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 … 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 aren’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?
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Don’t Look Back opens with a girl, walking along a road, unable to remember anything about her life. It’s been done a million times, I know. But something about the writing of this, and the plot that just propels you forward had me dying to keep reading.
Sam had been missing for four days before being picked up by police along the side of the road, by a state park. She doesn’t know who she is, why she’s there, or what happened to her best friend, Cassie, who has yet to turn up. Instead, she has to piece together her life based on what she hears from friends, family, and some of the people she has been less than kind to. Basically, Sam was a ~mean girl~ of the highest order. She terrorized her classmates, manipulated and blackmailed everyone around her, and was basically your high school nightmare.
The mystery keeps you invested all the way through, the gossipy high school parts keep things interesting, and Sam’s journey back to herself is really a great ride. I think this pulled together everything I love about thrillers and young adult novels in a really rare way, so if you’re looking for something to lose yourself in for a few hours, definitely pick this one up!
“I couldn’t be the person I was before. That Samantha was still missing, stuck wherever Cassie was, and maybe she wouldn’t been able to let Cassie drop, but I couldn’t.”
Samantha is found walking down the side of the road, hurt, and with no memory of who she is, let alone how she got there. As the story unfolds we find out that she, along with her best friend, had been missing for four days. As the days continue it becomes more and more apparent that her best friend, Cassie, is not going to be found alive. While Samantha is dealing with her amnesia she also begins to find out that she was a pretty horrible person before, and begins to question everything that has been her life up until that point. Samantha begins to get some memories back in flashes but she is also receiving mysterious notes that point toward Cassie being murdered and that she knows who did it. Amid all of this, she’s finding herself attracted to her brother’s best friend, and begins to realize that she has secretly had feelings for him for a long time. Can Samantha regain her memories and remember what happened? And if she does remember, is she going to be putting herself in danger?
Samantha is such an intriguing character, and she’s not someone that I would like in any way, shape, or form, as she was before she lost her memory. She really was grade A bitch, and absolutely horrible to people. I mean she could have given the characters in Mean Girls a run for their money. But she gets an opportunity that not many people get. She gets to start over. Her amnesia allows her to see things in a different light, and what she sees, she doesn’t like. I really liked seeing her realize that she was horrible before and that she didn’t want to be that person anymore. She became a nicer person and stood up for people that she wouldn’t have before.
This is a thriller so there’s the mystery aspect to it that I really enjoyed. While I figured out pretty early on who had killed Cassie, the why threw me for a loop. Although, looking back, there were plenty of hints that were dropped. The problem is that when I read a JLA book, I tend to get so engrossed in it that I sometimes miss those small hints that point out the answer. This isn’t the type of book that Jen normally writes, but in true JLA fashion she knocked it out of the park. It has everything you could possible want, mystery, action, romance, not to mention a hot and sweet guy that makes for a great book boyfriend.
“Suddenly it didn’t matter that everyone believed I didn’t know who I was anymore, because with him – with Carson – I knew who I wanted to be, and that was all that mattered.”
• •
: Don’t Look Back
: Jennifer L. Armentrout
: 5/5
The mystery and the suspense, this book had me hooked from the first page! I absolutely loved this story. I think that was also the strongest part of the book is that you are slowly discovering what happened to Sam. Surprisingly, it took me a while before I started suspecting the killer, so even though the reveal was just a confirmation of what I suspected, I didn’t mind it. The plot felt thought out really well and it was evident in the book. There was also enough romance to keep me entertained. I could connect with the characters easily and I also like the character development from Sam throughout the book. This book is a standalone and I was happy with the ending. I can’t say much more about the book without spoiling it, so I will keep it nice and short: if you like a YA book focused around a mystery with romance on the side, this one is for you!
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
Don’t Look Back tells the story of Samantha who wakes up on the side of the road with no memory. She learns that her friend is also missing from that night together. She starts trying to find out who she was but is given the option of: does she start over or does she dig into the person she was, despite numerous warnings.
