Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

December 17, 2014June 4, 2015 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Pushing the Limits #1

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.

3 Drink Me Potions

I’ve been putting off this book for the longest time, for no particular reason really. However, diving into Echo and Noah’s lives, I realized that Katie McGarry is a genius when it comes to character building. Having never experienced anything remarkably similar to what our two protagonists have gone through, it’s an amazing feat to really feel what they do and understand (with patience, sometimes) their reactions.

For example, my heart tore for Echo when it came to her family. Feeling always second to her stepmother-slash-nanny and having an extremely controlling father, it’s no wonder she feels like a mess for most of the book, besides her scars, of course. As for Noah, he has a mouth of a sailor and a mischievously dirty mind, but it adds to his realistic personality. Not every story has the golden boy or Prince Charming featured as the male protagonist. I liked that he was who he was, molded by his experiences, but still able to change from love.

Their characters are so real, with moments that would make you laugh at how they would respond or think about a certain situation. For example, in a situation with her controlling father, in Echo’s POV:

“Are you ready to take the ACT on Saturday?” my father asked.
Did chickens enjoy being put on trucks labelled KFC? “Sure.”

And Noah can be so endearing. For a bad boy with a reputation that walks out the door before him, it makes his moments falling for Echo that much more enjoyable. Plus, what girl doesn’t love being the one and only that makes a player become a faithfully attached guy?

“Not sure how I felt about Antonio and Echo, I linked my fingers with hers. Antonio cocked a surprised eyebrow. Damn straight, bro. I did just mark my territory.”

With his backstory, a previous golden boy that fell into the foster care system after his parents died, he was constantly fighting to get his 2 younger brothers back. Seeing his pain and knowing at the end of his story that he could release it for the first time was heartbreaking in itself. Of course, it’s still a little humorous the way McGarry puts it.

“…I tried hard to shove down the pressure building on my chest. Men don’t cry. My parents. Men don’t cry. Fuck. Men don’t cry. I wiped my eyes. I missed my parents.”

Let’s just say, this is a book to try. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, as there are heavy things the characters deal with. But it’s most definitely worth a shot!

Overall Recommendation:
Pushing the Limits was an emotional story that takes you on a ride with our two strong protagonists, Echo and Noah. With beautifully crafted personalities and amazing secondary characters, Katie McGarry draws you into their world and the problems they have to deal with. I recommend it for mature readers who want to read the heavier stuff sometimes and not just the fluffy, chick-lit sort of romance. Give it a shot! It may just be the best book ever.

Review: Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry

December 15, 2014June 4, 2015 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Pushing the Limits #1.1

Katie McGarry captivated readers with her “riveting, emotional”* Young Adult debut, Pushing the Limits. In this gripping novella, she tells the story of Lila and Lincoln, who discover that sometimes it’s worth crossing the line for love…

Lila McCormick, Echo’s best friend from Pushing the Limits, first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters—or that she’d fall for the boy she’s only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he’s never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila’s forgiveness—and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves.

4 Drink Me Potions

Crossing the Line was a beautiful novella. I liked Lila even as a secondary character in Pushing the Limits. She has a heart of gold. I loved how she and her best friend, Echo, were a package deal. That’s the kind of friendship that should exist.

In Crossing the Line, we get to see a short story of Lila and her secret guy she’s been writing to in letters. First of all, that’s just so sweet. I love a story where our protagonists fall for each other through letter writing. It has this old-time traditional feeling to it that means so much more than just sending a quick email. Anyway, Lincoln was a guy she met for only a moment, but their connection clearly impacted each other greatly. There were many cute moments that did happen in this book so it’s still satisfying. Plus, Lincoln greatly outmatches that idiot Stephen she was dating previously.

My only regret with this book was that it was only a novella. I seriously thought that their story could’ve gone through a little more, but it was still amazing for what was there. I also wished their moment together from when they first met could’ve been written out too. Ah well, I understand a novella can’t quite be that long. Either way, this is a must-read for any fans of Lila from Pushing the Limits.

Overall Recommendation:
Fans of Pushing the Limits will not be disappointed with Lila’s own short story. Lovers of cute moments and of course, hot guys like Lincoln, would most definitely drool over Crossing the Line. Katie McGarry never disappoints in this novella and her character building. A definite MUST-READ for the series!

Review: Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

November 18, 2014June 5, 2015 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: The Naturals #2

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

4 Drink Me Potions

Killer Instinct is what a follow-up sequel should look like. After reading The Naturals, it already amazed me at the high level of proficiency needed in creating all the twists and turns of a plot like that. This book does that justice, even taking the twists to a whole new playing field. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one amazing author.

The story focuses on a group of 5 teenagers with special abilities, called the Naturals. Now, who doesn’t like the sound of that? An emotion reader, lie detector, two profilers and a statistical genius? And this is all happens naturally to them. They are recruited by the FBI to help solve cold cases, but it always leads to participating in an active case. This time, there’s a copycat serial killer on the loose and it gets so much juicier from there!

Reading the story and trying to logically deduce who the killer was, I realized there is a lot of thinking required to throw red-herrings at the readers, and also have them make sense in the context of the plot. It was a very fascinating read with an ending that is not all that predictable.

I appreciated the friendships between the 5 main characters, as well as their individual personalities. Barnes writes in such a way that you can imagine what each person would say, a figure that’s coming to life right on the pages in front of you. They’re not just bland characters you see in every book. I will admit that Michael is the typical “funny” guy who makes the girl smile and can take things lightly, while Dean is the dark, quiet “brooding” guy in the background that intrigues the girl. There is the stereotypical characterization but through context and their character building, it becomes more than just a stereotype, for which I give kudos to Barnes.

There isn’t a lot of romance in this story, so romance lovers beware. However, I feel that romance and love triangles can get in the way of a good mystery story a lot, so I actually appreciated tamping down on hints of romance for most of the book. It allowed the focus to stay on the mystery instead of the drama between the 3 characters.

Overall Recommendation:
Killer Instinct stepped up to its predecessor’s reputation and more. A new intriguing mystery for our favourite Naturals, with suspense and unpredictable twists along the road. A definite read for those who want to know more than “who-dun-it”, and get inside a killer’s head to understand why they do it. Jennifer Lynn Barnes does NOT disappoint with her sequel, leaving you reading until the wee hours of morning just to know the answer. Criminal Minds? Pshh, this is definitely en par.