*I was given a copy of And Don’t Look Back in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Bonnier Books and Rebecca Barrow for my copy of the book.*

Synopsis:

Harlow Ford has spent her entire life running, caught in her mother’s wake as they flit from town to town, hiding from a presence that Harlow isn’t even sure is real. In each new place, Harlow takes on a new name and personality, and each time they run, she leaves another piece of herself behind.

When Harlow and her mom set off on yet another 3 a.m. escape, they are involved in a car accident that leaves Harlow’s mother fatally wounded. Before she dies, she tells Harlow two things: where to find the key to a safety deposit box and to never stop running. In the box, Harlow finds thirty grand in cash, life insurance documents, and several fake IDs for both herself and her mom—an on-the-run essentials kit. But Harlow also finds a photograph of her mom as a teenager with two other girls, the deed to a house in a town she’s never heard of, and a handful of newspaper clippings discussing the disappearance of a woman named Eve Kennedy, Harlow’s grandmother…relics of a part of Harlow’s life she never knew existed.

With these tantalising clues about her mother’s secrets and the power to choose her own future for the first time, Harlow realises she has two choices: keep fleeing her mom’s ghosts or face down the nebulous threat that’s been hanging over her for her entire life.

Review: 

Wow did I love this book. I’ll be honest and say I didn’t go into this expecting it to be a five-star read, but it was incredible. The writing wasn’t anything out of this world, but the twists were just so good. I really did not expect that ending, absolutely chilling.

My first thought about And Don’t Look Back is how similar its vibe is to Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power – the lack of fathers, mothers keeping secrets from daughters, and the women having eerily similar faces. This is meant as a compliment, they’re actually nothing alike, but to begin with, the creepy vibes were there.

Even though she made some questionable decisions, I really liked Harlow. Her flaws and surprisingly trusting nature, despite everything that has happened in her life, are what make her such an interesting protagonist. The fact that she is so young and therefore instantly trusts the adults in her, like most teens, is actually vital to the story and when everything comes together you do feel an intense dread for her. 

I got through And Don’t Look Back much quicker than I thought I would. I’ve been in quite the slump lately, but I was instantly invested in this story. I wouldn’t say it’s a quick read, but the hours fly by quicker the further you get sucked into the mysteries. 

I always find it so hard to review thrillers and mysteries without giving too much away. I’d love to talk about the plot twists in detail but I don’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone who’s thinking about reading And Don’t Look Back. 

This was my first book by Rebecca Barrow and I will definitely be checking out her other thrillers. She’s become one of my favourite thriller writers. I’d highly recommend And Don’t Look Back.

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