Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Genre:  YA Contemporary Romance

Pushing the Limits, Book 1

Katie McGarry's website

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Description (taken from Katie McGarry's website):

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.

This book is full of emotional roller coasters, and it really doesn't disappoint.  You have two traumatized teenagers that are trying to let go of the past and try to reclaim their lives.  But that's a lot easier said than done.  And trust me, my eyes welled up with tears at a couple of spots in this book.

This story is from both Echo and Noah's points of views.  I had an easier time relating to Echo because her story hit closer to home with me.  Her parents divorced, her dad remarried the girl that was once considered harmless.  And somehow, she's been replaced in her father's eyes.  It's easy to see why she felt like she wasn't apart of the new family.  Now bear with me while I jump up on my soap box for a second, all guys who have daughters in their lives should be man enough to tell their daughter he loves her every day of her life.  And they shouldn't have to have a reason to say this.

All-righty, moving along to Noah now.  He has some major trust issues because he's one of those kids who happened to fall through the cracks of a system that was meant to protect kids.  Yep, he's in foster care.  And how he ended up there, how he copes, and what he wants to accomplish in life is really just heart-wrenching.  All I can say is I am thankful I didn't have the kind of life he was stuck with.  Also, teenagers have no reason to trust adults because we give them no reason to trust us.  We have a policy where we lose all faith and trust in a teenager when they mess up just once.  And then we wonder why they don't trust us...

This book is all about coming to grips with your past and accepting it.  The past isn't full of colorful rainbows, in fact, there's quite a bit of pain there.  But as Echo and Noah begin to depend on each other, they find that trust and love can come from hard places.  I definitely recommend this book to contemporary fans and others who are looking for a good contemporary.

Challenges:  Debut Author Challenge, YA Mythology Challenge, and Young Adult Reading Challenge