There is so many reasons why I LOVED this book. From the beginning it was a mystery—I personally didn’t know “who done it” until the very end and even then was so thrown off. The clues planted in the book have you going in every direction possible. I found myself questioning a few characters that you would normally never consider!
Let’s talk about Sam’s growth because it’s probably the best. Sam was essentially given a do-over as she remembers NOTHING and it makes her life extremely difficult. Del, her boyfriend before she went missing, greets her with open arms—but there is just something that Sam can’t put her finger on about him. Everyone let’s Sam know that she was a mean girl in high school, so when her personality is a complete 180, no one knows what to think. What I loved the most is that Sam didn’t really wallow in her inability to remember—instead she took it head on and kept living.
And then there is Carson who I absolutely adore. There’s one particular moment in the book where he validates how Sam is feeling in regards to her mental health, and I about died while reading it. There’s nothing more heartwarming than someone who cares for you on every possible level but for them to truly understand you, to accept you with open arms—it’s a game changer. It’s made me proud to be a JLA fan when reading that part because not many people have that feeling of acceptance—thank you for giving us that in a book. Rock on, JLA.
I give the book 5/5—thank you for such an amazing story, Jen!
Woah. I was anxiety ridden through this book. I binge read it in one day because I had to know what happened. Sam lost her memory after a traumatic accident and realizes she was one of the mean girls of the school. She really was, she was pretty terrible. Her best friend Cassie is also missing so through this book she is trying to piece her memory back together to find out who did this to them. There are so many suspects and honestly I had so many ideas. I am so happy when I am surprised and I really loved this book. Scott, Julie and especially Carson were amazing supporting characters. I loved how much they all seemed to love Sam. I wish I would have read this years ago! I love thriller books and even though this was YA it still was in that category for me.
“Things aren’t perfect. They are far, far from it, but they are getting there, and I wasn’t looking back. Not when there were so many good things in the future.”
*3.5 stars.
This was the second time I read the book and this time I have not enjoyed it as much as I remember.
I loved the idea behind the plotline and the main character was very interesting to follow after. The description of the feelings and thoughts, the confusion Samantha felt was very convincing. But, probably because I grew up from the last time I read the book I felt that the scenes and plot in some of the chapters were indifferent and dull and the whole book was quite predictable.
Overall the book was nice and easy to read, I would recommend to anyone who likes mystery and drama but not on a scary level.
Yea no. This one was not for me. I love me some JLA, but I honestly did not like this book. Mysteries don’t really do it for me and this one was predictable right away and kind of killed the story for me. Not to mention our main character acted really dumb and naive about her whole situation. It got to a point where it was just annoying. I’m all for mean girls in books, but this case was over the top and I tend to like them to get what they deserve and Sam just let them be bitches all the time and never gave back to him as good as they gave it to her. I liked Carson’s character, but didn’t like the forced love triangle because Sam never cared about her boyfriend before or after her amnesia.
Don’t Look Back was not all that enjoyable to read for me. It was not to my personal taste. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is still really great, the story just was not up my alley.
Don’t judge me, I ask and know that you can’t stand it – yes, I love books that may catalog as women or youth books. But that’s how I am, along with books of war and history, I also enjoy simplicity.
So if you have finished judging, now I can begin to tell you about this book and especially about the problem it created for me, because on the one hand I always want to read a good book that will attract me, and on the other side when it comes I find myself with the lack of sleep. And so after many hours of work, and a lot of work at home, I see my reading time only at night. Only I and the book awake, and when the book stretches and well written I read another page and commit myself to just a few more pages and finally the morning comes, and I like in the wheel again tired at work.
Don’t look back is an excellent book that gave me exactly what I needed. It began with a note Samantha found in her room and aroused her suspicion of everyone around her.
Samantha and Cassie, The good friends, disappeared one day, Samantha was found a few days later when she bruised, Cassie didn’t return. With all her strength, Samantha tries to remember what happened, but she suffers from amnesia.
Those around her suspected her of being the murderer, and day by day with little details arousing her memory, she believed it was her who murdered Cassie.
Flashes are revealed slowly to complete the story, but the memory of her past distresses her. Samantha undergoes a radical change in behavior towards herself and her surroundings.
