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Bloody Bookaholic's Commandment:

Thou Shall Read Till Thy Eyes Bleed

Thursday 19 July 2012

Review + Giveaway: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry


Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Stand Alone, sort of.
Book #: 1
Pages: 384
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating:
Goodreads Rating: 4.30
T.B.Published: July 31st, 2012.
Katie McGarry's Website

"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 each other...and yet so right.


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.
 
 
Taschima's POV:


What's with contemporary lately? Has it always been this good? Or am I just turning in a new leaf?


I was skeptical when first going into Pushing the Limits because 1. It is contemporary, 2. It is fairly long for a contemporary story, 3. It wasn't high on my to-read-list. But at the end of the day once I made up my mind to pick it up and start reading it was game over; Pushing the Limits had me in it's grip and it wouldn't let me go.
 
 
Noah and Echo. Echo is the once popular girl who went through a traumatic experience in her life, which her mind blocked, and since then she has never been the same. She has the scars to prove it. Going along for Echo's journey was very interesting. Her story revolved around remembering the traumatic event that happened to her, one way or another. We learned about her traumatic experience through flash backs. I thought the flashbacks could have been set up a bit better, but then again this could change since I only read an ARC. She was at times a little whiny and a pushover but she grew and developed through the novel. I liked her overall.

Noah on the other hand was every girl's wet, bad boy dreams. The boy who hooks up with every other girl in the state but is too afraid to commit. The boy who is a prodigy in bed and always knows just how to turn you on. Yeah, well, he was kind of sexy in that way. But the best moments in my mind were the ones he let his feelings for his brothers show. He just broke my heart. I actually cried in some of Noah and his brother's scenes together. No kidding. But that kind of emotion... you just can't make that stuff up.

Echo and Noah. Together. They made sense. Not in a "they are the main characters so they are BOUND to be together" kind of way but in a "they are two parts of a whole" kind of way. Echo brings characteristics out in Noah, she helped him through a dark part of his life, and Noah gave Echo the security and love that she was lacking. They helped each other in so many ways. I loved them together, even when they made me want to smack them in the head in order for them to get their shit straight.


I loved that the story was told from both points of view, both Noah's and Echo's. Thank. Goodness. It adds so much. You get Noah's total male point of view (the things this boy said and thought could definitely make your grandmother blush) in contrast with Echo's not girly per se but dark perspective.

The setting of the story was familiar. High school as the hell mouth. Was high school this bad for everybody? Was gossip such an integral part? I mean, I don't remember my high school experience like that, I mostly ignored everybody... Anyways, yeah, there's high school, there's mean girls, there are back stabbing bitches pretending to be friends, boyfriends pretending to be star crossed lovers, etc. All the juicy stuff is in here but the generic stuff is only a background. The real story lies with the main characters and their screwed up pasts and how they handle their need for normal.
 
 
Pushing the Limits is a very heart warming story. It is great. I really enjoyed it. These days there is just something about a good contemporary that can get your boat rocking. Pushing the Limit can definitely be that novel for you.

Giveaway Rules:
  1. Open to Bloody Bookaholic followers <3
  2. US & Canada only.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2314917/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

61 comments:

  1. I LOVED this book :)
    Glad to see you did too

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  2. Thanks so much for having a giveaway of this book! I want it sooo freaking bad so I have my fingers crossed I'll win! :p

    ~Emily@Emily's Crammed Bookshelf

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  3. I heard amazing things about this book and can't wait to read it! Great review!

    Lisa @ Shatterbooks

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  4. THIS BOOK!!!!! I really cannot wait for it to come out. Come on July 31st!!! I've heard there are a lot of GREAT scenes between Echo and Noah... and how about those names!!! I like both names. And I totally agree with you: when did contemp get so great!? I used to dislike contemp, because my head is always stuck in fantasy and paranormal, but hey. After Beautiful Disaster, and Easy, and now this book!? Contemp is gaining gorund for me. Thanks for the review!!! I MUST read this book at some point. And thanks for the giveaway!!!!

    Alyssa Susanna

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  5. Thank you for this awesome giveaway. The book sound wonderful and I have heard nothing but great thing about it. Your review was fun and a good way to know if I would like it or now.

