm even crying right now while I am writing this review. But don't push away because you don't like to cry because some parts are good crying. I even cried because I was happy and I have never once cried because I was happy in my entire LIFE! This is a fantastic book that I read in about 1 to 3 days and it is a book you can't put down and will leave you wanting more.

This bnook pushed the limits alright. I cried a few times while reading it. It's one of the first angsty teenage romances that I've read - I have previously avoided that particular genre for a long time - but I'm glad I read it. There are a lot of issues with the characters, the first being that Echo has completely blocked out almost an entire day in her mind. And Noah has some anger issues to deal with. The characters are flawless because of their any - and I do mean many - flaws. Super excited for the sequel Dare You To.

This is quite a story .very realistically written,even though the beginning was kind of frustrating because it was frustrating to read about Noah's difficulties with the Foster System .But what I had the most problem with as realistic as this story was developed, if Noah's parents had been professionals when they had died,why was he living in abject poverty? Where were the life's insurances,the money from the insurance for the house after the fire??? It still is a good story

The book goes back and forth between the point of views of both Echo and Noah, it gives you a look at both of the main characters feeling about each other and other things As Echo struggles to remember a painful night, involving her mother, and Noah struggles with the fight of custody of his younger brothers him and Echo meet each other and find love in a world where they can't trust anyone, As Echo struggles with her stepmother and dad, Noah helps her find peace, in a way that helps her replace the hole in her heart left their by her brother's death and her mother's absence.

This is quite a story .very realistically written,even though the beginning was kind of frustrating because it was frustrating to read about Noah's difficulties with the Foster System .But what I had the most problem with as realistic as this story was developed, if Noah's parents had been professionals when they had died,why was he living in abject poverty? Where were the life's insurances,the money from the insurance for the house after the fire??? It still is a good story

The book goes back and forth between the point of views of both Echo and Noah, it gives you a look at both of the main characters feeling about each other and other things As Echo struggles to remember a painful night, involving her mother, and Noah struggles with the fight of custody of his younger brothers him and Echo meet each other and find love in a world where they can't trust anyone, As Echo struggles with her stepmother and dad, Noah helps her find peace, in a way that helps her replace the hole in her heart left their by her brother's death and her mother's absence.

Wow! This story is an emotional one. The romantic angle is a sweet one, but this is more a story of family, tragedy and finding out who you are. The characters have been through so much before the story even starts. They have to figure out how much of what has happened to them will dictate who they are and who they will become. They have to find the strength to make the right choices, face the truth, and love each other.

I don't usually read stories involving teenagers anymore but Pushing The Limits was so beautifully written that once I got into it I could not put it down. Love, loss, grief and betrayal of a loved one helped make this a story to remember. I don't ever cry while reading books but I cried twice reading this story. For me, this is the first must read of the year this is definitely a five ????? read.

A MUST READ!!!!!

The story of Noah and Echo along with their "families" was wonderful. I loved how you got to k ow each character singularly and then shown how their lives intertwined. I was hoping to read what all happened at the end with them in their graduation summer but my own mind is leading me there!!!! Glad that the author showed so many of good the good and bad of OUR great American systems. Great read. Take an easy afternoon and maybe an evening and enjoy this wonderful story.

Rediscovering great memories of years gone by through the reading of YA novels this summer. Noah and Echo's love is the kind I wish for all of my children. Sweet, endearing, text about friendship, acceptance, forgiveness, and the dangers of neglecting your own needs in an effort to please and appease others who don't reciprocate. Great characters, plot, and finesse on the part of the author. Well done!

I debated buying this book for a while because of the price but don't regret it one bit. This was such a brilliantly written story. Such an emotional journey for two people you fall in love with from the start. Echo and Noah are two people faced with such horrible tragedies that you don't see a way for them to overcome it but they do. I also feel like you can understand every choice they make throughout the story. Nothing felt rushed or unrealistic it all flowed perfectly. I would have liked a prologue but that's just the selfish reader in me I always want more.

This book was fantastic. I loved everything about it. It was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. This story was full of lovable and unquestionable characters. This was a real grown up book about real life struggles and being aware of life's battles. I am so glad to have been on this ride and I want to let everyone I know read it. Great writing and love put into this story. I feel like I lived it.

Crash Into You is still my favorite, but this was a sweet story. A bit emotionally heavy for me, but not too much or overwhelmingly annoying. Both characters realization of letting go what for so long they believed in and aiming for new things was something very relatable to me. We sometimes focus what's in front of us and don't look ahead at the things unseen but attainable.

Pushing The Limits was a good book. Echo is dealing with the emotional trauma of a night she can't remember, yet can never forget because of the scars it left her with. Noah is dealing with the loss of his parents and trying to keep his brothers safe in foster care while he figures out a way to gain custody after turning 18. They both are dealing with new feelings for each other.

I love a good book boyfriend,and Noah was wonderful.Rough around the edges,but completely sweet and in love with his girl. Echo had issues but nothing a good loving man couldn't help her with. Wish Echo and her dad hadn't reconciled so quickly, but otherwise great read.

I was impressed with the book overall, and it kept me interested through out. Were there points where I was shaking my head, yes, but then again that happens when I interact with real teenagers. I like that the book is about normal teenagers (not supernatural, superpowered, or glossly) trying to deal with their real life, even the hard stuff. If you're interested in something you can relate to and not just imagine, then this is the book for you.

This is quite a powerful and emotive story that follows two love-struck teenagers on their quest for normality.

I found Echo (yes, that is the protagonists name!) and Noah's lives equally compelling as individual stories. However, their romance lacked chemistry for me. I found the whole relationship a bit forced and quite awkward.

Overall this was not a bad read but it is definitely aimed at teenage or young adult readers.

A great story about 2 broken people looking for answers and they are put together to help each other out for school and before they realize it they are helping each other cope with their problems and they are there for each other.
Very good book,didn't want to put it down once I started reading out. Get out the tissues toward the end.

I enjoyed this book, even though I read Crash into you first.. then this one (which I should have read first), but I liked the author so much I wanted to continue reading her books because she really kept me interested. I am on my third book now by this author in two weeks and I still have another one on my kindle to go. This will probably be the most books I read by one author so that says something about her!