Pushing The Limits by: Katie McGarry

Synopsis: 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.

Thoughts: I teared up. Ladies and gentlemen, I teared up while reading this one. If you know me you know I’m not a crier. It is so extremely rare for me to cry or tear up over a book. There are two I can name out of all the books I’ve read (Forbidden and Feed) and now Pushing The Limits just joined that list. This story is so powerful, so moving, so heartbreaking at times and you cannot help but fall for every word.

We start off with Echo Emerson who was in an accident… one she doesn’t remember. She has scars all over her arms and she hides them because people look at her disgusted or make rumors about her. She went from miss popular to outcast after “the accident”. Echo finally starts trying to go back to her old life, while meeting with a therapist to try to help her understand the accident. Then she meets Noah who is famous for his sexy, girl-loving, bad boy reputation. Noah, however, has issues of his own that he needs to figure out. So when Noah and Echo’s worlds start to collide neither of them will expect the outcome.

This book. I honestly don’t even know what to say. There were just too many things I loved about it. The first being the characters journeys. Echo and Noah started in such rough places in the beginning of the story, and yet by the end you can see them healing. You can see them making amends and being completely different people then who they were at the start. Pushing The Limits also shows us extremely complicated situations. Situations that no teenager should ever have to deal with… but these tragedies do happen and you have to find ways to keep going. Find people who love you, who believe in you because you should never have to go through these alone, no matter how strong of a person you are.

Noah Hutchins. You sexy, intense boy you. Noah’s story killed me. Just killed me. The emotional torment he had to deal with just tore me to shreds. I can’t imagine being in his shoes and fighting for what he does… I’m not sure how I’d be able to do it. He is a stronger boy than you can imagine… and for that reason, I cried for him. Then there’s Echo. How would you feel having scars all over your body that you have no memory of receiving? To constantly look at yourself and feel ashamed, to feel as if you’re constantly being judged. Echo’s situation shows us a broken family life, a family life that a lot of people deal with (even though hers is way more extreme). One of the many things I loved about Echo, was her art aspect. Art is beautiful. I absolutely lost myself in both Noah and Echo’s stories and I adored how Katie weaved their lives together.


Pushing The Limits is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this summer. It really shows you to appreciate the life you have. It shows you struggles and emotional torment. It shows you to trust in those who love you. It shows you that a lot of times good things can come from bad things. That no matter what hardships you’re going through… to be strong. This book is amazing. It’s so intense. So seductive. So beautifully written.