    - Beckie

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  6. OMG everytime I see this book I keep wanting it that much more and after reading this post its torturing me :D

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  7. Great review. This is definitely one of the books that I've been dying to read this summer. Thank you for the giveaway!

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  8. I can't wait to read this! Thanks for the review!

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  9. I'm glad you liked it! It's so great when you read a heart-warming contemporary like this.

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  10. Great review! I can't wait for this book! I loved the book trailer as well!

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  11. this looks like a great book-

    follow via gfc
    drakebdog@gmail.com

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  12. Great review. This looks really good!

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  13. I've seen great reviews for this book. Can't wait to read it.

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  14. Thanks for the awesome review and giveaway! :))

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  15. I think this book sounds really good and I want to read it.

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  16. I've heard a lot of amazing things about this book--I need to read it stat! :))

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  17. I think this book sounds very good. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  18. Great Review!!! I think YA is getting better actually. Must have this book ;)

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  19. It sounds amazing! Can't wait to read it.

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  20. Ugh. Is there anyone who HASN'T loved this book. **Sighs** I really need to get around to reading it!

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  21. Great review! I am dying to read this one!

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  22. I need this book. Now. End of story. After reading your fabulous review, and countless others, I have no choice but to read this novel :)

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  23. I have heard really good things about this book. I can't wait to find out for sure!

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  24. I adored this book. Must have it for my own!

    Rafflecopter name: Samantha R.

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  25. So I think I just left a comment, the page reloaded so I'm not sure. So just in case I am leaving another. :) I have been wanting to read this book after reading so many reviews on it. I think this is the first good review on it that I've read, but it sounds so interesting that I ignore the bad ones.

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  26. I'm so excited to read this! You definitely made me want to read it more

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  27. This book sounds sooo awesome! I've heard soooo many good things about it!
    -JennyC

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  28. Yay for loving contemporary! I am 3/4 through and I am enjoying this a lot-especially the alternating perspectives, which add so much as you mention.

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  29. Love books like these. Thanks for a chance to win.

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  30. I loved this one too! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  31. This book seems good, can't wait to read it!

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  32. It sounds like a great read and is already on my TBR list, but your take on it just makes me want to read it even more.

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  33. Thank you so much for hosting the giveaway! Pushing the Limits has been on my TBR list for quite some time now!

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  34. This book sounds great! Thanks for the review and giveaway!

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  35. Looks like a good book.

    slb3334@gmail.com

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  36. Ugh, this book sounds so good! I want to read this book so bad!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  37. I'm dying to read this book! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  38. Great review!!!!!!

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  39. This book has been on my radar for a while now!!! I have heard great things and I am looking forward to a contemporary read I need a little break from the paranormal genre!!!

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  40. I love your review! Contemporary is addicting, huh? I've heard nothing but praise for this book. Thank you for the giveaway!

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  41. I'm trying to read more contemporary novels and I've heard so many positive things about this book.

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  42. I have been hearing so many awesome reviews on this book, including yours, I am dying to read it!!

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  43. Cant wait for this to come out!

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  44. GAH! Everyone's been raving about this book– I seriously need to know WHY :P Love your review and thanks for the amazing giveaway!!

    Rabiah

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  45. i think this looks like a good book-achadwick22 at yahoo dot com

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  46. looks like a fantastic book

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  47. I've heard a lot of great reviews on this one!

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  48. I think I need to read this!!

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  49. This sounds like a great book!

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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  50. Thank you for this giveaway! the book looks and sounds awesome!

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  51. I think this book looks amazing and I can't wait to read it for myself. I haven't seen a negative review yet!!!

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  52. I have been dying to read this book! I've heard some really great things about it so far. Thanks for the giveaway and I really like your blog :)

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  53. Please Enter Me In Your Book Giveaway
    In Response To Your Question Of
    Tell me what you think?
    I Think It Would Be Great To
    Win A Copy of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.
    I Haven't Read This Book But It Looks Interesting.
    Thanks For Having This Giveaway!!!!!!

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  54. Great review! Sounds like it will be a good book.

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  55. I think it sounds like it's not the cookie cutter romance that's dominating the shelves these days.

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  56. This book looks awesome and I love your blog. You posted a great review and it sounds like a really good read, which is why it is on my TBR list.

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  57. i think i would love to read this book
    susansmoaks at gmail dot com

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Read your opinion, I want. Leave a comment, you shall.

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