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8th out of 181 books
—
367 voters
Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)
by
Katie McGarry (Goodreads Author)
"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise."Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins?His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?"No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.
So wrong for e...more
So wrong for e...more
Kindle Edition, 392 pages
Published
August 1st 2012
by Harlequin Teen
(first published July 31st 2012)
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Community Reviews
(showing
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3,000)
May 06, 2013
Marie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Every person who air is essential too.
Shelves:
5-stars,
best-covers,
favorites,
awesome,
cute,
worth-a-look,
loved,
all-time-favourites,
adorable
I have officially read this only about, OH, a MILLION times.
How do you get sick of a book that draws you in from the first page every single time. There's so many different views of this book it's like reading a new story each and every time I read it.
'His lips curved into a sexy smile and I became lost in him. “I love you, Echo Emerson.”
I whispered the words as he brought his lips to mine. “Forever.”'
To sum it all up.....
I FUCKING LOVE THIS BOOK!
I FUCKING LOVE NOAH.
AND I FUCKING LOVE KATIE M...more
How do you get sick of a book that draws you in from the first page every single time. There's so many different views of this book it's like reading a new story each and every time I read it.
'His lips curved into a sexy smile and I became lost in him. “I love you, Echo Emerson.”
I whispered the words as he brought his lips to mine. “Forever.”'
To sum it all up.....
I FUCKING LOVE THIS BOOK!
I FUCKING LOVE NOAH.
AND I FUCKING LOVE KATIE M...more
Apr 21, 2013
Blacky *Mistress of doom*
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Blacky *Mistress of doom* by:
Vishous * 4ever Racht's Minion *
Noah <3
"Luke used to give me butterflies.
Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls."
This was such a sweet and heartbreaking story, with both MCs having some serious problems, but I still loved it <3
I am not a fan of angst and drama, and there is both here, but not too much, so I don't think it'll be a problem for anyone else :DD
A few things you need to know:
1. What the book is about
A bad boy and a troubled girl are forced to work together to solve their problems, and in the meantime they manage to...more
111 likes · like · see review
I stopped at page 16. 16!
What he says:
"Her blue cotton shirt dipped below her beige tank."
What I say:
What she says:
“Oh, God,” I moaned. She thought I was doing “it” with him.
What I say:
What he says:
"Her silky red hair had glimmered in the moonlight."
What I say:
What she says:
"Wow. I thought I was the only person at this school faking every moment."
What I say:
What he says:
"I loved the sound of her sweet voice. Part angel, part music."
What I say:
What he says:
"Damn, she smelled like cinnamo...more
144 likes · like · see review
Holy Sh—
Oh, my---
What the---
For the love of---
Sweet baby---
MOTHERFUCKER! This book was fabulous/great/wow/fan♦freaking♦tastic!
*deep breath*
I would just like to go on the record and THANK Katie McGarry for creating Noah Hutchins. And for creating a book that held me captive until the wee hours of the morning. Holy SHIT! Your book’s good, ma’am.
So without further ado… Allow me to introduce you to “Pushing the Limits”… ;)
♦ This is a story about a boy with a past in ashes who fell in love with a...more
Oh, my---
What the---
For the love of---
Sweet baby---
MOTHERFUCKER! This book was fabulous/great/wow/fan♦freaking♦tastic!
*deep breath*
I would just like to go on the record and THANK Katie McGarry for creating Noah Hutchins. And for creating a book that held me captive until the wee hours of the morning. Holy SHIT! Your book’s good, ma’am.
So without further ado… Allow me to introduce you to “Pushing the Limits”… ;)
♦ This is a story about a boy with a past in ashes who fell in love with a...more
57 likes · like · see review
4.5 stars
A heart-wrenching YA book about two broken teens struggling to put the shattered pieces of their lives back together and finding love along the way.
“Her shoulders never shook. No tears streamed down her face. The worst type of crying wasn’t the kind everyone could see–the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your...more
A heart-wrenching YA book about two broken teens struggling to put the shattered pieces of their lives back together and finding love along the way.
“Her shoulders never shook. No tears streamed down her face. The worst type of crying wasn’t the kind everyone could see–the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your...more
62 likes · like · see review
Dec 27, 2012
Alexis ~*Too many books, not enough time*~
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
YA Romance lovers!!!
