ISBN-13: 9781416571735
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: March 2009
256 pgs
Source: Personal Library

I have not read anything by Jennifer Echols, so I bought Going Too Far after reading several good reviews on it. I have to say I totally enjoyed the reading experience. Packed with teenage angst, intense and not to mention romance, this is one of the best YA novels I have read this year!

Seventeen-year-old Meg McPherson wants an escape. To sum things up, she wants to get away from school, her parents, and even her life. And by doing so, she seeks thrills and excitement and this lead her into trouble when she and her boyfriend, Eric, crossed line with a cop (who is known as Officer After) when he caught them at a railway bridge.

Charged for underage drinking and not to mention illegal drug use (it is actually Eric's doings but of course the cop couldn't care less), Meg has to ride along with Officer After and to submit a report as a form of punishment as well as a reminder to other teenagers about the consequences and also what she has learned from these experiences. Eric managed to escape from this thanks to his parents, while Meg's parents have gotten used of her troubles and think it is best to sort things out on her own, but deep down they do care a lot and want everything the best for her.

Just when Meg thinks her spring break is totally ruined, one of the things she did not expect is finding out that Officer After is just a 19-year-old guy, and that she is attracted by him. But what she does not know is that Officer After has also developed feelings for her along the way and she would soon discover his reason over his obsession with the railway bridge.

What can I say? I totally enjoyed reading Going Too Far! One of the things I admired about Meg is she is frank and is not afraid of consequences. Though she may seem rebellious at times, that is her method of dealing with all the stress and problems she has faced and my heart totally ached for her after learning what she has gone through during her early teenaged years. Officer After is another interesting character because he too, has his issues. His righteousness will definitely charm you off but on a certain level he is vulnerable too so I could see the connections between him and Meg.

I look forward to reading other releases by Jennifer Echols.

(Click here to read more reviews of Going Too Far.)