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DON'T LOOK BACK YOU'RE NOT GOING THAT WAY
Cute flower pattern, 6"x 9", 100 pages.
100 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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178 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 1, 2013
For this review and more my blog
I am a massive fan of mystery thrillers so on paper Don’t Look Back seemed like a good idea. The story line is original and I was instantly interested. But the reality is that this book is a bit of a mess. It was all over the place and I only got to the end because I had to know what the mystery was.
Firstly this books big problem is that it doesn’t quite know what it wants to be, it is a mystery, a romance, a family drama, with a big dose of religious/supernatural stuff thrown in for good measure.
The writing was alright but the characters spoke as though they were 30 instead of teens. Often it came across as cheesy and lacked any type of reality at all. The characters were one dimensional, Sinead does have some personality but it is hidden under all the plot and weak relationships, she is painted as this strong female character but she bows down to everybody.
The romance had no chemistry and once it was introduced it took centre stage and everything else was pushed aside. It was overdone and over the top, James spends half his time romancing Sinead and the other half taking other girls out which wasn’t very romantic at all.
The end is hard to believe and I am not even sure I really understood it. The whole book was centred around Sinead finding her brother Patrick but the actual conclusion of that story line was quick and practically non-existent.
If this book had just been a mystery with a touch of romance I might have liked it more. If the writing had concentrated on developing the characters and relationships instead of adding endless plot then I would have probably been impressed, because the actual mystery bits in the beginning were quite well done. But unfortunately it wasn’t to be.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am a massive fan of mystery thrillers so on paper Don’t Look Back seemed like a good idea. The story line is original and I was instantly interested. But the reality is that this book is a bit of a mess. It was all over the place and I only got to the end because I had to know what the mystery was.
Firstly this books big problem is that it doesn’t quite know what it wants to be, it is a mystery, a romance, a family drama, with a big dose of religious/supernatural stuff thrown in for good measure.
The writing was alright but the characters spoke as though they were 30 instead of teens. Often it came across as cheesy and lacked any type of reality at all. The characters were one dimensional, Sinead does have some personality but it is hidden under all the plot and weak relationships, she is painted as this strong female character but she bows down to everybody.
The romance had no chemistry and once it was introduced it took centre stage and everything else was pushed aside. It was overdone and over the top, James spends half his time romancing Sinead and the other half taking other girls out which wasn’t very romantic at all.
The end is hard to believe and I am not even sure I really understood it. The whole book was centred around Sinead finding her brother Patrick but the actual conclusion of that story line was quick and practically non-existent.
If this book had just been a mystery with a touch of romance I might have liked it more. If the writing had concentrated on developing the characters and relationships instead of adding endless plot then I would have probably been impressed, because the actual mystery bits in the beginning were quite well done. But unfortunately it wasn’t to be.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
April 9, 2013
I love everything about this book – the mythology, the psychological tension, the spooky atmospheric settings and heart stopping romance. I totally bonded with Sinead and found her the most credible protagonist I’ve come across for ages. She’s flawed which made me like her even more. She has good intentions but is sometimes unfeeling yet the reader understands exactly why she’s this way. Sinead is on a journey to find herself as well as her damaged brother and the clock is constantly ticking for her. She never expects to fall for a boy who has his own tragic secret. The ending absolutely blew me away. Don’t Look Back is a book that will stay with you for a long time. I’m going to read it again to fully appreciate the multi-layered plot and themes.
September 27, 2013
Este livro tinha tudo para o classificar com 4 ou mesmo 5* até chegar ao fim.
Um história bonita, com suspense, um pouco de "terror", tinha tudo para me conquistar. o que conseguiu até chegar às últimas páginas e a história ter dado a volta que deu. Acredito que, no fundo, seria o fim previsível para o tipo de narrativa que é, mas eu não o esperava, o que me deixou um pouco desiludida.
No entanto, para quem gosta de livros de suspense com um com fantástico, é um livro que aocnselho.
Um história bonita, com suspense, um pouco de "terror", tinha tudo para me conquistar. o que conseguiu até chegar às últimas páginas e a história ter dado a volta que deu. Acredito que, no fundo, seria o fim previsível para o tipo de narrativa que é, mas eu não o esperava, o que me deixou um pouco desiludida.
