Reading, Writing and Being Generally Awesome

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!