Sunday, April 14, 2013

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Short stories are awesome.  They give us in-depth insight into characters, providing anecdotal proof of why some characters are they way they are.  They entertain by creating a certain mood or focusing on a singular effect...some instance in a previous body of work (or one to follow) that might have been glossed over or ignored completely in a longer novel. 

And so, every Sunday for the foreseeable future, I would like to highlight short stories and novellas set in worlds I've already come to love and learn a little more about some of the secondary characters in my favorite novels.  I'll be underscoring some of my favorite aspects of these short works of fiction, in addition to offering up a mini review of each work.

This week I'm featuring a secondary character's story:

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Title: Crossing the Line
Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits, book #1.5
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 1, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.




I read Pushing the Limits awhile back, and I'll be honest, I kind of forgot about Lila.  I remember that she stood by Echo in the end when the rest of their friends turned their backs, but that's about it.  But that's probably all you really need to remember for this short story.

Lila's strength of character displays itself in every facet of her life, including her decision to go away to college, even though everyone is trying to convince her to attend university at home.  She has moments of self-doubt, though, just like anyone else might.  But it's when she's *this* close to changing her plans that Lincoln shows up in the flesh and helps her to forge her own path.

Lincoln is full of pent-up emotion, but when it comes to Lila -- his pen pal, his best friend, someone he hopes to have more with -- he can't just sit idly by.  He helps Lila face her fears, and faces down some of his own demons in the process, owning up to his own mistakes.  And as strong as he can be for Lila, he can be just as tender.

I enjoyed seeing how these two came together, knowing that they'd been writing back and forth for two years and because of that, they had a more solid relationship than most couples at that age might hope to have.  And when they finally meet again, there is open communication.  Just as they did in their letters, they don't hold back their feelings or play games.  Such a welcome relief from all of those angsty teenagers!

This novella was refreshing and reminded me of why I like Katie McGarry's writing.  I'm even more excited now to get to my galley of Dare to You, especially after reading that excerpt at the end of this short story!

Rating:   photo 4-1.png

Pushing the Limits series

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)Crossing the Line (Pushing the Limits, #1.5)Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)




4 comments:

  1. I really want to read Crossing The Line. Lincoln and Lila sound like an amazing couple :) Great review!

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  2. I just bought this! Can't wait to read it! I'm going to start Dare You To this week too. Can't wait!!!!

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  3. Going to check this one out. I'm not always a fan of novellas but this one sounds great!

    You can find me here: Jen @ YA Romantics

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  4. I loved Pushing the Limits. I read it recently so Lila is pretty fresh in my mind and I loved her. I am excited to get my hands on this novella.

    Great review!

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