Amnesia complicates an otherwise standard murder mystery in Armentrout's psychological thriller about a missing girl's return and her efforts to recover her lost memories. Samantha's memory loss is so total that not only can't she remember what happened the night she and best friend Cassie vanished, or how she turned up alone in the state forest, but she can't recognize anything from her former life. Her wealthy family, hot boyfriend, and popular friends are strangers, none of whom she is sure she can trust, especially after she learns what the old Samantha was like: a quintessential mean girl who used her money and influence to bully others. Redemption isn't easy, and once Cassie's body is found, Samantha is left wondering if her old self was capable of murder. Sinister flashes of memory and other threatening notes help set an ominous tone, though the finale is a bit anticlimactic. Some new, supportive friendships and a steamy romance with Carson, the groundskeeper's son, also provide a balance to the suspense. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The best-selling author of several series with big fan bases, Armentrout's latest should benefit from author events, advertising, and, most likely, plenty of fan-to-fan buzz.

Samantha is discovered wandering through the woods, amnesiac and covered in blood. When the body of her best friend Cassie is discovered, Samantha starts to worry she has gone insane. With the help of hot Carson, she begins to piece together who she was before--and who Cassie's killer may be. Strong suspense and some genuinely creepy moments distinguish this psychological mystery.

This engrossing thriller packs a heady atmospheric punch with plenty of theatrical scares, but it's a bit too transparent to fully succeed as a mystery. Samantha is recovering from a complex concussion that not only obliterated her memory, but also wiped clean her personality. Despite this, disturbing, bloody images visit her after she is found alone and bruised in the wilderness, days after she and her best friend, Cassie, went missing. And she is sobered by what she learns about her past self. Teen readers will appreciate Samantha's earnest attempts to redeem herself in the eyes of her brother and childhood friends, even as she is horrified to learn that she's alienated them for years with her petty, cruel behavior. Particularly complicated is her relationship with Carson Ortiz, the son of the groundskeeper on her extremely wealthy parents' estate. The two are obviously attracted to each other, but Samantha's wicked snobbery has been keeping them apart. Romance fans will love their playful banter, though it's too bad ethnically stereotypical references to Carson as a "Latin-lover" and his "exotic" good looks linger into this 21st-century text. Samantha's disjointed hallucinations of an eerily disheveled Cassie and of a hazy sinister figure are genuinely creepy, but for those who guess the culprit early on due to some unsubtle clues, it's likely the carefully tension-filled pacing won't work. An engaging, if flawed, mixture of mean girls, steamy romance and psychological terror. (Thriller. 14-18)

Armentrout (the Covenant series) immerses readers in the wildly altered world of 17-year-old Samantha who, upon awakening in a hospital with dehydration, a concussion, and extreme shock, remembers nothing about her life. She is told that she was found in the state forest after being missing for four days and that her best friend Cassie is still missing. Quickly learning that she was both popular and despised at school, Samantha is sickened by her so-called friends and boyfriend, as well as disturbed by the tension between her parents; she attempts to make amends with those she has betrayed and develops a crush on someone she never gave the time of day to before. When Samantha begins to receive notes that urge her to distance herself from her past, she's determined to do the opposite and find out what happened to Cassie while unlocking her memories. Armentrout's taut mystery, chilling images, and smooth writing deliver ample suspense, however, the real impact of the story lies in witnessing an individual's rare chance to rediscover and reshape her identity. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Gr 7-10 From the very first page, readers are thrust into the mind of confused amnesiac Samantha, who finds herself at the center of the mysterious disappearance of her best friend, Cassie. The protagonist was the last person known to see Cassie alive; the problem is that the teen remembers nothing of their last night together and, for that matter, nothing of her life at all. With the help of her brother and the compelling and handsome Carson Ortiz, Samantha figures out that the old Sam, the one she can't remember, might be one that's worth forgetting. Popular, powerful, and mean, she and her best frenemy Cassie had ruled the school and put down anyone in their path. In the search for someone who would have wanted to cause the two of them harm, she realizes that the list could be a long one. Someone clearly knows things no one else could about that night and leaves threatening notes telling the narrator to stop searching for the truth. Readers are led to wonder if Samantha's gnawing suspicion that she might be the culprit herself is right or perhaps if her developing romance with Carson is really a romance with Cassie's killer. The action-filled plot and the shocking revelation of the murderer's true identity will leave fans of suspense and mystery thoroughly satisfied. Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar &; Preparatory School, New York City

Samantha has been missing for days. When she reappears, her entire life seems new, leaving her with many more questions than answers. Her parents, friends, and boyfriend all expect the old Sammy, but the new Sammy is nowhere near the same person. Sammy learns the horrible truth about herself: she used to use her popularity and wealth to control and manipulate everyone. To make matters worse, Cassie, Sammy's best friend, went missing the same day as Sammy, and she is still missing. Most will not admit it, but Sammy feels their stares and is able to read between the lines: they blame her for Cassie's disappearance. Armentrout leaves the reader with many questions: Will Sammy ever recover her memories? Who is to blame for Cassie's disappearance? Did Sammy hurt her friend?The first-person narrative gives a glimpse into the intense frustration that goes along with memory loss. Sammy shares each of her personal struggles with the reader. After every question and with each clue she finds, the reader partners with Sammy to piece together her discombobulated life. Anyone who picks up this book will develop a close relationship with Sammy, leaving the reader fully invested in the character and the mystery. Sprinkled throughout the story, profanity and flirtation make the dialogue and relationships more realistic. Armentrout tastefully develops love scenes, which may cause the reader to fail to realize the extent of what just occurred. With an unexpected and a little over-the-top resolution, Don't Look Back will keep the reader guessing until the very last page.Richard Vigdor.Bareknuckle. Darby Creek, 2014. PLB $27.93. 3Q 4P M