Shelves:
alpha_male,
badboy-boyfriend,
betrayal,
boy_meets_girl_girl_meets_boy,
contemporary_romance,
discovery,
emotional-read,
family-secrets-revealed,
flashbacks,
had_psychotic-break,
heartbreak,
his-her-pov,
high_school_setting,
hot_as_hell_male,
may-june-jul-aug2012,
memory_loss,
moderately_steamy,
mystery_what_happened,
nook_book,
saved,
self_discovery,
steamy,
strong_female_lead,
tragedy-tragic,
ya_i_love,
ya-romance,
authors_to_lookout_for,
kleenex-required
Spoiler Free Review
5 STARS out of 5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pushing the Limits was an appropriate name for this book and if i could sum up my feelings in one word it would be BREAKTHROUGH. Which is what i waited for the whole book. A breakthrough the act of finally overcoming or reaching an achievement by penetrating a wall/enemy that is restricting you from getting any progress. That wall...that enemy is what Echo and Noah faced on a daily bases.
Echo's wall was her memory
Noah's enemy was the...more
5 STARS out of 5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pushing the Limits was an appropriate name for this book and if i could sum up my feelings in one word it would be BREAKTHROUGH. Which is what i waited for the whole book. A breakthrough the act of finally overcoming or reaching an achievement by penetrating a wall/enemy that is restricting you from getting any progress. That wall...that enemy is what Echo and Noah faced on a daily bases.
Echo's wall was her memory
Noah's enemy was the...more
45 likes · like · see review
Pushing the Limits thoroughly pushed me to mine from its gut-wrenching start to its emotional finish. I devoured every drop of this amazing story as it brought me to hell and back right along with it. Every element I long for in a book was generously provided; engaging writing, broken yet lovable characters, sexual tension, angst and heartache, and finally, growth and sweet redemption.
Echo has survived a heartbreaking tragedy that has left her with extreme physical and emotional scars, butthe se...more
Echo has survived a heartbreaking tragedy that has left her with extreme physical and emotional scars, butthe se...more
39 likes · like · see review
Jul 31, 2012
Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult
Normal. She wanted normal and so did I.
If I could summarize this book with one (okay, technically two) sentence, that would be the one. Nothing else needs to be said. You can figure out from one simple sentence that this is a book about two people who have lost everything and are trying to figure out how to get normalcy back in their lives.
3.25 stars. If I was judging Pushing the Limits solely based on the journey of the characters and how they struggled to reach their own personal victories...more
75 likes · like · see review
Review posted on I'm a reader, what about you?
I just knew that I will love this book as soon as I read blurb - and I was right. To be honest with you, I would have read it much sooner, but one of my girls was disappointed so I kept my distance for a while.
I haven't read this type of story in a long time - Fuentes brother meets Easy meets Beautiful Disaster. Realistic fiction swooning over sweet romance with capital R! And me melting over Noah. And falling for Echo. Now, I want to read it all o...more
I just knew that I will love this book as soon as I read blurb - and I was right. To be honest with you, I would have read it much sooner, but one of my girls was disappointed so I kept my distance for a while.
I haven't read this type of story in a long time - Fuentes brother meets Easy meets Beautiful Disaster. Realistic fiction swooning over sweet romance with capital R! And me melting over Noah. And falling for Echo. Now, I want to read it all o...more
21 likes · like · see review
It's no secret that this book has been getting insane reviews. Being the persistent black sheep that I am, I was incredibly wary of the hype it was garnering, certain that it would fail to impress me. Oh boy. Oh freaking boy!! Was I ever wrong. I loved this so hard!
Echo and Noah… Echo. Noah. Nocho?
Echo has been through an extremely distressing, life altering ordeal because of which she's suffering post-traumatic stress, with the worst side effect being memory loss. She doesn't remember what hap...more
Echo and Noah… Echo. Noah. Nocho?
Echo has been through an extremely distressing, life altering ordeal because of which she's suffering post-traumatic stress, with the worst side effect being memory loss. She doesn't remember what hap...more
52 likes · like · see review
This review is posted at My Secret Romance
What a bittersweet emotional story. A favorite by far this year.
This book t...more
What a bittersweet emotional story. A favorite by far this year.
The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone else could see- the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that survived. For people like me and Echo, our souls contained more scar tissue than life.
