What do you think?
Rate this book
Without Looking Back
I used to be called Louis Whittaker, he thought to himself. I had a sister called Millie and a brother called Max. I used to live in a big house in Paris. I used to speak French every day. None of this is true anymore...
Louis is a young Parisian with a lot on his plate - his parents are locked in a custody battle over him and his brother and sister, Mum is always working late and Dad is rarely allowed to visit. But his passion and talent for dancing and his friends at school mean that life in Paris is good and certainly not one he ever thought he'd be forced to leave behind. So when Dad suddenly whisks Louis and his siblings away on a surprise holiday to England, right in the middle of the school term, he isn't too thrilled, especially as Dad is acting strangely again. Why is he being so secretive and paranoid - could it be he has not fully recovered from his mental breakdown? The rented farmhouse in the Lake District is nice, but why is Dad furnishing it and why won't he let them call home? Then Louis comes across a poster - a missing person's poster. And it has his face on it...
Louis is a young Parisian with a lot on his plate - his parents are locked in a custody battle over him and his brother and sister, Mum is always working late and Dad is rarely allowed to visit. But his passion and talent for dancing and his friends at school mean that life in Paris is good and certainly not one he ever thought he'd be forced to leave behind. So when Dad suddenly whisks Louis and his siblings away on a surprise holiday to England, right in the middle of the school term, he isn't too thrilled, especially as Dad is acting strangely again. Why is he being so secretive and paranoid - could it be he has not fully recovered from his mental breakdown? The rented farmhouse in the Lake District is nice, but why is Dad furnishing it and why won't he let them call home? Then Louis comes across a poster - a missing person's poster. And it has his face on it...
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2009
4 people are currently reading
901 people want to read
About the author
Tabitha Suzuma
6 books3,556 followersAdd me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tabitha.suzuma
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabithaSuzuma
Tabitha Suzuma was born in London, the eldest of five children. She attended a French school in the UK and grew up bilingual. However, she hated school and would sit at the back of the class and write stories, which she got away with because her teachers thought she was taking notes. Aged fourteen, Tabitha left school against her parents' wishes. She continued her education through distance learning and went on to study French Literature at King's College London.
After graduating, Tabitha trained as a primary school teacher and whilst teaching full-time, wrote her first novel.
A NOTE OF MADNESS tells the story of seventeen-year-old Flynn, a piano prodigy who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In 2004 Tabitha Suzuma left classroom teaching to divide her time between writing and tutoring. This gave her time to write her next four novels:
FROM WHERE I STAND - a psychological thriller about Raven, a deeply disturbed teenager in foster care who self-harms and harbours a dreadful secret.
WITHOUT LOOKING BACK - about teenage dance sensation Louis, who suddenly finds himself uprooted from his home and whisked abroad on holiday by his mentally unstable father, until he sees his face on a missing person's poster.
A VOICE IN THE DISTANCE - a sequel to A NOTE OF MADNESS about Flynn and his continuing struggle to cope with his bipolar disorder without jeopardising his career or losing the girl he loves.
FORBIDDEN - Maya and Lochan are in love... But they are brother and sister.
Published in six different languages, this is her most controversial and heart-breaking novel to date.
HURT (out Sept 2013) - At seventeen, Matheo Walsh is Britain's most promising diving champion. He is wealthy, popular - and there's Lola, the girlfriend of his dreams. But then there was that weekend. A weekend he cannot bring himself to remember. All he knows is that what happened has changed him. Mathéo is faced with the most devastating choice of his life. Keep his secret, and put those closest to him in terrible danger. Or confess, and lose Lola for ever . . .
Tabitha Suzuma's books have been nominated for a number of awards including the Carnegie Medal, the Waterstone's Book Prize, the Jugendliteraturpreis and the Branford Boase Book Award. She has won the Young Minds Award, the Stockport Book Award, and the Premio Speciale Cariparma for European Literature.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabithaSuzuma
Tabitha Suzuma was born in London, the eldest of five children. She attended a French school in the UK and grew up bilingual. However, she hated school and would sit at the back of the class and write stories, which she got away with because her teachers thought she was taking notes. Aged fourteen, Tabitha left school against her parents' wishes. She continued her education through distance learning and went on to study French Literature at King's College London.
After graduating, Tabitha trained as a primary school teacher and whilst teaching full-time, wrote her first novel.
A NOTE OF MADNESS tells the story of seventeen-year-old Flynn, a piano prodigy who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In 2004 Tabitha Suzuma left classroom teaching to divide her time between writing and tutoring. This gave her time to write her next four novels:
FROM WHERE I STAND - a psychological thriller about Raven, a deeply disturbed teenager in foster care who self-harms and harbours a dreadful secret.
WITHOUT LOOKING BACK - about teenage dance sensation Louis, who suddenly finds himself uprooted from his home and whisked abroad on holiday by his mentally unstable father, until he sees his face on a missing person's poster.
A VOICE IN THE DISTANCE - a sequel to A NOTE OF MADNESS about Flynn and his continuing struggle to cope with his bipolar disorder without jeopardising his career or losing the girl he loves.
FORBIDDEN - Maya and Lochan are in love... But they are brother and sister.
Published in six different languages, this is her most controversial and heart-breaking novel to date.
HURT (out Sept 2013) - At seventeen, Matheo Walsh is Britain's most promising diving champion. He is wealthy, popular - and there's Lola, the girlfriend of his dreams. But then there was that weekend. A weekend he cannot bring himself to remember. All he knows is that what happened has changed him. Mathéo is faced with the most devastating choice of his life. Keep his secret, and put those closest to him in terrible danger. Or confess, and lose Lola for ever . . .
