Levitating Las Vegas

by Jennifer Echols

Nothing up her sleeves...or so she’s been led to believe.

Showgirl Holly Starr is sick and tired of assisting her dad, a celebrity magician, in his Las Vegas casino magic show. As soon as he keeps his promise to her and shares the secrets to his tricks, she can break out on her own. But can she really make it? For years Holly has taken medication to stave off crazy hallucinations that she can levitate objects. Just when she thinks she’s ready to make a career and a life for herself, her medicine—and her luck—run out.

Elijah Brown suffers from a similar delusion—that he can read minds—and he’s out of medicine too. Determined to save himself and his old flame Holly, he kidnaps her and takes her straight to the source, a town high in the Rockies where their medicine is made. What they discover there leads them to suspect their powers are not imaginary after all...and neither is the intense attraction they feel for each other.

They make a pact to stick together as they return to Vegas to confront the people who kept them in the dark so long. But soon they’re pitting their powers against each other in a dangerous world where the nightlife is seductive, domination is addictive, the sex is beyond belief...and falling in love is murder.

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Young Adult, Ebooks, Fantasy

300 pages, ebook

First published May 6, 2013

About the author

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

Reviews

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 2 out of 5]

What is the theme here? Is it Magic, Mayhem and Mystery? Or perhaps just Neuroses, Nausea, and Novelties? Or could it even possibly be Blackouts, Bikinis, and Bravado?

Why the nausea, you ask? When Holly swoons over the fact that Elijah just called her Tuna Helper...uh, yeah.

2.5 Stars. Fans of Jennifer Echols seem to be unitedly (wow, no spell check on that - I had no clue unitedly was even a word) appalled over Levitating Las Vegas. Since this was to be my first Echols book, I went in with no expectations from what I'd expect out of this author when it comes to writing style. I'm not going to lie...my impressions from the cover and title left me thinking that this was going to be more of a lighter read than it was (yes, I didn't pay enough attention to the synopsis), but I wasn't bothered by finding out that I'd gotten a hold of something completely different.

Getting to see the Las Vegas underworld isn't a bad draw, after all. Having a magical element thrown in did throw me for a loop though. My impressions of magical realism are cutesy romance type of books. Yet I couldn't quite make myself call this a paranormal book. It read like a contemporary fiction with a few magical twists thrown in.

Something about the basic story idea reminded me of the Psy-Cop series, with the drugs providing a buffer against unwanted reactions.

The concept was a good one. The execution was not completely successful. There would be an interesting couple of chapters, then the story would sort of wander off into a lull. Maybe it's just me, but I wanted to feel the danger more than what was actually conveyed. I really wanted to like this book, but wound up feeling very ambivilent. I can't even say that I disliked the book (which is the reason for the extra half star), but it felt like we were being set up for more to happen than what actually happened.

I'm not someone who needs to have steamy sex in all of my books, or even a romance for that matter, but when we're being set up to watch a couple on their journey to be together, I'd almost expect more chemistry than provided. When we finally got to the hookup, it was kind of "eh."

This might be a case where it would have helped if the author had leaned more to one side when it came to subject matter and picked whether or not to be an "edgy/dark" book or a "romance" book. I could have handled if there was less romance and more of the "shady" dealings from the people who were out to sabotage Holly and Elijah, or I could have handled with a steamier romance angle. Either/or.

One extra note about something that I wasn't a fan of. Holly laments about someone's suicide by saying that it's awful someone had to die, but how cool was it that she did it in such a dramatic way. That paragraph really bothered me. People are responsible for their own decisions, but what a ridiculous idea this was to even plant in someone's head, that there could be a way to die which might look cool to others...

I am so sorry that this is probably one of the most boring reviews I've ever put out there. When you feel meh about a book, it's hard to write anything that's not meh?

This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

A random note to begin this review: I think this book has my all-time highest record for attempted sessions only to end up ditching the review draft and starting from scratch. Total number of attempts: ten. Number of nearly completed drafts: two. This one is what I've selected to follow through to completion.

I'm at a loss for words on "Levitating Las Vegas", and I mean that in the sincerest form of disappointment. Reflecting on this novel put me through a range of emotions from very passionate ire for what it portrayed and the way it portrayed such things, to struggling to link certain parts of the story because the writing was so haphazard, to feeling like I didn't gain much from the experience in reflection - it was difficult to attach to. The one question that keeps consistently popping into my head when I think of this novel is "What happened? Seriously, what happened here, and why?" It's not on the level of not knowing what occurred in the novel - I read every word. I've read much better from Jennifer Echols and I don't know how for the level of her other works (which, among those I've read, were decent with some qualms), this came across so poorly. Nota bene: I'm critiquing this almost independent of the fact that it's considered under the New Adult heading and that I've recently had many reads striking out within that. While there are familiar problematic tropes here, not all of them necessarily buy directly into NA directly. It stirs a number of significant problematic measures in its own consideration.

From the haphazard and ridiculous presentation of mental illness to sexual exploitation to portraying a minority group in an offensive manner (Native Americans, and native populations in general, really don't get enough proper love and respect in many things I read, but I was seriously taken aback at the notations/implications in this novel), "Levitating Las Vegas" got many things wrong, utterly wrong. I couldn't enjoy the story. It was so difficult to get through with the jagged writing, haphazard characterizations, tough issues used as conflict vehicles, but never properly dealt with (I feel like I'm reading way too many books that say "Hey! The main character's nearly raped/sexually assaulted! Instant conflict!"), and formulaic relationship portrayals.

I usually love magical realism novels, whether they're in contemporary or historical notations. I usually emerge from the experience feeling great from reading something that feels close to real life, but has a little something extra that makes it fun or out of the ordinary. I like Ray Bradbury, Alice Hoffman, Lucy March, Mary Robinette Kowal, Sarah Addison Allen, just to name a few who have written in the style before, though there have been many more. Some of the stories provide awesome insight for several "what if" scenarios (which is one of the reasons why I said when I came out of this novel, I had about a thousand different ideas floating themselves around in my head). I picked this novel up thinking that I remembered Echols work well enough to give it a try and maybe it might be a different read for me in the NA notation. I couldn't have been more mistaken.

To summarize the story in its barest threads (and I'm even having a tough time writing a summary in that consideration) - two teens are kept in the dark about their developing magical powers until they come of age as young adults (early twenties) and the medicine that helps them manage MAD (Mental Adolescent Disorder) runs out. The reason they're taken off their medicine is because their parents need their help to take down an organization (the Rez), but things don't go the way as planned when the young adults turn into lovers who can't stay away from each other and are still trying to navigate the tricky measures of their powers while evading some crude characters in their pursuit. Meet Elijah and Holly, instalovers who purportedly go on a wild and rather contentious chase among parties seeking to manipulate them both.

I'll admit on its barest thread, this story could've ended up very interesting with the level of young lovers coming of age into their magic and rebelling against the people who lied to them for so long, but this had a very convoluted narrative style and mediocre worldbuilding from the get go. That made it difficult to go through the novel from the beginning. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, but for showcasing Holly as a young woman in a family of misfits (her father is a magician, but fake. She's also have been noted to don bikinis since she was young), I found it hard to sympathize with her because of her character voice. Elijah made me angry more than once on the level of insta-liking Holly and then all of a sudden becomes abrasive with respect to his "MAD" symptoms. One of which involves holding Holly at gunpoint.

