Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Don't Look Back.
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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Publication Date: April 15th 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781423175124
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Mystery
Source: Publisher
*in exchange for 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? (Goodreads)

I was extremely excited to start reading Don’t Look Back, because I had heard nothing but great things about Jennifer L. Armentrout, but I had never had the chance to read one of her books before. I was curious to see just why everyone loves this author.

Samantha was the ultimate mean girl, the kind of girl that I have always despised. But after losing memory, we get to see a completely different side of her. This ‘new’ Sam was sooooo much better than the ‘old’ Sam. I don’t think I could have tolerated her in the novel as a mean girl. Just reading about some of the things that she had done in the past made me uncomfortable while reading the book. But after losing her memory, Sam definitely became a more likeable person. I liked that she was really determined as well, not just to find out what had happened to herself the night she lost her memory, but as to find out what happened to her friend.

Ok, and can I just say that Carson is kind of perfect?? Throughout all the bad stuff, he always believed in Sam. Even after all that she had put him through in the past, he never gave up on her or thought that she was crazy like everyone else seemed to. Also, he was a real gentleman. How rare is that these days??  I should also mention that Sam’s brother, Scott, and his girlfriend Julie were pretty great characters as well.

I loved the mystery in this book, it was seriously addicting! The secondary characters were all well written, and it was fun trying to decide who the bad guy in the story was. I guess the person pretty early on, and even thought I second guessed myself a few times, imagine my surprise when my suspicions were correct! Seriously, this book messed with my head a few times, and I loved every single minute of it!

Overall, this book was a super highly addictive read. I enjoyed it so much more than I expected to, and I’m really, really looking forward to reading more by Ms. Armentrout in the near future. Add this to your reading list today!