Tabitha Suzuma's books have been nominated for a number of awards including the Carnegie Medal, the Waterstone's Book Prize, the Jugendliteraturpreis and the Branford Boase Book Award. She has won the Young Minds Award, the Stockport Book Award, and the Premio Speciale Cariparma for European Literature.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 13, 2011
How do you make a new start when everything you are has to be left behind or hidden away? Could you let go of everything that made you unique in this world or made you—“you”? How do you make a decision knowing whatever you decide your family will get hurt?
Without Looking Back by Tabitha Suzuma tells the story of a family torn apart by divorce, anger, and a bitter custody battle. The children—Max, Louis, and Millie—are caught in the middle. Their father whisks them away from their lives in Paris leaving their school, friends, routines, and mother behind. Readers experience the guilt, pain, and conflict within this family through Louis’s eyes and voice, but we definitely learn to love and get to know all the children. Their powerful story and voices will touch your heart.
Tabitha Suzuma, who first captured my attention with Forbidden, brings this story to life with beautiful, simple, heart wrenching descriptions and emotion. Ms. Suzuma pulled me right into this family. Her writing style embraces all of my senses, tugs on my heart, and stirs up quite a debate in my head on yet another controversial and painful topic. I can feel the pain and conflict within these characters. A trip to the beach in this story can make me feel the warm sand under my toes, wind in my hair, and salt on my skin! Believe me, what this book does with emotion will tear your heart to shreds! Louis, Millie, and Max felt so real to me. Each wrestling match, race, smirk, look, sigh, or conversation captured all the camaraderie, love, closeness, and competiveness of a sibling relationship perfectly!
One of my favorite parts of Ms. Suzuma’s style of writing though is that she allows the readers to experience the story and decide how they feel. With such honesty and patience, she allows the story to unfold on the page and in your heart. I never get the impression she is telling readers which side of the situation to fall on or even if there is a right or wrong side.
This story is one to experience and embrace. It will definitely remain in your heart and make you think. How can these children make such a decision—one parent or the other? How can our society ask them to make such a decision? The sad thing is so many children do not even have a choice. The law decides for them.
This story broke my heart! Ms. Suzuma has a knack of doing that to me though.
Without Looking Back by Tabitha Suzuma tells the story of a family torn apart by divorce, anger, and a bitter custody battle. The children—Max, Louis, and Millie—are caught in the middle. Their father whisks them away from their lives in Paris leaving their school, friends, routines, and mother behind. Readers experience the guilt, pain, and conflict within this family through Louis’s eyes and voice, but we definitely learn to love and get to know all the children. Their powerful story and voices will touch your heart.
Tabitha Suzuma, who first captured my attention with Forbidden, brings this story to life with beautiful, simple, heart wrenching descriptions and emotion. Ms. Suzuma pulled me right into this family. Her writing style embraces all of my senses, tugs on my heart, and stirs up quite a debate in my head on yet another controversial and painful topic. I can feel the pain and conflict within these characters. A trip to the beach in this story can make me feel the warm sand under my toes, wind in my hair, and salt on my skin! Believe me, what this book does with emotion will tear your heart to shreds! Louis, Millie, and Max felt so real to me. Each wrestling match, race, smirk, look, sigh, or conversation captured all the camaraderie, love, closeness, and competiveness of a sibling relationship perfectly!
One of my favorite parts of Ms. Suzuma’s style of writing though is that she allows the readers to experience the story and decide how they feel. With such honesty and patience, she allows the story to unfold on the page and in your heart. I never get the impression she is telling readers which side of the situation to fall on or even if there is a right or wrong side.
This story is one to experience and embrace. It will definitely remain in your heart and make you think. How can these children make such a decision—one parent or the other? How can our society ask them to make such a decision? The sad thing is so many children do not even have a choice. The law decides for them.
This story broke my heart! Ms. Suzuma has a knack of doing that to me though.
April 26, 2019
I'm on the dad's side, true what he did was selfish but I understand him way more then I do the mother. She's never there and the dad was the one who pratically raised them but because of mental health issues she wants to cut his time with the children to basically nothing.
What we see of her gives me this distant figure and like the kids when thier dad is like it's either me or your mom like this is your choice and they're so quick and so easy to pick thier dad because they're closer to him and like the decision is hardly a struggle to just leave thier mom behind and that speaks volumes for how crappy of a parent she is if her kids barely find it a struggle to choose staying with the dad who just kidnapped them.
The fact that the dad wanted split custody despite having been there more for his children and she just wanted full custody all because he fucked up that one time.
I really feel Louis is not going back for his mom either but is going back because in France he can make dancing an career while on the run with his father he could not. Like yeah his mom is part of the reason but I feel she was a smaller part of his overall decision.
I get why the book ended on him leaving but still I would have preferred the epilogue to be in the future when they're reunited to give some answers.
What we see of her gives me this distant figure and like the kids when thier dad is like it's either me or your mom like this is your choice and they're so quick and so easy to pick thier dad because they're closer to him and like the decision is hardly a struggle to just leave thier mom behind and that speaks volumes for how crappy of a parent she is if her kids barely find it a struggle to choose staying with the dad who just kidnapped them.
The fact that the dad wanted split custody despite having been there more for his children and she just wanted full custody all because he fucked up that one time.