Wait, WHAT? When did that ever happen and what mentality led up to that? I get that Elijah has the ability to read minds (which is creepy enough in itself, at least Holly calls him out on it more than a few times). That could've been portrayed in a cooler, more intuitive way if given the right cues, but in this book, it was a hard sell for conflict and humor. Not to mention a bit manipulative at that. Elijah's also susceptible to mind control and that puts the character into a number of sketchy scenarios. There was one point when Elijah, after a love scene with the heroine, is manipulated by his mind by the enemy - while naked - to put on his clothes and then the antagonists knock him out shortly after. Holly had left him behind after their love connection because she realized they were coming after her too.

Holly's ability is levitation, and while that was shown in certain ways to be cool, I still feel like it wasn't taken as far as it could've gone. It was hard to sympathize with Holly's character because she didn't really seem that dimensional of a character to begin with, her coming to terms with her powers and injustices didn't have the full effect of immersing me. Add to that the sexism involved in Elijah reading her (sometimes naughty) thoughts, mismatched relations, and then a scenario where she thinks she might've been "almost" raped, but she never completely comes to terms with the revulsion from that. It's mostly left by the wayside and a measure to make the character who did it one of the clear enemies.

And there was a scene where it's highlighted that she was wearing no underwear (had to do with the scene where she leaves Elijah behind after their sexy times and finds clothes but somehow doesn't need underwear. Don't get me started on how angry the implications in the encounter with the Vegas crossdressers made me feel). The character who mind manipulated her in the sexual assault takes advantage of her AGAIN and notes very prominently she's not wearing underwear. The direction it went from there made my jaw drop to the floor.

I...how...nooooo.

At that point, I followed the story to the end, players in the story and all, but I just couldn't digest anything with respect to Elijah, Holly or their respective relationship.

A few things about the misrepresentation of minority groups in this book - it's bad enough that Native Americans are often stereotyped for not only the lives they lead, but the mysticism/lore surrounding their culture and even to the point of people appropriating the art they create. I became very angry on the level where it was insinuated that Elijah's mother was of some Native American tribe (though such a tribe was never mentioned, it was still a generalized appropriation). She often mentioned the Rez (which meant that she was supposedly referencing a reservation, but this doesn't turn out to be what she's referring to at all), and spoke in a somewhat broken pattern of speech (*side eyes the screen*). When Elijah actually confronts her about things later, it is revealed that she's NOT Native American, but Elijah reveals that just because she had black hair and wore a lot of turquoise, that's the reason why he thought she was of that nationality. Elijah's mother then goes on to confirm wearing turquoise and how he might've mistaken her identity, AS A JOKE.

Not cool. Unacceptable. I guess if I'm referencing NA missteps this is just another example of how POCs and minority groups are often backhanded in their portrayal or heavily stereotyped.

Speaking of NA cliches, this does follow many of the typical inclusions like instalove, body shaming, gender typing, sexual assault as a conflict vehicle, but interestingly enough, for the build up of the romantic relationship in this story, the sensuous scenes (which have been played up in many of the cliched novels in the age group) in this were rather dry and distant. It lacked any kind of palpable chemistry, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes when it came at a much later point in the book. While I could applaud the fact that it wasn't a prime focus, it really didn't feel like any kind of emotional payoff because the characters and their chemistry felt so manufactured and on rocky construction from the beginning.

In all, I wouldn't recommend this, and I think Echols not only has better offerings in her other fiction, but also this doesn't bode well as a contribution in the spectrum of budding NA fiction. It was poorly written, lacked developed characters, delved into many cliches, some of which were quite offensive, and for what seems to be an entry into the realm of magical realism, lacked any kind of imaginative directive to give it more weight.

Overall score: 0.5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from Edelweiss, from the publisher Pocket Star.

[~Tina~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I've been a fan of Jennifer Echols since I read her book, Going To Far and have been following her work ever since. I notice that she usually writes two kinds of escapes. One I refer to as her fluff-n-stuff books. Light, sweet, romantic contemporary and then we have her more edgy stuff that's a little more intense, raw and, for me, favored. But this book would be the first paranormal we got from Echols as well as her first New Adult. Before reading this, I heard it was a bit odd, but after reading it, I think it's not so much as odd then just something totally unexpected and out of the box for fans who already know what to expect when reaching for Echols latest release. In a nut shell? This is very different then anything I've read from her before and if I'm being honest, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I liked that it was unpredictable and that the characters kept me on my toes the entire read. But on the other hand, I think it was a tad overly bizarre and even frustrating at times.

Holly and Elijah have liked each other since they were in ninth grade, but the night that they agreed to go to prom together, their parents put a sudden end to it. That moment triggered such a strong emotion in both of them that they started to do things that weren't normal, but magical. That's when they were told that they had an illness called MAD (mental adolescent dysfunction) and were put on medication to cure their illusions, but was it really a cure? Or was it to curve their very real natural magical talents?

The general story line is pretty cool when I think about it. Magic has always been one of my favorite genres and Echols tackles it like a weapon and with gritty seduction. But I think it's these characters I feel mostly conflicted by.
I liked Holly and I liked Elijah...and that's about it. Okay, I also liked Shane, but as for everyone else? It felt like they were all just a bunch of controlling liars who play people like puppets. I was really upset with Holly's parents the most. I don't know why, but overbearingly protective parents in books is kind of a pet peeve of mine to begin with, but in this book they were trying to tell their grown daughter what to do and who to date and it was very frustrating. It bothered me what Kaylee was doing to Shane throughout the entire book and Rob was just the biggest jerk ever and I was mad at what he got away with in the end. But I really enjoyed what Holly and Elijah brought into this book. They had some really sweet moments and a couple odd heated ones as well.
I really enjoyed the magical aspect in this book and liked the twist in the story line. Holly and Elijah's magical talents tended to get in the way of their emotions, but once they figured out what was real it became it's very own...sensation. But we also see a more addicting, dangerous and manipulative side to magic. Something that Echols explores in this book with a much darker force then I expected.

This one definitely had it's moments and even though it wasn't a favorite and may not be for everyone, overall I thought Levitating Las Vegas was fresh and wonderfully weird and it turned out to be a an entertaining and fun experience. New Adult is the new boom these days and I'm glad that Jennifer Echols decided to try her hand in this genre. I can only imagine what's in store for us in the future from this very talented author and I look forward to seeing her explore this new flavor.

(Arc provided by Edelweiss and Pocket Star)

[Jasprit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3. 5 stars

Jennifer Echols is an author with whom I always fall in the minority with. Whereas my blogging friends devour her reads up, I am still yet to find a novel of hers to fully win me over. So when I heard about her first foray into the paranormal genre, I was interested to see whether she would be able to pull it off.

Levitating Las Vegas has an X-Men type vibe about it, most of the employers in the casino where Holly’s family works have some sort of powers; levitation, mindreading, telekinesis or mind control. Holly and Elijah are the only ones kept in the dark about their ability. When they were both 14 years old, an emotional event triggered their abilities at the same time. Both were unaware that they were going through a similar experience, as their family banned them from going out and had a “Dr.” lead them to believe they were suffering from a mental adolescent dysfunction and only certain pills which they had to constantly take could keep their disorder in check. They were also forbidden about discussing their disorder with anyone else. So for the next seven years, Holly and Elijah were drifting in and out of each other’s lives thinking about what could have been between them. It’s not until the Rez; a group with similar abilities but different ideas pose a threat to everyone at the casino that leads everyone to agree that Holly and Elijah deserve to learn the truth.