No entanto, para quem gosta de livros de suspense com um com fantástico, é um livro que aocnselho.
July 18, 2015
Adorei, não estava nada à espera de que o final fosse assim, mas gostei imenso exatamente por isso, ela deu-me o que eu queria mas não da maneira que eu queria.
Recomendo sem duvida alguma e agradeço desde já à Rita por me ter recomendado a mim!
Recomendo sem duvida alguma e agradeço desde já à Rita por me ter recomendado a mim!
July 31, 2025
leuk boek, had iets meer spanning kunnen hebben maar wel interessant om te lezen. eigenlijk 3.5 sterren maar niet mogelijk
December 30, 2015
When I was introduced to the "don't look back" by S.B. Hayes the first thought I had was that the cover of this book is very strange, and I was wondering if your content was supernatural, and when I read the blurb I didn't wait too long to start reading. Everything in this book is serious reading indicated that fantastic, and really was. S.b. Hayes showed me which is super talented to have imagined a psychological supernatural thriller extremely intense and at one point, scary.
"Don't look back" recounts the drama of Sinead, a young girl who lives on a daily basis under pressure, being the youngest daughter of a psycho mom and sister of a psychologically disturbed and extremely obsessive. All the drama of Sinead worsens in fact when his older brother disappears for the umpteenth time. Sinead once more moved by a promise that would always after Patrick made when they were children-decided to once again play his game, keeping in mind that this will be the last time.
Patrick seems to have left several clues as to his whereabouts, and these clues leads Sinead to an old abandoned Church. Benedict's house she meets the sister Catherine, a mysterious old nun. Sinead not see other alternative and asks his sister, and she says she will help her but asks in return to work at the mansion for 14 days, and only after these days answers will be spoken.
Sinead is determined to find his brother, and don't mind returning the favor to get the information needed for the search, making sure that his brother went through the House Benedict. Everything in the House and on the ground seems strange and don't know if it's because I'm an old place but retained or because it's still religious environment despite the precariousness of the place.
The big house is hosted James Benedect as stated last name grandson and heir, James is a handsome boy who seeks to remember some of his memories of his past and even though James and Sinead don't seem to have many things in common, the time is shortened and need to solve its mysteries, but over the day, James and Sinead while still seeking solutions begin to lift the starting point and without realizing walk towards a journey of no return.
Sinead and James fight against time, and when they thought they wouldn't get answers gradually are said and the truths are anyway, revealed. Snead will have to make your choice and when you decide you will not be able to look back.
The outcome is surprising, and despite this reading be making me very anxious, I was fascinated with the way she took, and even moved me enough with the truth behind what was happening.
Patrick turned out to be a lunatic, and the characteristics he said sounds like a sociopath, where he spent all his life tormenting Sinead without showing feel no remorse. What about Sinead and James they couldn't have said a better ending, fair. As I said earlier, S.B. Hayes won me over completely and is losing track their postings, who know date something like "don't look back" again.
"There was something weird about this place; the total and absolute silence was profound and unsettling. He jumped. There seemed to be a woman's face looking at him, but it was just a marble statue with the sad look in the distance. It was strange, but he felt close to Sinead there. Got a dandelion and blew gently the light white seeds, watching as they spread through the air. He hoped that Sinead had found what he was looking for. He hoped she found all the time in the world. "
May 17, 2013
Don’t Look Back caught my attention because of the crime thriller cover. I didn't know what to make of it when I first began to read. It's definitely creepy and there are huge themes going on – destiny, redemption, the circle of life, the timelessness of love - that kept me keep me turning the pages. I have to take issue with Sinead's witch of a mother who's simply too horrible to be true, but I found the other characters to be credible. Sinead's spikiness is nicely offset by Harry. Patrick manages to be a malevolent presence even though he's missing. James changes from annoyingly arrogant to deeply sympathetic. I so wanted James and Sinead to have a happy ending, but ultimately it’s the only (darkly inevitable) ending that would have been right for them. I've thought about the book a lot since I finished reading it. It's probably one of the most unconventional teen books I've come across, but that makes it more interesting.
