Review: Going too Far/Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Going Too Far
by Jennifer Echols
release date 3/17/09

product description from goodreads.com

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....

Forget You

by Jennifer Echols

release date 7/20/10

product description from goodreads.com

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them?

Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her.

Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

My Review:

I figured that since I read these two books back-to-back, I would review them the same way (yeah, I'm creative like that). So please excuse the length of this post...but I wanted to include the descriptions for each book so you all can read them and run out and pick up a copy like I did!

So, let's begin with Going Too Far, the first book by Jennifer Echols that I have ever read. GTF tells the story of Meg, an out-of-place girl stuck in a small southern town. Her only dream? To leave (I can relate!). But then, as tends to happen, she meets one of the best male leads in YA: Officer After. He's 19. He's gorgeous. And he's fallen for Meg big time. And Meg's fallen for him. Of course, neither will admit it at first. Which makes for really good reading for all of us!

With quirky writing and some steamy scenes (that I'm not going to reveal here, you'll just have to read the book!), Going Too Far was a fun read that kept me hooked until the very end. And after I turned the last page, I found myself thinking about what Meg and Officer After might be doing now...a true sign of a great book!

I happily give Going Too Far 4 stars. If you're a YA contemp lover who wants to go on a journey with great characters and great writing, I urge you to pick this book up today!

Forget You is another great Echols novel that I literally read right after Going Too Far (as in, I finished GTF and picked up FY five minutes later). It tells the story of Zoey, a teenager who fights to be perfect in an imperfect life. After surviving a car crash, Zoey's memory goes AWOL, and Zoey is left to try to piece together what happened. And we are left enjoying Zoey and her suddenly new-found romance with Doug (a contender for Best Male Lead in YA against Officer After, in my opinion!).

The story that unfolds is funny and touching and beautifully written, and like Going Too Far, it keeps you glued to the pages until the very end. And once again, I was dreaming of Meg and Doug after it was over, wishing for more!

I also am happy to give Forget You 4 stars, and have already bought three more Jennifer Echols books that I can't wait to dive into...come join the fun!