Being kept in the dark for so long, I don’t know why Keeley (Holly’s friend and flatmate who was in on keeping Holly in the dark) believed that Holly and Elijah would remain loyal to them and not go running off to the Rez. If I was lied to for the past 7 years and told I couldn’t see the boy I liked I would sure be curious to find out what the other group had to offer.

The Rez kept me on my toes with their little appearances over the course of the book. We were given snippets into their power and what they were capable of, but never truly learned what their real incentive was, just led to believe what they had in mind by Keeley and the rest of the casino staff. I liked the clashes we had between both groups, but probably would have enjoyed getting more of a back story about the Rez.

I enjoyed the multiple narratives we were given in Levitating Las Vegas, this way we were able to learn about secrets kept away from other characters. But sometimes when the narrative shifted to another character it took me a while to get my head around whose narrative it was, this was further made confusing by Elijah’s ability (he can read minds) so sometimes I didn’t know whether it was Holly thinking or Elijah picking out her thoughts from her head.

The romance in the novel I did appreciate, it was nice how seven years later Holly and Elijah still felt the same way about each other, but with all the barriers in the way, it did take a long time to get together. What surprised me in this novel was that Elijah was always assumed to be the dangerous character, apparently people with his ability could manipulate your thoughts and feelings and so that’s why Holly was always warned to stay away from him, but she didn’t know why. But in the end it was funny how Elijah came on top as the calm and collected one in stressful situations, whereas Holly just made rather impulsive and silly decisions in my eyes.

Overall I think Levitating Las Vegas was a decent attempt by Jennifer Echols into the paranormal genre. I enjoyed learning about different abilities and she laced the story nicely with a romance and some action packed scenes. My only complaint being I expected more from the ending, there was a lot of build up and then nothing how easily everyone was able to escape from the Rez, I expected them to hunt them down! . If Echols does decide to follow up this story I’m sure I will be picking it up.

[Jaclyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me preface this review with stating how much I love Jennifer Echols. Her teen novels have been awesome; she tackles serious issues in a realistic manner. Echols teen novels reminds me somewhat of Sarah Dessen, but geared towards an older teen audience. Because I liked Echols books so much I was really excited to read my review copy of Levitating Las Vegas; unfortunately, I just didn’t like it. The concept for the novel was interesting, but I had such a visceral negative reaction to the characters and some of the stuff that was going on in the plot that I can’t say I liked it.

My first issue was the characters. Holly and Elijah are star-crossed lovers whose parents thwarted their first date years ago because they were both diagnosed with a mental disorder. The mental diagnosis is a ruse and Holly and Elijah actually do have special powers; Holly is a levitator and Elijah a mind reader. While these powers were cool I find the characters somewhat annoying. Holly seemed really self-centred to me and that’s just not something I like in my books, and I didn’t like how consumed she was with her appearance. I liked Elijah better, but I found their relationship to be a little all over the place. The back and forth between them seemed to be something I would expect to see in more young adult books.

I also found it strange at how Holly reacted after escaping the people from the Rez when they kidnapped her. Rob, a mind-changing, took advantage of her, and I found it bizarre that Holly wasn't more broken up about that. I don't think Rob actually raped her (I wasn't totally clear when actually happened between them on the Rez), but I still think the fact that he manipulated her mind and made her think she wanted him would bother her a lot more. For me, her reaction was inconsistent with what had happened to her.

The second thing I took issue with was the depiction of mental illness. I think mental illness is a huge issue for young people right now and I didn’t appreciate the fact that there was this whole conspiracy of people making people think they have a mental illness. I think I could have been more reconciled with the mental illness in the book if there was some direction of change at the end, but it didn’t seem like the casino was going to change their M.O. of making people think they had a mental illness.

Ultimately, I didn't end up liking this one. The characters and the story line were not for me and I don’t personally think that this was the best book by Echols that I have read.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Karla Mae (Reads and Thoughts) · Rating 2 out of 5]

How do I start to write a review for a book when I really don't know how to feel about it? I don’t want to sound rude and too bubbly for others. I'm a fan of Jennifer Echols ever since reading her YA books and was impressively blown away by Such a Rush so upon knowing a new release from her would come out soon - I'm excited.

BUT as much as I hate to say this I was *winced* disappointed with this.
I do struggle a lot while reading this story. It just didn’t catch up well for me and as much as I will myself to like every tiny bit of it and be excited to what lies ahead on the story, my mind isn’t that focused on it. Maybe I'm the one who is distracted while reading it but it just didn’t work well for me.

I was disappointed because with the blurb I was hopeful for a very good story. I know the rating for the book isn’t that high on GR but I was thinking it wasn’t released yet so maybe people haven’t read it plus it’s a J.Echols novel so it would be good but NOOOOO – I don’t know what’s wrong but the story seems to lack a very important ingredient that I can’t pin point.

Levitating Las Vegas is way way way different from other J.Echols novel that I've read. I'm used to those sweet, romantic and fluffy love stories of hewr but this is way too bizarre and totally unexpected. Paranormal stories like this one is not what I expect from the author so I was really surprised and the not so good thing about this is that as much as I really want it, it just didn’t work out well.

The characters and the things that are happening around are all over the place. Holly and Elijah are just okay. In all honesty, the characters didn’t even appeal that much for me. No attachments are made.

On the other hand, I like the plot's originality and unpredictability. I don’t know where the story was heading. I don’t even know what the characters would embark to next. The story line was very original for it’s all about magic - now that wouldn’t be fascinated by magic? The story opens our mind to the side of magic that is manipulative to the point that it harms other. Main woe for me into reading this is that the main question that I have once started reading this which was – Why/How do they have their powers? Was not answered directly so maybe another book about this would be out.

It’s not on the top of my list of J.Echols favorite but A for the originality and unpredictability and the book cover. I still do love J.Echols it’s just that this story didn’t work out well for me, but don’t let my judgment stop you from reading it. You have your own taste so maybe you'll like it. ;)

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing the copy for review.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

3.5 stars

Levitating Las Vegas was such a strange and unpredictable book. It's the first paranormal and the first new adult novel I've read by Jennifer Echols. It's so different from the other books I've read by her and also from other paranormal and new adult novels out there. It's actually not the weirdest story I've ever read, but it's definitely up there.

The main characters were 21-year-olds Holly and Elijah. What happened with them in the beginning was really bizarre that I couldn't tell at first if this book was a contemporary or paranormal or what. Thankfully it became clear afterwards. I liked Holly and Elijah for the most part. When their magic didn't get in the way of their emotions, they were interesting and funny and good together. But I have to admit I never entirely connected with them. The story focused a lot on their magical abilities and what was going on around them and to other characters like Kaylee. It made sense that would be the case since they still had a whole lot to learn and us readers needed to know more about the world in the story. However, when it came down to it, I mostly cared about what happened between Holly and Elijah than everything and everyone else.

Speaking of the other characters, I got frustrated with a lot of them. Especially Holly's parents and everyone else involved with keeping the magical powers a secret. I totally understand why it was necessary to not tell Holly and Elijah the truth, considering what happened to most their age with magical abilities, but it led to MANY moments that made me want to shake and smack the characters. Probably the one character that never ever irritated me in the book and the one I loved the most was Shane. He was a badass! I got angry with the way Kaylee treated him though. I know it was suppose to be funny. I just wish by the end she would have gotten over it because he proved himself to be a great guy.

Even though I got frustrated with the characters and wanted the book to focus more on certain aspects, I still found Levitating Las Vegas to be an engaging read. I had no idea what would happen at the end, and I really wanted to know! That being said, although this book is unique and original, I'm not sure it will be everyone's cup of tea.