September 28, 2013
Thoroughly unsettling. Not really sure how I feel about this book to be honest. Interesting characters, compelling storyline but ultimately just confusing. Was that a happy ending? Was it even an ending? So, so confused. Which I think was the author's intention. There were a lot of religious undertones. Some I got, some I didn't but I was mostly surprised because I wasn't expecting there to be a supernatural/mythical element to this. I thought it was going to be more contemporary, real thriller. I would have liked there to be more uncertainty about the main character's mental health. If there had been I think this would have been an absolutely amazing and compelling book. As it was, it was a little bid predictable. Not as original as I had expected. But then maybe my hopes were too high in the first place.
March 30, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised with this book, thoroughly enjoyed it would recommend.
August 14, 2017
So what is this book? Romance? Paranormal? Detective? Whatever the hell it is, it's not doing a very good job.
Sinead is so completely awfull at being a human being it's almost laughable. She completely hates everything, her life is comically horrible and her one-dimensional mum can only love her completely insane brother. She doesn't stop and think that maybe she should listen to her Friend That Totally Loves Her But She Doesn't Want Any Love, while he asks her to stop being an idiot and play along with Insane Brother again and again and AGAIN. Oh, and she doesn't want love? Well, apparently it doesn't take a lot for her to forget that, given the fact she is willing to die for a boy she just met only two hundred pages later.
The plot is vague and doesn't go anywhere. The hints are dumb, the reason behind it all is unnecessary and they keep explaining every single detail. The use of Latin and the Roman myths that get mentioned every thirty pages are fine once or twice, but starts to get annoying real fast.
The constant reminder of Time and how Time is passing is just.. I can't even describe how annoying and redundant it is.
Everyone in this book is just so one dimensional, boring and so utterly insane it's funny. If only the writing wasn't so bad I wanted to throw up every time I turned the page.
Just.. no. I'm forgetting this read. Right now.
Sinead is so completely awfull at being a human being it's almost laughable. She completely hates everything, her life is comically horrible and her one-dimensional mum can only love her completely insane brother. She doesn't stop and think that maybe she should listen to her Friend That Totally Loves Her But She Doesn't Want Any Love, while he asks her to stop being an idiot and play along with Insane Brother again and again and AGAIN. Oh, and she doesn't want love? Well, apparently it doesn't take a lot for her to forget that, given the fact she is willing to die for a boy she just met only two hundred pages later.
The plot is vague and doesn't go anywhere. The hints are dumb, the reason behind it all is unnecessary and they keep explaining every single detail. The use of Latin and the Roman myths that get mentioned every thirty pages are fine once or twice, but starts to get annoying real fast.
The constant reminder of Time and how Time is passing is just.. I can't even describe how annoying and redundant it is.
Everyone in this book is just so one dimensional, boring and so utterly insane it's funny. If only the writing wasn't so bad I wanted to throw up every time I turned the page.
Just.. no. I'm forgetting this read. Right now.
November 14, 2017
Sinead's brother, Patrick, has gone missing. He's not a nice guy - manipulative and controlling - but he is her brother and there is a compulsion to find him when she hears his whispers in her mind.
It's weird and spooky. Sinead has to continue the search for Patrick against strong opposition from Harry, her boyfriend, who considers it too dangerous - especially when there is no evidence that Patrick has ever been to the haunted manor and its overgrown garden to which she is repeatedly drawn.
Harry is convinced Sinead is mentally unbalanced, but she turns to James who she has met in the garden. He seems to understand the strange rules that govern the garden - but what about the house? And where is Patrick?
It's weird and spooky. Sinead has to continue the search for Patrick against strong opposition from Harry, her boyfriend, who considers it too dangerous - especially when there is no evidence that Patrick has ever been to the haunted manor and its overgrown garden to which she is repeatedly drawn.
Harry is convinced Sinead is mentally unbalanced, but she turns to James who she has met in the garden. He seems to understand the strange rules that govern the garden - but what about the house? And where is Patrick?
July 21, 2017
Good reading. The ending was genius, even though the romance kinda ruined things a bit? It was too fast, kinda forced, kinda too dramatic, but the rest is just amazing - the whole plot is well-thought and well-developed. If it wasn't for the whole drama between the characters Sinead&James, I'd give five stars to this. I just wanted to see more of Patrick - maybe it would be a good idea for the author to write a spin-off about the character, I was very curious about him and thirsty for more of his appearence.
