{Review} Pushing the Limits by Katy McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits

Author: Katy McGarry

Format: NetGalley e-book ARC

Publisher: Harlequin Books
Release Date:  July 31st, 2012
Date Read: June 3rd to 4th, 2012
Rating: ✭✭✭ 

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much. Impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

I’m going to do something I haven’t done and start with the cover. The models are perfect. The girl looks exactly like I thought Echo would look. The male looks like Noah a lot (in my opinion, of course).

PUSHING THE LIMITS is told in two different POVs (point of view, in case you didn’t know that). Echo’s and Noah’s. They are fairly similar but I could tell the difference between them (or I would realize I’m in Noah’s POV halfway through the chapter).

The story was interesting, but clichéd and full of teenage angst. And drama. And a bit more drama. Tiny bit more drama.

Yeah, you get the point.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why Echo wanted her friends back so badly. Other the Lilia, no one cared about her. Grace was only a friend under certain conditions. And Luke! Don’t let me start on him.

The insta love bug has struck again. Noah and Echo were crushing the moment they met and Noah had dirty thoughts 15% into the book, but it was tolerable. The romance was cute (if a little heavy) though.

Characters

Echo was beautiful, nice, polite, and very smart. She was also annoying and boring. Plus she giggled too much. In case you didn’t notice, I didn’t exactly love her. She wasn’t stupid, unlike some heroines who say they’re smart (and apparently everyone in the world thinks they are too) but they’re not.

Noah reminded me of PERFECT CHEMISTY'S Alex Fuentes (which I haven’t read yet). Bad boy. Totally wrong for popular girl. Spouts cheesy things. Except Noah was a druggie, I don’t know if Alex was. He wasn’t a bad character really.

The relatively minor character of Mrs. Collins had to be my favorite. She was funny, yet she was intelligent. She was kind and a bit of a lead foot. All around, she was a great character.

Beth and Isaiah were fun characters as well and I’ll be very interesting in the upcoming story about Beth.

Plot and Writing

Plot:
It was cute. That’s all I can really say about it. It didn’t make me cry or think. It made me smile but that’s it. The plot is predictable. But it’s not like I didn’t expect that.

It’s not bad. No, no it’s not. In fact I really enjoyed it. I’m pretty sure it took a lot from PERFECT CHEMISTRY but like I said, I’ve never read it, only the reviews.

Writing:
The plot moves smoothly. It’s quick and slow were it should be. There were a few weird sentences and some odd words (instead of butterflies in her stomach we have mutant pterodactyls).

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:
- cute characters
- fairly good MCs
- nice pacing
- easy read

Disliked:
- annoying characters
- annoying MCs
- predictable plot
- overused plot

Conclusion

I enjoyed this book and could easily overlook faults. I recommend this book for a leisurely weekend or a long trip. Nice chick lit with a little more to it.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.