Don't Look Behind You [Paperback]

Lois Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1990

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?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-- Undoubtedly a master of suspense, Duncan has written a spellbinding tale of uniquely contemporary horror. Seventeen-year-old April Corrigan's life ends abruptly when she learns that her airline executive father has been working secretly undercover for the FBI. Now his testimony against a notorious drug dealer has placed the whole family in danger, and April and her family are quickly relocated under the Federal Witness Security Program. What begins as a temporary measure soon must become a way of life. April, an ace tennis player, has to stop playing tennis; her mother must give up a lucrative career as a children's author; their names are changed; and April's naive attempt to communicate with her boyfriend causes the violent death of an agent. The entire book is fast-paced and enthralling, but the conclusion will have readers on the edge of their chairs. April and her grandmother get involved a high-speed cross-country chase which culminates in the death of a hit man. Although some readers will not be able to imagine having to sever completely all ties with their past, they won't be able to put this book down. Don't Look Behind You is filled with booktalk potential. --Jeanette Larson, Mesquite Public Library, Tex.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

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?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (August 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440207290
• ISBN-13: 978-0440207290
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (139 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #994,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lois Duncan was born in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up in Sarasota, FL.
She knew from early childhood that she wanted to be a writer. She submitted her first story to a magazine at age 10 and became published at 13. Throughout her high school years she wrote regularly for young people's publications, particularly Seventeen.

As an adult, Lois moved to Albuquerque, NM, where she taught magazine writing for the Journalism Department at the University of New Mexico and continued to write for magazines. Over 300 of her articles and stories appeared in such publications as Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest, and for many years she was a contributing editor for Woman's Day.

Lois is the author of over 50 books, ranging from children's picture books to poetry to adult non-fiction, but is best known for her young adult suspense novels, which have received Young Readers Awards in 16 states and three foreign countries. In 1992, Lois was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award, presented by the School Library Journal and the ALA Young Adult Library Services Association for "a distinguished body of adolescent literature." In 2009, she received the Katharine Drexel Award, awarded by the Catholic Library Association "to recognize an outstanding contribution by an individual to the growth of high school and young adult librarianship and literature."

Six of her novels -- SUMMER OF FEAR, KILLING MR. GRIFFIN, GALLOWS HILL, RANSOM, DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU and STRANGER WITH MY FACE -- were made-for-TV movies. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and HOTEL FOR DOGS were box office hits.

Although young people are most familiar with Lois Duncan's fictional suspense novels, adults may know her best as the author of WHO KILLED MY DAUGHTER?, the true story of the murder of Kaitlyn Arquette, the youngest of Lois's five children. Kait's heartbreaking story has been featured on such TV shows as Unsolved Mysteries, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, Sally Jessy Raphael and Inside Edition. A full account of the family's on-going personal investigation of this still unsolved homicide can be found on the Internet at http://kaitarquette.arquettes.com.

Lois Duncan's personal web page is at http://loisduncan.arquettes.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fast-Paced Thriller, December 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Look Behind You (Paperback)

Don't Look Behind You, by Lois Duncan, is a fast-paced thriller that has cliffhangers on every page. This story starts out in Norwood, Virginia, with seventeen-year-old April, as the narrator. She was rather self-centered and very afraid of change. She didn't want anything touched in the personal utopia she made for herself. She had the perfect life. She was a great tennis player, and had a nice, popular boyfriend. She liked her family and all was going well. All went well until her life turned upside-down One day in school, April was unexpectedly pulled out of class and taken , along with her family, to a hotel. The family finds out that their father was secretly working for the FBI to uncover a huge narcotics scandal. April and her family are taken from their home and put in a series hotels. Meanwhile, the trial involving the narcotics scandal takes a turn for the worse. The family's name is revealed. The narcotics ring wants to kill the family to eliminate witnesses. They are put into Witness Protection. April's life changes forever. She is moved to Florida. Her name is changed. Her birthday is deleted and a new one is made. Her Social Security is gone and she takes on a new life. Her life turns upside down and the whole time she is being watched by a notorious hitman out to get her and her family... The ending of this book was phenomenal, I would not change it one bit. Read it for yourself to see what I mean! My favorite part of the book was when April and her family are in one of the hotels and a maid comes to their door for room service. Their bodyguard is momentarily gone... The author writes, "At that precise instant I knew what was making me uneasy. My attention had been so caught by the maid's strange eyes that I had not taken in two other odd things. Her cheeks and chin were darker than the rest of her face, and her eyebrows were a different color from her hair. I must have projected my panic at that discovery, because before I could move, she hurled herself forward, ramming the door so hard with the side of her shoulder that I found myself sliding back like an inefficient doorstop." This part got my heart running very fast and kept me wondering what could happen next. Lois Duncan did an excellent job at describing every detail of what April was feeling. She showed great workmanship at detailing the very important parts, but not going off on a limb. I really liked the way Lois Duncan made everything seem so believable. She used great descriptions, wonderful figurative language, and even better sensory details that added a great touch to the story because you felt and saw everything April did. Duncan changed April over time, too. She started out a self-centered girl, but ended much softer, much more grateful for what she had, and more back to reality; back to the real world. This brings me to the theme: Appreciate what you have. It could be worse. The author described April's situation at it's lowest point. April had just moved to her new (not so good) house in Florida: "There were six tiny rooms-the living room, a kitchen, three minute bedrooms, and a bathroom-and each was in some way worse than the room before it. Ceilings were cracked and stained, plaster was flaking and pipes were leaking, two bedroom windows were broken, and when we turned on the light in the kitchen an army of cockroaches frantically scampered for cover." This was an excellent book and I would give it four stars. It held my interest the whole time because Lois Duncan kept it moving. There was truly never a dull moment in it, but she let you think about strange/unusual things that had happened. It has a very satisfying ending. All loose ends are tied up. It is very realistic, all of the characters easily come to life, and it has ironic situations with an overall very interesting plot. I would recommend it to really anyone who is interested in realistic fiction, mystery, or thrillers.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Exciting!!!!!!!!!! :), April 5, 2001

By 

Melissa Howe (RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Look Behind You (Paperback)

Don't Look Behind You is a suspenseful book which takes place in the late 80's. April Corrigan is a typical 17 year old girl who lives in Norwood, Virginia. In school she plays tennis, is popular and has a boyfriend whom she loves very much. The problem in the story is that a hitman is after April's father to prevent him from testifying in court. April and her family have to go into the witness protection program. April must give up her friends,her boyfriend,the prom, her home,and the state tennis championships in Virginia and begin a new life in a small rural town in Florida. She talks about her feelings and all the difficulties she has to face. Lois Duncan made this a very suspenseful book. It isn't one of those books where you can stop in the middle of the chapter; all the chapters endings have cliffhangers which make you want to read on. A theme that I learned from this book is that life isn't perfect, there are times you have to do things that you don't want to do.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was an action pack thriller., November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Look Behind You (Paperback)

It was about a girl named April who lived a normal life of a teenage girl. Until she finds out that her dad works secretly in the FBI and got caught up in a serious crime. They have to flee for their lives and they are not allowed to have any contact with anybody at all. I thought that it was a very exciting fast pace. After a close call they have to go into the Witness Protection Program and change their names,city,jobs,and msot important their way of living. The book also gives the image that you won't want to put the book down after you start to read it. I personally do not agree with some of the reviews because I thought that the setting was very realistic. I can imagine how she would feel running for her life. I mean running for your life as to be a little tough don't you think.So guess what I am trying to say is that I very strongly suggest that you read this book.