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Going Too Far

Jennifer Echols (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 38,345 ratings · 1,693 reviews

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far... and almost doesn’t make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the ru ...more

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Paperback, 245 pages

Published April 1st 2013 by Simon & Schuster (first published March 17th 2009)

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Nov 17, 2012 Nichole * The Book Shredder rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Idiots

Oh, ho, ho. Brace yourselves, I'm about to write the meanest, most drawn out negative review I've written to date. Be warned though, this review will have cursing. Lots of it, I suspect.

When I read the blurb for Going Too Far I knew I had to read it. Young girl keeps getting in trouble and the cop who's determined to show her the consequences of her actions ends up falling for her? Hell yeah, that sounds hot. And I'm not even the type of person who likes to read books that sound hot. But fuck it ...more

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Dec 05, 2008 Kristi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, own-arc, books-i-own

This was my first time reading Jennifer Echols, I’d seen her book around, but for some reason I never had the initiative to pick on up. Then I saw the cover and synopsis for Going Too Far and I just had to have it. I think originally I’d saw the title as Boy In Blue or something along those lines, but after reading the novel I think that the title, Going Too Far, fits it perfectly.

I was expecting to like this novel, I figured it would be good, what I hadn’t expected was how much I was going to l ...more

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Sep 29, 2008 Ana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This book is clearly a romance. The whole story is about these two different people with their own individual baggage who come together and fall in love. As their relationship develops, you feel like you are on rollercoaster ride -- crazy highs and lows. Their relationship is very charged and, at times, explosive. The sexual tension between them is there from the very beginning and practically on every page there after. These are two people who are very physically attracted to each other but on This book is clearly a romance. The whole story is about these two different people with their own individual baggage who come together and fall in love. As their relationship develops, you feel like you are on rollercoaster ride -- crazy highs and lows. Their relationship is very charged and, at times, explosive. The sexual tension between them is there from the very beginning and practically on every page there after. These are two people who are very physically attracted to each other but on such different life trajectories that leaves them both confused about what was happening between them. They were asking of themselves whether it was worth pursuing, did it make it any sense, was there any substance beyond the flirting and attraction, could they let themselves be exposed and vulnerable to the other person...

While on the surface they seem to be so different, but as we get to know them, they appear to have a lot in common. For example, they are both very determined, strong, impulsive, defiant, and passionate. I see them in their future relationship as fighting often but having lots of make-up sex.

I had different reactions toward finding out the history underling their individual issues. I found Meg's reason for behaving the way she does compelling. She was at a very critical age, developmentally, when faced with her crisis. She had difficulty processing the meaning of it all and her parents weren't all that helpful. I can see why she started having panic attacks and had difficulty coming to terms with what was ahead for her life. I had more difficulty understanding John's backstory. It was harder for me to connect his bridge obsession with the events of 8 years ago when he was so young. It sort of makes sense but I just didn't feel it was enough to justify his current behavior, especially when what he did to Meg when she pushed him to edge...

There was no false advertising in the descriptions of this book. They really do push each other to the edge. Amazingly, this is what they each needed in order to move on from the chains of their past. It could have totally backfired but somehow they pulled through and were so much better for it. ...more

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Jan 17, 2009 Alea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-for-review

This book was HOT! The chemistry and banter between Meg and John (Officer After) could keep me reading for probably a 1,000 pages. It was an absolute pleasure to read I couldn't get enough of it.

Echols writing style is just perfect to me, it's humorous and detailed and random, everything I love. She created a very likable character in Meg, someone who intentionally creates a somewhat shocking appearance (blue hair) and attitude to protect herself but little by little we learn more about Meg and ...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Kelly rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: disappointing, this-is-crap

Okay so, I've made a vow to myself to write reviews for every book I finish (since making this vow), and the short warning to stay away from this book that served as my review before kept coming back to haunt me, screaming CHEAT!!!

I've cooled off since then, so I can probably give a review without dissolving into a puddle of gooey rage and expletives.

First off, let me address the rating; 4.02 average, as of the time I'm writing this review. I'll be honest, it's what reeled me in. And caught me l ...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Does anyone remember when my avi looked like this

description

That is called The Storyteller. It is a fountain that is in the heart of Five Points South in Birmingham.