[Henrietta · Rating 3 out of 5]

How would you react when you found out your parents have been lying to you?

When Holly learns that her parents have been lying to her, she’s angry. She feels betrayed, hurt and very confused. Why would her parents do that to her? Of course, they have their reasons. But Holly believes they owe her not just an explanation, but also her innocent teen years, her sense of freedom, her choice of free will. Feeling bitter and vindictive, all she can think of is to do something that would make her parents feel sorry for what they’ve done. I guess if you like stories that have vengeful characters, maybe you’ll like this story. But for me, while I can understand where the anger is coming from, I can’t quite relate to Holly’s behavior. I mean, she acts out – I get that. But her behavior seems extremely childish. And in case you’re wondering, it’s not the fun type of childish behavior that seems so sweet and cute in chick-lit. And so, while I really want to like the story, I feel kinda put off. But to be fair, I’d say if I could look past the annoying part, the story is not that bad.

What makes the story entertaining is the strange paranormal world that Echols created. This is not a world with wizards, warlocks, vampires or werewolves but a world with people who have powers. As you may have guessed, Holly has power. So does her love interest, Elijah. Their powers are dangerous, but what’s even more dangerous is the brutal bigger picture that they are not aware of and when they’re being manipulated into taking sides in this ruthless power play, my heart breaks for the harsh brutality and unfairness that they have to face.

Is Elijah likeable? Yes – he is someone who would probably make you smile. He is sweet, protective, foolish (I mean this as a compliment) and selfless. Combined with his power, let’s just say he becomes this powerful, awkward guy who happens to also be the cutest, most awe-inspiring and luckiest savior that I’ve ever encountered in books.

Levitating Las Vegas is a quick-read. While it may not be among my favorites, I like the cute vibe that’s going on between Holly and Elijah.

And here is my most favorite line from the book:

" … You’ve got your mind closed tighter than a nun’s eyes at a nudist camp."

That’s a fun one, isn’t it? ;)

--

Originally posted on Leisure Reads.

A copy of the book was provided by publisher for review purposes.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this didn't work for me on several levels - http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/...

This had some fun elements and a whole lot of parts that didn't add up (the paranormal world building was weak sauce if you've read a lot of good urban fantasy). Regardless, Jennifer Echols knows how to tell an engaging story, so I'm sure there are people who will enjoy it.

This is labeled as "new adult" and it doesn't capture any of the vibe I associate with that label. The main characters are just out of college, but there's not any figuring out who you are sort of stuff. This age is pretty common in UF, I guess I don't get why Pocket Star is pushing it as "new adult." :-/

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the age of 14 both Holly and Elijah suffered mental breakdowns. They have been on medication ever since. But when they are forced off their medication by a delayed shipment, they realise their delusions might not have been delusions at all.

Levitating Las Vegas is difficult to define and almost impossible to review. It's Mandrake the Magician, meets X-Men, meets Barbarella. There is some serious mind f_ckery going on in this book and at times it's a very uncomfortable read...and there are times which are just so bizarre I have no idea what to do with them.

The ratings for this book are all over the place and I can see why. It's one of those books you'll probably love or loathe.

Many thanks to Pocket Star Books and Edelweiss for providing me with this ARC

[Stefany · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my full review please see: http://www.tobethode.com/2013/04/book...

I found the beginning to be a bit slow for this story. I wanted to know where it all was leading because it wasn’t making sense to me. All the time in the casino and why these people were all there was just out of my grasp. Once the story got started though, it was a lot smoother. You were able to find out why everyone was there at the casino and what their connection was.

My first taste of what this was all about was the first time Holly levitated something.

“And then the plate of salad and edamame lifted off the kitchen table in front of her, zipped across the room, and smashed against the front door”

That is also when I figured out that this might be a true problem to hide! Her parents lie to her explaining to her that she has a condition called Mental Adolescent Dysfunction. I felt so bad for her. You aren’t given the information that it isn’t the truth, but you know deep down that this is not the whole story. They tell her that the “first episode is brought on by strong emotion”… this is why both her and Elijah are started on medicine the same day. Both are upset about the same thing… the fact that they could not be together.

You learn about the Rez a lot and how much trouble it causes for others. One thing I didn’t care for was that the Rez was causing some problems again at the end of the book and you are truly left hanging as to what happens. I mean, you get an ending that works but, for readers like me that want it all wrapped up with a pretty bow, it doesn’t feel good. You find your ending for Holly and Elijah but there is more to come and it is hard to figure out where that will lead with how the book ends.

In the end, I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars. I think it could have wrapped up better but it was an interesting read with fun characters and enough drama and suspense to keep you interested. I would definitely recommend this story if you are looking for a different kind of paranormal romance. And, be sure to grab other books by Jennifer Echols because, even though this book isn’t my favorite by her, she has some truly wonderful stories out there.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a bit late to the party with my review. The reason for this is I read this book a bit ago and just never took the time to sit down and write my review. I set it aside with plans to go back after I had collected my thoughts, but I just never got around to it until now. I think part of the reason for that is because I am not fond of writing reviews that aren't glowing; it's not easy telling an author their hard work just didn't work for you as a reader, especially when you can't pinpoint a specific reason why.

The synopsis of this book snagged my attention immediately not to mention this author has some of my favorite reviewers following her. Both of these reasons had me clicking the request button immediately. I was really excited when I requested this book since I had been going through a book slump and I was looking for something different and a lot of times the paranormal realm will give me what I am looking for, however, Levitating just didn't do it for me. I can't really say what it was about this book that I didn't like; I think overall, there was a lack of connection to the characters and their journey on my part. The story line felt a little lacking as though something was missing and I think this left the characters feeling very one dimensional to me even with the elemental aspect. In addition, I was a tad bit lost during some parts. I found myself wandering in thought and stepping away from the story. I am usually a fast reader, but this one took me over a week to finish.

Levitating Las Vegas is my first read from this author and unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to see why she is so well loved through her previous books. I however do have another book to read and review by Jennifer that is contemporary so I am hoping that I will get the chance to fall in love with her writing style with that one.

Thank you Gallery and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Levitating Las Vegas in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Isamlq · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plus side, this one lacks that thing that's marked a ton of reads like it, the same being extreme amounts of sex that push things from romantic to merely titillating. Yay for NA! (what ever the heck that is.)

Minus: I still found Levitating Las Vegas lacking. Lacking because it was all over the place, and worse the pair of them sounded a bit wooden.

'Twas all over the place. We have casinos and shady elements that seem to go hand in hand. Unknown baddies and other unknown elements that may or may not be bad in their own right. Then we have overbearing parents who never cross over to the point to being overbearing for a reason. Plus drugged up teens and people after them for so and so reason. All interesting things except all a little too little on the details... so that things never quite gelled for me.

And then there's that general lack of personality on both the MCs parts. So, girl wants what her father has and is often desperate sounding and out of her element when not in sequins and a bikini.. Man! She could have been so much more save the fact that I found her reactions all about surface and little else.

A little more interesting was love interest: Man-boy desperate about not going off the deep end, but ends up sounding like he has all the same. His thoughts were funny... come to think of it, they were both funny! It's just that sometimes I couldn't grasp why they were reacting the way they did.

but thank you, edelweiss!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

*ARC provided through Netgalley*


Usually, I really enjoy a book where they are powers involved like in some of the books I've read before.


