Pages

Saturday 21 July 2012

A Review for Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry + Author Interview + Giveaway (US/CAN only)

Pushing the LimitsPosted by Donna
Expected Release Date: July 31st, 2012
Finished Date: March 23rd, 2012
Publishers: Mira Ink / Harlquin Teen
Source: ARC For Review
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 392
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo / B&N / Indie Bound 

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.
<
The Review: This was another book I had NEVER heard of until I went to a bloggers party hosted by Mira Ink way back in March. The lovely Mira had given me a goody bag and guess what was included, YES, Pushing the Limits and I literally started it within a few days and devoured it within less than 24 hours - yes it is that good! 
<
Echo Emerson's life has changed since she was hanging around with the popular crowd only a few months ago. After an event that changed her life and left her with permanent scars to her arms, she's now known as a freak and everyone wants to know what happened. Echo has a hard time opening up to people and even going to therapy doesn't help that much. That is until Noah Hutchins enters her life. Noah is known as the bad guy at school and Echo will do anything to keep away from him, but for some reason she finds he's the only person that can really understand her. As they embark on a friendship, both Echo and Noah are fast to fight their attraction for one another but sparks soon fly. 
<
Katie McGarry has created a phenomenal debut novel with Pushing the Limits and I loved every single minute of it. It’s full of raw emotions and heart-breaking scenes – ones that are full of angst and sadness, but beneath all that there’s hope. Hope that two troubled characters can come together against all the odds that their lives throw at them. Their complete opposites but find trust in each another enough to open up and even though their relationship isn’t perfect, it’s still beautiful and very solid. 
I adored Echo, even with all her problems she was still a fantastic character. She struggles to go through day to day life because she’s so intent on trying to find out what happened to her, even though deep down, she’s not sure she wants to know. And then there’s Noah, who has just as many problems but he really see’s Echo for whom she is, and even though they push each other away a number of times, something draws them back to together. I loved them together. I loved their scenes. I loved their chemistry. I loved everything about them. With the story being told from both Echo and Noah’s point of view – which I love, I had time to get to know each of them, so by the end of the book, I was an emotional wreck because their journey isn’t easy but it was a very, very enjoyable as a reader. And quotes like this....easy convinced me to love this story;
'A shy smile tugged at her lips and at my heart. F*** me and the rest of the world, I was in love.' - Noah
<
Pushing the Limits is one of them books that you could read all day long and wish it never had to end. It has a little bit of everything for every reader, and if you love a story that’s heart-wrenching, real and beautifully written, then I urge you to read Pushing the Limits – because you won’t be disappointed! 


Katie McGarryQ&A With Katie McGarry

Q: What was your inspiration for writing Pushing the Limits?
A: I had two main inspirations: One, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write a story in which my characters felt strong enough to leave their pasts behind and create new futures for themselves. The first scene I ever saw in my mind was Echo and Noah leaving town after graduation. Two, I wanted to write two characters who were facing over- whelming issues and who, through battling these issues, found hope at the end of their journey.

Q: How did you come up with Echo’s name?
A: Echo went through several name changes as I wrote the manuscript. For a while, she had a very normal name, but it always felt off. It wasn’t until I looked at Echo from her mother’s point of view that I found her name. Echo’s mother loved Greek mythology so it made perfect sense that she would name her children after the myths. I read several Greek myths and the moment I found Echo’s, I fell in love. Echo, to me, was the girl who lost her voice. Thankfully, she finds it by the end.

Q: Which character is the most “like” you?
A: All of them. I gave each character a piece of me (though some have larger slices of me than others). Overall, I’d say I’m a strange combination of Echo, Lila and Beth. Echo has my need to please, Lila has my unfailing loyalty to my friends and Beth encompasses my insecurities.

Q: Did you experience friendships with Grace types when you were in high school?
A: Yes. And the more people have read this story, the more this question comes up. Grace has struck a stronger nerve in people than I ever would have imagined. It seems most of us have unfortunately experienced a relationship where a person wants to “like” you and wants “be your friend,” but only if it serves their needs. In case anyone is wondering, that isn’t friendship.

Q: Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
A: Yes. The relationship between Noah, Isaiah and Beth. Beyond my parents and sister, my nearest family members were over fourteen hours away. My friends became my family. The people I grew up with were more than people I watched movies with or talked to occasionally on the phone. These were people with whom I shared life’s most devastating moments, but also my hardest laughs. These were people who I would have willingly died for and I know they would have done the same for me. They shared my triumphs with smiles on their faces and congratulatory hugs. They held me when I cried and offered to beat up whoever hurt my feelings. These were also the same people who were more than happy to get in my face if they thought I was making a wrong decision.

Q: Did anything that happens to Echo happen to you?
A: Sort of. I was bitten by a dog when I was in second grade and repressed the memory. It felt very strange to have no memory of an incident that other people knew about. It was even strang- er to have injuries and not have an inkling where they came from. In college, I finally remembered the incident when a dog lunged at me. I relived the horrible event and sort of “woke up” a few minutes later to find myself surrounded by people I loved. Even though I “remember” the incident, I still don’t remember the whole thing. I only see still frames in my mind and there is no blood in any of the memories.


Author Bio: KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

42 comments:

Mrs ReaderPants said...

Can't wait for Beth's story next!

Carly Chambers said...

Amazing review, Donna! 5 stars wow, I need to go pick up my copy now as I have read nothing but good things about this book. Thanks for sharing this super interview. :)

Yvonne Leacy said...

I am dying to read this book! It sounds amazing! Great review :)

zahra elbenni said...

Bad guys make stories interesting :D
Can't wait to read this book!

Suzanne @ Paranormal Book Fan said...

