Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

****1/2

From Author's Website:

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 loved Sam.  She finds herself wandering in the forest, unsure of who she is, how she got there - just lost, in every sense.  Her path of discovery is fascinating.  What do you do when you realize you don't like who you were, but you don't remember any of it?  The Sam that everyone describes to her is completely foreign and at odds with her instincts.  And for her family - her mom, dad and twin brother - the change is disconcerting to say the least.  

I don't know what it is about douche-bags (or as JLA would say douche-canoes) in the books I'm reading lately, but Sam's boyfriend is a complete douche-bag.  I'm anti-spoiler, so I won't say anything more, but someone needs to beat that boy.  Luckily, Don't Look Back also has an awesome Forever Boy in Carson.  Of course, Sam's mean girl past pretty much guarantees that she treated Carson like crap (him being the son of the "help" and all).  How will Sam figure out what happened when everyone had a reason to want to hurt her and Cassie?

I'm pretty stingy with my ratings.  I believe I've only given 5 stars to two books in the three years that we have been blogging, so giving Don't Look Back 4 1/2 stars is huge!  I am a JLA fan, a devoted adorer of Daemon Black, loved The Covenant series, et cetera, et cetera.  That said, Don't Look Back may be my favorite JLA book.  It is incredibly well written, a phenomenal plot, intriguing and down right creepy!  I stayed up far to late reading Don't Look Back and then was too creeped out to sleep - this is the sign of a great mystery!

~Shel

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

****

From Random House:

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people.  Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want.  But, it's not a skill that she's ever taken seriously.  That it, until the FBI come knocking: they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.  

What Cassie doesn't realize is that there's more at risk than a few unsolved homicides - especially when she's sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.  Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem.  And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close.  Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all their gifts just to survive.  

The The Mentalist meets Pretty Little Liars - Jennifer Lynn Barnes' The Naturals is a gripping psychological thriller with killer appeal, a to-die-for romance, and the bones of a gritty and compelling new series.  

I agree that The Naturals was a gripping psychological thriller that totally creeped me out, but I disagree with the comparison to Pretty Little Liars (which I find incredibly annoying).  The Naturals is my first Jennifer Lynn Barnes experience and I am glad I picked it up.    

It's always tricky to bring together an ensemble cast in the first book of a series, but Ms. Barnes seamlessly brings together The Naturals Team and I look forward to much more character development in the next installment.  I think there are endless possibilities and The Naturals was a great start.   

To me, there's no better time for creepy mysteries than fall and The Naturals does not disappoint.  The story is a chilling, nightmare inducing mystery that will keep you guessing to the very end.

~Shel