This story tried to KILL IT!! Ugz!! ok... so, it wasn't the main focus but they talk about the fountain alot at the end of the book and keep referring to it as the DEVIL FOUNTAIN. Dear BOB! I wanted to scream. Only ignorants call it the Devil Fountain. Bahs. It's a statue of a ram man reading stories to his friends of nature. Not reading stor ...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Jude rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 08-best-romance, 01-favorites

Re-read: HOLLY SHIT I LOVED IT JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE AS THE FIRST TIME I READ THIS BACK IN 2011 HBJFGKDAFLKSGHJBFLAN

First time reading it: April 29, 2011

I’m going to say a few things before I start my review:

A long while a go I stopped reading. Not completely but, I was reading a book a week instead of a book a day, there were also books that were taking me three weeks to read!. I was blaming it all on school and thought that my blog and club where the ones consuming my time. I just realized ...more

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Jan 10, 2017 Tink Magoo is bad at reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: job-police-or-pi, 2020, loved-it, setting-small-town, re-reads, young-adult

I tried reading this one last year and couldn't get into it. The heroine was annoying and immature but I'm so glad I tried it again because I loved it.

Yes, it may be slightly cliched and predictable, BUT it was so easy to read and the character growth was written really well, so much so that I ended up loving the heroine. A small part of me does wish that their sex was written into the story, but that's just cause I'm a dirty perv who wants to read about all John's muscles flexing. In reality, I ...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Eunice rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: damn-gorgeous-males, favourites, kick-ass-heroines, contemporary, young-adult, realistic-fiction, ya-romance, new-adult

4.5 stars

Would you believe me if I say I'd put off this book for quite a long time because I thought that a cop guy as the hero in a book is not cool? Well, now that I've read it I realized I was Totally. Freaking. Wrong! Because the whole time, I was swooning and crushing and gushing over John After. He absolutely took a place on my top book boyfriends! And yeah, so much for putting this off because, seriously, from all the books I've read of Jennifer Echols this is the one I so enjoyed the mos 4.5 stars

Would you believe me if I say I'd put off this book for quite a long time because I thought that a cop guy as the hero in a book is not cool? Well, now that I've read it I realized I was Totally. Freaking. Wrong! Because the whole time, I was swooning and crushing and gushing over John After. He absolutely took a place on my top book boyfriends! And yeah, so much for putting this off because, seriously, from all the books I've read of Jennifer Echols this is the one I so enjoyed the most!

It was my first time to encounter a really rebellious heroine and at first I didn't think I would be able to love her but again, I was wrong because I really did love Meg! Meg was a funny, smart, and witty character. I loved her sense of humor, her rebelliousness and being dangerous made her more an interesting character. Her story that caused her to have that kind of attitude was very compelling. It was a bit heart wrenching and through that I was able to understand her completely. John After on the other hand was her opposite. He was this one hot cop who was so disciplined and pretty strict in following rules. He had this weird obsession about the 'bridge' and staying in town. Turns out he had a really bad memory about it and thought that by doing what he's doing it will changed what had happened from the past.

I enjoyed those dialogue between the two of them which was really funny, cute and steamy! And whenever John blushes at something he said about Meg, awww, it was just like the cutest thing ever! Haha! But what I loved the most was how this two people met and was able to cure and change each other. It was great to see Meg and John growing and learning, caring and loving each other and eventually letting go of their past. The ending was very heart warming. It was touching and emotional and those few words Meg said was just so beautiful.

I would definitely recommend this. This is a touching, wonderful and fun read. Not overly emotional but will still tug strings from your heart. A very good realistic read. :))

This review is also posted at Book Overdose ...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Cory rated it it was ok · review of another edition

For the record, I lived in Birmingham,Alabama for three years. Therefor, my opinion of this book might be somewhat biased because I am familiar with the area. Like Looking for Alaska, Going Too Far takes place in a small town on the outskirts of Birmingham.

However, unlike John Green, Jennifer Echols doesn't succeed in capturing the feel of a small southern town. This problem was also evident in Beautiful Creatures, a slow paced book with an effeminate male narrator. If setting is a large part o ...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Lissa added it · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass-heroine, love-this-boy, 2012

Also appears on Lissa Writes

I can't for the life of me come up with any good reason for why this book is 4 stars and not 5 stars. Normally five stars for me are rated for books that have a huge emotional impact or connection, or challenge me (or are just plain and simply awesome, or I read in my childhood and I'm totally nostalgic for). I didn't really have an emotional connection but this book did have an emotional impact on me, because I cried in one particular part near the climax. Still, if ...more

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Mar 19, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fiction, ya, 2009

Meg's a wild, rebellious girl who has panic attacks at being confined by as much as a seat belt. Her mother still cries over her and her father has washed his hands of her and her (currently) blue hair. She has just a few months left of high school to go and then she can escape the small town and move to the city to go to uni. And the one thing she's looking forward to before that can happen is the March Break trip to Mexico.