I really feel Louis is not going back for his mom either but is going back because in France he can make dancing an career while on the run with his father he could not. Like yeah his mom is part of the reason but I feel she was a smaller part of his overall decision.
I get why the book ended on him leaving but still I would have preferred the epilogue to be in the future when they're reunited to give some answers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2015
3.5 stars
My last Tabitha Suzuma book…T.T unless she writes another one sometime! They are all pretty good reads, although this one wasn’t particularly my favorite. I think the best two remain Forbidden and From Where I Stand. But Zoë, when are you going to talk about THIS book you twat? Okay, okay, onto the book itself now.
This wasn’t a bad book—in fact it started off good. But the second half is where it started to fall down for me =/ I actually thought it was going to go in a completely different direction.
The Characters
The characters were very complex and real. Even though they are all pretty flawed in their own ways, I still found myself caring about them and wanting each of them to be okay. I know I’m not supposed to, but I really felt bad for the father, even though what he did was horribly wrong and unfair to his children. Not to mention risky as hell! It could’ve had even more dire consequences than they did. Especially during the part where Louis starts to shout at him about having found at, after the dad said, “The perfect ending to the perfect day.” The irony. I didn’t really know which parent’s side to take—both of them did wrong, as far as I’m concerned. The father, obviously, put his kids in a very tough position, but the mother shouldn’t have made it so that they would never see their father again either. It was very difficult for me to support either one of them. Poor kids.
But the person I felt the most sorry for though was Millie, because her poor cat got left behind! Yes, I know people will be like, “Oh, the mother can just take care of the cat, Millie can get a new cat, blah blah…” Those people clearly don’t understand what a pet truly means to someone. If it were my cat, I’d go back to her in a flash. :P
Max and Miss Kano were probably my least favorite characters. Nope, wait—that would go to Tess’s mom. She was annoying from the beginning but then when she decided to read her daughter’s diary and get into everybody else’s business, maaaaan…I wanted to hurt her. Parents who do that are despicable. She disrupted the peaceful life they’d finally made there, not to mention she invaded her daughter’s privacy. I would never trust her again if I were Tess.
Speaking of Tess, I still don’t really know whether I liked her or not. She was kind of annoying. Kind of. But it’s easy to overlook when she’s so nice at the same time. But she does stupid things though…like leave her vulnerable diary with very PERSONAL information in it that’s not even hers, lying around for her stupid mom to find. Luckily though she went and warned the others, so I guess that makes her not completely useless.
The Plot
There were so many unanswered questions at the end!
-How did Louis’s mother react?
-Will Louis ever reunite with his father, brother, and sister? How do they fair after he leaves?
-Will Louis go back to dancing in Paris, go back to the same school, go back to his same friends?
-Will any of them ever see Tess again?
-Are Treasure and Tresor okay?
Seriously. I could’ve done with a lot more answers. I even could’ve done with a super sad, super depressing ending like a lot of her books, if only everything was tied up. But this felt so rushed and abrupt. It just ended. It could’ve been a little longer and expanded a little more, as it wasn’t a very long book to begin with. When I saw the word “Epilogue” I was like, Already?! I thought what was going to happen was that they’d eventually get caught and, in devastating Tabitha Suzuma-fashion, the father would go to jail. I’m not saying I wanted that to happen, I just think that would’ve been the most realistic ending. Although, perhaps predictable.
The first half of the book kept me really engrossed, although I think it took a little long for them to find out what we already knew. But I still think the build-up was good and I could believe it through their eyes, even if in the back of my head I already knew what was coming. The second half of the book took a huge turn that I wasn’t expecting though, and I’m not sure I liked it. First they brought in a little romance—or, I should say, potential for some romance, even though the main character is 12. And I get it, 12-year olds have hormones and whatnot, and he had an innocent crush on a girl, but I still wish there could’ve been no mention of romance at all. I also thought the way they’d settled in so easily was a little unrealistic. I don’t think they covered their tracks that well, and I didn’t really understand why the dad let Louis take the dance class in the first place when it was obvious it would end up exposing them in some way or another. When on the run, you have to remain inconspicuous and somewhat hidden, even if it’s not always fun. Surely they knew they wouldn’t be able to get away with this.
Meh. Not the best Suzuma work, but if she writes another book, you now I’ll be all over that like bees on honey. Most of her books are SPECTACULAR and I am proud to say I have now read all of them. And one thing she always succeeds at no matter what is creating good characters. Which, let me tell you, a lot of authors fail miserably at.
My last Tabitha Suzuma book…T.T unless she writes another one sometime! They are all pretty good reads, although this one wasn’t particularly my favorite. I think the best two remain Forbidden and From Where I Stand. But Zoë, when are you going to talk about THIS book you twat? Okay, okay, onto the book itself now.
This wasn’t a bad book—in fact it started off good. But the second half is where it started to fall down for me =/ I actually thought it was going to go in a completely different direction.
The Characters
The characters were very complex and real. Even though they are all pretty flawed in their own ways, I still found myself caring about them and wanting each of them to be okay. I know I’m not supposed to, but I really felt bad for the father, even though what he did was horribly wrong and unfair to his children. Not to mention risky as hell! It could’ve had even more dire consequences than they did. Especially during the part where Louis starts to shout at him about having found at, after the dad said, “The perfect ending to the perfect day.” The irony. I didn’t really know which parent’s side to take—both of them did wrong, as far as I’m concerned. The father, obviously, put his kids in a very tough position, but the mother shouldn’t have made it so that they would never see their father again either. It was very difficult for me to support either one of them. Poor kids.