This book t...more
29 likes · like · see review
O Pushing Limits jsem se před hodně dlouhou dobou dozvěděla z blogu jedné ze spisovatelek. Tehdá tuším kniha ani neměla profil na Goodreads a mě ohromně zaujalo, jak o knize autorka psala. Říkala jsem si, že by to mohlo být něco, co by se mi opravdu mohlo líbit. Po čase jsem si knihu přidala do poličky to-read a čekala, až kniha vyjde. Mezitím se první rukopisy dostávaly k zahraničním blogerům a ti byli maximálně nadšení. Rozjela se docela velká propagace a já ještě pořád doufala, že zase nepůjd...more
17 likes · like · see review
3.5 stars
Going into this book, I was expecting a gut-wrenching, soul-crushing account of two damaged people finding solace in each other. And sure, that’s what Pushing the Limits is about – Echo and Noah, two people who’s lives have basically been explosions of shit one after another, learning to love and trust again through each other.
But I don’t feel like this story really went in-depth into the emotions of someone who has suffered so much, particularly in Echo’s case. Her story is horrific, a...more
Going into this book, I was expecting a gut-wrenching, soul-crushing account of two damaged people finding solace in each other. And sure, that’s what Pushing the Limits is about – Echo and Noah, two people who’s lives have basically been explosions of shit one after another, learning to love and trust again through each other.
But I don’t feel like this story really went in-depth into the emotions of someone who has suffered so much, particularly in Echo’s case. Her story is horrific, a...more
31 likes · like · see review
Sometimes I get to read a book I don't know much about and it surprises me by being entirely different than what I initially thought. (Yes, this is the case, in a very positive way). I knew there was supposed to be a bit of drama surrounding Noah and some mystery in Echo's life, but for some reason I still got the wrong impression.
This book deals with some though subjects and I deeply enjoy that in a YA book, because as much as I like to read cute love stories, I also need something with a bit...more
17 likes · like · see review
This is YA contemporary at its finest. It has a classic YA feel to it, in fact, in that the character and story development are perfectly paced and spot-on geared to its audience, and the quintessential young adult themes of alienation and self-discovery are deftly handled without being preachy. As a long-time YA reader, I know these are difficult feats to pull off and still be fresh. McGarry nails it.
I feel like I need to give it another read to write a befitting review - but considering how of...more
I feel like I need to give it another read to write a befitting review - but considering how of...more
18 likes · like · see review
I read Pushing Limits a while ago, and loved it. I still remember how it made me feel, and it’s rare for Young Adult titles to leave that kind of impression on me. At first, I wasn’t sure how to review it, though. I wanted to let it all sink in, because then it is way easier to go with sarcasm, but with Pushing the Limits, even months after reading everything about Echo, I still feel ‘raw’.
Echo was a very real character. I was able to relate to her, and see things through her eyes, but I don’t t...more
Echo was a very real character. I was able to relate to her, and see things through her eyes, but I don’t t...more
12 likes · like · see review
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is told from the perspectives of two seventeen year olds, Echo Emerson and Noah Hutchins, who both attend Eastwick High. Echo is dealing with the fallout after she took some time off school due to an incident involving her bi-polar mother. Noah's in foster care because his parents died and he's worried that his younger brothers are going to get adopted and be kept from visiting him.
Echo and Noah think they are different from each other but they're both dealing...more
13 likes · like · see review
The best YA novel I have ever read!
Highly recommended!
This amazing, well-written book takes several risks and succeeds in a big way.
The emotional arcs are stunning.
This author wrote a wonderful love story between two emotionally scarred high school seniors. They run in different circles (ones that would NEVER hang out with one another). They are each dealing with major family issues and connect via a fantastic character, Mrs. Collins (character squee!).
Her thread in the book is Good Will Hunt...more
25 likes · like · see review
I ADORED this story!
Seventeen year-old Echo Emerson used to be part of the popular crowd. Two years ago things changed. Her parents divorced, her babysitter became her step-mother, and her older brother Aires died in combat. But this is not the event that changed everything for Echo. Two years ago, an event she can't remember resulted in her waking up in the hospital two-days later, with injuries up and down both her arms. Injuries that left her with ugly scars, and a restraining order in plac...more
44 likes · like · see review
"It's like I have this large black hole in my brain and it's sucking the life out of me. The answers are in there so I sit for hours and stare. No matter how hard and long I look, I only see darkness."
Oh man, did I LOVE this book! I enjoyed every single second of it!
Echo Emerson is dealing with an overprotective father, a stepmother she despises, a mother who is "crazy," and the death of her older brother. There was also a tragic event that left Echo scarred both literally and figuratively. Th...more
Oh man, did I LOVE this book! I enjoyed every single second of it!