Throughout the book, the writer hinted at the murderer and made me believe every time anew I already know who he is but the ending was surprising.
The book is intended for both teenagers and adults.
A compelling whodunit from Jennifer. L. Armentrout about a girl suffering from amnesia after a traumatic incident that left her damaged & her best friend missing. Sam’s new life is a puzzle, but she’s not sure she wants to put the pieces back together if it means returning to the person she used to be.
Title: Don’t look back
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Number of Pages: 384
Genre: Young adult, Romance, Thriller, Mystery
Date read: ?
Favorite Quote:“Things aren’t perfect. They are far, far from it,but they are getting there, and I wasn’t looking back. Not when there were so many good things in the future.”
Review:
If you’re doubting if you want to read this book ask yourself this: “do you like pretty little liars?” “Do you like crime shows like NCIS and Criminal Minds”, “Do you like books with romance and steamy scenes” and most importantly “do you like Jla?”. If you’re answer is yes, go read this book! If it’s no, go read it anyway.
What is this book about:
This book is about samantha, or sam as she’s often called. Samantha wakes up with amnesia. She remembers nothing. She finds out that she and her best friend disappeared and that only she resurfaced. No one knows what happened that night.
As sam’s trying to pick up her old life she is finding out that she doesn’t really like the person she was. To be fair she was quite a bitch. Especially to the guy that was always there for her, a guys she always kind of liked, Carson.
As sam is trying to find out what happened that night but is also trying to make the most at doing better, becoming a better person. Changing who she was is bringing her closer to Carson.
Will Samantha find out what happened and will she get her happy ever after or will finding out what happened destroy her. Are you sometimes better of not knowing what happened?
What did I like/love about this book:
I liked the mystery of this book. I liked that I didn’t guess what happened and who was the killer. I mean I guessed, quite allot actually, but I was never a 100% sure.
I liked how Sam made the best of the situation and tried to become a better person.
I also liked Carson, he was very sweet. He and Sam made a cute couple.
Rating:
4 I really liked it Stars
Don’t Look Back opens with a girl, walking along a road, unable to remember anything about her life. It’s been done a million times, I know. But something about the writing of this, and the plot that just propels you forward had me dying to keep reading.
Sam had been missing for four days before being picked up by police along the side of the road, by a state park. She doesn’t know who she is, why she’s there, or what happened to her best friend, Cassie, who has yet to turn up. Instead, she has to piece together her life based on what she hears from friends, family, and some of the people she has been less than kind to. Basically, Sam was a ~mean girl~ of the highest order. She terrorized her classmates, manipulated and blackmailed everyone around her, and was basically your high school nightmare.
The mystery keeps you invested all the way through, the gossipy high school parts keep things interesting, and Sam’s journey back to herself is really a great ride. I think this pulled together everything I love about thrillers and young adult novels in a really rare way, so if you’re looking for something to lose yourself in for a few hours, definitely pick this one up!
“I couldn’t be the person I was before. That Samantha was still missing, stuck wherever Cassie was, and maybe she wouldn’t been able to let Cassie drop, but I couldn’t.”
Samantha is found walking down the side of the road, hurt, and with no memory of who she is, let alone how she got there. As the story unfolds we find out that she, along with her best friend, had been missing for four days. As the days continue it becomes more and more apparent that her best friend, Cassie, is not going to be found alive. While Samantha is dealing with her amnesia she also begins to find out that she was a pretty horrible person before, and begins to question everything that has been her life up until that point. Samantha begins to get some memories back in flashes but she is also receiving mysterious notes that point toward Cassie being murdered and that she knows who did it. Amid all of this, she’s finding herself attracted to her brother’s best friend, and begins to realize that she has secretly had feelings for him for a long time. Can Samantha regain her memories and remember what happened? And if she does remember, is she going to be putting herself in danger?
