Title: Don't Look Back
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Contemporary, Mystery
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: April 15th 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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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 have been obsessed with Jennifer L. Armentrout and her book since I read her entire Lux series in 2 days. I think he writing is so refreshing and her stories keep the reader on the edge of their seat the entire time. And once I saw that she was writing a standalone mystery YA i knew I had to read it ASAP! And I am happy to say I was not disappointed!

There are certain tropes that happen in mysteries, certainly in YA, and one of those tropes is amnesia. Amnesia had been done a lot on mysteries in the YA genre but honestly for me it never gets old. I think its a great way for the reader to connect with the character, especially if they are a different kind of person during the amnesia then they were before. And that is the case in this story.

I loved that Samantha was an unreliable narrator because she had no idea what happened, who she was and what her life was life before the accident. This was a great way to get the reader to connect with her because we feel bad that she cant remember her life, and especially when she meets het friends and family and realizes that they are not the best of friends she thought they were. Sam changed throughout the course of the book and I loved that. She began to see her friends and family in a different light and that realization was very interesting for me because you want Sam to be a better person than she was before the accident, because according to her friends she was just as bad as they were.

The mystery element was just that, a mystery. I had an inkling on who the bad guy was, and I will say that I was right but honestly I was more interested in Sam as a character then figuring out who did it before the reveal. Obviously I wanted to know who it was, but I wasn't looking for clues everywhere because I more invested in Sam and what her character was going through. I will also admit that I threw this book against my bedroom wall at one point in the book because SERIOUSLY!

There is a lovely love story in this book, and Jennifer is know for creating amazing book boyfriends, and this book is no different. Carson was a great guy in this book, he was sweet, attentive and honest just plain amazing to Sam. Their growing relationship and affection for each other was great to read and I really wish this was a series of book just so I can have more CARSON!

If you love great characters that are witty and sarcastic, a great mystery and a great book boyfriend then please pick up this book. Jennifer is a genius in this genre and I serioulsy cannot wait to see what else she writes in the future!