But his decisions are also rooted in a painful motivation, and even though he separated himself from his peers deliberately, he feels the distance between himself and everyone else just as Meg does.īoth characters defy expectations in every direction, especially and most notably with one another. He adheres to duty and responsibility, deliberately choosing a different path in going to the police academy right out of high school instead of going to college like most of his friends from their small town. John is just as nuanced and multi-dimensional. At the same time, her haircolor and piercings are accurately representative of how much she feels like an “other.” Her actions and history also reveal the depth of her hurt, and how easily she covers that hurt with self-destructive and pugnacious behavior, with glimpses of care and kindless sneaking in when she isn’t busy flipping the world off with both hands. In some ways, there’s a disconnect between her external style and her true character, and while her hair and piercings aren’t an act or a stage of dress-up, they are a way to protect herself. She dresses to shock and provoke attention, but at the same time, it’s a shell, protecting her from actual attention that might reveal her true self, a self she isn’t sure how to acknowledge. She’s not the standard heroine, and more than the stereotype of “edgy” with her dyed hair and piercings. Meg is among the most unique of heroines. John doesn’t take any crap from Meg, but she’s not about to be meek and docile with him, either. The crackling attention between John and Meg is visible like sparks in the air of their banter and arguments. John’s not that much older than she is, but he’s a lot wiser (so he thinks) and he’s determined to get through to Meg how destructive her current chosen path really is.īy far the best part is the dialogue.

When drinking one night with her boyfriend and another couple on a railroad bridge, she’s arrested, and her punishment is to ride along with the arresting officer, John After. Meg has blue hair, facial piercings, and a tendency to do some breathtakingly risky and altogether stupid things. It mixes humor and sarcastic wit (my favorite) alternating with terribly tender and sneakily seductive scenes. Going Too Far is edgy, tense, and seductive, with a very tough-tender, wounded heroine who is trying to figure out who she is, and an intelligent, thoughtful hero who thought he had that all figured out.

Love Story by Jennifer Echols