Which is ruined by one night's stupid decision. Along with her pot-addl Meg's a wild, rebellious girl who has panic attacks at being confined by as much as a seat belt. Her mother still cries over her and her father has washed his hands of her and her (currently) blue hair. She has just a few months left of high school to go and then she can escape the small town and move to the city to go to uni. And the one thing she's looking forward to before that can happen is the March Break trip to Mexico.

Which is ruined by one night's stupid decision. Along with her pot-addled "boyfriend" Eric and two friends from school, Tiffany and Brian, Meg is arrested for trespassing on a train bridge - which killed two kids several years ago. While Eric's hot-shot lawyer father gets him off, the other three are made to spend the March Break week with the ambulance, fire brigade and police - and guess which one Meg gets.

Not only does she have to spend five nights on the graveyard shift riding around in a cop car, but she has to spend them with the very same cop who arrested them: John After. John with the "Matt Damon" body, who turns out to be nowhere near as old as Meg had assumed. He chose to stay in the town, to serve and protect and save teenagers from stupid choices, but Meg pushes him to question the things he abides by - and he pushes back. As they both confront each other the chemistry coalesces and thickens, and something new is forged.

"Chemistry" is the Big Word for this novel. It has shovel-fuls of it. Meg is a spunky, smart, inherently vulnerable girl with a sharp, hard exterior. John is more complicated than he seems, and the character development is beautifully explored as layers are revealed and they both become very real in your mind.

The plot is a simple premise to get these two together, and it has that small-town ring of truth to it; it's the people who are complicated. Narrated by Meg, her voice has that same hard, spiky exterior behind which she hides her compassion and interest in others - you get to know her and yet she keeps you at a distance at the same time. It's John who breaks through that exterior, and him we follow as Meg learns to accept herself. Nothing's easy, of course, and the revelation (one of two; the last one) at the end - while hinted at, or something you could guess - had a similar impact on me as it did on Meg.

I have to draw your attention back to the romance and chemistry again. If you, like me, loved Twilight and similar books for the chemistry between the two main characters, and you'd like more of that intense thrill, then you absolutely have to read this. It's not the same, but it has that same quality that breathes off the page. Somewhere out there, John and Meg are living their lives. Sweet and charming, heart-warming and sexy, Going Too Far is a book to read in one sitting: not just because it's a fast read, but because you won't want to put it down. ...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Arlene rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2010, favorites, ya-contemporary, young-adult

I intended to just get started on Going too Far and enjoy the book during the weekend. Plans changed... I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in one sitting. What a great book! It’s earned the coveted spot on my bookshelf reserved for re-reads.

I loved the point of view of the book, which was from Meg’s perspective. She’s snarky, dangerous, smart, and endearingly flawed. Her mental dialog is witty and kept me engaged throughout the entire book. In addition, the dialog between Meg and John (Off ...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Thomas rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, read-on-kindle, own-electronic, romance, realistic-fiction

Going Too Far delineates the story of Meg and Officer John After. Meg, a high school senior, cannot wait to go to college and escape her backwater town as well as her domineering parents. John decided to stay in the city and fight crime - so when he catches Meg on a dangerous bridge drinking alcohol and doing drugs, the two collide in a way that creates romantic chemistry and sexual tension.

Going Too Far was my first MTV book, so I wasn't sure what to expect besides some scandalous stuff going o ...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Reynje rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars

I wondered what it would be like to see the dark blue sky above us not as heavy drapes of cloth, the top of a circus tent, but as an infinite expanse. As everybody else saw it.

In Going Too Far, Jennifer Echols has crafted a compelling story about the connection between two characters who are, in some ways, the very antithesis of each other.

Meg won’t be tied down, literally. Resistant to plans, authority, confined spaces – she combats restrictions and small-town claustrophobia with plans to go away to college and avoidance of emotional entanglements.

John After lives within his carefully constructed defences, refusing to be left exposed and vulnerable. A law-enforcer, a rule-abider, Officer After is guarded and cautious. He is the practiced restraint to Meg’s reckless abandon.

Going Too Far is an incredibly engaging read. The chemistry between Meg and John is intense and volatile, the story becoming increasingly charged with each page. The interactions between the characters spark with the friction of conflict and attraction. Add to this the enforced distance of the situation that throws them together, and the plot is heavy with anticipation.

Sexual tension aside, it is also an honestly expressed portrayal of what it is to let go, to trust, to be hurt and to hurt someone else. In this respect, Echols has created realistic characters, with flaws and strengths, each contending with their own internal issues. Importantly, whether their actions are sympathetic or not, they act like teenagers: perhaps not always defensible, but mostly understandable.

