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Tunnel Vision

2.82 of 5 stars 2.82 · rating details · 67 ratings · 21 reviews

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 pr...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published August 16th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

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Jun 23, 2011 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: never-finished, what-the-heck, read-in-2011, addicted-to-ya

I couldn't finish this one though I really tried hard. The dialogue is just weird and doesn't make sense. The main girl is supposed to be 16 but she thinks like she is much younger. I thought for sure that this was supposed to be from the perspective of a kid with Aspergers or somewhere on the Autism spectrum (as her thought process reminded me of the girl from Mockingbird), but no, she was supposedly fully-abled. Then after she describes herself walking over a sidewalk, I thought maybe it was f...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Liza is coming home through a crowded overpass near her home, stumbles into her yard, and is shot at. The shot hits her mother, killing her by the time Liza and her father make it to the hospital. In shock, the two accept casseroles and try to figure out what happened, but bigger problems intervene-- someone tries to kill Liza. There was another murder under the overpass, and Liza was an unwitting witness. The two are shuttled to a seaside town nearby, but they see familiar faces there and are i...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Mo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

From ReadingWithMo: http://www.readingwithmo.com/2011/08/...

What would you do if someone you loved was horribly murdered right in front of you? Liza is forced to go into hiding with her father after her mother is shot outside of their home. How can she possibly deal with her loss while becoming someone new in a witness protection program? Father and daughter search for a way to exist while living in mortal danger each day.

The first section of this novel deals with Liza's loss of her mother. It i...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Rachael rated it 2 of 5 stars

Liza is just trying to get home. All she has to do is walk through the train underpass to meet her mom, but there’s a group of men in her way. They make her uncomfortable, but she decides to suck it up and make her way through. But moments later, everything goes wrong, and her mom is shot. And when Liza learns that she may have been the intended target, she knows nothing will ever be the same again. Still reeling from the tragedy of losing her mother, Liza is reluctant to leave everything behind...more Liza is just trying to get home. All she has to do is walk through the train underpass to meet her mom, but there’s a group of men in her way. They make her uncomfortable, but she decides to suck it up and make her way through. But moments later, everything goes wrong, and her mom is shot. And when Liza learns that she may have been the intended target, she knows nothing will ever be the same again. Still reeling from the tragedy of losing her mother, Liza is reluctant to leave everything behind to enter the witness protection program with her father, even though a new identity in a new place may be her only chance for safety. But even with moving from place to place, Liza knows that her mother’s killer is hot on her trail and that it’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes her and all hell breaks loose. How did she get in this mess in the first place? Liza desperately wants to know why she, of all people, is being forced to run, but in order to find out, she’ll need to stay alive.

Tunnel Vision is a story that is just packed full of questions and non-stop action. Now, I do like a healthy dose of action in my books, to keep me excited about reading, as well as questions to keep me interested, but it’s rather unsatisfying when the book is only about action and questions. Unfortunately, in Tunnel Vision, Shaw’s character and plot development left much to be desired. I found it quite difficult to relate to and care about protagonist Liza; there was something off about her that made her feel not very realistic. The fact that readers really only see her immediately before her mother is shot and in the wake of the tragedy doesn’t help either. I was told that Liza’s life was very different, as having to enter the witness protection programs should be, but I couldn’t see those changes in Liza’s character. My interest in this story was further dulled by a plot that was rather uninteresting, despite the constant atmosphere of danger. Liza and her father just keep moving around, spook at the slightest things, and receive help from possibly corrupt government agents. This would have been forgivable had the ending been particularly spectacular or clever, but sadly, the conclusion to this story was frankly lackluster and anticlimactic.

Though I didn’t find this novel a particularly enjoyable read, Tunnel Vision may still be enjoyed by fans of The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan and Severed Ties by Kevin Krohn.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Christie Brown rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd like to give this a zero, but then it would look like I didn't rate it. I'm generally not this harsh or difficult to please, but this book was horrible. I only finished it because I had to. This book was not realistic at all, and if you argue that it wasn't meant to be, I have a hard time believing it. I enjoy unrealistic story lines like fantasy and science fiction, but this was set up as realistic fiction. First, I'd like to believe that the witness protection program is a bit more effecti...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Sandra Stiles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, thriller, young-adult

This book held my attention. I hated when I had to stop. You know how it is, someone has to fix dinner. I felt so sorry for the main character in this story. Her whole life and that of her father’s had been turned upside down. I just couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be on the run and know you couldn’t trust anyone. I wondered how they were constantly found by the bad guys. Part of it is explained but part of it leaves you hanging. However, that would be the way it would really happen if...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Cristina is currently reading it

