Don't Look Behind You

by Lois Duncan

How can April give up her name, her friends, her boyfriend Steve, and everything she's ever known?

April Corrigan feels like her life is over when she learns that her father has been working undercover for the FBI and the family must relocate under the Federal Witness Security Program.

No one can reach them now... or can they?

TV movie, Fox Family Channel

ALA Best Book For Young Adults--l990
Parents' Choice Book Award--l990
Children's Book Award, Shefield, England--l990
Phantom's Choice Award--l99l
Dark Zone Book Club selection -- 1995
Utah Young Readers Award--1992
Indiana Young Hoosier Award--1992
Virginia Young Readers Award--1992
Nominated for Nebraska Young Adult Golden Sower Award--l992
Nominated for Iowa Teen Award--l992
Nominated for Washington State Young Readers Award--1992
Nominated for Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award--1993-94
Nominated for Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award -- 1994-95
Nominated for Colorado Blue Spruce Award -- 1994-95
Recorded Books, audio recording
TV movie, Fox Family Channel -- 1999
Foreign editions: England, Yugoslavia, Denmark, Germany, France, Norway

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Teen

179 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz) was an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.

Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.

Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.

In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.

Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.

The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).

Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.


Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com

Reviews

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating - 2.5

I felt sorry for April because of the situation she was in, but I didn't like her. She was really stupid most of the time, and quite annoying.
She was told not to contact anyone for obvious reasons, but done it anyway. She moaned when she had to cut her hair to disguise herself, and moaned about giving her phone up, claiming that she would die without it. There was plenty more stupid and annoying moments throughout the book, and by the end of it I was sick of her.

This wasn't an awful read, but it wasn't a very enjoyable one either. Apart from April being an idiot, there wasn't much going on, so I was bored through most of it.

I'm glad it's over.

[April · Rating 1 out of 5]

April is ridiculously immature. I really hope she matures as the story goes on. Also, I don't really care for the writing style. Usually I like Lois Duncan's writing, but this book just isn't up to par. I don't relate with the characters or feel any sympathy for them at all. I'm hoping this book will get better as I read on.

Just finished. This book did not get better at all. At the end, April is still the stupid, immature, selfish girl she was at the beginning. The epilogue is about how she meets a new boy, like that's the only important thing in life. I am very disappointed with this book. I liked Lois Duncan's I Know What You Did Last Summer and Stranger With My Face. I had high hopes for this book, and it just didn't live up to those hopes at all. Very disappointing.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 17 year old protagonist of this novel has been moved with her family by the witness protection program because her dad is basically a moron. She's not terribly bright herself, as she makes several obvious mistakes that lead the people searching for them right to their location. A juvenile or young adult reader may be more entertained by the story, but I was mostly just calling her an idiot in my head the whole time.
I have read other books by this author before and enjoyed them. I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Duncan's work is better when it has a tinge of the supernatural.

[Kailyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun re-visit, although I think I liked it better when I was 12. Still, I look forward to re-reading some of her other books.

[Relyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

ICK! I have no idea if I am just sick to death of Lois Duncan and this project or if this book was as lame as I think it was. Either way, it was so dull and predictable, with such a spoiled, selfish main character that I ended up skimming the book. (I rarely skim.) A murder attempt and two actual murders and the book still couldn't hold my interest. UGH! After all that blech and being completely unbelievable, it still didn't end happily. Yes, I know that if you read the book, you will see that's exactly her point: “Life doesn't always have a happy ending.” Still, if you are going to write a sad story and with an unhappy ending. At least make it INTERESTING!!

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first thought while reading this book is "What's the point of the story?"
I didn't read the blurb so I didn't know what to expect. But, ladies and gentleman, if you want to be surprised in a good way, then this book is not for you.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really good--Duncan always does an A+ job with suspense. The actual story, though, was sort of overwhelmed for me by how irritated I was with April. I mean, I can understand the stupid thing she did in the hotel; she didn't really believe they were in danger. But when she runs away from home? Ugh. She risks her whole family's lives again, just because of her selfishness. I sort of wanted to strangle her. And yet, I think her reactions were really realistic, especially for a teenager in that kind of situation. I really liked the end--how it became a family decision to stay together and stay in hiding. It had to be a decision by all of them, or it would end the same way as the first time. I found the family's reactions to having to be in hiding a little hard to believe, though, in that not one of them really blamed the dad for the situation they were in, when it was completely his fault and his pride.

[Camden Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Lois Duncan book I've read and I'll probably start reading more from her. This book reminded me of R.L Stine's 'Fear Street' series but I personally enjoyed it more than the books I've read from that series. I loved how despite the mess that our main character, April, put herself through she was still able to embrace it and make something of it. I loved how the book concluded with it wrapping everything up with a nice little bow by showing where they are today. I would recommend if you're into those 90's teen crime books that are similar to R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' series.

[kylajaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, what a total tool the dad is. He's absolutely the worst. All the men in this book spray their manhood in every direction; it made me want to vomit.

[Kylee Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t Look Behind You by Lois Duncan

Reviewed by Kylee Palmer

✮✮✮✮

I haven’t never read any books from this author before, but maybe I will start. I really liked this book! The main character, 17 year old April Corrigan had a big change happen in her life. Her dad worked in an airport called Southern Skyways, and had been secretly working for the FBI also. One day on his job he found a bag left at the airport with drugs in it, and there was identification in it. After handing it over to the FBI they took him to court. He was supposed to testify but before he could court was adjourned for lunch. While everyone was leaving the courtroom the drug dealer shot at Aprils father, the shot was off target, so he wasn’t hurt.

After he was shot at, Aprils family went to a hotel so that the drug dealer couldn’t find them at their house. They had been there for about two months when they had to move to Florida to live with their dad, this was because the drug dealer had dressed up as a maid and tryed to break into their hotel room. While he had been pushing on the door trying to get in their bodyguard, Jim, had been just getting home and stopped him from getting inside. While they had been living in Florida they were informed that Jim had been murdered.

April made two friends in Florida named Larry and Kim, they were cousins, but she missed her old friends at home so she went to live with her grandmother but once she got there she found out something surprising. The drug dealer had disguised himself as a UPS man and got into her grandmothers apartment, and demanded to know where April and her family were, but when she couldn’t tell him he got frustrated and broke her arm. So April and her grandmother went back to Florida but when they got there, they weren’t the only ones that were there, the drug dealer was too. He locked them in a closet but once April escaped she had just enough time to run out to her car and lock the doors, she tryed to start it but couldn’t because she had left the headlights on and drained the battery. She got out and gave up, or so he thought she actually had a tennis racket in her hand and hit him as hard as she could with it which knocked him unconscious, and he fell in the ditch and drown.
The author used a lot of the same words too much, I think that if she would have used more words to explain it would have been a much better book, she uses the same terms a lot. In some parts of the book her word choice was really good though.

[Kade Gulluscio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book where the MC actually drives you insane? Like you get so frustrated with the MC and honestly debate not finishing the book because of that?!

This book was that for me. I almost DNF'd quite a few times, but i pushed through as it was for a reading challenge.

BUT MAN...... she drove me absolutely insane. She whined too much. She just was NOT likable, an dit really did take away from everything about the book.

Overall - would never pick this up again or recommend it out.

[Courtney Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of her books are so original and scary. Even though they were written in 1980s and 90s they are still great and really nothing like them for young adult thrillers.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving this book an extra star because I did this as re-read from when I was 14. Confession time: I absolutely hated reading (You can ask my dad, TED-yup that's his name...look him on on GR if you need some entertainment) Now maybe I hated reading because my parents gave me little house on the prairie (omg I seriously HATE those books, I even tried to read them as an adult....nope not for me! "Ancient" American Frontier books just are not the mustard I like on my pretzel) Okay trying to "circle back" to my review ) So anyway, I hated reading. Then my mom gave me a book "Don't Die My Love"-By Lurlene McDaniel (I also plan to reread this one as well) and it was like a light switch...I fell in LOVE with reading. This was my second book on my 20+ love affair with books. So I was eager to reread it now as an adult and see if it still was as good as I remember.
Not to big of a shocker, but it wasn't as "thrilling" and "shocking" as when I was a young teen with not much thriller experience. However I believe this book is a fantastic book for an early teen to dip their feet into the great world of thrillers.
I related so much to April (Tennis player, reddish hair, connection to NC) the main character.
But basically her family has to go into the Witness Protection Program when her dad testifies in a high stakes trial.
April does some pretty dumb teen girl things--like try to contact her boyfriend, but again, this a book for teens so you have to let her "dumbness" slide.

What I found most entertaining about this book was the fact that it was written late 80's/ early 90's so the references were hilarious. Like no cell phones, the TV had 10 channels, the fashion, no computers and how movie theaters showed 1 movie! Ohh and best of all PAPER MAPS!!!!!!

So thank you Lois Duncan for being the author that kept that fire burning.....

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why this was in my TBR list. I am giving three stars not because I liked it but because I was not the target audience. I don't like to skew the ratings when it was meant for me.
It was published in 1989 and intended for pre-teen or young teen.

[Hanna Enos · Rating 3 out of 5]

april pissed me off

[Jenny Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow great job Lois

[Bente Janssen]

I really like this book. I like how the Losi Duncan wrote this book.

[Alicia Neely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reference information:
Title Don’t Look Behind You
Author Lois Duncan
Publisher Laurel-Leaf Year 1989
# of pages 179 Genre Fiction
Reading level 6.4 Interest level grade 7-11
Potential hot lava: none

General response/reaction:
This book grabbed my attention from the first page. I absolutely loved the book! Duncan used a lot of good vocabulary that students would be able to understand, as well as situations all students can relate to. I was able to read this book in an hour and a half because it was a real page turner. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next and if everyone was going to make it out safely.

