Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her hacking skills to stay anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in a warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life in no uncertain terms. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.


This was a first novel I read by Michelle Gagnon and it won’t be the last. For her debut YA Thriller this was out of this world, I was blown away. In beginning I wasn’t sure if I would be able to follow it, since this is about computer hackers and I know nothing about that. This wasn’t the case in these books; there were some things that I didn’t quite understand but not to point where I didn’t know what was going on. Gagnon did a great job at descriptions, as well as explanations. There were few times that I looked up and realized that it got late, that’s how interested I got into the story. Don’t Turn Around was pretty intense story, and I have read few YA thrillers through the years, but nothing like this one before and that’s one of the things I loved about it. You can’t help but love the story, the characters, especially with all of descriptions and there wasn’t a single page that didn’t have some sort of action. Those action filled stories has always been one of my favorites. Even the ending had an end that had me craving for the next book in the series.

I loved the fact that the book went back and forth between Noa & Peter’s stories, till eventually the two of them met. Both of their stories were unique in their own way. However both of them are fighters, no matter what was happening in their lives, they kept on going. In the end the two of them stuck by each other side. From the moment that the two of them started traveling together, and figure out what they did to Noa when she woke up on that operating table, I wondered if something else would happen between the two of them, something more than friendship. At one point when he tried to kiss her, I was sure she let him. At same time I am curious if he’s really over Amanda. Especially considering how he wanted help her towards end of book when she got in trouble. I think that Noa was confused and that’s why she wouldn’t let him kiss her. I’m eager to see if anything happens between two of them in the next book.

Don’t Turn Around is filled with action, quite bit of mystery and of course thriller. From the start I found myself wondering what Mason wanted from Peter, and why someone was always after Noa. What use was couple of kids to them? That’s why I am glad that the two of them stuck together, till the end anyways. I was glad that Noa was able get in touch with Peter, to let them know that she was okay. If you love mysteries, action, thriller and adventure, Don’t Turn Around is the book for you. A book that you won’t want to put down once you reach the end, you will be craving for more.

There really wasn't anything wrong with this book, but it just wasn't up my alley. I read it as part of a larger list of books created by a local group. I'm glad I gave it a go though. It was thought provoking, and I liked that Gagnon really got into her character's mindset while writing.

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(I received an ARC of this book from First Reads.)

Don't Turn Around was an exciting read to say the least. Mystery, techno-thriller, government conspiracies, and secret medical experiments. Count me in!

Gagnon writes in dual perspective. One character, Noa, is a teenage girl who's been through the foster care system. She's antisocial, distrustful, and a genius hacker. A lot of reviews have been comparing her to Lisbeth Salander, and while there is a definite nod to Larsson's character, I think Noa stands as her own creation. She has a fancy backstory, but when it comes down to it, she's a pretty average girl reacting to the crazy crap life is throwing at her. She's very street-smart, which keeps the action going, but I never thought her actions and decisions were unbelievable. Easy protagonist to root for.

You've also got Peter, a rich kid Noa knows through her hacking career. His life gets tied up in Noa's when some mysterious men who claim to know his parents make a house call one night. I found myself more excited to read his half of the story--I appreciated the male perspective and he had more growth and insight as a character--but he didn't have as memorable of a personality. You know the type: rich kid gets thrown into a crazy situation and has to fend for himself. He's established as a brilliant hacker with a strong sense of moral justice, albeit from the safety of his own home. I would have liked to have seen more of that show.

The supporting characters were great. You've got your bad guys, of course, but I appreciated how many good characters there were. There were a lot of times that Noa or Peter was backed into a corner and there was some Average Joe that leant a helping hand. Sometime it made the plot resolution a little to easy, but I appreciated the optimism of it. When you've got a character with a backstory as dark as Noa's, it was a realistic change of pace for Gagnon to have some good things happen to her, too, once in a while.

All right. So, the plot. Like my little intro-blurb says, there's a lot to this book. Still, I don't think Gagnon was particularly adventurous. The action was heavily based in science and technology, but the techno and medical babble were kept to a minimum and the book was accessible to just about anyone living in the 21st century. There was good action, suspense, and a slowly unfolding mystery of what exactly happened to these kids, but the book doesn't stick its neck out there as much more than a standard teen sci-fi. Nothing moved me, made me cringe or slam down the book or jump out of my seat. It's a shame, because there were some dramatic reveal moments that had bigger potential.