This was my first Echols novel, and I was impressed with the fluid writing and her deft hand with dialogue, particularly with Meg’s snarky, self-deprecating humour. (view spoiler) While a major selling point is clearly the romance aspect, there was also greater substance here than I was expecting, in the exploration of Meg and John as nuanced individuals.

Going Too Far ended up being not quite what I had expected, in a good way.

Somewhat surprising, definitely engaging, and highly enjoyed.
...more

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Jun 07, 2010 Nomes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, i-own, riding-the-older-ya-vibe

Snark, sexual tension, brilliant dialogue...
Cop John After and the blue-haired-girl-felon.
Definitely a guilty pleasure :)

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Mar 08, 2009 Adele rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I was overjoyed to get this in the mail yesterday, OVAH-JOYED. Thank you so much to Jenn for organising it's journey across the ocean to this uber-grateful Aussie. Now Jenn's act of kindness has nothing to do with the review I am about to give because as I stated in my review of The Boys Next Door, I consider Jenn to be the drug of choice in YA-verse. I was already biased.

And she didn't disappoint. I wasn't sure upon reading the first chapter, I was wary of Meg. I wasn't sure that I could relate I was overjoyed to get this in the mail yesterday, OVAH-JOYED. Thank you so much to Jenn for organising it's journey across the ocean to this uber-grateful Aussie. Now Jenn's act of kindness has nothing to do with the review I am about to give because as I stated in my review of The Boys Next Door, I consider Jenn to be the drug of choice in YA-verse. I was already biased.

And she didn't disappoint. I wasn't sure upon reading the first chapter, I was wary of Meg. I wasn't sure that I could relate or see the world through her eyes but I was oh so very wrong. Meg is a complex, strong, contradictory protagonist with boatloads of humour, snark and moxie. She's tortured, yet exuberant. All her characteristics, her dialogue, her motivations and her decisions are all clear to understand and as such you are just plain sucked into her interplay with John After.

Why do I love Jenn Echols' narrative?

"My knee radiated heat. As I watched him pull himself from the car and walk casually across the brightly lit parking lot, I thought dumb things: I will never wash my knee again. I will never wash those jeans again. I will cut the knees out of those jeans and sew a pillow to sleep on every night, just to have a molecule of him in bed with me."
Echols writes a delightful mix of randomness, absurdity and truth. She doesn't sugarcoat teen world but instead adds the right amount of sweet and sour. Meg and John are in a constant battle for the upper hand and their discussions ranged from barbed, snarky, humorous to doe- eyed. Their relationship is a like a mood swing, you never know when things are going to change up and how it might affect you. I loved the package though. John's seeming calm is at direct contrast to the fire that is Meg. What we soon realise is John's burning up too, for a multitude of reasons. I did at times want to know more about John but the quick pace swept away any reservations I may have possessed.

Echols has attempted a different kind of narrative with this novel. The world is more fully realised and the characters are greatly detailed. I devoured each page with a fervour I wasn't sure I possessed and was fully immersed in each event of Meg and John's lives. I am more hungry than ever to get my hands on future Jenn Echols works and want to congratulate her on a truly wonderful read that made me travel a gamut of emotions and invest in her tremendously real characters.
...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: annoying-main-characters, read-2012, young-adult

This was such a weird book to me. It didn't feel like a YA book except that the main character was so immature, selfish, and self-centered, and nothing gets explored in very much depth. I just didn't get this book, right from the very beginning. You know Meg is supposedly reactionary for a reason, but that reason seemed forced. (view spoiler) ...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Jessica rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 16-chick-lit

So far, I’ve read 4 books by Jennifer Echols and somehow I always find myself frowning constantly while reading. I just don’t get the characters in her books. In my opinion they’re not behaving and thinking like normal people.
I couldn’t identify with Meg at all and found her rather annoying. Both Meg and John were not authentic to me.
The book wasn’t all bad, at times it was even enjoyable. I was looking for something light to kill some time and this purpose was served. I guess I just need to acc ...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Christy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I first started this, I thought a blue haired girl with issues and an hot cop as the hero... ehhh- but by the middle of the book you are so rooting for the both of them. Loved Officer After (John) and Meg grows on you as she grows up and they so belong together! Good read.

