And Don't Look Back

August 21, 2023
An orphaned teen unearths terrifying truths about her family’s past in this suspenseful read by Barrow (Bad Things Happen Here). For her entire life, 17-year-old Harlow Ford and her mother have been running from something that’s a secret to Harlow. But before her mother’s death following a car accident, she tells Harlow where to find a safe-deposit box, in which Harlow finds a deed for a house in Crescent Ridge, Wash.; $15,000; several fake IDs; and photographs of family she never knew existed. She also unearths a puzzling news article about the maternal grandmother Harlow has never met, who mysteriously disappeared before her mother went on the run. Intrigued by her discoveries, Harlow breaks her promise to keep running and instead heads to Crescent Ridge, hoping to uncover more about her mother’s past. But the house is not quite what it seems, and as Harlow investigates, she finds more questions than answers. Black lesbian Harlow’s cautious steps toward self-discovery and her own independent future are empathetically portrayed. Brief interstitials gradually reveal more of Harlow’s mother’s past, and tense third-person narration culminates in an edgy, uneasy atmosphere that propels this climactic thriller toward a breakneck resolution. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary.

September 1, 2023
Harlow Ford has been running her whole life, and she's not going to do it anymore. Seventeen-year-old Harlow and her mom, Cora, have been hiding from an unknown enemy and her mom's secret history for years. During their latest middle-of-the-night escape, Cora is fatally injured in a tragic car accident, but before she dies, she tells Harlow to go find a safety deposit box at a bank in a nearby town. Harlow discovers that it contains money, the deed to a house, pictures of a teenage Cora with two girls ("all so alike: black curls and coils, light brown skin gleaming"), and a newspaper article about a missing white woman from Crescent Ridge, Washington, who seems to be the grandmother Harlow never knew about. Left with more questions than ever, Harlow heads to Crescent Ridge, which is also the location of Severn House, the place listed on the deed. There she meets (and crushes on) a pretty girl named Sloane, who informs her that the deserted place in the woods is rumored to be haunted. This thriller makes the most of its classic genre elements. In the third-person narration, Harlow has a charmingly authentic and angsty voice that invites readers along for the ride, while chapters labeled "before" offer peeks into Cora's past. The twists and turns, along with the strong pacing, make for an absorbing read. A gripping thriller that doesn't reveal its secrets until the very end. (Thriller. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 Harlow and her mother, Cora, are always on the move, changing towns and changing names, fleeing from secrets Cora refuses to tell her daughter. This changes after they get into a car accident, leading to Cora's death. In the aftermath, Harlow discovers a mysterious safety deposit box containing cash, a deed to a house, and photos of a family she didn't know existed. Harlow decides that answers are more important than any dangers she might face from the past, so she returns to Cora's hometown to find out the truth they'd been running from. But once Harlow starts digging, she begins to find out why her mother took pains to stay away. Barrow admirably portrays Harlow as a hardened protagonist who silently yearns for connection. The mystery, despite several twists, is utterly believable and centers around Harlow uncovering the good in her family (her mother's sisters' tight-knit bond) as well as the bad (the odd circumstances of her grandmother's disappearance). Well-paced and atmospheric, this is an engrossing read from the very start and an excellent pick for mystery lovers.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Harlow and her mom have been on the run for as long as Harlow can remember. Harlow's mom won't tell her what they are running from, and Harlow stopped asking long ago. She's gotten used to the routine of upending her life and changing her identity at the drop of a hat. After all, it's all she's ever known. Then one night, tragedy strikes, and Harlow suddenly finds herself able to choose her own path. Finding it hard, both psychologically and logistically, to keep running from something she doesn't know, she heads back to her mom's hometown to find some answers. Barrow adeptly grapples with the concepts of identity, loss, and generational trauma while keeping readers at the edge of their seats with high stakes drama involving a creepy house, a missing person, and lots of family secrets. Even though Harlow's circumstances are extreme, young readers will relate to her search for who she is, not only from a genetic standpoint, but also as a person on the cusp of adulthood. VERDICT A perfectly paced mystery for teens who love thrills, wild secrets, and a clever, queer, take-charge heroine.-Joanna Harris

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