Don’t Look Back
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date – April 15th (US)
Publisher – Disney-Hyperion
Buy – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
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 didn’t recognize the name on the street sign. Nothing about the rural road looked familiar or
friendly. Tall, imposing trees and overgrown weeds choked the front of the dilapidated home.
Windows were boarded up. There was a gaping hole where the front door had been. I shivered,
wanting to be far away from here…wherever here was.
Walking felt harder than it should be, and I stumbled off the chilly asphalt, wincing as
sharp gravel dug into my feet.
I stopped and looked down. Chipped pink nail polish peeked through the dirt…and blood.
Mud caked the legs of my pants, leaving the hems stiff. It made sense, seeing as how I wasn’t
wearing any shoes, but the blood…I didn’t understand why there was blood staining the knees of
My vision clouded and dulled, as if a gray film had been dropped over my eyes. As I
stared at the weathered asphalt under my feet, large and smooth rocks replaced the tiny stones.
Something dark and oily seeped over the rocks, slipping through the cracks.
Sucking in a sharp gasp, I blinked and the image was gone.
Hands trembling, I raised them. They were also covered with dirt and scratches. My nails
were broken, bloodied. A silver ring wrapped, encased in soil, around my thumb. Air froze in my
chest as my gaze crawled over my arms. The sleeves of my sweater were torn, revealing pale
flesh covered in bruises and gashes. My legs started to shake as I swayed forward. I tried to
remember how this had happened, but my head was empty—a black void where nothing existed.
A car drove by, coasting to a stop a few feet in front of me. Somewhere in the trenches of
my subconscious, I recognized the flashing red and blue lights as a source of safety. Elegantly
scrawled along the black-and-gray side of the cruiser were the words ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF’S
Adams County? A flash of familiarity came and went.
The driver’s door opened, and a deputy stepped out. He said something into the radio on
his shoulder before he looked at me.
“Miss?” He started around the cruiser, taking tentative steps. He looked young for a
deputy. Barely out of high school and able to carry a gun seemed wrong somehow. Was I in high
school? I didn’t know. “We’ve received some calls into dispatch concerning you,” he said
I tried to respond, but only a hoarse squeak came out. Clearing my throat, I winced as the
motion scratched and pulled. “I…I don’t know.”
“Okay.” The deputy held up his hands as he approached me, as if I were a skittish deer
about to bolt. “My name is Deputy Rhode. I’m here to help you. Do you know what you’re doing
“No.” Knots formed in my belly. I didn’t even know where here was.
His smile strained. “What’s your name?”
My name? Everyone knew their name, but as I stared at the deputy, I couldn’t answer his
question. The knots started twisting more. “I don’t…I don’t know what my name is.”
He blinked, and the smile was completely gone. “You don’t remember anything?”
I tried again, concentrating on the empty space between my ears. That was how it felt.
And I knew that wasn’t good. My eyes started to tear up.
“Miss, it’s okay. We’ll get you taken care of.” He reached out, lightly taking hold of my
arm. “We’ll get this sorted.”
Deputy Rhode led me around the back of his cruiser. I didn’t want to sit behind the
Plexiglas, because I knew that wasn’t good. Only bad people sat behind the glass in police
cruisers. I wanted to object, but before I could say anything, he settled me into the seat and
wrapped a coarse blanket around my shoulders.
Before he locked me in the bad part of the car, he knelt and smiled reassuringly.
“Everything’s going to be okay.”
But I knew he was lying, trying to make me feel better. It didn’t work. How could
everything be okay when I didn’t know my own name?
I feel so grossed out by this: Chipped pink nail polish peeked through the dirt…and blood. Ew. Anyhow, I'm so intrigued by the premise and I want to know what happened 😀 I wonder if she gets all her memories back. Well, that's kind of dumb though since she'll most likely get them back lol 😀 ha. Thanks for sharing, Emma!
Oh that excerpt sounds really good!! I've been waiting for the publisher here to announce when the book will be out, so once it's published I'll hunt it down! I cannot wait. Great excerpt and thanks for sharing, Emma 🙂
what a great excerpt! thank you so much for sharing.
I feel so dumb for not noticing that cover was animated until now! That is so awesome. That excerpt really does sound intriguing and I can tell I will be a fan of the writing, it pulls you in pretty easily. Can't wait to read your review!
DON'T LOOK BACK definitely took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I was happy, sad, frustrated, nervous, wanting to throw all the things, then happy again. I would definitely recommend buying this and planning a day of absolutely nothing so you can read this book, because I promise you won't want to put it down!
Cath Brookes
Must see House Cleaning Warwick NY site info