Review: Don't Look Back

Once again, I have my friend, Hannah, on the blog to do a guest review.  Take it away, Hannah!


Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Grade: C
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: 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?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I felt the characters weren't your run-of-the-mill whodunnit characters.  Even though many of them were typical, it didn't feel cliched.  Also the ending was not expected.  So, for those of you who like surprise endings, this would be a good read for you.  The main character felt well-developed with some interesting depth.  I also found myself chuckling out loud to myself (which can be a bit awkward in public) at points in the book.  Some of the stuff that this girl did while she was in her "mean girl" phase was really vindictive.  She was also quite disrespectful to her parents at times.  Unfortunately, there is so much I could say about "the ugly."  The book is chock full of sex, drugs, and underage drinking.  There is also a bountiful amount of profanity.  Domestic abuse is also something that occurs.  

The Verdict: So all in all, I think this book had a lot of potential but it's not exactly a clean read. Other than that, it was well written.