Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Pushing the Boundaries by Stacey Trombley! Myra travels to a health clinic in Haiti with her mother and a group of Americans. Myra is of Pakistani heritage and her mother is a doctor. Her mother expects Myra to become a doctor also, but she wants to be a photographer instead. Myra's looking for the perfect photo to submit to a scholarship contest. With the help of the Haitian translator, Elias, Myra discovers the beauty of Haiti and learns more about herself and her mother than she could have ever realized on her own. The author's personal connections with the Haiti setting and the Haitian culture and language make the story an interesting and unique realistic fiction - 4 stars!

I did not like Myra, found her to be self centered, and not there really helping for the good, but again for what she can get out of it. But, I did like Elias, he was a self sacrificing young person, and a really good guy and reason why I finished book. The only thing that I disliked of Elias was his interest in Myra they were totally different and maybe that was the draw, but she was not worth him putting his life and the others that counted on him in jeopardy. But he was a young guy, so I take that into consideration. I also did like to read about Haiti and its real issues.

Myra is a teen who has always felt an outsider and different to her peers. Her parents are Pakistani, she’s a Muslim, they live in the US and both her parents are well known in their own fields. Her Mum is a Doctor, travelling to Haiti to treat patients there as part of an international aid initiative and Myra is going with her as another volunteer to help at the hospital. Myra’s relationship with her mum isn’t brilliant. Her Mum expects Myra to train to be a Doctor. Myra is hoping the trip will enable her to take a special photograph that will enable her to win a scholarship to study photography rather than medicine. She’s always used her camera as a shield to protect herself from anyone getting too close, now she’s hoping it will help her escape her parents’ expectations.

Elias is a translator, working hard to provide food, clothing and education for his younger siblings. He’s a teenager, too, but he’s been warned that he should never socialise with any of the clients. However, headstrong Myra is determined to leave the secure accommodation and the hospital to find that elusive photographic opportunity. As Myra makes irresponsible decisions which put her at serious risk, Elias is her only hope to return home safely. As he endeavours to protect her and keep her safe the two fall harder for each other. Their lives, however, are so different. How could they stand a chance? When Myra’s actions detrimentally affect Elias and his family, how can she make things right again?

This is an emotive story through which the heroine starts to grow as her knowledge of Haiti and its people also grows. She is, however, initially also very selfish and lacks any empathy for the impact of her actions on others - especially Elias and his family. Elias is, in contrast, a hard working young man who takes his family responsibilities very seriously, making him extremely likeable and endearing. The poverty, the work in the clinic and the need to help enable people to educate and help themselves are all key messages within the story, as are other cultural aspects. I found it interesting to read about the conditions and hope the books can help others be more aware of the situation there so more can be done. The story has some interesting characters, sub plots and descriptions, a very different teen romance!

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC of this novel. This is my honest review.

DNF 35%
Overall: Just not for me

I really liked the premise of this story. This idea of someone with so much, who doesn't appreciate it, meeting someone with little in comparison to her, who is grateful for what he has, but I just could not get into this book. One third of the way through the book, and I still felt no attachment to either character, nor did I really care about the story. Maybe it was too angsty for me, and I know the flashes of poverty over and over were a little to depressing for me, when I was expecting a light contemporary romance.

**I do not post reviews for books I DNF. I think it is unfair to judge an entire book when I only read part of it.

I liked the book but I struggled to get into it. I don't know if it was the characters or the premise, but it took me a while to finish it and when I did I was just ok with it. I think a few of my students will enjoy the story but for me it was just so-so.

This book was definitely a fun and diverse one. I enjoyed the plot and I really liked the character growth throughout the book.

Myra accompanies her parents to Haiti because of the medical camp which her mother will attend and she wants her to learn for her future but Myra's aim for the trip is something else instead. She wants to capture the perfect picture which would be her gateway to freedom to the Photography school she wants to attend. But her world complicates when she meets the interpreter of the group, Elias. Will Myra's efforts be successful?

The plot was pretty enjoyable. I liked it a lot but something felt lacking. Myra along with her parents with other doctors step into Haiti for the medical camp in which her mother will be working alongside the other doctors. This book really opened my eyes to the condition of Haitians who were deprived of schooling, medicines and even basic sanitation facilities. It was really heart wrenching to read about what was going on with their lives. This book also portrayed the superstitions among the Haitians and the prejudice of the races against each other.

The characters were really diverse. On one hand, we have Myra, who is a Pakistani. She feels the culture shock when she lands in Haiti. She steps into a world is completely different from the ones she is used to. And on the other hand, we have Elias is who daily struggling to earn to support his whole family so that his siblings could attend school. Their lives were completely different from each other, yet somehow their friendship was so pure and I loved them together. However, I would have loved to see more of them.

Overall, Pushing the Boundaries was an enjoyable read. The plot was executed neatly and I enjoyed the character growth. The romance between Myra and Elias was sweet but the chemistry felt lacking. The writing felt a bit inconsistent and the pace was even throughout the book.

Recommend it?

Yes.