So in this book, I liked that part but sometimes it turned out also annoying like when Kaylee was always using her power of "mind changer" to control people all the damn time. It was getting old at the end. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to stop it, or I don't know maybe doing the same thing to her that she's doing to everyone? Mmh, that's an idea.


Anyway, I loved the scene when Holly fought against the others. It was pretty cool to read (she's levitating cars and act like a badass).

The end of the book didn't feel right for me, I don't really know why but it didn't feel like an end.


The story in general was messy too and I didn't quite understand everything and unfortunately the romance in that book isn't quite developed between the two characters. It could have been better.




So in the end, it would be a 2,5 Stars for me.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a New-Adult, I must say I was impressed. It lacks the cliche that formulates this genre. When Echols described it as two teens living behind the lies of a delusion, secrets that were kept form them, and having their lives believed to what was true then she's not kidding. It's a mix of romance, action, adventure, and illustrious 60's celebs and some references.

Review soon.

ARC received from publisher via Edelweiss.

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Yosbe Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ]

otro más q esperar eternamente...

[Vishous]

*ARC courtesy of Edelweiss via Pocket Star in exchange for an honest review*

[Laura B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out really liking this book, that changed around 40%. It was set in modern day Las Vegas with a hint of magic and a hint of mystery, then it got weird. The characters were obsessed with sex which didn’t seem to be necessary to the story line and seemed forced. The men were possessive and mean to their partners and this is all blamed on the magical powers. To top it off the plot of the conflict between the casino and the res is not resolved, the book in fact ends with the casino making plans to go after the res after the show is over.

I only gave it 3 stars because I loved this book up until about 40% and I finished it within days. It was a fast read and it still captured my attention even after it took a turn for the weird.

[Tabitha (Bows & Bullets Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

Holly Starr can’t wait to freshen up her dad’s tired magic show, but until he keeps his agreement to share his secrets with her, she can’t do anything but wait and perform as his magical assistant. But before that can happen, Holly’s prescription of crazy pills runs out and the pharmacy doesn’t know when they’ll get more. Terrified that her old delusion of being about to levitate objects will come back, Holly is desperate to get her hands on more. Elijah Brown, her old high school crush, just happens to suffer from the same brand of crazy, except he thinks he can read minds. He is also terrified he’ll go completely coo-coo for cocoa puffs, he ends up taking Holly on a road trip to a small town in Colorado where the pills are manufactured. But on the way, they discover that maybe they aren’t crazy and maybe that attraction that flared between then all those years ago is still alive and well. Can they beat the odds to make a life together?

This novel is so addictive. I couldn’t stop reading and I was immediately draw into this strange world of readers, changers, and levitators. Holly and Elijah were easy to sympathize with, considering all their parents put them through. After all, it was the fact that Holly’s parents made them break off their date that caused the onset of both of their powers. It starts off a bit confusing because you feel just like the characters and you aren’t sure if what they believed happened or what their parents tell them happened is real, but once you get passed that, it all starts to fall into place.

Holly was a great leading lady. She’s spunky and rebellious, but her love for her parents and fear of her “disease” keeps her pretty well in line. Go to college, assist dad in his magic show, and be a good girl. Once she realizes what’s really happened, we get to see that rebellion really show its face. She’s angry and she isn’t afraid to show it. Her parents better be on their fucking guard because there is no excuse for lying to her for the past seven years. Elijah is less inclined to be angry about it. He’s mother has always tried to do what’s best for him and knowing she’s done everything on her own since his dad is dead, he’s a bit more sympathetic to her cause, but still more than a little miffed about what they took away from him. Elijah is definitely a swoon-worthy leading guy. He’s sweet and funny, with bright green eyes, wavey brown hair, and a muscled body from years of lacrosse and carpentry work. Once he knows Holly really does like him and wants him, he’s determined to keep her and protect her….even if she is determined to walk head first into trouble. Their romance is intense and I spent a good portion of this novel just waiting for them to finally get through their shit and be together because it’s obvious that’s where they belong.

So if the storyline is great, the writing is addictive, and I love the characters, why only four stars? My issue is that (at the moment) this novel is a standalone and so many things felt unfinished. There is no cliffhanger. Holly & Elijah’s story resolves and all is well, but there just feels like there is more that needs to be explored Like the obvious attraction between Kaylee and Shane or what’s going to happen between the Casino and the Rez or how the hell Kaylee plans to keep Mr Diamond’s death a secret indefinitely because eventually someone is going to demand to see him that won’t take no for an answer. It’s an odd feeling for me because I’m typical that person who doesn’t understand why a book needs 5 sequels when the first one was perfect and I’m the one hesitant to start any series that has more than 3 or 4 books in it because I feel like that’s a bit too long to drag it out. Seriously, the House of Night series has like 13 books now and I KNOW those weren’t worthy of 5 books much less that many. I’m the person who gets irritated at the fan girls begging for sequels to a storyline that is definitely over. I get that you loved the characters, but you realize another book means more torment for them, right? There has to be conflict and do you really want to see them suffer more? If you want more, just go re-read the already published novels or explore the land of fanfiction! I’m not asking for a whole series, in fact that would make me angry, but the content of this book feels to me like the novel itself should be longer (it was only 300 pages), or they should do a sequel just to wrap up the loose ends.

Regardless of this issue, I did wholly enjoy it and I think anyone looking for a good paranormal romance/new adult story would definitely enjoy this.

****Thank you to Pocket Star Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc, for providing me with an eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review****

[Sofie · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Holly and Elijah are torn from each other at 14, neither of them know why. That day, they are both diagnosed with MAD, a mental illness that makes you hallucinate you have magic powers. 7 years later, they discover they actually do have magic powers, and no-one can keep them apart.

But dangers lurk around the corner for the Las Vegas casino they both work for. The casino acts as a sort of safe haven for people with powers, and the Res wants to take it over for themselves. After having been drugged and lied to for 7 years, whose side will Holly and Elijah take?


Jennifer Echols writes quick, fun reads; the kind that make you giggle and swoon, the kind that you read in one sitting.

I expected as much from Levitating Las Vegas. However, there were a few things that struck a chord with me, and I found that I couldn't get past them.

This book started out okay. I admit, at the beginning, Elijah was so gentlemanly and sweet, so protective of Holly, and I loved it. Things quickly took a turn for the worst when he ran out of meds and went all haywire. Look, I get it. After having taken meds for 7 years, it would be difficult to wean yourself off, let alone get cut off right away. So he had an episode, fine. But his actions soon left a sour taste in my mouth.

His kidnapping Holly was completely unnecessary. He kissed her the night before, she obviously liked it, and she would have gladly gone with you to who knows where to get their meds. The way Jennifer wrote and justified the kidnapping was absurd. When Elijah tried to explain why he did what he did to Holly, he said it was because it was too dangerous to talk about their "mental illness", in case anyone was listening - Right, like it's less conspicuous to hold a gun to her back on public transit, and force her into a car, where he proceeded to drive her 10 hours to get their meds. It was all very unbelievable.

More than that, rather than just confronting Shane about the whole magic powers mental illness thing, he takes the very same gun and bursts into where Shane is teaching 4 girls to play the guitar. So, let me get this straight. You wouldn't just talk to Holly about getting your meds, you had to kidnap her because you didn't want to be conspicuous. In what world is going gun smoking into a classroom to threaten your best friend not conspicuous? Elijah didn't even know for certain that Shane was involved. Elijah, honey, you really need to learn how to use your words. And there is such thing as a question. You don't aways have to speak in accusations.

