Review of Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Pages: 384
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: July 2012 (This was an ARC copy)

Plot: No one knows what happen to Echo Emerson, not even herself. She walks the halls of her school covered due to the scars on her arms and dreams of just being normal. Noah is the definitely not the guy that Echo or anyone would call normal. Noah's struggling to deal with his own issues, after the death of his parents, a dodgy upbringing in the system and losing his brothers all Noah wants is to try and bring his family back together.
As they try to uncover the parts to they're lives social services doesn't think they should know, will Noah and Echo find what they both set out to find or will they're paths cross and change their opinion of what it is to be 'normal'?

Good Points: Surprisingly I really loved this book. I thought the plot was good and the overall writing was excellent, you really get a grip on the characters and what they're about quickly and I thought the changes in perspective gave an equal insight to both Echo (who's name has really grown on me...) and Noah's lives and their troubled pasts.
I thought the author did a fantastic job in slowly building up tension throughout the story and I found myself wanting to read on and on. Yes, at times I thought the book could get a little too same-y in constantly bringing up the whole idea of wallowing in the past (if you can really even call it that) but this is prevented in my opinion by the range of emotions that you do feel towards the all of the characters. I found myself when reading the book trying to piece together what I would do in that situation and at times I could relate to the characters in a way but at others, during times when the characters surprise you, you still feel that that is what that character would do. The book showcases a range of very human emotions and doesn't shy away from topics that some wouldn't involve in their own plots, I think this is a reason why I loved it so much. This book was no nonsense and just a real book that explored the events that lead to Noah and Echo becoming the people they are.

Bad Points: Okay, Echo's friends, excluding a few are Bitches, pretty much no other way to put it. They are simply awful and I did become a little annoyed at why Echo was still associating herself with these people. However, reading on you reason out Echo's choices and begin to understand that she believes she's lost everything in her life and that one little fragment (her friends) of her past is one of the only things that she has control over and the choice to keep. Yes they are Bitches but as awful as it sounds you can sort of believe it to be true in that this would actually happen.


To Sum Up... Well, like I've already mentioned numerous times throughout this review, I loved it. I loved the raw emotions shown throughout the book for each of the characters and the relationships not only between Noah and Echo but also with their social worker Mrs Collins and each of the pairs friendship groups.
At times yes it could get a little dramatic but isn't every book? So basically you should definitely seek out this book when it comes out in July and I probably know what your'e thinking- but its not paranormal !!!, well no you're right but instead this book is so much more it contains good realistic characters that grow into interesting people that you grow to care for, the story is plotted well and the dialogue is never cheesy or forced and to be honest this book contains a from of magic all on it's own.
So to conclude ... Read this book :D Please x