Subjects, Themes, and Big Ideas:
The main theme of the novel is loss of identity. The family is completely uprooted from all they knew; however, they stick together and everything turns out okay. While reading this novel, I realized that no matter what, as long as you have family, everything will turn out okay. Right after the uprooting, the family hopes that the changes will be temporary, but quickly start to realize that things will never go back to what they were. Another theme is acceptance because April is not able to change the past events, so she needs to be able to accept these changes and move on with her life.

Characters:
• April Corrigan/Valerie Weber - eleventh grade tennis star who has everything, until her family enters WPP and leaves everything behind
• Bram Corrigan/Jason Weber – eight year old brother who doesn’t understand why they moved
• Steve – April’s boyfriend who betrayed her as soon as she moved away
• Jim Peterson – bodyguard in charge of watching the Corrigan family who’s fate ended because Valerie was selfish


Plot summary:
April Corrigan had everything, until her family had to enter into the Witness Protection Program and change her name to Valerie Weber. Her father was working undercover for the FBI and his identity was revealed to a big hit mobster. The family was relocated to Florida and had a hard time keeping their identities secure. After multiple ‘slip-ups’ the mobster found Val and her grandma, Loralie. After a strong fight, the Corrigan family all survived and the mobster was killed. However, the family needed to be moved again because they knew that another mobster would be hired.

Strengths (including reviews and awards):
• New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
• ALA Best of the Best Book for Young Adults

Drawbacks or other cautions:
I do not think there would be any drawbacks.

Teaching ideas:
• What is revenge to you? How is revenge the driving force behind the Witness Protection Program? How is April the victim of revenge?
• Divide the class into two groups and get them to act out a suspenseful scene for the novel.
• Stop reading after chapter 14. How do you think the book will end? Make predictions in a paper as to what will happen to Valerie and the rest of the family.

[Jamey Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reread for me, but my first time reading the updated, modernized version. Lois Duncan kept me entertained from my tween years through adulthood, and I am having a great time revisiting the books I enjoyed so much in my youth.

I have noticed quite a few poor reviews based mainly on April’s immaturity and poor decisions. Well, she was a bit immature. She was a kid. She was a kid in a terrible situation, and without her selfish actions and teenaged selfish behavior, this wouldn’t have been much of a story.

I may be a bit biased, but I have loved Lois Duncan for four decades and feel a special loyalty to her. I miss her, but I’m glad to see her memory living on through her work that she loved so much. xx

[Courtney Gorges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t Look Behind You is a good book for 8th-12th graders to read. I think this is a good age because I don’t think kids in middle school would understand what is happening in this book. This is a good book for boys and girls. This book is about a family who is just like any other family, they go to school, have jobs and the mom takes care of the kids. April feels like her life is over when she learns that her father has been working undercover for the FBI and then the family must relocate under the Protection Programs. I thought that this book was interesting, I liked the intensity of the book and how fast paced it was. I would recommend other people to read this book.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the adults reading this old YA book complaining about the teen character have clearly forgotten what it’s like being a teen. Also, an adult would have trouble ditching their life, friends etc behind for witness protection much less a teen. As my daughter says, BE SO FOR REAL.
I enjoyed the book. When the one FBI guy dies and the other reaction was well he shouldn’t have taken the case if he couldn’t handle it, I was floored. So cold. I think in reality the other FBI agents would really mourn it. I found the ending a little melancholy. It was satisfying though and did end on a hopeful note.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't Look Behind You
Lois Duncan
1989

Read for the challenge: Character with your name. In this case, the character's name is April. The character starts out a bit shallow but she starts to grow up a bit by the end of the book.

2 1/2 stars - The plot was simple and saw pretty much everything before it happened.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book on tape. I think I read this before because I went through a huge Lois Duncan phase. The character in this book was so self absorbed it drove me nuts. She didn't connect any of her actions with the consequences that followed. Typical teenager? Maybe, but still annoying.

[Bronwyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

it is good for any child or teenager to read if you want to understand what the consequences of your actions can be if you only think of yourself, and if you want to learn what happens to people in the federal witness security program

[Falina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read any Lois Duncan in a while, and this was as dark and interesting as others that I remember.

Why do I enjoy reading teen fiction so much when actually being a teenager was so awful? I'm not sure.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character is so annoying. I want to beat her with her tennis racket.

[Christine US · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lois Duncan seems to have an ability to write whiny irritating self-important teenagers.

[Mary Gael · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread this today to commemorate duncan's passing earlier this month; this book was formative for me as a child. it's not as chilling, now, nearly a decade later, but just as fun

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book dont look behind you is so awesome. I really liked it a lot; some kids should red this book

[Autumn Wittbrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the book. I am really into mystery's so 'Don't Look Behind You' was a real hit. I recommend this book to any one who likes mystery's.