Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

So, I'm trying my hand here at some one-book reviewing here! I just read the best book, I think you'll love it too :)

                In a seemingly former life, Echo Emerson reigned as the most popular girl in school. Now she is an outcast covering up scars from a horrific night even she can’t remember. Noah Hutchins, the epitome of social outcast, could care less about getting to know Echo. When they are forced together by their guidance councilor for tutoring, they start to come together to help each other work through their personal struggles and find love in the midst of it.

                While the book was a little hard to get into, once the characters of Echo and Noah started to develop more I could not put the book down. McGarry does an excellent job of keeping the reader intrigued by leaving small clues along the way about what really happened to Echo the night she almost died and revealing why her brain suppressed the memories. Noah’s character held just as much mystery in his past, but on top of figuring out why he constantly throws up walls around the people trying to help him, readers find the heart that’s buried underneath. He is fighting to get his little brothers out of foster care, the little brothers that bring out the best side of him and show who Noah was before the night his parents died.

                I think the best thing about the book is that it’s raw and real. Nothing is sugar coated—there’s swearing, teen drinking, drugs, etc. but in my opinion, that adds credibility to the story. Not that all teenagers partake in these activities, but McGarry showed every demographic of high school student from perfect popular kids to stoner rejects and gave them all a heart.

                And, of course, the part that everyone looks forward to: the romance. It does not disappoint. The relationship between Echo and Noah isn’t corny or clichéd—it’s two people who have struggled, coming together to overcome their difficulties, accept the life they have, and have a possibility of a better future. I recommend this book to teen fiction lovers who enjoy romance with a complex story line and aren’t put off by the definite PG-13 material mixed in. And those who love a good bad boy.

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              Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry is published by Harlequin Teen.