Samantha is such an intriguing character, and she’s not someone that I would like in any way, shape, or form, as she was before she lost her memory. She really was grade A bitch, and absolutely horrible to people. I mean she could have given the characters in Mean Girls a run for their money. But she gets an opportunity that not many people get. She gets to start over. Her amnesia allows her to see things in a different light, and what she sees, she doesn’t like. I really liked seeing her realize that she was horrible before and that she didn’t want to be that person anymore. She became a nicer person and stood up for people that she wouldn’t have before.
This is a thriller so there’s the mystery aspect to it that I really enjoyed. While I figured out pretty early on who had killed Cassie, the why threw me for a loop. Although, looking back, there were plenty of hints that were dropped. The problem is that when I read a JLA book, I tend to get so engrossed in it that I sometimes miss those small hints that point out the answer. This isn’t the type of book that Jen normally writes, but in true JLA fashion she knocked it out of the park. It has everything you could possible want, mystery, action, romance, not to mention a hot and sweet guy that makes for a great book boyfriend.
“Suddenly it didn’t matter that everyone believed I didn’t know who I was anymore, because with him – with Carson – I knew who I wanted to be, and that was all that mattered.”
• •
: Don’t Look Back
: Jennifer L. Armentrout
: 5/5
The mystery and the suspense, this book had me hooked from the first page! I absolutely loved this story. I think that was also the strongest part of the book is that you are slowly discovering what happened to Sam. Surprisingly, it took me a while before I started suspecting the killer, so even though the reveal was just a confirmation of what I suspected, I didn’t mind it. The plot felt thought out really well and it was evident in the book. There was also enough romance to keep me entertained. I could connect with the characters easily and I also like the character development from Sam throughout the book. This book is a standalone and I was happy with the ending. I can’t say much more about the book without spoiling it, so I will keep it nice and short: if you like a YA book focused around a mystery with romance on the side, this one is for you!
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
Don’t Look Back tells the story of Samantha who wakes up on the side of the road with no memory. She learns that her friend is also missing from that night together. She starts trying to find out who she was but is given the option of: does she start over or does she dig into the person she was, despite numerous warnings.
There is so many reasons why I LOVED this book. From the beginning it was a mystery—I personally didn’t know “who done it” until the very end and even then was so thrown off. The clues planted in the book have you going in every direction possible. I found myself questioning a few characters that you would normally never consider!
Let’s talk about Sam’s growth because it’s probably the best. Sam was essentially given a do-over as she remembers NOTHING and it makes her life extremely difficult. Del, her boyfriend before she went missing, greets her with open arms—but there is just something that Sam can’t put her finger on about him. Everyone let’s Sam know that she was a mean girl in high school, so when her personality is a complete 180, no one knows what to think. What I loved the most is that Sam didn’t really wallow in her inability to remember—instead she took it head on and kept living.
And then there is Carson who I absolutely adore. There’s one particular moment in the book where he validates how Sam is feeling in regards to her mental health, and I about died while reading it. There’s nothing more heartwarming than someone who cares for you on every possible level but for them to truly understand you, to accept you with open arms—it’s a game changer. It’s made me proud to be a JLA fan when reading that part because not many people have that feeling of acceptance—thank you for giving us that in a book. Rock on, JLA.
I give the book 5/5—thank you for such an amazing story, Jen!
Woah. I was anxiety ridden through this book. I binge read it in one day because I had to know what happened. Sam lost her memory after a traumatic accident and realizes she was one of the mean girls of the school. She really was, she was pretty terrible. Her best friend Cassie is also missing so through this book she is trying to piece her memory back together to find out who did this to them. There are so many suspects and honestly I had so many ideas. I am so happy when I am surprised and I really loved this book. Scott, Julie and especially Carson were amazing supporting characters. I loved how much they all seemed to love Sam. I wish I would have read this years ago! I love thriller books and even though this was YA it still was in that category for me.
“Things aren’t perfect. They are far, far from it, but they are getting there, and I wasn’t looking back. Not when there were so many good things in the future.”
*3.5 stars.
This was the second time I read the book and this time I have not enjoyed it as much as I remember.
I loved the idea behind the plotline and the main character was very interesting to follow after. The description of the feelings and thoughts, the confusion Samantha felt was very convincing. But, probably because I grew up from the last time I read the book I felt that the scenes and plot in some of the chapters were indifferent and dull and the whole book was quite predictable.
