Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1) in And So It Begins Reading Challenge

Jul 31, 2012 Renee rated it it was amazing

4.5 Stars

This is a YA-M book I would recommend to anyone. I really enjoyed the character development and overall story. It was was a really moving and interesting read. There were moments of humor intertwined with serious content. I cried on several occasions as well. These kids have real hardships and issues. I really enjoyed seeing how they coped and think they would be really good role models to others with the direction they take. I like how they are really good kids who just have a tough lo ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Holly Letson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Sometimes, you just need to break away from your past in order to have a wonderful future. But, that is easier said than done for Noah Hutchins and Echo Emerson. Noah's lost his parents, so his brothers are the only blood relatives we thinks he has left. And, a dreadful "accident" has been clouding over Echo's mind for months.

Could meeting each other....and, falling in love....be what saves them both from their "Inner Demons"?

Enter Mrs. Collins, a Harvard-educated counselor, who will quickly b ...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Ayumi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm giving this book a 4.5. I loved how the characters grown so much from their dark side, their frustration of having a normal life and accepting the past they had to star a new. What I like also with this book is having to see Noah's POV.

My favorite lines/quotes from the book ~~*mostly from Noah's POV*~~ :

“I love you enough to never make you choose.”

“We’d read about sirens in English this fall; Greek mythology bullshit about women so beautiful, their voices so enchanting, that men did anything ...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it it was amazing

Two teens from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love with the whole world against them ? Sounds familiar ? It has an almost Romeo and Juliet feel to it as we meet two teenagers Noah Hutchins and Echo Emerson, both have been delegated to go along to their guidance counsellor's new guinea pig programme, here they will be counselled in school by Miss Collins. Both have lost someone they cared for and now are struggling to move forward , for Echo her family has been a strong issue with an overbe ...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Cat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-favorites, all-time-favorites

I have to admit, I had reservations about this book. The cover and the title made it seem a bit cheesy and the synopsis didn't really grab my attention. I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance anyway so initially I decided to pass this one up. Then I saw some super early reactions from bloggers whose opinions I generally tend to agree with and I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. For being a book I wasn't even interested in trying at first I was really blown away. The story was not chees
I have to admit, I had reservations about this book. The cover and the title made it seem a bit cheesy and the synopsis didn't really grab my attention. I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance anyway so initially I decided to pass this one up. Then I saw some super early reactions from bloggers whose opinions I generally tend to agree with and I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. For being a book I wasn't even interested in trying at first I was really blown away. The story was not cheesy in the least, the characters were dynamic and interesting and the drama sucked me right in. I fell in love with Echo and Noah and found myself devouring this story. Best of all, the book had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional. I loved this book!

LIKES:

Story is told from both Noah's and Echo's perspectives: I really love it when stories are told from multiple perspectives. It really adds to the reader's understanding of a story and makes it feel more dynamic. Echo and Noah each had their own unique voice and their own story to tell and it was really great to be able to understand Noah's view on the evolution of their relationship and not just Echo's. I think this writing style makes you more attached to the secondary characters as well and therefore more invested in the story as a whole.
McGarry shows the humanity of all characters, even the "villains": I was a little worried when I first started this book that the author would focus on the short-comings of Echo's parents and ignore the fact that their life experiences and concern for their children influenced their parenting decisions (this is a common pitfall in a good portion of YA literature). McGarry left me pleasantly surprised when she really delved into why Echo's dad (along with other secondary characters) acted the way he did and why he made the, sometimes wrong, decisions that he made.
Realistic romance, not star-crossed lovers: Echo and Noah are from different worlds and they certainly don't seem like they are meant for each other at the beginning of the book. Their relationship is tumultuous and they have completely different personalities. I was very happy that instead of a perfect, simplistic "bad boy falls in love with good girl" romance they had a real connection and realistic arguments about their relationship. I didn't feel like their love story was over-idealized. Their issues and fights were all the more heart-wrenching because of this realism and it allowed for an even bigger pay-off.
DISLIKES:

An abundance of f-bombs: If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: don't overuse the f-bomb. Whenever you use a word over and over it takes away its meaning and impact. This is especially true with "shocking language". After awhile it just gets old reading "eff this, eff that" constantly. For me, it isn't a matter of offensiveness, it's a matter of creativity.

Not enough closure: I felt like there wasn't quite enough resolution with Echo's mother. I would have liked to see that explored and settled more. Then again, I suppose that was on purpose.

I am so happy I gave this one a shot. There is enough suspense and drama to keep everyone interested but the romance is realistic and sweet. Even if you don't love contemporary romance I would definitely pick this book up. You won't regret it. ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Carrie Ardoin rated it really liked it

Shelves: posted-on-blog, from-netgalley, tearjerker

Echo and Noah have at least one thing in common: both come from broken families. Noah lost his parents in a house fire and his two younger brothers are with different foster parents. Echo's mother is mentally ill and her dad has moved on with his young wife who is pregnant. Though they seem to be opposites in every other respect, Echo and Noah are drawn to each other and share a passionate relationship.

But things are not always that easy, of course. Echo has her own psychological issues to work Echo and Noah have at least one thing in common: both come from broken families. Noah lost his parents in a house fire and his two younger brothers are with different foster parents. Echo's mother is mentally ill and her dad has moved on with his young wife who is pregnant. Though they seem to be opposites in every other respect, Echo and Noah are drawn to each other and share a passionate relationship.

But things are not always that easy, of course. Echo has her own psychological issues to work through before she can let someone really get to know her. Noah is fighting against authority to try to gain custody of his brothers, the most important things in his life. Can they get through against all the odds to truly love each other?

I had heard tons of positive reviews about this book before I started reading it. For the most part I enjoyed it, but I did have a few problems with both characters.

Echo has had intense things happen to her in the past, no doubt. But she became sullen and withdrawn instead of turning to her friends for help. I believe if she had at least tried to reach out, she would have found so many people willing to help her. I will probably catch flack for this opinion, but I think she made herself the victim too many times. I'm in no way downplaying what happened to her. But the way she treated her dad and stepmom made me want to slap her sometimes.

Noah is a little more likable, but I don't think he makes the best decisions. If he knows he wants to get his brothers back, why would he engage in the behaviors he does? The introduction of Echo into his life changes him some, thankfully.

The book also had the trope I hate the most, (view spoiler)

So what did I like? Well, I'm glad this book addressed such serious topics as foster care, mental illness, and losing someone in the military. I think it could have been achieved with a lot less cussing and drug use, though.

I also liked the ending. Things were not exactly perfect but everyone was working their way towards improvement. And really, that's all we can hope for in life. ...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Christy rated it it was amazing

Pushing the Limits is one of the most emotional and heart shattering books that I’ve ever read. This book will have you laughing, crying and falling in love with Echo and Noah.

Two years ago when Echo was a sophomore she was the popular girl with the jock boyfriend, then after a horrific night, she disappears from school for a month. When she comes back to school she’s different; she’s no longer the popular girl she’s now the outcast with the scarred arms. No one knows what happened that night, n ...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Ezmirelda rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, love-love-love, couple-too-cute-for-words, you-re-kidding-right, 3-point-5, girls-with-red-hair

I wasn't sure how to place my thoughts after reading PTL so I made a bulleted review. I really loved this book despite it's flaws. While it didn't WOW me there were some touching moments that made me really feel for the characters in this book.

THINGS I LIKED?
• Noah’s charismatic personality / character
• Noah’s past which made me wonder why HE wasn't the one with night terrors
• Noah’s affections for his little brothers (seriously, the sweetest thing!)
• Noah’s struggle with getting his brothers ...more

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