Spoiler

(Like when Noa found out she had a dead kid's thymus. That fact in itself is pretty standard nowadays with organ donations, and I wasn't surprised that the organization was murdering people. If Noa had stronger connections to the other kidnapped kids, maybe the particular one whose organ she got, I might have felt something, you know?)

Still, worth the read. The topic was right down my alley and the action kept me engaged. Number one thing this book has going for it: there was no romance forced down our throats. There are two teenage leads of the opposite gender, and sure, they remember they have hormones once in a while, but for once in teen literature, their feelings take a backseat to the plot. They make a good team and Gagnon left a lot of potential for their journey in a sequel. I'll be picking it up when it comes out!

Rating: 3.5

Recommendations: If you enjoyed the medical aspect, try [b:Unwind|764347|Unwind (Unwind, #1)|Neal Shusterman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297677706s/764347.jpg|750423] by [a:Neal Shusterman|19564|Neal Shusterman|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1246977170p2/19564.jpg]. If you enjoyed the hacking, try [b:Little Brother|954674|Little Brother (Little Brother, #1)|Cory Doctorow|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349673129s/954674.jpg|939584] by [a:Cory Doctorow|12581|Cory Doctorow|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1361468756p2/12581.jpg]. And of course, if you're looking for a more adult read, there's [a:Stieg Larsson|706255|Stieg Larsson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1246466225p2/706255.jpg]'s [b:The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327868566s/2429135.jpg|1708725].

Originally posted at yAdultReview

This is the story of Noa. Noa trusts no one and lives off the grid. I love her. She’s a strong kick ass woman who takes no shit whenever possible. She is very Lisbeth Salander, and yet stands by herself. Noa trusts no one, but she ends up working with Peter, a rich kid who openly knows he has far too much money and started a hacker alliance. Together the two of them work to figure out and get through the lies and conspiracies that have begun to surround them.

Noa’s backstory is important and Gagnon made sure to flush out the background. Noa’s upbringing was not ideal. She had a shit time in foster care and because of this she is careful, talks to few, and trusts no one. Peter, her soon to be partner in crime, has had a life opposite of hers. His parents are made of money, although it comes out that they got involved with something that they clearly shouldn’t have, but the two have something in common: they are both amazing hackers.They spend the entire book using their hacker skills to work through a system that has failed and messed up.

Told through dual point of view, many may hope for a romance between the two, but there isn’t one. It’s a nice refreshing change in the current young adult market. There are hints of romance throughout, but it never really occurs, which this reader was completely happy with. The two just have a really, really good friendship which I hope Gagnon carries throughout the series.

20 pages in I emailed Tina and told her she has to read this book. 50 pages in I sent this tweet out to the world. My feelings on this book kept getting stronger and stronger. They’re still strong and I finished it a month ago. I would have bought this book by now if I hadn’t put myself on a book buying ban. It seems yes, one can run out of room even with six bookshelves. Did you know that was even possible? I love that I act shocked, even though this occurs in my life often, to the point I need to weed and weed and weed. So do I recommend that you read this book? Yes, as fast as you can.

When I finished this book I was disappointed because although Goodreads lists this as PERSEF0NE #1 there was no second in the series listed. I became content with the fact that this was going to be a stand alone. However! While I was typing this I found out there is a second book in the series called Don’t Look Now, and it comes out August. I am so! excited!

If you suspend reality and ignore medical inaccuracies/implausibilities, it's a fast-paced, fun book to read. I'll read the rest of the series. Audiobook has a good narrator.

It was a great book. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

As they say this was a thrill ride, no really I really liked it. It reads like I was watching a movie. I could see and feel the urgency of the scenes. Of course the thing the book has over watching on a screen whether big or small is that I was able to get into the character's head. I knew what drives them and makes them tick.

The suspense, mystery and adventure Noa and Peter encountered in the story, separately and eventually together made me nervous, and captivated. I thought the concept and storytelling were great. A really good nail biting read.