Welcome to Don't Look Back Release Day Launch! To celebrate this new young adult suspense from the amazing Jennifer Armentrout and Disney-Hyperion, there is an excerpt below for your enjoyment.
About the Book
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense
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?
“This engrossing thriller packs a heady atmospheric punch with plenty of theatrical scares,” Kirkus Reviews
“Armentrout has written another winner. From the first page to the last, she builds both terror and confusion to the point where readers will be hooked and on the edge of their seat. This standalone contains all of Armentrout’s usual trademarks– a strong and determined heroine, witty comments and hot guys–but she adds in an extra layer by ratcheting up the suspense to the highest degree and follows it up with an ending no one will see coming.” RT BOOK REVIEWS 4 1/2 Stars TOP PICK
About the Author
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West
Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
EXCERPT FROM DON'T LOOK BACK
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.
My bare 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 jeans.
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
DEPARTMENT.
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
gently. “Are you okay?”
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
out here?”
“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?
What did you think of the excerpt?
Are you excited that Don't Look Back is finally out?
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# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West
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