I feel like a lot of things went unexplained. (though, from the way it ended, I'm assuming there will be a second book and no, I will not be reading it). Holly's parent's never explained why Holly and Elijah couldn't be together. They made up some poor excuse that "he'll use her" and "manipulate her", like guys without super powers don't do that already. I don't like how Holly's father could basically choke people whenever he wanted, for whatever reason he wanted, just because he could. He's basically worried that Elijah will treat his daughter the way he (Peter) treats everyone. With no regard.

Now, Rob. He must have had some sort of antic disposition, because he was every bit as horrible a character as there ever was. Obviously, the book needed a villain. But what Jennifer did with the whole, "almost rape and then actually rape" thing was soin her, with absolutely no consequences. Why are the women at the res okay with this? Being treated like objects, like prizes, like things less than human? There was no rhyme or reason to the Res' mindset. In anything, you should have stronger female characters there, ones who have the strongest power and don't take shit from anyone.

Maybe I'm taking this a bit to seriously, and I'd feel less strongly about it if there was actually a purpose to it, but it seems as though it was just thrown in because you could. All the mind manipulation could have happened sans the sexual assault. I think what gets me the most is that, it suggests that women don't have a right to their own body.

Anyway, that's my rant. 2 stars because the writing was okay. I'd recommend that Jennifer stick to writing fluffy romance novels, because supernatural is not her forte.

[Andrea King · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elijah asks Holly out on a date during their sophomore year of high school. When her parents find out, they force Holly to break the date and give her a flimsy excuse. While stewing in her anger, she discovers she can levitate objects (including herself) with her mind. Her parents walk in on the levitating and suddenly she’s in a doctor’s office being told she has a terrible disease that gives her delusions. To stave off the symptoms, she must take medication for the rest of her life. Elijah discovers that very that night that he has the same disease, and must take medication to prevent his delusions of being a mind reader. Seven years later, when the pharmacy runs out of the medicine, Elijah becomes so desperate for more that he kidnaps Holly and drives all night to the source. Once there, they figure out that they don’t actually have a disease, they have real powers.

Holly was an interesting character, a bit unusual in the new adult genre. She was a showgirl, and perfectly comfortable parading on stage in a spangled bikini. She was smart and determined and (gasp!) a virgin. (Why is that always supposed to be such a shocker?) She had a nice relationship with her parents, they were a tight family who spent a lot of time together. Elijah was close to his mother, with no father in the picture. Considering they lived in Vegas and worked in a casino, they were pretty average kids.

Their parents, however, were awful people. They knew their children had these powers, and instead of teaching them how to be responsible with them, they scared them into thinking they had a horrible scary disease, then drugged them. In fact, a lot of the adults were real asshats. The old “We’re doing it to protect the kids” excuse didn’t cut it.

There were a lot of little bits that bothered me. Like how Elijah and Holly just accepted their diagnoses with no question. I don’t know about you, but when I get the tiniest little symptom, I’m on WebMD checking to make sure I don’t have the bubonic plague. But they never did the first Google search. Even 7 years later, they still took those pills without question. Speaking of their pills – the name of the miracle drug was Mentafixol. As in “Mental Fix All.” How cheesy is that? Also, Holly and Elijah were practically in love, then within a few short minutes, they were threatening real violence to each other. Holly’s best friend betrayed her and she was okay with that? And not to be too picky, but “the sex is beyond belief” is quite the exaggeration. There’s 1 sex scene total, and it’s not all that spectacular. There was definite chemistry, but nothing I would consider super sexy.

And this was probably the thing that bugged me the most – Holly spent at least 3 quarters of the book in her showgirl outfit – a sparkly sequined bikini and heels. That’s all. She walked around Vegas in it, rode a mass transit bus in it, slept in it overnight, then continued to wear it while walking around another town. Never once did she suggest stopping at a WalMart to pick up some shorts, or that she might be uncomfortable or underdressed. That just smacked of improbability.

There were also a few unanswered questions (I really dislike those). For example, one scene clearly described how someone used their keys to open a slot machine specifically to touch the metal inside while exerting their powers. But why they had to that was never explained. I can only assume that the metal helped to conduct powers…?

That was a lot of nitpicking, so let me mention some of the things that I liked about the book. It was very zippy and the plot sped along, so I was never bored. The writing was very descriptive and I enjoyed the dialogue. I loved how strong Holly was, she was confident and friendly. The chemistry between her and Elijah was great, lots of sexual tension and longing looks.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to overcome my issues with the book. Near the end, in the middle of the climactic final scenes, I literally found myself thinking “I really should care about what’s happening.” But I didn’t. I honestly didn’t care how the book ended, but by then there was less than a chapter left, so I figured I’d just finish it.

The sum up: I just couldn’t get into the book. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and had only a mild interest in what happened to them. On the plus side, it was a quick and entertaining read.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll start off by letting you know that it was the cover that originally caught my attention. After reading Levitating Las Vegas, I'll say the cover actually works quite well. Unfortunately, few other things in this book worked as well for me.

It starts off with Holly at the age of fourteen, she works as a bikini clad show girl in her father's magic act and has a hard time shaking that image off the stage. She's finally caught the attention of her swoon worthy crush, Elijah, who has asked her to the school's formal dance. But, it's that night that both Holly and Elijah are diagnosed with a delusional disease. Mental Adolescent Dysfunction or MAD. Really? This was strike one for me. It doesn't even seam like a believable condition with that name. Exactly what is dysfunctional and will it only last through puberty then go away? There is no background given to the reader or to the two who suffer it, yet they don't question it. Just pop the pills like good little sheep.

Fast forward something like seven years and now we catch up with Holly, still working as a bikini clad showgirl for her father's magic show and Elijah who works as a carpenter in the same casino. Now in their early twenties they still pop pills on a daily basis to keep the delusions of telekinesis and mind reading (respectively) at bay. But the pills have run out. Of course the casino pharmacy (do casinos have that?) is the only place that even know what these pills are. Strike two...the pills are called Mentafixol (mental-fix-all). Umm, how dumb are these kids?

So, strike one and two are both pretty minor, all things considered. I can get past some silly little things if you deliver me great characters involved in a great story. Was that delivered? Well, not so much.

The potential is there, I swear it. But I don't review based on potential. When you combine some pretty fun powers, let's face it mind reading and mind changing powers can make for very intriguing story lines, with the sexiness and drama of Las Vegas you should have a great story. However, Levitating Las Vegas felt almost spastic. There were too many characters and too much politics without the background for making me connect with them. The story itself jumped all too quickly from one character to another which just made it frenetic.

The sexiness I spoke of...it was too forced. Holly prances around for about 95% of the book in her stage bikini, literally. I have to imagine even Las Vegas show girls take a minute to put on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top before hopping the City bus home at night. The other 5% of the book she's in an actual dress but it's a micro mini and she isn't wearing underwear. It was borderline ridiculous. Strike three.

What did I enjoy about Levitating Las Vegas? The mind reading and mind controlling. I think Echols did a good job in playing up how easily these powers could be used to manipulate pretty much everything in life. Some of the 'battle' scenes were pretty exciting due to them.

Also, Shane. Shane is not a major player in this book but that did not stop him from being my favorite character. While Holly, Elijah and Kaylee seemed a little all over the place, Shane was smooth, easy, steady and bit mysterious. He plays a slightly bigger role toward the end and it did nothing but confirm my thoughts that he needed to be in this book more.

The bare bones of the plot were unique. The fact that you have a group of people who develop special abilities and a casino that is basically a cover to safe house these people, is pretty spectacular. It just lacked in the delivery.