But the person I felt the most sorry for though was Millie, because her poor cat got left behind! Yes, I know people will be like, “Oh, the mother can just take care of the cat, Millie can get a new cat, blah blah…” Those people clearly don’t understand what a pet truly means to someone. If it were my cat, I’d go back to her in a flash. :P
Max and Miss Kano were probably my least favorite characters. Nope, wait—that would go to Tess’s mom. She was annoying from the beginning but then when she decided to read her daughter’s diary and get into everybody else’s business, maaaaan…I wanted to hurt her. Parents who do that are despicable. She disrupted the peaceful life they’d finally made there, not to mention she invaded her daughter’s privacy. I would never trust her again if I were Tess.
Speaking of Tess, I still don’t really know whether I liked her or not. She was kind of annoying. Kind of. But it’s easy to overlook when she’s so nice at the same time. But she does stupid things though…like leave her vulnerable diary with very PERSONAL information in it that’s not even hers, lying around for her stupid mom to find. Luckily though she went and warned the others, so I guess that makes her not completely useless.
The Plot
There were so many unanswered questions at the end!
-How did Louis’s mother react?
-Will Louis ever reunite with his father, brother, and sister? How do they fair after he leaves?
-Will Louis go back to dancing in Paris, go back to the same school, go back to his same friends?
-Will any of them ever see Tess again?
-Are Treasure and Tresor okay?
Seriously. I could’ve done with a lot more answers. I even could’ve done with a super sad, super depressing ending like a lot of her books, if only everything was tied up. But this felt so rushed and abrupt. It just ended. It could’ve been a little longer and expanded a little more, as it wasn’t a very long book to begin with. When I saw the word “Epilogue” I was like, Already?! I thought what was going to happen was that they’d eventually get caught and, in devastating Tabitha Suzuma-fashion, the father would go to jail. I’m not saying I wanted that to happen, I just think that would’ve been the most realistic ending. Although, perhaps predictable.
The first half of the book kept me really engrossed, although I think it took a little long for them to find out what we already knew. But I still think the build-up was good and I could believe it through their eyes, even if in the back of my head I already knew what was coming. The second half of the book took a huge turn that I wasn’t expecting though, and I’m not sure I liked it. First they brought in a little romance—or, I should say, potential for some romance, even though the main character is 12. And I get it, 12-year olds have hormones and whatnot, and he had an innocent crush on a girl, but I still wish there could’ve been no mention of romance at all. I also thought the way they’d settled in so easily was a little unrealistic. I don’t think they covered their tracks that well, and I didn’t really understand why the dad let Louis take the dance class in the first place when it was obvious it would end up exposing them in some way or another. When on the run, you have to remain inconspicuous and somewhat hidden, even if it’s not always fun. Surely they knew they wouldn’t be able to get away with this.
Meh. Not the best Suzuma work, but if she writes another book, you now I’ll be all over that like bees on honey. Most of her books are SPECTACULAR and I am proud to say I have now read all of them. And one thing she always succeeds at no matter what is creating good characters. Which, let me tell you, a lot of authors fail miserably at.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2018
Not the author’s best, but I devoured and loved it nonetheless. Amazing concept and decent execution. On to the next Suzuma novel!
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
February 4, 2022
Tell why this is one the best coming of age ➕family drama books I have read in a long time.
March 25, 2016
it's my least favourite book that has written by Miss suzuma.
I can't write much about this book
I can't write much about this book
May 6, 2020
I love this book. You may think that it hasn't got frontline action and tense moments but that doesn't stop it being a good book. You don't know much at all at the start of the book but then you learn lots more and begin taking sides with all the different characters. There are a lot of different arguments and with each one you find yourself taking sides. What i like is that it is not written so that you always take the main character's side.
It is a great book and now because of it i will read from where i stand also by her.
It is a great book and now because of it i will read from where i stand also by her.
January 1, 2022
I somehow managed to accidentally read the last sentence of this book days before I started reading it, so the twist in the epilogue didn't hit me as hard as it could've. The first twist was very inevitable and predictable. It's interesting to see Suzuma take on a middle grade approach considering the serious subject matter of her other books. There was quite an open ending so I'm hoping for a sequel. In terms of Suzuma's writing this was underwhelming, but a fun book nonetheless.
May 8, 2022
I am a big fan of Tabitha Suzuma but this is my least favourite. A good idea and the set up was good but the timeline and age of the main protagonist against thoughts and behaviour raised too many doubtful questions. Suzuma is always worth a read.
August 7, 2017
I regret the time I spent reading this.
July 4, 2020
The ending was rubbish.
October 3, 2021
Disappointed by this one, too
January 19, 2022
It ended in the middle of the story. The book felt a little long at some points but the ending is the just sucked.
Definitely needs a sequel.
Definitely needs a sequel.
May 24, 2025
read as a child - approx '09-'12
June 9, 2015
*SPOILERS*
What would happen If all you knew was taken away? Without looking back, a novel written by Tabitha Suzuma, is about a boy named Louis who is put in this situation. Louis is a dancer and is preparing for a big competition. Then suddenly out of the blue their father, who has recently split up from their mother, decided to take them on holiday. Little did they know that their whole life was about to change. Louis, Millie his younger sister and Max his older brother are taken to England for a “holiday”, when they were out for the day Louis comes across a missing person sign with his face on it. When they get home Louis wants to know the truth. His father tells them that he had lost the custody battle against their mother and if he hadn't kidnapped them, then he would never see them again. Louis, his brother and his sister are left with lots of decisions. But the main one is, ‘Do I stay with Dad?’
