Saturday, January 31, 2015

Review: Tunnel Vision by Susan Adrian



Title: Tunnel Vision
Author:
Susan Adrian
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (Macmillan)
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Acquired Via:
Publisher

Romance and action come crashing together in Susan Adrian's Tunnel Vision in which a teenage boy with incredible powers is brought to the attention of the government.

Jake Lukin just turned 18. He's decent at tennis and Halo, and waiting to hear on his app to Stanford. But he's also being followed by a creep with a gun, and there's a DARPA agent waiting in his bedroom. His secret is blown.

When Jake holds a personal object, like a pet rock or a ring, he has the ability to "tunnel" into the owner. He can sense where they are, like a human GPS, and can see, hear, and feel what they do. It's an ability the government would do anything to possess: a perfect surveillance unit who could locate fugitives, spies, or terrorists with a single touch.

Jake promised his dad he’d never tell anyone about his ability. But his dad died two years ago, and Jake slipped. If he doesn't agree to help the government, his mother and sister may be in danger. Suddenly he's juggling high school, tennis tryouts, flirting with Rachel Watkins, and work as a government asset, complete with 24-hour bodyguards.

Forced to lie to his friends and family, and then to choose whether to give up everything for their safety, Jake hopes the good he's doing—finding kidnap victims and hostages, and tracking down terrorists—is worth it. But he starts to suspect the good guys may not be so good after all. With Rachel's help, Jake has to try to escape both good guys and bad guys and find a way to live his own life instead of tunneling through others.


My Review

Susan Adrian's Tunnel Vision was a surprise and a breath of fresh air compared to the YA thrillers that I've read in the past. I was grabbed in the very beginning, as the action started almost immediately, and the story held me until the end. There were no lulls, no skimming, and definitely no putting down of the book for me.

Jacob Lukin has a special ability that he's always been told to keep secret. Of course, typical teenager that he is, he uses his power to impress a girl at a party. That sets the events of Tunnel Vision in motion. You see, having someone who can hold an object and tell you everything about the owner's current location, emotional state, and actions is mighty appealing to governments, as well as those in the private sector. I personally thought the ability was kickass, and it's not something that I would've ever thought I wanted. I mean, I don't want the government attention, but it would be pretty cool to "tunnel".

There haven't been a ton of really great YA books lately with male protagonists (that I've read), so Tunnel Vision was a welcome deviation from that. Jake was a fairly typical teen, except for the super power business, and I think that teens, male and female, will find him easy to relate to. His family is very important to him, he's dealing with navigating through a crush, making time for his friends, and trying to prepare for college.

If you're looking for your next book to read, look no further than Tunnel Vision. It will keep you on the edge of your seat without going over the top. I can't wait to start giving it to my library patrons.

- 4/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond
Google Play | Indiebound



About the Author




Susan Adrian is a 4th-generation Californian who somehow stumbled into living in Montana. She danced in a ballet company and worked in the fields of exotic pet-sitting, clothes-schlepping, and bookstore management. She’s settled in, mostly, as a scientific editor. When she’s not with her family, she keeps busy researching spy stuff, traveling, and writing more books.

Susan is represented by Kate Schafer Testerman of kt literary (kate@ktliterary.com). For film/television rights she is represented by Jon Cassir of CAA. She is a member of SCBWI.




Find Susan Online
Website | Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads.

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a digital advance copy of the book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected the outcome. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

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