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Feb 05, 2020 Susan's Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This New Adult story was very well written and had a few mysterious elements. I loved blue-haired Meg - so sarcastic and witty. Nineteen year old rookie cop, John After, had a thing for wild and reckless Meg, who seemed to live each day as if it might be her last - and yes, there is a reason for that. But when he catches her with her druggie boyfriend, Eric, on a dangerous bridge, he arrests her and her friends, then forces her to do community service with him. She and her friends have to spend ...more

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Jul 16, 2010 ♡Meme♡Reads love♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-reads, cop

So here is what I thought of this book.. Short and Sweet

This was a sweet romantic read. It had a mixture of romance. mystery, teen angst, and some suspense. I enjoyed all the characters. The chemistry between Meg and John was so sweet. I love the the banter between them and how he was the shy one and she the one who said and did any and everything. There was one particular part int the book I loved that was so Meg.

"I leaned forward until my boobs sat on the table like a set of oversize salt an ...more

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Aug 17, 2009 Angie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, good-uns

I picked up Jennifer Echols' GOING TOO FAR on the recommendation of the Ana-half of The Book Smugglers. Ana is good peeps and pretty much never steers me wrong. She said she stayed up into the wee hours of the night reading this one and what do ya know? I did, too! It's just that it was my birthday eve and I was feeling like being incredibly cozy and wanted something sweet and absorbing. This book is both. I read it in one sitting and pretty much had to know what happened before I could sleep. T I picked up Jennifer Echols' GOING TOO FAR on the recommendation of the Ana-half of The Book Smugglers. Ana is good peeps and pretty much never steers me wrong. She said she stayed up into the wee hours of the night reading this one and what do ya know? I did, too! It's just that it was my birthday eve and I was feeling like being incredibly cozy and wanted something sweet and absorbing. This book is both. I read it in one sitting and pretty much had to know what happened before I could sleep. The funny thing was my dreams had an interesting musical score behind them that night. Full of songs about love and loss. Particularly "Re: Stacks" by Bon Iver. Over and over again in my head, this one seemed to fit Meg and John so well.

Stuck in Nowhere, Alabama, Meg MacPherson is counting down the hours until she can move away to college. And it doesn't even matter that she's only going just a few miles down the road to Birmingham. She'll still be away from her hometown, away from her parents, and away from her thankless (and payless) job at their 24-hour breakfast greasy spoon--Eggstra! Eggstra! *snort* For the last few years Meg has comfortably occupied the position of town Bad Girl, complete with rapidly changing hair color (currently blue) and revolving door of lousy boyfriends (seriously, her latest makes Charlie Sheen look like a real catch). One night up on the railroad bridge, Meg and three compatriots have the misfortune to be caught, drunk and disorderly, by the local cops. For their punishment, they each have to spend a week riding with one of the emergency personnel that had to come out after them that night. Meg pulls the cop who chewed her out that night--Officer After--a 19-year-old hometown boy whose only ambition in life appears to be busting the butts of errant high schoolers and who never dreams of leaving. Over the course of the next five days, Meg and Officer After learn a few things about each other that complicate both of their long-term plans.

At first these two seem like fairly straightforward stereotypes. Bad Girl meets Straight Shooter. Sparring and romance ensue. In that order. But then, just as you're prepared to get bored, things get interesting. Meg shows herself to be quite a bit more layered than initially expected. She's clearly got several hideous incidents in her past which make it, among other things, difficult to be in confined spaces. Handcuffs or prison bars, for example, assume nightmarish proportions for Meg. And she has a charming habit of voicing her thoughts and emotions. Every time she blurted out, "I am full of fear," I laughed and loved her more. Except when she really was. And had good reason to be. Then I was full of fear for her and I couldn't stop turning the pages. John is as layered as Meg, only it comes out more slowly as Meg herself discovers it. And it doesn't all come out in the right order, which is frustrating for all concerned. But they're both so likable, you'll go along for the ride. My favorite bit about this story is that in the end, when the inevitable unforgivable act occurs, Meg squares her shoulders and fixes things. She doesn't dissolve in her despair but rather has a good cry and then goes about making reparation and salvaging what she can. I always liked her, but that's when I admired her. Recommended for fans of Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry, Laura Wiess' Such a Pretty Girl, and for when you're looking for a light, swallow-in-a-single-gulp read. ...more

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May 24, 2012 John Egbert rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: why-did-i-read-this, le-sigh

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If you don't want to be spoiled, run for your life now.

I have to admit to rolling my eyes at least a total of seventeen times while reading this.

To say the least I wasn't impressed.

Five things,

- I love tragic pasts. Cherish them, even. Yes, I know it's a trope. I know it's a cliche often poorly used to make readers sympathize with assholish characters. But if you do a tragic past right, I'll be the first person to swoon. This book just didn't do it right. I felt nothing when Meg gave the big rev If you don't want to be spoiled, run for your life now.

I have to admit to rolling my eyes at least a total of seventeen times while reading this.

To say the least I wasn't impressed.