Louis the main character in this novel is an amazing dancer and his life has been turned upside down when his father whisks them away right before a big dance competition. Millie, Max and Louis all believe that they are going on holiday. But when his father starts acting strange, Louis becomes suspicious. Not letting them call home, Not letting them talk to strangers and changing their names, These are some of the things that the were made to do by their father. I think Louis is very brave when he finds out that his life going forward would all be about lying. I am a dancer, friend, daughter, i have Brownish-blonde hair, hazel eyes. What would happen if i gave this all up? Well I wouldn’t be me anymore, this is exactly the kind of experience that Louis, Millie and Max had to go though.
An important relationship in the novel, is between Louis, Max and Millie. This is important because even though their lives have been turned upside down they still loved each other. This tragic event could have destroyed the relationship between Louis,Max and Millie, but they stuck together and made sure that everyone was okay. For any family that has to go through divorce it is soul destroying. A quote from Statistics New Zealand said that “About one-third of marriages end in divorce”. This is means that lots of children have gone through this process. But there are also no real statistics on child kidnapping in New Zealand, but we all know that it is a real problem. Louis and his family has all gone though both of these issues and have been torn away from both of their parents.
I think the most important part of the book is the ending, as louis has a very important decision to make regarding who he stays with. In the last chapter Louis, Max, Millie and their father have been caught by the police. Just before the police get their Louis, max and millie go and get their father, who is in a very important meeting. Their father decides to flee the country. Louis Makes a decision that he is tired of lying and hiding and he wants to go back to France where his mother is. It is an emotional time for Max and Millie as they will probably never see Louis again, but Max makes a promise to come and find Louis when Max is 16 the legal age in France to leave your parents. If I had a choice I would have done exactly the same thing. hiding and running all the time, having to be alert to c=keep your identity a secret would have been tiering. I believe that Louis spent just the right amount of time with his father to say goodbye.
In conclusion, I believe this book allows you to experience everything that is going on with that family. You become very attached with the characters and feel as though you're on the run. I like how the book ends as it leaves you in suspense. I think the way Suzuma, Wrote the book leaves you with some unanswered questions, like what will happen to Louis or Max and Millie, Will the father go to jail? This makes you want more but i think a sequel will ruin it. If you want an engaging read you must try this book. I found once i started reading this book i couldn’t put it down. I think Tabitha Suzuma has captured a family, that is going through a relatable subject to most teenagers today.
What would happen If all you knew was taken away? Without looking back, a novel written by Tabitha Suzuma, is about a boy named Louis who is put in this situation. Louis is a dancer and is preparing for a big competition. Then suddenly out of the blue their father, who has recently split up from their mother, decided to take them on holiday. Little did they know that their whole life was about to change. Louis, Millie his younger sister and Max his older brother are taken to England for a “holiday”, when they were out for the day Louis comes across a missing person sign with his face on it. When they get home Louis wants to know the truth. His father tells them that he had lost the custody battle against their mother and if he hadn't kidnapped them, then he would never see them again. Louis, his brother and his sister are left with lots of decisions. But the main one is, ‘Do I stay with Dad?’
Louis the main character in this novel is an amazing dancer and his life has been turned upside down when his father whisks them away right before a big dance competition. Millie, Max and Louis all believe that they are going on holiday. But when his father starts acting strange, Louis becomes suspicious. Not letting them call home, Not letting them talk to strangers and changing their names, These are some of the things that the were made to do by their father. I think Louis is very brave when he finds out that his life going forward would all be about lying. I am a dancer, friend, daughter, i have Brownish-blonde hair, hazel eyes. What would happen if i gave this all up? Well I wouldn’t be me anymore, this is exactly the kind of experience that Louis, Millie and Max had to go though.
An important relationship in the novel, is between Louis, Max and Millie. This is important because even though their lives have been turned upside down they still loved each other. This tragic event could have destroyed the relationship between Louis,Max and Millie, but they stuck together and made sure that everyone was okay. For any family that has to go through divorce it is soul destroying. A quote from Statistics New Zealand said that “About one-third of marriages end in divorce”. This is means that lots of children have gone through this process. But there are also no real statistics on child kidnapping in New Zealand, but we all know that it is a real problem. Louis and his family has all gone though both of these issues and have been torn away from both of their parents.
I think the most important part of the book is the ending, as louis has a very important decision to make regarding who he stays with. In the last chapter Louis, Max, Millie and their father have been caught by the police. Just before the police get their Louis, max and millie go and get their father, who is in a very important meeting. Their father decides to flee the country. Louis Makes a decision that he is tired of lying and hiding and he wants to go back to France where his mother is. It is an emotional time for Max and Millie as they will probably never see Louis again, but Max makes a promise to come and find Louis when Max is 16 the legal age in France to leave your parents. If I had a choice I would have done exactly the same thing. hiding and running all the time, having to be alert to c=keep your identity a secret would have been tiering. I believe that Louis spent just the right amount of time with his father to say goodbye.
