by Katie McGarry
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Publication date: April 1st 2013
Pages: 67 (kindle edition)
Source: own copy
Author's website | GoodReads
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.In a handful of hours, I'm going to head home, and the one lesson I learned from Josh's death is that life has to be lived now; the future isn't always guaranteed. I have this on shot with her, and I'm going to take it.
Katie McGarry captivated readers with her riveting and 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.
Most of the fans of Pushing The Limits as Echo's best friend who stuck with her even if it meant cutting her ties with other friends. When Echo lost her older brother Aires two and a half years ago, Lila mourned just as much. On that same night, Lila met Lincoln. Lincoln's brother Josh suffered the same fate as Aires, and though he seemed to control his feelings during the funeral, he actually poured his heart out to a girl he just met- Lila.
The two instantly clicked and agreed to become pen pals; talking about nothing and everything through letters sent twice a week for two and a half years. They told each other everything and trusted their secrets to one another. It was all building up to each one accepting the probability of having feelings for the other, something more than friendship. Everything was perfect until Lincoln messes everything up by withholding a tiny detail from Lila; the one thing she depended on the most.
Terrified of the thought of losing Lila and wanting so much to fix things and explain, Lincoln speeds his way to her hometown- to the address he knows by heart. After a series of events, Lincoln ends up staying the night at Lila's house, causing them to completely reassess their plans for the future and their unexpected feelings for each other.
The love between Lila and Lincoln was magical, sweet, and marginally perfect in my point of view. I despise instalove, but I'm a fan of their relationship because even though they only spent 24 hours with each other, the book clearly describes the letters sent between the two and how their relationship grew into something more than that of pen pals. Lincoln made Lila feel safe, secure, confident, and unconditionally loved, and Lila was like a miracle for Lincoln; she helped him get through his grief and problems and understood him more than anyone could. The thing that sold me was that even though they were sure that they were in love with each other, they didn't quite say 'I love you' yet and went with the simple 'like', because they both knew that they had all the time in the world to grow and love.
Katie McGarry did it again and did the impossible by packing up so much emotion into a mere 67 pages. She created two characters who I rooted for with all my heart with stories that touched my core. I usually stay away from short stories because they pull you in from the start and end just as easily. That became the case with Crossing The Line. I got so frustrated and angry when it ended because like every McGarry book that I have read, I wanted more. I wished that this wasn't a short story because I truly believe that it had the potential to be a full fledged novel. It wasn't just all about love, either. Crossing the Limits is yet another beautiful story from Katie McGarry about hope, acceptance, moving on, and breaking out of our confines. Lila and Josh's short yet sweet tale teaches us that it's okay to take chances and cross the line.
I think sometimes the things we don't like happen so we can appreciate the good. Like, can I relaly enjoy the sunrise if I didn't experience the darkness of night? Without her past, Echo would never have met Noah, and without her losing Aires, I would never have met you. So, yeah, I do mean what I said in the last letters. You are like a sunrise in my life.
THE NUB AND GIST: 5 STARS