December 16, 2017
Wow... this book was awesome. very well written. I love that the main character has flaws and that she is well aware of them. this story unravels at such an amazing pace. it had me gripped right from the first page. I can't stand Sineads mother... she's vile but apart from that it was freakin' awesome. so creepy and eerie and that plot twist?! I did not see that coming but the ending was absolutely brilliant. Highly highly recommend this book! 5 stars from me! :)
December 6, 2017
No offence to the author, but this book is stupid. I got annoyed with the main character on the first page, as I didn't understand why she had to do what her brother said all the time even though he was dead. That makes no sense at all, but that's as much as I could understand. It was a pointless plot with infuriatingly annoying and weird characters. I'm amazed that I got as far as Chapter 6 before throwing the book on the floor in despair.
In my opinion, do not waste your time on this book.
In my opinion, do not waste your time on this book.
January 20, 2020
This book had massive potential but half the time i found myself wondering where it was going or if things were relevant. Some parts werent explained enough, like how the story really intertwines with this Greek mythology, could of focused tighter on that. Then at the end it was kind of rushed to come to a conclusion as to what happened with the brother. A bit sloppy, but nonetheless enjoyable enough to read.
January 13, 2018
The ending was a bit confusing but the atmosphere was amazing.
March 15, 2018
Um livro bem interessante, um pouco diferente, estranho mas eu gostei.
Fantasia e muito dramático e de rápida leitura.
Fantasia e muito dramático e de rápida leitura.
April 29, 2021
An eerie but very good read.
April 20, 2022
Bought it at a time I had nothing to read. Should have stayed bored.
January 4, 2025
Did not enjoy this book, I felt like nothing exciting really happened.
I’m also not a huge fan of fantasy stories.
I’m also not a huge fan of fantasy stories.
November 24, 2020
Sinead e o irmão mais velho jogam às escondidas. Ela tem de o encontrar. Sempre. Não é esse o intuito deste jogo? Desta vez o jogo parece diferente, mas Sinead ainda não encontrou Patrick por isso não pode parar de jogar. As pistas acabam por levá-la à Casa Benedict, um lugar "que não pertence aos que estão vivos" e "onde o tempo parou".
Quando começamos a ler, o enredo parece bastante normal, mas a verdade é que nada há de comum nesta história. Desde a relação que Sinead tem com o seu irmão e com a sua mãe; à mansão Benedict, aos seus jardins e terrenos circundantes (que surgem quase como personagens); à freira que a recebe na mansão enquanto Sinead procura Patrick; até o seu namoro com James (encantador, por sinal) não segue qualquer traço de normalidade. Os acontecimentos sucedem-se em catadupa, nada parece o que é e, mesmo assim, nunca estamos preparados para o desfecho que nos aguarda.
Mesmo depois de o ter lido há tantos anos (sem contar com as releituras), este livro continua a vir-me sempre à memória quando penso nos meu livros preferidos. Foi uma história que realmente me marcou pelas emoções que transmite e pela ligação que estabelecemos com as personagens, tudo fruto da maestria de S. B. Hayes.
Quando começamos a ler, o enredo parece bastante normal, mas a verdade é que nada há de comum nesta história. Desde a relação que Sinead tem com o seu irmão e com a sua mãe; à mansão Benedict, aos seus jardins e terrenos circundantes (que surgem quase como personagens); à freira que a recebe na mansão enquanto Sinead procura Patrick; até o seu namoro com James (encantador, por sinal) não segue qualquer traço de normalidade. Os acontecimentos sucedem-se em catadupa, nada parece o que é e, mesmo assim, nunca estamos preparados para o desfecho que nos aguarda.
Mesmo depois de o ter lido há tantos anos (sem contar com as releituras), este livro continua a vir-me sempre à memória quando penso nos meu livros preferidos. Foi uma história que realmente me marcou pelas emoções que transmite e pela ligação que estabelecemos com as personagens, tudo fruto da maestria de S. B. Hayes.
August 14, 2025
I read this book quite a while back when I was younger and within its target audience, but at the time I quite enjoyed it, though its focus on the romance plot that took over near the second half threw me off a bit at the time. It has interesting themes that I love today still. It's one of those books that you still remember simply because it was (in spite of its bittersweet romance that slowed the story down that I could not quite enjoy as a teen) unique and atmospheric, and it has definitely influenced my own writing and my interest in religious themes in fiction. I'd never seen anything like it - and to be honest, I actually still haven't (minus The Lake Of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman and in some ways The Secret History, though both are still quite different). Not sure if an adult for whom the book has no nostalgic value would thoroughly enjoy it as much as I, but for a teenager who likes slightly creepy and thrilling stories with supernatural and religious elements, it's great. Would recommend.