Echo Emerson is dealing with an overprotective father, a stepmother she despises, a mother who is "crazy," and the death of her older brother. There was also a tragic event that left Echo scarred both literally and figuratively. Th...more
11 likes · like · see review
From the summary, I thought this book was going to be a mix between Simone Elkeles' "Perfect Chemistry" and Jamie McGuire's "Beautiful Disaster," but it ended up being less about the romance and more about the intense issues that Echo and Noah had to face. Though I'm proud to say I didn't shed a tear, this book was much more serious than I had originally expected.
To be honest, I didn't think the book was great at the beginning, probably in the three-star range. I've read too many similar books,...more
To be honest, I didn't think the book was great at the beginning, probably in the three-star range. I've read too many similar books,...more
9 likes · like · see review
When I rate a book three stars, it usually means indifference, that the book was neither especially good or bad. That I probably won't even remember it in a few days time. With Pushing the Limits that is not the case, it's more that I feel the positives and negatives equally balance each other out and the overall book falls somewhere in the middle of the rating scale because of it. I will say, though, the issues that I felt sure I'd have with it were not the reason I gave it such an average rat...more
43 likes · like · see review
OH MY GOD! EVERYONE and I mean everyone who has read this book, will know my reactions are true to their soul and not a lick out of place! If my heart hurts like a freakin elephant is sitting on it - I read the right book. If I cried like crazy at unbelievable and gut twisting parts - I read the right book. If I fell in love with Noah and Echo and would willingly give up my soul to see them happy - I read the right book. If I melted at Noah's smirks, grins, sexy bad boy looks and sweet as heck w...more
12 likes · like · see review
Sep 09, 2012
Stephanie
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cads-and-douchebags,
coming-of-age,
contemporary,
disappointment,
family-drama,
insufferable-characters,
mental-health-mental-illness,
no-bueno,
don-t-believe-the-hype,
parent-needs-an-asskickin,
realistic-fiction,
romance,
what-is-this-dialogue,
young-adult,
not-a-fan-of-the-writing,
spineless-mcs
JFC, THIS EFFING BOOK!
I was all set to give it 2.5 stars--generous of me, even--but the resolution of Echo's story was the last straw. Blame and further demonize the already demonized mentally ill mother? Ok, a goddamn 1 star for this over dramatized and hollow book! Crucio to you! I am enraged right now and will try to refrain from being an a-hole with this review.
The best thing about Pushing the Limits is that it had an interesting plot: Echo is dealing with the loss of her older brother, ov...more
I was all set to give it 2.5 stars--generous of me, even--but the resolution of Echo's story was the last straw. Blame and further demonize the already demonized mentally ill mother? Ok, a goddamn 1 star for this over dramatized and hollow book! Crucio to you! I am enraged right now and will try to refrain from being an a-hole with this review.
The best thing about Pushing the Limits is that it had an interesting plot: Echo is dealing with the loss of her older brother, ov...more
17 likes · like · see review
Aug 12, 2012
Novels On The Run
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fave-books
MICHELLE'S REVIEW:
RATING : 6/5 BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN STARS!!
Dear Katie McGarry,
Your words , your characters, had me crying, more than once, this book felt very real. The characters, their voices, touched my soul deeply when I was reading. Noah’s voice was written with such maturity. On more than one occasion he made me want to shake the system that is in place with some Foster Care kids. It just isn’t fair for the ones that get caught in a net that labels them.
Life tilts for kids like Noah and h...more
RATING : 6/5 BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN STARS!!
Dear Katie McGarry,
Your words , your characters, had me crying, more than once, this book felt very real. The characters, their voices, touched my soul deeply when I was reading. Noah’s voice was written with such maturity. On more than one occasion he made me want to shake the system that is in place with some Foster Care kids. It just isn’t fair for the ones that get caught in a net that labels them.
Life tilts for kids like Noah and h...more
14 likes · like · see review
Feb 06, 2013
Bieke {Istyria book blog}
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everybody
Damn you, John Green! Damn you for bewitching me with that curse that is The Fault in Our stars! You didn’t just open a window to something. You broke down a whole goddamn wall!
I know, this isn’t a book by mister Green, but because of this site I got a lot of firsts reading books. John Green gave me one first. Yeah, I know how it sounds, he was the first to give me a first. He was the first author that could make me cry r...more
I've already lost a piece of my mind. I can't trust you with what's left.