Five things,

- I love tragic pasts. Cherish them, even. Yes, I know it's a trope. I know it's a cliche often poorly used to make readers sympathize with assholish characters. But if you do a tragic past right, I'll be the first person to swoon. This book just didn't do it right. I felt nothing when Meg gave the big reveal. The book has gotten boring and it continued to BE boring. Which brings me to...

- It was too long. I was waiting for everything to wrap up around halfway through. And the sad part is that the book isn't even THAT long. There just wasn't enough plot, wasn't enough character development.

- Meg is kind of a moron. I mean, yeah, she was kind of funny at times. But overall she was just annoying. Her thing about smoking pot and having sex with the village idiot for the lulz (Eric or something? Brian? I forget) made me want to pick her up by her torso and toss her out a window. The worst part was that she actually seemed a little smart, like she could be if she wanted. But no, she wasn't going to act on that spark of intellect at all. Not even a little bit. And maybe that was the point, but it made me infuriated.

- JOHN. Ugh, I'm sorry. At first he was kind of fun, but when I realized that he was actually going to be a love interest instead of a father figure it pretty much ruined him for me. Then he started acting like a jerk. Truth be told I wish Meg had just gone off to college and ended up single in the end. I'm even ashamed to call him John, because that's MY name. He can be Bill. Not that there's anything wrong with being a Bill. Er. Anyway, the point is that I didn't like him. He was really overbearing, and the last part where he handcuffed Meg and made her go into a panic attack was not cool. I'm sorry, but when you do something knowing it's going to hurt your partner then that's just it, buddy. Meg had no idea going out onto that bridge would hurt John. John knew perfectly well that his actions would hurt Meg. That's not acceptable.

- There wasn't really a character in this book that I cared about. Maybe Meg's friend (Elizabeth? I think?). But really, she wasn't all that great either. I couldn't have cared less if Superman dropped down from the sky and incinerated everyone in their little town (yes, even the children) with his laser vision on the very last page. Well, okay, maybe I'd care a little then, but you get my point.

It wasn't terrible by any means, but it's not something I'd recommend or read again. And I don't think I'll be running to pick up any more of Echols novels either.

(Note: What I was really disappointed with, though, is the misleading title. Meg never goes "too far". That's the reason why I picked up the book! Well, c'est la vie I suppose...) ...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: addicted-to-ya, what-the-heck, so-not-impressed, read-in-2010

The title is misleading and so is the blurb!

I didn't like Meg for the most part. At first, I kind of Liked her. I looked past her Annoying Behavior and laughed. out. loud. once or twice during the book. But halfway through I just could not take it anymore. She was just way too self centered and annoying for me. And seriously, I did not like her allegedly Emotional Scene. It wasn't believable to me (the actual thing, not her reaction (well that was believable but that annoyed me, too)). I did thi ...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Mary rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Meg has dyed-blue hair and a penchant for bad behavior. That's how she ends up drunk on a railroad bridge with the town rich-boy drug dealer in the middle of the night. And she's even gotten a pair of goody-two-shoes classmates to join in the fun. Luckily, the train misses them; unluckily, they're all arrested--by a driven young cop who constantly patrols the bridge to keep teens from getting killed. The rich boy's lawyer dad gets him out of trouble, but Meg and the others have to do community s Meg has dyed-blue hair and a penchant for bad behavior. That's how she ends up drunk on a railroad bridge with the town rich-boy drug dealer in the middle of the night. And she's even gotten a pair of goody-two-shoes classmates to join in the fun. Luckily, the train misses them; unluckily, they're all arrested--by a driven young cop who constantly patrols the bridge to keep teens from getting killed. The rich boy's lawyer dad gets him out of trouble, but Meg and the others have to do community service over spring break, and Meg is royally peeved about that because she had planned to go the beach for the very first time! Instead, she has to spend her vacation on night shift with the very cop who arrested her plus work her usual day shift (for free, as usual, too) at her parents' greasy spoon diner.

Echols is clearly trying for an edgier, more realistic novel than her usual fluffy romances here, but for me it falls flat. First off, Meg's character relies on physical totems, like dyed hair (but not the brow piercing displayed on the cover), to signal interior traits. But we're also supposed to ignore that and believe that Meg is a good girl who has suffered mightily. In the end, this maybe turns out to be true, but it's not revealed to the very end, which makes for an uneasy reading ride. She's nasty to her parents and it seems that the only reason for that is because they're poor and she has to work for free. Instead, she ends up sounding spoiled and whiny. The second stumbling block, for me, was the character of John, the cop. We're supposed to believe that a nineteen-year-old boy who just graduated from high school is a hard-nosed cop. Even more unbelievably, Meg had had a class with him the previous year and didn't recognize him at all because apparently he grew a bunch of muscles and cut his hair. Like Meg, John has a hidden agenda for his actions, but it's not revealed until the very end.