In conclusion, I believe this book allows you to experience everything that is going on with that family. You become very attached with the characters and feel as though you're on the run. I like how the book ends as it leaves you in suspense. I think the way Suzuma, Wrote the book leaves you with some unanswered questions, like what will happen to Louis or Max and Millie, Will the father go to jail? This makes you want more but i think a sequel will ruin it. If you want an engaging read you must try this book. I found once i started reading this book i couldn’t put it down. I think Tabitha Suzuma has captured a family, that is going through a relatable subject to most teenagers today.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2017
I have never read a book like this before, I was so interesting. It helps you get an entirely different perspective for all this kind of thing seen in the news. A lot of it was really shocking, the kind of things like the divorce, the court case it was all very realistic reasons why this happened. Their dad decided to kidnap Louis, Max and Millie across the country as he wanted his kids. Which yeah everyone wants their kids but it's obviously not right how it happened. Their mother was putting up wanted posters and had no idea where they were but their entire appearance had changed from hair style, colour, contacts.
For a few months they began to settle down, start clubs, go to school and make friends. Louis got close with another girl who danced, I was sensing a love element beginning and really didn't want anything to happen. She kisses his brother Max, he's older and it all felt very unnecessary to me, this book would have worked fine without any love story parts.
It was clever to see how each child reacted to the situation and having to remember their names, make new friends and live in an entirely new place compared to Paris.
They got very close to being caught several times, the police came as she wrote about this in her diary and they ran, got on a plane. But Louis made the decision that he wanted to go back to his mother. His father didn't stop him and he phoned his other and the booked ended.
I would have really liked to have seen what happened after, or in the future, I felt so let down by not knowing what happened after, which I think would have been a major plot point and could have been such a good epilogue. Did they all return home after? Did the father go to jail? How did the mother react? How were Louis' friends? etc. So many questions.
Overall this book was very interesting and had a unique perspective about real world issue.
For a few months they began to settle down, start clubs, go to school and make friends. Louis got close with another girl who danced, I was sensing a love element beginning and really didn't want anything to happen. She kisses his brother Max, he's older and it all felt very unnecessary to me, this book would have worked fine without any love story parts.
It was clever to see how each child reacted to the situation and having to remember their names, make new friends and live in an entirely new place compared to Paris.
They got very close to being caught several times, the police came as she wrote about this in her diary and they ran, got on a plane. But Louis made the decision that he wanted to go back to his mother. His father didn't stop him and he phoned his other and the booked ended.
I would have really liked to have seen what happened after, or in the future, I felt so let down by not knowing what happened after, which I think would have been a major plot point and could have been such a good epilogue. Did they all return home after? Did the father go to jail? How did the mother react? How were Louis' friends? etc. So many questions.
Overall this book was very interesting and had a unique perspective about real world issue.
February 13, 2011
This was a hard book to rate with stars because I liked it but yet I didn't love it. Usually when that happens I give the books a 3 stars even though they may deserve more then that, but obviously not too much more because I didn't "love" it....
So with that being said, "Without looking back" is about a child custody battle. Three children, Max-the oldest at 14, Louise-the middle child at 12 and Millie-the youngest at 8 live with their mother in Paris and only see their father every other weekend, but as of the first part of the book, their father is only going to be able to only see his kids one weekend a month and they will be supervised visits!
Their father can't settle with that decision and so decides to take his children and disappear with them. He tells them that they are taking a mini vacation and so starts the lies and mistruths that he tells them. That is until Louise sees a missing persons poster with his and his siblings face on it. After seeing that he confronts his father and his father tells them everything and tells them that it is their decision whether they want to stay with him or go back with their mother. I personally think that that is a huge decision to put on kids...especially since their father will have to disappear and his children won't be able to see or talk to him until they are 16years old and can make their own decisions according to the law. But I also understand that their father is giving them that choice because of his love for them (even though the inital taking of his kids was for selfish reasons).
The rest of the story is about them changing their names and appearance and them trying to fit in with society, but yet keep their former lives a secret, which is hard for anyone to do...especially kids!
And that is basically what the story is about. It was good and the writing was good and I liked that since it took place in Paris and then England I got to learn how they used some words or how they said certain things. That was interesting...and it wasn't too much so it easy for me to understand everything...which I guess it would have still been easy to understand regardless...
The characters were likeable and well developed. I only wish that there would have been more drama...more intense moments or what have you. I also wish that the thing with Tessa and Max was expanded on-that seemed just thrown in... And I wish that I would have known what their mother was doing back in Paris...what she was going through or feeling.
All in all this was a good book and I think you should check it out. If you like the drama like I do or the more intense books this book may be a bit slow or fall a bit flat to you, but I still think you should at least give it a chance. Maybe check it out from you local library.
So with that being said, "Without looking back" is about a child custody battle. Three children, Max-the oldest at 14, Louise-the middle child at 12 and Millie-the youngest at 8 live with their mother in Paris and only see their father every other weekend, but as of the first part of the book, their father is only going to be able to only see his kids one weekend a month and they will be supervised visits!
Their father can't settle with that decision and so decides to take his children and disappear with them. He tells them that they are taking a mini vacation and so starts the lies and mistruths that he tells them. That is until Louise sees a missing persons poster with his and his siblings face on it. After seeing that he confronts his father and his father tells them everything and tells them that it is their decision whether they want to stay with him or go back with their mother. I personally think that that is a huge decision to put on kids...especially since their father will have to disappear and his children won't be able to see or talk to him until they are 16years old and can make their own decisions according to the law. But I also understand that their father is giving them that choice because of his love for them (even though the inital taking of his kids was for selfish reasons).
The rest of the story is about them changing their names and appearance and them trying to fit in with society, but yet keep their former lives a secret, which is hard for anyone to do...especially kids!