For Liza there are many problems she has to face. Things seem to get harder for as the days pass. One day as Liza is going home, she decides to take a different way, but finds herself walking through a crowd of older men under a bridge. She hurry's to get home where there her mother is waiting for her. As gets to her house her mother suddenly threw herself on top of Liza without relizing what happen, the only thing she sees is blood and no sound from her mother. Everyone around the two them and...more For Liza there are many problems she has to face. Things seem to get harder for as the days pass. One day as Liza is going home, she decides to take a different way, but finds herself walking through a crowd of older men under a bridge. She hurry's to get home where there her mother is waiting for her. As gets to her house her mother suddenly threw herself on top of Liza without relizing what happen, the only thing she sees is blood and no sound from her mother. Everyone around the two them and still not a clue of what happen. They take her mother away and her and her father are left there with tears in their eyes and speechless. But they do get in some trouble and have to leave everything behind and go into the witness protection program not knowing what was going to happen to them.
Days later her and her father are on going place to place to get away from the gang name The Cope who are after them. Liza is the main person who they want and are after. No matter where they go pictures of her and her father are everywhere woundering where they are and people seem to recognize them which leads them to more running. Everywhere they run to they always seem be run into The Cope. When they finally find a place to settle down, they think there safe till they see one of the members from the gang outside their home. With no time to think they leave and are being chased. No phone, nowhere to go, and scared they don't know what to do but drive to get away.

Setting: Current times, Where ever they go to get away from danger.

Protagonist: Liza is a girl who has to run for her life after she becomes a main target.
She is being chased by dangerous people who want her dead and will not stop till she is.She is a strong person and is very brave for what she has to do. At first she want things her way and is selfish but later finally relizing its not only about her but her father too.

Antagonist: Gary Carmichael is very dangerous and does not like anyone to get in his way or else bad things are to come. I do not like him at all hes all about killing and getting away with it. He brings misery to Liza and her father. Without letting them have a normal life hes after them ti kill Liza.

Conflict:Liza is a girl who is in danger and has to run in order to survive. She She cant live a normal life and and can trust no one. She feels as if if shes never safe and never will be.

Other Characters: Mr.Swense is a man from the witness protection program and is trying to help them. Hanna is a young girl whom she met when she was in Ohio. Mr.Oberman is a man who is helping them while there were in Philadelphia. Cassie is a girl who is two years older then her that lives next to them in Kansas.Seth a boy she met in Sea Isle City who turns out to be Casie's boyfriend.Jellyfish was a boy who she a crush on back home. Mr. Barber was the principal to where she was going to attend home schooling.(less)

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Nov 24, 2011 Gabriela rated it 4 of 5 stars

I rather enjoyed Tunnel Vision.
The whole idea was rather unbelievable, but it's a fiction YA novel, so I didn't really care.
Other reviewers mentioned that Liza was immature. Well, her mother had just been murdered, so I suppose I gave her some leeway on that.
I did enjoy the other young, female friends Liza meets.
While Liza and her father spook at any little thing, I found I was just as skeptical and mistrusting of others and of situations. If someone's trying to murder you, I imagine common sens...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, action-adventure, realistic-fiction, young-adult

Liza is walking home, going through the underpass which is crowded with drunk, rowdy transient types. She politely makes her way through to her home which is just on the other side. Her mom is waiting there for her, but the next thing Liza knows her mom has fallen on her and pushed her into the bushes. She has been shot and apparently Liza is the next target. She and her dad end up in the witness protection program and on the run from some desperate men.

I could not turn pages fast enough; I was...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Carrie Shaurette rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: tween

After pushing her way through a group of older men while walking beneath a train underpass, Liza suddenly hears gunshots and turns to see her mother shot. Because it seems as though the bullet was actually meant for Liza, she gets sent into the witness protection program with her dad. They try and deal with the death of Liza’s mother, while getting moved around from one small town to the next. Just when Liza has made a friend, she must depart without even saying goodbye. While the premise is int...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Tracey rated it 3 of 5 stars

