Book Review: The Levitation Game

Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen

An exotic sci-fi mystery with a splash of romance 

 After years of perfecting her magician’s tricks, Esme Wright has finally landed a spot on the Morning Show: Live! But all her visions of fame disintegrate when the show goes humiliatingly wrong. 

The last thing Joseph Estrada expected to see when sitting down to watch morning TV was his childhood best friend. He hasn’t seen Esme in person for years, but when she reappears in his city, he knows he must meet with her. Soon, they’re surrounded by levitation more powerful than they could know, and they realize that this thing between them may be beyond their control.

When all signs begin pointing them toward Guatemala, the country where their fathers still work and where they used to play as children, Esme and Joseph must decide whether to embark on a grueling journey without having a clue of the destination. 

The Levitation Game is a soft sci-fi novel that throws in a dash of romance and a healthy dose of mystery. This is a debut novel that deals with moving themes, including love, faith, and navigating extreme cultural differences.

The cover of The Levitation Game is one of the most striking I’ve seen this year, and the most apt for its story. Like the cover, The Levitation Game is bright, colorful, and fun, with a myriad of mysterious dark edges. The plot is engaging, unique, and playful too. From the start, there’s the question of how everything connects, and the pieces don’t completely slot together until the dazzling conclusion.

I really like how differently Esme and Joseph handle themselves as well as the surprises the plot throws at them. It shows how different their faith is and how most of their subsequent reactions are informed by their singular personalities.

While the pace and plot keep the pages turning, the characters don’t always feel authentic. This novel is told from different viewpoints, and it can be difficult to distinguish one character from another. Despite us being told that they are different, on the page they talk and think in very similar ways. The dialogue can feel clumsy with too much of the story being told through characters’ discussion.

The Levitation Game is a light read that definitely keeps you guessing. It handles the mystery well and keeps its secrets until they finally come tumbling out.

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