And that is basically what the story is about. It was good and the writing was good and I liked that since it took place in Paris and then England I got to learn how they used some words or how they said certain things. That was interesting...and it wasn't too much so it easy for me to understand everything...which I guess it would have still been easy to understand regardless...
The characters were likeable and well developed. I only wish that there would have been more drama...more intense moments or what have you. I also wish that the thing with Tessa and Max was expanded on-that seemed just thrown in... And I wish that I would have known what their mother was doing back in Paris...what she was going through or feeling.
All in all this was a good book and I think you should check it out. If you like the drama like I do or the more intense books this book may be a bit slow or fall a bit flat to you, but I still think you should at least give it a chance. Maybe check it out from you local library.
September 23, 2018
This book centers around the complicated and messy situation of a custody battle. Two divorced parents, one living in France, the other in England. Three kids, all of them loved by each parent. One who can barely get any time with them (I bet you can guess which one) and decides to take matters into his own hands, taking them for himself under the disguise of a surprise vacation (in the middle of the schoolyear) and they then have to eventually change their names (First and last). The dad is also of course, very paranoid about letting them out in public too much. Not exactly the best course of action (especially when the kids don’t know what they’re getting into at first, and when there isn’t a sturdy foolproof plan in mind). It’s all a very intense build-up that had my stomach in knots, waiting for the kids to find out what’s really going on, waiting to see what will happen as a result. You just know how risky and dangerous it all is. There are all types of outcomes to this sort of thing—sometimes the kids get found, sometimes they never get found…think about all the missing people out there, who’ve been missing for years…SOME of them might’ve been taken by a relative and have been living under a different identity, this entire time.
All of the characters are realistic, well-rounded, and have their reasons for doing what they do or reacting the way they react. Even if I didn’t always agree with them or their decisions, I sympathized with or understood all of them. The only two characters I didn’t like were Tess and her mom. Tess was highly neglectful, careless, and irresponsible, she couldn’t even Her mom was a meddlesome little girl who snoops around where she doesn’t belong. Parents who don’t allow their children to have any privacy are gross. I suppose this was one way of creating conflict and climax though. This books really needs a sequel though, because there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end. It doesn’t feel like the story is complete at all.
I will always be waiting for that sequel ^_^
All of the characters are realistic, well-rounded, and have their reasons for doing what they do or reacting the way they react. Even if I didn’t always agree with them or their decisions, I sympathized with or understood all of them. The only two characters I didn’t like were Tess and her mom. Tess was highly neglectful, careless, and irresponsible, she couldn’t even Her mom was a meddlesome little girl who snoops around where she doesn’t belong. Parents who don’t allow their children to have any privacy are gross. I suppose this was one way of creating conflict and climax though. This books really needs a sequel though, because there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end. It doesn’t feel like the story is complete at all.
I will always be waiting for that sequel ^_^
February 2, 2014
Suzuma is definitely becoming one of my favourite authors. This is the second book of hers that I have read, and although I preferred the other one a little bit more, I still utterly loved this one. The thing I really like about her books is that she deals with topics that we all know and think about, but barely ever read about - well, in teenage books, anyway. This novel was about a depressed father taking his three children away from France to Paris after he lost the custody battle with his ex-wife. From the beginning, the reader knows about them being abducted, and for the first half of the book you are just sat waiting for one of them to find out. And they do halfway through the story, just like I said - which confused me. All I could think of was, what is going to happen for the rest of the book? I don't want to spoil what happens, but I thought it was an excellent twist to what I was expecting, and the ending was fantastic - again, totally unexpected but perfect. Suzuma shows in this novel that situations like these are far more complicated than we can understand, and she shows this so beautifully. As you read, you really become attached to the characters of Louis, Max and Millie - and even their kidnapping Father. At the end I could feel tears welling up in m eyes , and I just wish there had been one more chapter, because it kind of ends on a cliffhanger. You want to find out what happens to the family - do they get caught, or do they get away with it? What does Max do when he hits sixteen? What does Louis do when he hits sixteen? However, a sequel just wouldn't be good for this book - it is so amazing and moving as it is. My praise for Suzuma is endless and I hope to read some of her other books in the future.
April 13, 2025
"Then why are you so miserable, my love?"
Louis took a slow breath. Because I had a mother, he wanted to say. She wasn't always a good mother. She worked long hours and snapped at us and was always rude about our father. But she was our mother. But he couldn't say it.
Without Looking Back is about Louis, who, together with his brother and sister, is taken away by his father when he loses custody rights. It does what Suzuma does best: taking a story that seems clear-cut, and making very clear it is anything but. There are no villains in this story. The children struggle with missing their mother, but otherwise, really do prefer living with their dad. Their desperate father wants nothing more than for them to stay with him, but really do give them a choice.
Still, for some reason this one didn't hit as hard as most of Suzuma's other books. Part of it is surely the fact that this one is aimed at younger readers. Part of it is also that for the first 100 or so pages you as a reader know what is going on - and not just because you've read the blurb, because the missing poster scene is literally the prologue - while Louis is still figuring it out. I think that kind of disconnect kept me from really identifying with Louis.
The ending was amazing, though.
Recommend if: You're interested in complicated family dynamics.
Avoid if: You're looking for high intensity.
Content warnings: Divorce, parental child abduction
October 5, 2014
Without Looking Back follows the story of three French kids Louis (12), Max (14) and Millie (8) who are taken by there father to England, deeming it a "surprise" trip.
