Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by Disney Hyperion on April 15, 2014
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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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 continue to be impressed with Jennifer L. Armentrout’s books.  Whether she’s writing young adult or new adult, paranormal or contemporary, it’s always fabulous.  Don’t Look Back is no exception.

Contemporary suspense is one of my favorite genres.  However, it’s sometimes hard to impress me when it comes to these types of stories because I can be overly critical.  Don’t Look Back is a good addition to the genre but not one of the best out there.  Sure parts of the mystery surprised me but I’d guessed the killer by the end of the first few chapters.  The motive, on the other hand, kept me guessing for a while.  I guessed parts of the motive but not all of them and I couldn’t quite figure out how everything was going to tie together in the end.  That definitely kept me reading although I would have preferred if the mystery was a bit less obvious.

The characters are what got me truly invested in the story.  Samantha is basically a blank slate after she disappeared.  She gets a second chance at life pretty much.  She quickly finds out that she was a giant bitch before the night she disappeared but this is a chance for her to change that about herself.  She takes that to heart.  She doesn’t know much about who she used to be but she knows she doesn’t want to go back to being that girl.  It’s hard for her to change though when everyone seems to be pushing her right back in the direction she started.  Her boyfriend is a complete and utter prick.  Her brother is an awesome guy but for some reason they never got along.  Carson, her kind of neighbor, is there for her no matter what, even when it’s made clear that she might have been the biggest bitch to him.  However, it seems like every last person is keeping some kind of secret from Sam and it’s up to her and her alone to figure out what’s true and what exactly happened with Cassie the night they both disappeared.

Jennifer L. Armentrout has a way with relationships.  However, with Don’t Look Back she proved that she doesn’t just have a way with romantic relationships but also with familial relationships.  Samantha and Scott had a lot to work through after she disappeared but they had a really strong relationship.  Scott was always there for his sister and as Sam figured out who she wanted to be, she started to be there for Scott as well.  That’s not to say that there wasn’t a fabulous romantic relationship in Don’t Look Back.  Carson and Sam have this instant chemistry and I was rooting for them from the start.  They had a lot of stuff to work out and a lot of history to work through but they never gave up.  They worked through things together, no matter how tough.

Overall, Don’t Look Back is a wonderful addition to Jennifer L. Armentrout’s books.  While I’m pleased that it’s a standalone, I definitely wouldn’t mind more of these characters or more of this style from her in the future.

What others are saying about Don’t Look Back:

Just A Booklover’s review: “Overall, Jennifer L. Armentrout has written the most perfectly nerve-racking suspense that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.”

Cuddlebuggery’s review: “Is there anything Jennifer L. Armentrout can’t do?”

Mel, Erin, and Regina Read-a-lot’s review: “Yeah, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat til the very end.”