Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Pushing the Limits

Review Time! Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is a 2012 YA Debut! Released July 25th in Australia and August 3rd in US - this is probably one of my most anticipated YA contemporaries of 2012! The cover is just gorgeous and Badass Bookie is also featuring Katie has August Debut of the Month! You can purchase a copy of the book from Fishpond | The Nile | Booktopia | Dymocks. Thanks to Harlequin Teen for the review copy!

(Goodreads) 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.
The Short Story? -  Pushing the Limits is a powerful contemporary that will stay with you long after the last page. McGarry's debut is a bittersweet romance about love, loss, grief and moving on. Two of the most beautifully developed characters, a plot the will bring tears to your eyes and a love story that will touch your heart - Pushing the Limits is a phenomenal debut! For fans of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, here comes another favourite!

The Long Story? - Pushing the Limits was completely amazing! This one is definitely in my top 5 contemporaries of the year! Since hearing about it earlier this year, I knew I was going to like but I didn't think I was going to like it THIS MUCH. McGarry is a remarkable writer, to be able to switch between gender perspectives and to do it so well - that's something. I absolutely adored the story line, McGarry has incorporated a little bit of everything into the plot and the outcome is a spectacular love story with so much depth, it hurt to read in parts. Everything from the complicated romance to the loss and grief felt by both characters was deeply moving and incredibly touching. Paired with McGarry's beautiful narrative voice and prose, Pushing the Limits couldn't have been more perfect! Definitely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of Perfect Chemistry by simon Elkeles. Bad boys, good girls and an epic romance - a must read!

The characterisation is definitely my favourite part of the novel! Both Echo ( lovely name!) and Noah were beautiful characters. Authentic teenagers, each dealing with problems of their own. Both characters were easy to connect with and reading the novel through their perspectives was just amazing! Echo is probably one of my favourite female protagonists of this year, she's been through so so so much and yet she overcomes her loses and learns to love again. She deals with so many issues that teens everywhere can relate such as dysfunctional families, the loss of a loved one and a low self esteem. This girl really has been through hell and still manages to come up on top! Noah is really the driving force behind Echo. He's such an amazing character and the love he feels for Echo is so evident even through the pages. The thing that sets Noah aside from the other bad boys of YA fiction is that he, himself has been through a terrible childhood yet he still manages to be Echo's rock. They're a brilliant couple and their love story is phenomenal!

Overall, Pushing the Limits is a very well-written YA contemporary. It's a nice balance between the fun and the serious which are my favourite types of contemporaries! McGarry is a beautiful writer with a narrative voice that really just shines. An excellent plot, a heart-warming romance and characters that are down-to-earth and completely amazing and loveable. I would definitely recommend Pushing the Limits to readers of YA looking for something beautiful and memorable!

What's it Worth? - Hand Over the Paycheck/ Break Out the Piggybank


Badass Bookie xx

4 comments:

  1. Everyone has been praising this so much and i know when i get to read this, it won't let me down. I love Simon Elkeles works so, yes, that's another plus!

    Great review! :)

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  2. I never thought I'd dig a name like Echo, but Katie McGarry just keeps racking up the SUCCESS! I was so happy with this book; it was so addictive, and it's definitely one of my favorites of the year!

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  3. Great review!! I'm sad that I didn't like it as much as you did. It just went on too long for me!!

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  4. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISAAAHHHHH! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YESSSSSSS! I'm so glad you loved this and and and... YOUR WORDS! YOUR REVIEW! IS PERFECT! It reminds me SO much of Pushing the Limits and I think the comparison is perfect. And oh goodness... NOAH AND ECHO. I LOVES &Hearts;

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