Many readers will likely be able to ignore these issues, but I could not. The novel starts out fast and just continues. Meg is a curious character with some funny lines which help the story out a lot. The romance is a bit forced and obvious, but it does move the story along. It seems far-fetched (oops, a third problem!) that Meg would be allowed to ride along with such a young cop, but it creates interesting situations and opportunities for growth for this seemingly selfish girl. You'll have to be the judge of whether the revelation of the reason for her actions justifies them.

Sexual situations, intense situations, alcohol, drugs. OK for ages 14 & up. ...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Nic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, romance-awww, realistic-fiction, 2010, favourites

Amazing! This book was sweet, sexy, witty, powerful and real. It had such a important message on how to let go and I think alot people can relate to this story in one way or another. The plot moved quickly and was never predictable and it had a great ending that left me smiling.

Meg is such an awesome character. I liked her instantly and throughout the book she grew so much as person as did John. They were both complex character and were well written. Together they had great chemistry.

I agree wi ...more

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Dec 23, 2014 Mia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, re-read-forever-and-ever

YES! YES! YES! YES!

Okay, so it's currently 3:48am and all I can say is PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! Gah <3

...more

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Nov 02, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This coming of age novel really hits on a great deal of issues and after you finish reading Meg’s journey and why she acts the way she does, you will have a big smile on your face. Meg may act like a rebel, but she is still very much a little girl scared and alone, not sure where she’s going or what her plans are. She has dreams and thinks she knows what they are, but all it takes is one person to show her that sometimes a person’s future can be found right in their backyard and with those they This coming of age novel really hits on a great deal of issues and after you finish reading Meg’s journey and why she acts the way she does, you will have a big smile on your face. Meg may act like a rebel, but she is still very much a little girl scared and alone, not sure where she’s going or what her plans are. She has dreams and thinks she knows what they are, but all it takes is one person to show her that sometimes a person’s future can be found right in their backyard and with those they call their friends.

We are given quite an introduction to Meg who is the only teenager in Shelby County, Alabama with blue hair. Meg hates her backwater hometown. She just can’t wait for June to arrive to she can move to Birmingham for college. Meg acts out and gets into trouble. It should come as a surprise that she was able to get into college at all because she drinks, smokes pot and hangs out with older boys in college; especially certain bad boys. Her latest bad boy, or rather booty call, Eric, takes Meg and a few friends up on a bridge where a few years ago some teens who were just as stupid were killed by a train. Meg and Eric are about to engage in a little fun on the bridge when they are caught by the cops.

The cop who catches them reminds Meg of a forty something guy probably with a wife and a few kids. Meg gives him major attitude and thinks she will get out of this with no problems and go off to Miami for Spring Break. Meg is mistaken and the punishment for her crime is that she must ride in a police car on the overnight shift during the week of her Spring Break. Meg is not too happy about this, even more so, because the cop she will be with is the one who almost arrested her, Officer John After.

The officer with the funny last name is not anywhere near forty, but nineteen, only two years older than Meg and even went to her high school and was in her Spanish class at one point. John decided not to go to college even though he could have gotten a track scholarship. Meg really doesn’t understand why John would want to be a cop in this town where nothing exciting happens.

John has a few choice opinions about Meg, just as she does about him. She thinks he is goody goody. A muscular and cute one, but all the same she thinks he is lame. John thinks Meg is on a path to destruction. For the next few days, as they ride side by side, they learn about one another and from that their opinions about each other change. Meg wouldn’t mind getting into John After’s pants, because she suddenly finds herself attracted to him and the way he treats her is unlike the other boys she hangs around with. Meg wants John to loosen up so he can confront his own issues. She wants to break down the walls he has placed around himself. John, in turn, picks away at Meg where he questions her reasoning for things. Why does she want to run away from everything she knows? What is her real reason for lashing out?

Both have deep seated issues and when John and Meg talk about what they’re hiding and what they’re afraid of, it’s explosive and will open their eyes to things they didn’t see before, where they will come to depend on one another and from that love will form between them.

Going Too Far is a great story about opposites attracting. John and Meg will have you in stitches because they are so funny and cute together. Meg has some major issues and acts out because of something horrible that has happened. When you find out what it is, you will be more understanding to her way of thinking. The reason she lives life on her own terms and acts as if each day is her last is because of a trauma she went through. At first I thought that this trauma wasn’t really needed to move the story along, but then it all made sense. John is Meg’s counterpart, the complete opposite of her in the way she thinks and looks at life. John is everything a young girl rebels against. He holds up a mirror to her, where he shows Meg in simple terms that bigger and better is not always the case.