I've only skimmed your review because I have this too, but glad to see your another one that loved it. I think I might read this next. I feel like I'm getting left behind with everyone having read it already lol. Great interview Donna and Katie :) 

Rachelanbig said...

I loved this story SO much.  Thanks for the amazing interview.  I loved hearing how this story came about and the repressed memory.  It makes the story more personal.  I will definitely pick up anything Katie McGarry decides to write. What an amazing debut!! Thanks for the wonderful giveaway.  I read this off Netgalley and would love to have my very own personal hard copy!! Brilliant post ladies. :)

Alyssa_Susanna said...

To answer your question, I guess it depends on what kind of "bad" it is. Today, we find that many females are totally attracted to "bad boys", the kind with tattoos and naughty attitudes and whatnot. But dangerous "bad", like criminal or psychopath "bad", is definitely not attractive, and not something I would like.
This book sounds sooooo good!!!! I'm so excited to read it, whenever I get the chance! I've heard there are a lot of GREAT scenes between Echo and Noah... and how about those names!!! I like both names. I used to dislike contemp, because I love fantasy and paranormal more, BUT. After Beautiful Disaster, and Easy, and now this book!? Contemp is gaining gorund for me. Thanks for the review and giveaway!!!

Alyssa Susanna 

Lea Krnjeta said...

I love your reviews :) I got this book a few days ago and I am dying to get to reading it. It seems like an awesome read.

Christine said...

Looks really interesting; thanks for a great review :) I just found your blog and will definitely be following it from now on! I recently added some summer reading lists to my new blog if you want to take a look: http://heartisinthewriteplace.blogspot.com/
Thanks again! 

chloe davidson said...

i can't wait to read this.

TayteH said...

Bad boys are okay unless they are complete jerks to you. But when they have a hidden soft side, they are totally worth it.

kenia Cabrera said...

Well, what female isn't attracted to the bad boy type these days? I'd have to say that even I've been attracted to a bad boy once. Although sometimes bad boys are not really bad, deep down they're just really nice guys. :) I would love read this book. Thank you for the giveaway and chance.

Michelle Adams said...

I am not a huge fan of bad boys. Bad boys that are secretly nice are another story though :) 

Fuze83 said...

Bad guys are good cant wait to read this book its in my amazon cart :)

Carissa St. Amand said...

I like bad guys, as long as they're interesting and aren't too stereotypical :P

SenorSensible said...

 It depends how bad they are. People who are just in difficult circumstances may not be inherently bad,  just in need of some help.

Emily Blake said...

I think bad guys are definitely good! They add to the story, make it more exciting. We love to hate them.

Gaby said...

Well hey there is nothing bad with having a bad boy for a boyfriend especially if it's  Noah Hutchins ;D Loved the Review!

Victoria Sloboda said...

I like bad boys not so sure about bad guys.  Though, I love it when they are redeemed :).

Kelly Fox said...

Bad guys in a story- well just like in real life might just be misunderstood or can change! I like to give them a second chance. In high school, I used to look for the good in everyone!

alicia marie said...

I think you've gotta have bad guys! A story wouldn't be as exciting without them : ) 

Sam Kasbrick said...

Great review & great blog! Thanks for the giveaway! New follower here.

- Sam @ SIK Book Reviews

ashley.mckinsey said...

I think bad guys are great and can really make the story when used right. :]

Crina Magher said...

great review...now I want to read this book!!!

Cyndi Tefft said...

Bad guys add some pulse-pounding action to the story! Thanks for the giveaway. :)

Cyndi

Jenna (MTGReviews) said...

Great interview! I love this book and eagerly await Dare You To! :) Thanks for the giveaway!

Madison Louise said...

It depends on the bad guy, but I think they're pretty cool. ;D Even though I want the good guys to win in the end.

Savanna Gardner said...

bad guys are fun to read about, unless theyre like really bad, then you just wanna punch em!

Maria (pronounced Mariah) said...

I love bad boys.  They keep stories fun and interesting because you never know what will happen next.  Not to mention deep down there is usually some good in them just waiting for the right person to come along and uncover it!

andreadbc said...

Thanks for the interview! I was only a bit curious about the book but then I read the first few chapters on Figment and now I'm really excited for it to come out! 
Bad boys are fun to read about, but I don't think that I'd take one seriously in real life...

Janysa C said...

I love bad boys, they make the story more exciting:)

Bridget Howard said...

Usually the bad boys have a reason they are like that and if you look deeper you usually will find something more to them and the reasons why they make the decisions that they do.  In books I love the bad boys :)!!!!

carole mckenzie said...

Bad guys make the world go round.. ;)

Amanda Liford said...

 Yummy! I mean... you should watch out for them. Or just watch them. Whichever.

Liss Martz Villegas said...

They are rebelds! And I think they need more love :)

Liss Martz Villegas said...

This is my comment, I don't know why my name isn't on it!

Lynn said...

I'm not entering this cause it's US/Cad only but I'm really really looking forward to the book!
I've seen this around but I never took note of it until the reviews started popping up for the past 2 weeks. Great review & interview!

Molly Frenzel said...

Bad guys are a must. You have to them to create conflict and they make a read more engaging.

Tiffany said...

I love bad guys! Every good story has a bad guy, I just love to hate them :)

Carr Carr said...

I love bad boys! Bad boys always come with sarcasm, sex appeal and fighting skills! They always add to the drama of a plot as well.

Brenda Demko said...

Bad guys are fun to read about and in fantasy they can be hot. In real life, I'll stick with my good guy thank you very much! I can't wait to read this story after reading your review. Thanks!

Rebecca Hipworth said...

This book sounds great. :) I don't read too many contemparies but I've heard a lot of great things about this one.

 
Design by Imagination Designs
Graphics by Octopus Artis