A quick-moving narrative keeps this book interesting all the way through. The book opens with Liza, the protagonist, witnessing her mother's death - her mom is shot as Liza is stumbling toward her after an encounter with some creepy men. From there, Liza and her father must go in to witness protection - though no one is certain what exactly Liza has seen. The story, while not complex, is told with a lot of really interesting detail about what would be frightening if you were 'on the run' - every...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well, where should I start? The beginning of the book was very strange and I couldn’t really get into it. I nevertheless read on hoping for it to get better. But even though it got slightly better it didn’t really arrest my attention. It was just to odd for me. The names alone were really special. I mean who names a boy Jellyfish? I found that very odd and didn’t think of anything other than the animal when I read his name. So that was just one of my problems. Liza, the main character, got on my...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you ever wondered whats it like to be suddenly put under the Witness Protection Program, look no further than this book. This book amazed me from start to finish. Why? It has great technique in the writing style that you felt like you were on the run. My heart raced as I read this book. I felt emotions, just like the character. And even after finished reading the book, I think I might change my appearance! LOL

What I liked most about this book is the writing style. Ms. Shaw did an absolutely g...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, galley-grab, thriller, young-adult

Goodreads Summary:

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...more Goodreads Summary:

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 and her dad can do is keep running. Unsure whom to trust and where to go, they're just trying to stay alive.

Review:

I think that it's important to state that the reviews for this book haven't exactly been glowing so far. So obviously I was worried. And yeah, there were some serious issues that I had with it, but I don't think it was nearly as bad as some of the negative reviews are making it out to be. For one, I had no problems finishing it, but there have been quite a few books that I have read this year that I decided not to finish.

Yeah some of the prose was pretty awkward. I wouldn't call it confusing, but it was pretty stupid. And not realistic. And there were times when it was very distracting and took me out of the story. But the book was super suspenseful and it was a pretty fast read. I found it hard to put down. I noticed that there were a couple of lulls, but I almost feel as if they had to be there or else the book would have been extremely unrealistic considering what the topic was. The good news is that they didn't last long.

And as usual, I have to complain about character development. I just felt that even though all these crappy things kept happening to the characters, I didn't care as much as I should. That was because I didn't know who they were. I felt the book was very plot driven, which is great, but not at the sacrifice of proper character description.
One more criticism before I go: What the heck was up with that ending? I can't say what happened, but I just found it very frustrating and unsatisfying. I am sure that there are plenty of people who would disagree with me, but it was not the type of ending I prefer.

So yeah. It was a suspenseful and quick read with quite a few flaws. But I do think Tunnel Vision will be a favorite read of a select few. But it will not find a large audience because of the very choppy and strange style it is written in. But if it does sound like something you would be interested in based on the synopsis, I encourage you to give it a try, because I found myself clutching my chest in agony waiting for the next thing to happen.
(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Erica rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 h...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Contrary to the poor star rating, I have a lot of good things to say about this book. The author is a solid writer. The story had a good start but seemed weak to me. There was some rambling that could have been taken out but it looked like the story was going someplace. The reader is introduced to characters that hold promise of either an interesting relationship or some twist of fate. Instead, it evaporates. Actually, my problem with the book was the weakness of believability.

On the other hand...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Bailey (IB Book Blogging) rated it 1 of 5 stars

This one was a DNF for me. Couldn't get into the story at all. The situations were unbelievable, the protagonist whiny and annoying, and the writing was awkward at times. I tried so hard to make it through the whole story, but I gave up a little over half-way through.

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Sep 14, 2011 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: teeny-bopper

The writing was terrible, but the plot was fast moving & like a movie.

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Jul 26, 2011 Zoë (In The Next Room) added it

Shelves: ebook, egalley, young-adult, mystery, suspense-thriller

review coming

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Sep 12, 2011 Oceandreamer001 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

Smart thriller, I enjoyed it.

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Aug 14, 2011 Adrianga rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, read-in-en, ss-galley

Review: http://elsewhereland.blogspot.com/201...

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May 17, 2013 Maisha marked it as to-read

May 15, 2013 Melissa Crady marked it as to-read

May 07, 2013 Kyle marked it as to-read

Apr 30, 2013 Katie Parker marked it as to-read

Apr 28, 2013 Kara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apr 27, 2013 Mayah Midnight marked it as to-read

Shelves: contemporary, fiction, young-adult

Apr 26, 2013 Shay rated it 1 of 5 stars

Apr 21, 2013 Ola marked it as to-read

Apr 18, 2013 Bella Stephens marked it as to-read

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About Susan Shaw

I was born in a log cabin in Illinois - no that wasn't me!

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, grew up outside of Philadelphia with two parents, along with a wild assortment of brothers and sisters and cats and dogs. I did things like take music lessons and play relievo or baseball in the sideyard with the neighborhood kids. Went to school, which I really hated, but somehow managed to get thr

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