Tunnel Vision
Susan Shaw
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: August 16, 2011
Pages: 272

Rating: 2 stars

On her way home one evening, Liza has to force her way through a group of men in a train underpass. She doesn’t think anything of it, but when her mom is shot dead moments later, Liza’s world turns upside down. Even worse, Liza was really the target. Only hours after her mother’s death, Liza is nearly killed again and she and her dad are placed in the witness protection program. Leaving everything she’s ever known behind, Liza and her dad pick up and move, never staying in one place for long. It’s too big of a risk—and Liza’s worst fear is realized when she gets recognized. The would-be killer is still on their trail, so all Liza ad her dad can do is keep running. Unsure whom to trust and where to go, they’re just trying to stay alive.

Tunnel Vision was an interesting read. There were some really great things about it, but in the end I found the things I didn’t like more overpowering than the good things.

I really disliked Liza. I thought she was super whiny and annoying – she was 16, but acted like a 6 year for about the first half of the book. From there on out, while I was still not a huge fan, she got slightly better. I really liked the characters that played a smaller role like Hanna and Cassie, though I really wish they had been developed more. So many of the characters in this book felt very 2D to me.

I absolutely loved the idea of the premise, but I wish Shaw had done more with it. I felt that the book was simply a flat line instead of expanding into bigger and more exciting things. This book was just full of unbelievable circumstances. I found so much of it hard to believe – I mean, I’m willing to bend reality of bit but so much of it was just too coincidental and there was absolutely no explanation.

I really did enjoy Shaw’s writing style. Tunnel Vision was a fast paced read, and I did read it all in the same day.  This book came to no conclusion. I finished the book, with absolutely nothing happening. The plot ties hadn’t been tied up, nothing like that.

While there were some great things about it, I would recommend picking up Tunnel Vision from the library or borrowing from a friend.