This was in fact not the truth. There father had taken the children away from their mother who had won sole custody of them. After settling down their world tumbles apart. The book ends with Millie, Max and the father boarding a plane, with Louis staying behind to go live with his mum.
So I finished this book today, and I am disappointed with the ending. I feel like it could have done with an added 20+ pages, to make the ending more secure/concrete.
I was REALLY interested in this story when I read the blurb it sounded so great.
And it was great. I just didn't love it.
There were just parts I didn't understand. For example, when Max asks about his missing mobile, he only asks for it once, and then what completely forgets about it again? No 14 year old technological lover would just not ask about it again.
I just feel that those kids would have asked questions more often, or noticed that something was very off.
Overall I did enjoy the story greatly, and was sad to see the family part their separate ways in the end.
I think that anyone should read this book, its great! I just didn't fall in love with it like i'd hoped too! And it was well written in my opinion. :)
This was in fact not the truth. There father had taken the children away from their mother who had won sole custody of them. After settling down their world tumbles apart. The book ends with Millie, Max and the father boarding a plane, with Louis staying behind to go live with his mum.
So I finished this book today, and I am disappointed with the ending. I feel like it could have done with an added 20+ pages, to make the ending more secure/concrete.
I was REALLY interested in this story when I read the blurb it sounded so great.
And it was great. I just didn't love it.
There were just parts I didn't understand. For example, when Max asks about his missing mobile, he only asks for it once, and then what completely forgets about it again? No 14 year old technological lover would just not ask about it again.
I just feel that those kids would have asked questions more often, or noticed that something was very off.
Overall I did enjoy the story greatly, and was sad to see the family part their separate ways in the end.
I think that anyone should read this book, its great! I just didn't fall in love with it like i'd hoped too! And it was well written in my opinion. :)
May 5, 2014
This was the second book I've read from Tabitha Suzuma. While I did enjoy it, I didn't quite love it as much as “Forbidden”. I was expecting something a bit more controversial but instead it turned out to be rather tame. “Without Looking Back” is definitely for younger readers. Fortunately, Tabitha's writing is always entertaining no matter what age group it is geared towards.
My heart went out to the children in this story. I couldn’t imagine having to make a decision like they were forced to; a decision that came with some terrible repercussions no matter which option they chose. Louis however, faced the toughest decision and I felt he chose the least selfless option. Sacrificing your happiness for the sake of others is a challenging task. Not many children his age (12) or adults for that matter would have the courage or strength to do what he did.
I would recommend this book to teenagers or early readers especially those who parents are divorced or separated. “Without Looking Back” touches on the various struggles that teenagers endure during such a confusing and difficult time with a bit of a twist.
My heart went out to the children in this story. I couldn’t imagine having to make a decision like they were forced to; a decision that came with some terrible repercussions no matter which option they chose. Louis however, faced the toughest decision and I felt he chose the least selfless option. Sacrificing your happiness for the sake of others is a challenging task. Not many children his age (12) or adults for that matter would have the courage or strength to do what he did.
I would recommend this book to teenagers or early readers especially those who parents are divorced or separated. “Without Looking Back” touches on the various struggles that teenagers endure during such a confusing and difficult time with a bit of a twist.
September 3, 2016
I appreciate Tabitha Suzuma's strength in approaching difficult or taboo topics. In this novel, she deals with parental custodial abduction, something I've personally never come across in literature before.
I like Sazuma's style of writing, though Louis - and in fact both his siblings spoke like adults most of the time, unless the passage was deliberately showing immaturity. She could have benefited from giving the characters more distinct voices, I feel.
The conclusion felt both rushed and forced - it's a very short book, and the true climax happens very close to the end, leaving it feeling a little unsatisfying. From climax to "resolution" there could have been a lot more fleshed out, which I think would have made it a stronger book overall.
I like Sazuma's style of writing, though Louis - and in fact both his siblings spoke like adults most of the time, unless the passage was deliberately showing immaturity. She could have benefited from giving the characters more distinct voices, I feel.
The conclusion felt both rushed and forced - it's a very short book, and the true climax happens very close to the end, leaving it feeling a little unsatisfying. From climax to "resolution" there could have been a lot more fleshed out, which I think would have made it a stronger book overall.
April 29, 2014
Loved this book, not quite as much as Forbidden, but it was almost 5-star worthy in my opinion. It tells a unique story of three siblings caught up in between two parents in a custody battle and what lengths people will go for love. Overall I really enjoyed this book and the characters. Tabitha is an amazing writer who has great style and flow. I look forward to reading even more of her books. 4.5/5 stars
July 14, 2016
I finished reading today Without Looking Back.I love it.It was painful and thrilling.You didn't know If they would get caught or not.The writing pulls you in and every feeling is heightened.Tabitha Suzuma absolutely writes the Best kid characters.Little Millie was so cute.I love how we saw Louis journey from a kid to a mature teen by the choice he made in the end aafter saving the day Without being bratty.It is definately worth the read.
November 3, 2012
A good book, but not was I expected. He in effectly kidnapped them, but the ending has no substance. Rubbish ending but the events on their new life trying to stay hidden until they are rumbled is the best bit
July 4, 2016
I was very disappointed in this book. Usually I love reading Suzuma's novels, but this one was slow, dull and torturous to read. I kept wondering if I should continue or not, but I persevered to see whether it would improve - it didn't!
March 22, 2011
TBR Reduce Challenge #19- 2011 (Stefanie)
April 9, 2011
This is the second book I've read by this author. I really enjoyed the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews