The young boy in the novel, Richard, has started seeing things, and hearing them as well. He doesn't understand how or why this is happening, but soon discovers that he can talk to characters in paintings. These paintings are trying to tell him something about his past that he has long forgotten, but we are kept in suspense until the very end as to what it is. "Trick of the Eye" is a very gripping read, and will keep you guessing through the entire book. However, the novel is not without a few gaps and confusions. For instance, dialogue throughout the novel is very confusing, as it is not put in quotations. Simply italicized, often with no suggestion of who is speaking, it is hard for the reader to know who is saying what, in the conversations.

Another gap in the novel is in regards to Richard's age. He acts younger at times, yet speaks as if he is older, so the reader is confused as to how old this boy is, until it is actually stated on page 152, that Richard is almost 13 years old.

The characters in "Trick of the Eye" are extremely well developed. The description of his mother, in the beginning paragraphs, creates a portrait as vivid as those Richard talks to in the galleries and museums: "...he saw in that instant that she had not been one of those who was laughing." (pg. 20)

The end of the novel can be confusing at points, so it may require more than one reading, particularly for a young adult, but the plot is carefully laid out, the characters well developed, and it is easy to see that a lot of thought and care was put into the writing of this novel. "Trick of the Eye" makes for an enjoyable read, and leaves you in astonishment when you reach the end.