Review: Don't Look Back

Title: Don't Look Back

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 384

Genre: Young Adult Mystery

Publication Date: April 15th 2014

Goodreads Description

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 
 

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

 

 

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

 

I have been meaning to try out Jennifer L. Armentrout's books for such a long time. When I heard she was coming out with a murder mystery it was about time I gave her a shot. I am so very glad that I did. This is one of my favorite mystery's I have read in the young adult genre.

The  book grabbed me right from the start. It started off with the police finding Sam walking along a road beaten and bruised. She was immediately thrown back into the confusing world she does not remember. This made the story very intriguing. It was fast paced and I could not stop turning the page to find out the next missing piece of the puzzle.  Armentrout took me on a roller coaster chase for the murderer. She made me believe it was so many people in the book but never the actually killer. When the killer was revealed I was completely shocked. This is what really makes a mystery book for me, whether or not I can figure the killer out on my own. It makes the book so much better if I cannot figure it out. 

One thing that usually falls apart in mystery books is the characters and character development but in Don't Look Back this did not happen. The main character Sam was a fully developed character and you got to see her change and grow throughout the book. There were also some fantastic relationships created in the book. I loved the brother-sister relationship between Sam and Scott. But most of all I loved the romance between Sam and Carson. There was a ton of romantic tension in the beginning and as you got to see the romance grow you fell harder and harder for them. By the time they kissed for the first time you were cheering like crazy.

Don't Look Back  is a page turning mystery full of intrigue, secrecy, twists and turns, and budding romance. A must read for any young adult mystery fan!