I adored John. He is a wonderfully written young man who deals with life in a very mature way. I loved how he took Meg in hand and together they became a great unit. These two may seem so wrong for one another but Jennifer Echols' skill as a writer makes the reader believe in these two.

Going Too Far has an innocent feel but the subject matter is very much what teens must deal with from sex, drinking and even death. I really loved how John handles his attraction to Meg. He respects her and doesn’t want to rush into things. It was also a nice change for Meg to be more the aggressor in their relationship.

This was the first book I ever read by Jennifer Echols and it certainly won’t be my last, Going Too Far is a much recommended read. And if Jennifer decides to write a sequel showing us how John and Meg are doing together, I wouldn’t mind that at all. ...more

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Dec 13, 2009 Carla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: forever-love

Seventeen year old Meg is a bit of a rebel, a blue haired teen in a small town in Alabama, a town that she needs to leave behind. Meg and a few of her friends, including waste of space sort-of boyfriend Eric, have too much to drink and head to the railway bridge in town. The bridge is off-bounds, but kids from town keep on going back there for dares; a couple is rumored to have died on the bridge in a tragic accident years ago. They get caught by Officer After, who patrols the bridge obsessively Seventeen year old Meg is a bit of a rebel, a blue haired teen in a small town in Alabama, a town that she needs to leave behind. Meg and a few of her friends, including waste of space sort-of boyfriend Eric, have too much to drink and head to the railway bridge in town. The bridge is off-bounds, but kids from town keep on going back there for dares; a couple is rumored to have died on the bridge in a tragic accident years ago. They get caught by Officer After, who patrols the bridge obsessively, and as punishment Meg is made to ride for a week with him in his police car. But Officer After is not the middle aged man with wife and kids at home like Meg had thought, he’s a nineteen year old boy; a boy she went to school with.

The storyline of the book is very simple, it’s the characters that make this book something extraordinary. Meg needs to leave town, where as John has decided to stay. She is the crazy girl in the small town and even though her college of choice is 20 minutes away, that 20 minutes will make all of the difference to her. Whereas John is serious, aloof and takes his job as seriously as he takes his mission to watch the bridge. The both know the path they want to follow, but will five nights together change the direction they wander?

First off, I read this book in one sitting, I literally couldn’t put it down. I surprised myself, because even though I expected the book to be good, I wasn’t prepared for how amazing this book was. The characters are extremely complex and driven, their lives were written with so much care and detail that they seemed real, and the struggles they dealt with were moving. The relationship between Meg and John was multi layered and I was fascinated with their interactions with each other and how it was both simple yet complex at the same time.

This is a book about love, loss, understanding and hope. Echols has written a powerful story that was breath-taking. It explores how the past can affect the future and how even though some ghosts wont leave you entirely, you can learn to accept them, and bear the scars. An insight into how complicated and powerful real relationships can be. I don’t want to say much more for fear of spoilers but I will say this; as far as character driven novels go, this one is my favourite. I love Meg and John, and I love this book. I’ve no doubt this story will stay with me for a long time. Extraordinary novel.
...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Book Girl who changes her hair colour in trouble with law and ends up with Officer After?!? in a cop car going to different sites in particular a railway bridge. [s]	6	37	Dec 03, 2019 09:23PM
New Adult/YA/Romance: * Bi-Weekly discussion 18/01/19-01/02/19	1	5	Jan 18, 2019 01:20PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Young Adult: Girl gets caught by police for playing around on some train tracks with her friends. As punishment, one has to ride in cop car for a week, one has to ride in ambulance. Girl might have blue hair, cancer/leukemia?, claustrophobic. [s]	7	151	Aug 05, 2018 12:21PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Y.A. - Girl with blue hair falls for cop. [s]	7	45	Jun 30, 2018 01:07AM
What's the Name o...: YA romance/fiction? Not sure... [s]	4	54	Nov 10, 2014 09:27PM
opinions?	12	107	Oct 04, 2014 12:00AM
Just took a quiz on this book and I need help answering a question...	6	48	Mar 26, 2013 01:15PM

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About Jennifer Echols

Jennifer Echols

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Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Bes ...more

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Quotes from Going Too Far

“Your lot in life? A lot is something you draw, like straws. It's chance. You didn't get this life by chance. You chose it on purpose. If you're dissatisfied from it, you can change it.” — 172 likes

“And the rest is happily ever After.” — 123 likes

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