July 8, 2013
I'm afraid I found this rather pretentious, with stilted, tired prose and dialogue (especially during the 'love scenes'') reminiscent of Mills & Boon. I blame the editor as much as the author - there was a lot of angst and descriptions of mobile woods that we could have done without, and I'm not convinced that the character of Harry served any real purpose. The basic premise of the plot is good - just not the end result. If you're writing a dark gritty novel about big issues - love, death, the afterlife, sibling rivalry and parental control - then surely your 18 year old main character might swear once in a while? Maybe drink something stronger than water? And if she fancies the pants off someone, why doesn't the author just say so? I've given this book 2 stars because of the clever way myths have been woven into the storyline - but I think most 14-16 year olds will give up after 50 pages or so. Sorry!
January 20, 2022
Unrealistic, boring and pointless. I save my one stars for books I DNF which is the only reason I gave this book 2 stars. But so many times I was thinking of not finishing but I had hoped the story was going somewhere. I was wrong.
The whole point of the story was Sinead following her brother Patrick’s clues in order to find him. The clues were pathetic but somehow Sinead would figure them out. If you prefer dialogue to description in books, you’re out of luck with this one. Lots of descriptions for what Sinead is seeing, thinking or feeling. The ending (which I couldn’t wait to get to, not because I was excited but because I wanted the book to end) just didn’t seem to fall inline to what the book was about. I feel like there was meant to be meaning to the ending but I couldn’t work out what it actually was. I was left a little confused and very disappointed.
The whole point of the story was Sinead following her brother Patrick’s clues in order to find him. The clues were pathetic but somehow Sinead would figure them out. If you prefer dialogue to description in books, you’re out of luck with this one. Lots of descriptions for what Sinead is seeing, thinking or feeling. The ending (which I couldn’t wait to get to, not because I was excited but because I wanted the book to end) just didn’t seem to fall inline to what the book was about. I feel like there was meant to be meaning to the ending but I couldn’t work out what it actually was. I was left a little confused and very disappointed.
June 10, 2015
I think this book was a very unique idea. Who would have thought a game would be the main point of the story. It has a strong meaning behind this story. Its the power of true love, it will bound to people together forever never leaving one behind. It also describes how all children needs attention from their parents. The mother of patrick in this book has given patrick all her attention leaving none for sinead. Sinead is always blamed whether it is her fault or not. This book has given me a new idea about true love and about how parents can behave ( leaving an important value- equality behind). Placing one child in all their care and leaving the other behind not giving a single thought about him/her.
April 10, 2013
This novel is much too good for teenagers!! Pinched it off my daughter and couldn't put it down. Definitely a page-turner, I loved the romance. From the blurb, I never would have guessed that Sinead's quest to find her brother would put her soul in jeopardy. I loved the link with Orpheus, Eurydice, Cerberus and all the Latin clues.
A tight, intelligent plot with great characters kept me on edge until the brilliantly unexpected ending!
A tight, intelligent plot with great characters kept me on edge until the brilliantly unexpected ending!
April 29, 2013
This was really good liked the way that the clues that sineads brother left her were like a tresaure map . Also liked the gree mythonloy. It should be made into a flim deffintley better than the 1st book by the same author , must read
January 24, 2014
I wasn't sure what to expect of this book when I started it. But after the first few chapters I was absolutely drawn into the story. It was really, really good. If there is ever going to be a movie of this book, I want to see it. :)
August 14, 2014
Um livro fantástico, a cada página lida, juntava-se a vontade de ler mais e mais sem parar.
O fim, foi uma desilusão. Esperava outro tipo de final, com tanto romance nas ultimas partes... e depois um final sem qualquer romance. A Patrick, obviamente já se saberia o que lhe teria acontecido.
O fim, foi uma desilusão. Esperava outro tipo de final, com tanto romance nas ultimas partes... e depois um final sem qualquer romance. A Patrick, obviamente já se saberia o que lhe teria acontecido.
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