I know, this isn’t a book by mister Green, but because of this site I got a lot of firsts reading books. John Green gave me one first. Yeah, I know how it sounds, he was the first to give me a first. He was the first author that could make me cry r...more
7 likes · like · see review
Jan 24, 2013
Melissa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Buddy read with Yari :)
Failure is your only enemy. The only way up is to never look down. We succeed because we believe.
Echo Emerson used to be the popular girl in school. Dating the all star of the football team, an older brother to look up to who she worshiped, great friends to hang out with... Until one day it all changed.
A night she can't remember, a night that almost cost her her life, a night that left her arms brutally disfigured. Nobody knows what happened to her, but seemingly overnight Echo Emerson became...more
Echo Emerson used to be the popular girl in school. Dating the all star of the football team, an older brother to look up to who she worshiped, great friends to hang out with... Until one day it all changed.
A night she can't remember, a night that almost cost her her life, a night that left her arms brutally disfigured. Nobody knows what happened to her, but seemingly overnight Echo Emerson became...more
9 likes · like · see review
![Michelle [Helen Geek]](http://d.gr-assets.com/users/1350347351p2/5557851.jpg)
Sep 15, 2012
Michelle [Helen Geek]
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone - makes us feel good about being of the human race!
09/15/2012 ... NOW POSTED ON http://2geekgirlsreviewbooks.com/ with Hope's comments!
Overall Rating: 4.5
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 5 / 5 = total of 5
Writer’s Voice = 5
Character Development = 5
Story Appreciation = 5
Worth the Chili = 2.5 [ARC from Netgalley, $9.99 if purchased on Amazon or Barnes & Noble]
This is a debut novel that knocks it clearly out of the park. It is a powerful story of two young people with huge challenges who find each other. They have a bit of help along the way and the...more
Overall Rating: 4.5
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 5 / 5 = total of 5
Writer’s Voice = 5
Character Development = 5
Story Appreciation = 5
Worth the Chili = 2.5 [ARC from Netgalley, $9.99 if purchased on Amazon or Barnes & Noble]
This is a debut novel that knocks it clearly out of the park. It is a powerful story of two young people with huge challenges who find each other. They have a bit of help along the way and the...more
11 likes · like · see review
I’m not entirely sure what it was about this book, whether it be the cover, the description or the reviews, but as soon as I first heard of its existence on Goodreads, I knew I would have to read it. I hardly ever (never) get compulsions like that for contemporary novels, so I’m still utterly baffled as to why I was so drawn to it. I guess this is a sixth sense that will come in handy as Katie McGarry’s debut was just as stunning as my instincts told me it would be.
Pushing the Limits is an emot...more
Pushing the Limits is an emot...more
51 likes · like · see review
I love HarlequinTEEN! Thank God for auto-approval!
*EDIT*
2.5 stars
I really wanted to love this book because I've been waiting for it for months. The first third of the book wasn't that bad but then it got super dramatic. Like in those soup operas.
Echo used to be popular,well-liked smart young lady but after an accident that happened 2 years ago she hasn't been the same. Somehow she still managed to remain "friends" with the popular crowd. The only unique thing about Echo was her name. When she w...more
*EDIT*
2.5 stars
I really wanted to love this book because I've been waiting for it for months. The first third of the book wasn't that bad but then it got super dramatic. Like in those soup operas.
Echo used to be popular,well-liked smart young lady but after an accident that happened 2 years ago she hasn't been the same. Somehow she still managed to remain "friends" with the popular crowd. The only unique thing about Echo was her name. When she w...more
16 likes · like · see review
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YA Buddy Readers'...: Pushing the Limits Series by Katie McGarry / Start date: May 8, 2013 | 38 | 26 | May 11, 2013 04:21am | |
| Pushing the Limits playlist! | 1 | 25 | May 10, 2013 12:24pm | |
| Crazy for Young A...: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry → Start Date: April 28th, 2013 | 16 | 24 | May 01, 2013 04:47pm | |
| have you read it? Cause it AWESOME | 15 | 72 | Apr 24, 2013 12:55pm | |
| Epic or Fail? | 14 | 86 | Apr 24, 2013 07:43am | |
| Oh My Shelves: March BOM-Pushing the Limits | 100 | 44 | Apr 17, 2013 02:51pm |
KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebo...more
More about Katie McGarry...
Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebo...more
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“The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see--the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that survived. For people like me and Echo, our souls contained more scar tissue than life.”
—
403 people liked it
“I love you enough to never make you choose.”
—
371 people liked it
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May 01, 2013 03:42pm
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