Needless to say, I struggled with Levitating Las Vegas but I'm not ready to give up on Echols as an author. There is some magic (he he) here and I'm it's executed better in other books.

[Aman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating: 1.5 stars

Reviewed @ Enticed by Books

Jennifer Echols is my all time favorite contemporary author. I have read and devoured so many of her books and recommended them countless times to my friends and readers because that is how much their story affected me, so that is why it is really painful for me to say that Levitating Las Vegas is the one book of Jennifer Echols that I wouldn't recommend. It's sad and I don't even know where to begin my reasoning for that statement.

Holly and Elijah grew up in Vegas and worked in a Casino since high school; Holly being her magician father's showgirl assistant and Elijah working general casino shifts (?). When Holly's parents forbid her to go to the prom with Elijah, her high emotions triggered unusual levitation which made her believe in real magic initially, but that turned out to be her MAD (Mental Adolescence Dysfunction) acting after a long visit to the doctor confirmed her mental health status. So basically, the casino run by Mr. Diamond is filled with people like Holly, people with real supernatural abilities who are given false prognosis and made to take a pill everyday that negates their powers, so that the Rez couldn't find them. Who is Rez, you might ask? Well Rez is a group of people who are well aware of their powers and use them to one up each other or something like that. Now that the pills are missing, Holly & Elijah can't control their growing powers and they need help quick, not to mention, the Rez is after them. And that pretty much covers the story. Phew!

Something I did like in Levitating Las Vegas was creativity of supernatural abilities. There were mind readers, mind controllers, levitators and it was very interesting to watch the main characters to come to terms with their powers and use it for the right thing. Now, what I didn't like about this book was the storyline, I don't even know what the hell happened, it was so weird and out of the world crazy. I'm still clueless with some of the events that took place in the end and I don't even want to go back and reread it. I'm just glad that it's done and over. Plus, some of the secondary characters were really annoying like Holly's parents and Kaylee, Holly's roommate and Casino's head of security. I was not interested in knowing anything about or from Kaylee, her perspective was painful to read and I might have skimmed it. But one of my major reason for not liking Levitating Las Vegas was the lack of romance. There wasn't any real emotion between Holly & Elijah. Throughout the story they were searching for certain answers and I never felt them being in love at any stage, so the end part where they confess their feelings was weird for me to read.

Overall, I was really looking forward for an adventurous read with mysterious supernatural abilities and a lot of danger with some forbidden romance, but what I got was a very weird story about a casino and it's people with mind powers. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed reading Levitating Las Vegas, but it did brought out some rare unusual emotions that I didn't think I had. That counts for something, eh! On a more positive note, I would suggest you read other Jennifer Echols books such as Going Too Far and Such a Rush. Both of these reads are one of my favorite contemporaries ever.

A Copy was provided by Gallery Books via Edelweiss for an honest review. (Thanks You!)

[Emily Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jennifer Echols is an insta-buy author for me. Her contemporary young adult novels blew me away so when I saw Levitating Las Vegas was available as a review copy, I jumped at the chance to see the author try something new. This is Jennifer's first reach into paranormal romance and I could've sworn that it would be another fantastic edition to Jennifer's phenomenal set of books. Good thing I didn't swear because all this book did for me was made me angry, irritated, disappointed and several time, downright disturbed.

There are so many bad parts of this book, we should start with the good. Jennifer continues to write a compelling story. Even as I raged and wanted to throw the book, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in a couple of days because there is just something about this author's style that makes her book impossible to let go of. The setting was also something Jennifer excelled at piecing together. Jennifer Echols does a wonderful job of incorporating the setting into the story in a manner that isn't too far fetched. I've never been to Las Vegas, or really anywhere in Nevada though I used to live in Arizona. I know, I know. Gasp away. I've always wanted to go though and I've found the stereotype of a "night in Vegas" and the idea of showgirls and slot machines and booze and drive-thru wedding chapels to be fascinating. The author's play on the inside of that world was extremely interesting and gave me a perspective that I'd never thought about before.

Now what I didn't like? The characters! None of these characters appealed to me in any way, shape, or form. The main characters, Ethan and Holly never seemed to mature and their gullible personalities made me roll my eyes from the very beginning. Their focus on sex was awkward and uncomfortable for me as the reader. Even during scenes where they should've been worrying about their lives, they were wanting to have sex (and sometimes actually having it). I kept thinking, "Isn't there something else you'd rather being doing?" The main characters were not the only awful characters, though. Their parents' and friends' decisions and actions made me sick to my stomach. They weren't realistic at all and I found them too cruel in their handle of things to really sympathize with. Also Ethan's possessive and borderline abusive behavior was disconcerting. What made this boy attractive to Holly, I will never understand. The book turned from unbelievable, but still entertaining, to the point where you just have to shake your head because it seems like you are reading a completely different book than what you thought you were. Not only was that going on, but Levitating Las Vegas was completely predictable, and the few times that it wasn't made me extremely uncomfortable (see: the entire last half of the book).

Would I recommend this? No. Will this affect the way I look at Jennifer Echols? No. Will I being buying a copy of this for myself or anyone I know? Hell no. This was not my thing and ultimately, I'm left feeling a bit disturbed.

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the publisher via Edelweiss.

This review can also be seen at my blog, Book Jems!

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Review at Bewitched Bookworms



A Little Magic A Little Weird
Truly I think this sums this story up the best and I totally didn’t expect this. What I expected was a cute Contemporary and what I got was a little different a little weird and a little fun! Totally surprising combination. Even more, the story has a slight hint of magic and paranormal, something I too didn’t expect. So Levitating Las Vegas will be a little different from what you expect, and once you put behind your expectations you are ready to enjoy the ride!

Holy – Magician on drugs
Holy’s parents are famous Vegas magicians and they put her daughter holy on a drug when she was still very young. It’s to keep her mental disease in check – or so they say… But, when Holy finally gets behind this weird drug she has to use , there are more and more secrets she comes across and she finally has to face a reality she might not be prepared for. But, it also brings her closer to her childhood crush Elija who weirdly enough takes the sam drug for the same mental disability. Together they go on a werid trip to discover the truth!

Romance – Action and Twists & Turns
The story is action packed and filled with a lot of mind boggling twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. The whole story is truly entertaining and once I got used to the weirdness of the story I found the ride to be funny and different. Elija and Holy were a great team and it was great to see them come together and finally learn the truth about themselves and each other. Filled with some sexy times, I truly care for them as characters as well as a romantic pair. However, they didn’t completely make me fall for them as I normally do with other characters. I admit it took me a while to fully grasp the oddness of the story and truly enjoy it. It’s hard when you get into a book thinking one way only to go a complete different dirrection.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a fan of Echols's YA books, and I think that SUCH A RUSH is probably my one of my favorite YA novels. That is why I am so extremely disappointed with LEVITATING LAS VEGAS.

While LEVITATING LAS VEGAS was advertised as a New Adult novel, it had more to do with her clashing against her parents and the classic YA adult-vs-youth struggle, which wasn't a primary focus in her YA novels. I actually liked that about her style, that the female protagonist was, due to whatever circumstance, leading an independent life apart from her parents. The protagonist would have control over her life. However, LEVITATING LAS VEGAS is a departure from this formula, as she is reacting to situations caused by people from behind the scenes, particularly to parental figures she trusted her whole life. Because of this, it felt like I was reading a more immature novel than Echols's previous ones, despite the New Adult label.