Overall the book was nice and easy to read, I would recommend to anyone who likes mystery and drama but not on a scary level.
Yea no. This one was not for me. I love me some JLA, but I honestly did not like this book. Mysteries don’t really do it for me and this one was predictable right away and kind of killed the story for me. Not to mention our main character acted really dumb and naive about her whole situation. It got to a point where it was just annoying. I’m all for mean girls in books, but this case was over the top and I tend to like them to get what they deserve and Sam just let them be bitches all the time and never gave back to him as good as they gave it to her. I liked Carson’s character, but didn’t like the forced love triangle because Sam never cared about her boyfriend before or after her amnesia.
Don’t Look Back was not all that enjoyable to read for me. It was not to my personal taste. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is still really great, the story just was not up my alley.
Don’t judge me, I ask and know that you can’t stand it – yes, I love books that may catalog as women or youth books. But that’s how I am, along with books of war and history, I also enjoy simplicity.
So if you have finished judging, now I can begin to tell you about this book and especially about the problem it created for me, because on the one hand I always want to read a good book that will attract me, and on the other side when it comes I find myself with the lack of sleep. And so after many hours of work, and a lot of work at home, I see my reading time only at night. Only I and the book awake, and when the book stretches and well written I read another page and commit myself to just a few more pages and finally the morning comes, and I like in the wheel again tired at work.
Don’t look back is an excellent book that gave me exactly what I needed. It began with a note Samantha found in her room and aroused her suspicion of everyone around her.
Samantha and Cassie, The good friends, disappeared one day, Samantha was found a few days later when she bruised, Cassie didn’t return. With all her strength, Samantha tries to remember what happened, but she suffers from amnesia.
Those around her suspected her of being the murderer, and day by day with little details arousing her memory, she believed it was her who murdered Cassie.
Flashes are revealed slowly to complete the story, but the memory of her past distresses her. Samantha undergoes a radical change in behavior towards herself and her surroundings.
Throughout the book, the writer hinted at the murderer and made me believe every time anew I already know who he is but the ending was surprising.
The book is intended for both teenagers and adults.
A compelling whodunit from Jennifer. L. Armentrout about a girl suffering from amnesia after a traumatic incident that left her damaged & her best friend missing. Sam’s new life is a puzzle, but she’s not sure she wants to put the pieces back together if it means returning to the person she used to be.
Title: Don’t look back
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Number of Pages: 384
Genre: Young adult, Romance, Thriller, Mystery
Date read: ?
Favorite Quote:“Things aren’t perfect. They are far, far from it,but they are getting there, and I wasn’t looking back. Not when there were so many good things in the future.”
Review:
If you’re doubting if you want to read this book ask yourself this: “do you like pretty little liars?” “Do you like crime shows like NCIS and Criminal Minds”, “Do you like books with romance and steamy scenes” and most importantly “do you like Jla?”. If you’re answer is yes, go read this book! If it’s no, go read it anyway.
What is this book about:
This book is about samantha, or sam as she’s often called. Samantha wakes up with amnesia. She remembers nothing. She finds out that she and her best friend disappeared and that only she resurfaced. No one knows what happened that night.
As sam’s trying to pick up her old life she is finding out that she doesn’t really like the person she was. To be fair she was quite a bitch. Especially to the guy that was always there for her, a guys she always kind of liked, Carson.
As sam is trying to find out what happened that night but is also trying to make the most at doing better, becoming a better person. Changing who she was is bringing her closer to Carson.
Will Samantha find out what happened and will she get her happy ever after or will finding out what happened destroy her. Are you sometimes better of not knowing what happened?
What did I like/love about this book:
I liked the mystery of this book. I liked that I didn’t guess what happened and who was the killer. I mean I guessed, quite allot actually, but I was never a 100% sure.
I liked how Sam made the best of the situation and tried to become a better person.
I also liked Carson, he was very sweet. He and Sam made a cute couple.
Rating:
4 I really liked it Stars