The supernatural aspect was interesting (though the 3 abilities reminded me of the movie PUSH), but I think it was underdeveloped or maybe it was edited down too much. This is a common dilemma in fantasy-writing; how to balance world-building with plot. I think with the length of this novel -- which is more like a novella, it's fairly short compared to her other novels -- there just wasn't enough room to do a proper world-building. The setting of Las Vegas was a nice choice, and as a I am a Vegas local I found that fun, but it just wasn't enough to hold my interest.

The ending was anti-climactic as well, as I didn't feel anything was resolved. I found myself trying to resolve things for myself, coming up with how the ending could be viewed as a real ending. Is it that Holly, Elijah, and Kaylee, through their trials and mental awakenings in the course of this book, have replaced the old guard to become the leaders of the "good supermutants" at the casino? It seems to me that the novel(la) was setting up for a sequel but decided to just give up, leading to a very unsatisfactory ending.

LEVITATING LAS VEGAS is different from Echols's other novels, and I highly recommend that you read her other novels like SUCH A RUSH or FORGET YOU before you make a judgement on her style. I think that Echols is allowed some freedom to experiment with new plot elements and the murky classification of the New Adult genre, but this first step was a bit of a stumble.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book because I’ve heard nothing but awesome things about Jennifer Echols. The book’s synopsis drew me in and I thought it sounded like a really neat idea for a book- two kids who find out they have strange powers, but are led to believe they have a mental illness thus being forced to take medication for years. Add in some romance and I was all set!

However, this book just fell short for me. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what I didn’t like, but the whole book just felt off, like there was something missing. I also felt like the supernatural aspect just didn’t feel very natural to this storyline.

I liked the main characters for the most part, but I definitely did not like some of the things they did and the course Echols took them, especially towards the end of the book. (I know most of it was out of their control, but still I would have rather seen things take a different turn.)

Echols did a great job of keeping us guessing. I never had a clear idea of who was truly ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or who had hidden agendas and who was really manipulating who.

Holly and Elijah are our main characters and have known each other since high school. Holly works with her father, as he is a magician, in a Vegas casino and Elijah does odd jobs, as his mother is a dealer. Holly and Elijah have liked each other for a long time, but were never allowed to act upon it due to their ‘mental illness’ (and overbearing parents). Time passes and they are reunited as things are starting to surface about their so-called illness. They both realize the other has this strange mental illness and the two band together to find out the truth. Again, they are pulled into very strange, odd situations that just weren’t believable to me and I felt like my mind was working overtime to comprehend everything that was going on. As someone who has to have some romance in her books, I just didn’t see it with Holly and Elijah. It felt forced and strange.

The secondary characters were also a bit of an enigma to me. I just didn’t care for any of them and some played a major part in the story.
However, even though this book was not for me, I still plan to read more of Jennifer’s books in the future.

[Melannie :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

You and your neighbors know what a huge Jennifer Echols fan I am. It’s clear that I wear my love on my sleeve. I love each of her books and her characters and the passions in me are stirred every time I open one of her pages.

That’s why it literally pains me (this combined with the heartburn after all the spicy food I ate) to write this review.

It’s not like I hated Levitating Las Vegas (I so didn’t!), I enjoyed reading it, and not only because it was written by Jenn, but because it was entertaining, and the characters, as always, were witty and sassy and very likable. I loved Elijah Brown and his mysteriousness, his loyalty to Holly and his dazed and confused self was just incredibly endearing. And Holly was pretty fantastic too, she reminded me a bit of Holly Golightly (insert Audrey Hepburn) in her clueless ways.

The chemistry between Holly and Elijah can’t be denied, and their scenes together were the kind that sends sparks flying and induce fires in places that I won’t be talking about *wink*.

Now, what I really had problems with was the story itself. The plot was kind of all over the place. It’s probably best illustrated as a riding on a dirt road with the headlights off: bumpy and holey and no way of knowing what to except. Which isn’t always a bad thing, you know; but usually when you read a paranormal book you want your “facts” straight, and the book kind of did a not-so-good job at explaining most of the things that were going on. And some characters had not much explanation (or interactions) either, like Mr. Diamond, the casino owner, who I have a feeling was supposed to be a very important piece in the jigsaw puzzle but his role was the opposite, inexplicably irrelevant.

Another plus was that it really evokes Vegas to me. Hot and sexy and like, there’s no other place where so much crazy could be happening.

However lack of details and follow-up this book had, it didn’t disappoint me in the aspects I always look for in Ms. Echols books: a good time, a good laugh and characters I like to read about.

[Kait]

Levitating Las Vegas is Jennifer Echols’ first ever New Adult title and I was really looking forward to it. Not only is it Jennifer Echols’ first NA title, but it’s the first NA book I’ve heard about that wasn’t strictly contemporary. I started Levitating Las Vegas with high hopes but those hopes were quickly dashed. I hate to say it but this was my first ever book that I didn’t finish.I obviously won’t be reviewing this like normal since I didn’t quite make it through the whole thing. I made it about halfway before I just had to set it aside. I’m sure there will be plenty readers who enjoy this title but there were just a few too many things that I couldn’t get past.

First off, like I mentioned above, this is a New Adult title. However, it felt even more immature than most Young Adult titles. The dialogue sounded like nothing that any self-respecting 20-somethings would ever say. Especially what was said between Elijah and Holly. And that’s not even mentioning what they were thinking. It was way too cheesy for me to take seriously. Also, this was a little thing that annoyed me but Holly always called Elijah, Elijah Brown. Why? What’s the point of calling someone by their full name like that? It got on my nerves!

Then there was the whole paranormal abilities thing. With powers such as mind reading, mind controlling, and levitation, I was expecting something kind of like X-Men. That’s not what I got. The powers were made out to be a mental disorder and they played a very small part in the half of the book that I managed to get through. Maybe if there had been more development and background to this part of the story I could have stuck with it but there just wasn’t.

The writing was mediocre at best. It was nothing special and it wasn’t enough to keep me interested in the book.

Overall, Levitating Las Vegas just wasn’t for me. I’m still a huge fan of Jennifer Echols and I will continue to check out her books but I just couldn’t make it through this one.

[Urban Fantasy Reads by Kate and Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this book. What if you're told from an early age that you're mentally ill? That the only way to exist in the "normal" world is religiously take your medication and to comply with everything your parents say - including who you should (and shouldn't) be with? What happens when you wake up one day and find that someone has discontinued your medication and all the things that got you labeled as mentally ill in the first place (hearing voices, seeing levitating objects)start happening all over again?

Twenty-one-year-old showgirl Holly Starr is sick and tired of assisting her dad, a celebrity magician, in his Las Vegas casino magic show. As soon as he keeps his promise to her and shares the secrets to his tricks, she can break out on her own. But can she really make it? For years Holly has taken medication to stave off crazy hallucinations that she can levitate objects. Just when she thinks she’s ready to make a career and a life for herself, her medicine—and her luck—run out.

Elijah Brown suffers from a similar delusion—he thinks he can read minds—and he’s out of medicine too. Determined to save himself and his old flame Holly, he kidnaps her and takes her to a town high in the Rockies where their medicine is made. What they discover there leads them to suspect their powers are not imaginary after all...and neither is the intense attraction they feel for each other.

They make a pact to stick together as they return to Vegas to confront the people who kept them in the dark for so long. But soon they’re pitting their powers against each other in a dangerous world where the nightlife is seductive, domination is addictive, the sex is beyond belief...and falling in love can lead to murder.