Two women, Cait and Rebecca in a car together. One appears to be running away from something, the other to be helping her. As the story unfolds however it becomes clear that both women are hiding something and Cait, the helper. is in great danger.

From the start this is a tense, gripping thriller. The two women have a long drive across deserted roads in America and when they realise someone is following them, you can't help but put yourself in their place. I've never liked driving in the dark especially in lonely places and the author has done an excellent job of describing the fear of having someone follow you.

There is a lot of violence in the novel at one point which I didn't enjoy but overall it's a very good read and would make a terrific film.. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Strap yourself in because this book takes the reader on a journey from Lubbock, Texas and 322 miles to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The journey starts around midnight, the vehicle is an ancient Jeep with journalist Cait(lyn) as the driver and Rebecca as the passenger. The pickup is mysterious, secretive and becomes a very dangerous drive putting both their lives at risk. The book tracks their journey and backtracks and recounts their stories. We learn that Cait has suffered frightening trolling for an account of a night spent with Jake, an aspiring singer. Rebecca is the wife of rising political star Patrick McRae who has a seriously good chance of becoming a senator for Texas. The story is told from a number of perspectives but principally Cait and Rebecca.

The book has many themes but at its heart it’s about judging people and making judgements. Cait life is torn apart by trolls who have no idea what the truth is about Cait’s night with Jake but are swift to judge and condemn. It highlights just how dangerous this has become for those on the receiving end of social media abuse. Rebecca is caught up in the right to life debate which so divides Americans in particular. She is judged without knowledge of medical facts, she’s judged by her husbands potential voters who dislike her reserve, by Patrick’s odious political agent for her Californian background and mode of dress, by the media and in a court of law. She’s a political puppet controlled by aspirational puppeteers which overrides her personal wishes.

I like the premise of the novel and the drama that unfolds along the road. There’s dread, fear and danger and as the two women get to know one another and overcome their judgements and lack of trust as they try to protect each other. There are moments of anger, you feel their despair, devastation, their grief and some shame of their individual situations. Just as their are some twists and turns on the drive so there are in the story too. The pace quickens the deeper we get into the plot and the danger they are in and from whom becomes apparent.

I think though, that there are too many points of view in the storytelling although why there are so many does become clear as the book progresses although some could easily have been told by the main characters. It backtracks a lot as it tells Cait and Rebecca’s stories and sometimes that disrupts the flow. As the Jeep they are travelling in is severely hit along the journey and the women are injured, especially Cait, I’m not sure how she then is able to make such a valiant fight back against an attack so soon afterwards! That being said my enjoyment outweighs the negatives.

Overall, a thought provoking read covering controversial subjects which are handled carefully by the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for the Arc.

This was a really good and exceptionally well written story of two very different women on a road trip across the state of Texas to Albuquerque New Mexico and just why. It’s a story great builds little by little as we find out more about both their lives, the characters of these women are portrayed very well they are strong but also have an underlying fragility that is well put across in the superb writing and some of the subjects are dealt with extremely well. Overall I enjoyed the read and it was different to what I was expecting and I would rate it as a good 3+ read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing, Harvill Secker for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book pursues important issues about women's rights. That part of the story is sensitively and thoughtfully handled. The resulting journey of Cait and Rebecca in a jeep towards Albuquerque is the least of it,taking attention away from the important issues raised. Linking the desire of Rebecca to abort a child who has been diagnosed with serious health problems with her husband's political aspirations is very well constructed and makes for good reading. The extra violence does not add anything to the story.

#DontTurnAround #NetGalley
A brilliant masterpiece of the year. Highly recommended.
322 miles of road. 6 hours. 2 strangers. 1 killer. Too many secrets.
Cait Monaghan and Rebecca McRae are on a desolate road that slices through the New Mexican desert. They've never met before tonight.  Both have secrets to protect. Both of their lives are in danger.  
When a truck pulls up fast behind them, they assume it's punk teenagers or run-of-the-mill road rage, but it soon becomes clear that whoever is driving the truck is hunting them for sport—and they are out to draw blood.  
As the miles unspool and the dangers mount, the pasts they've worked so hard to keep buried have come back to haunt them.  Someone wants one of them dead. But which one?  And given the lives the two women have been leading, that someone could be almost anyone.
The plot of the novel is very strong. Its characters are mind blowing. They're like real life characterswe see everyday. Narration of the story is at its best.
A must read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for giving me an advance copy of this masterpiece.

Don’t Turn Around by Jessica Barry
Thanks @netgalley @randomhouse for my arc. Pub date 30 July 2020
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
An absolutely incredible story with a suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story is told from various characters point of view, seemingly disconnected to one another. A fabulous book. Highly recommended xx

Don't Turn Around is a gripping road trip for two women defending their freedom. It is set against the culture wars in America where freedoms are being eroded by right-wing populism. This book cleverly explores the perspectives of angry and disillusioned men who have been exploited by websites like 4chan and incel culture. The two occupants of the car are Cait and Rebecca, who have been treated vilely by both men, and women enabling those men. The road trip starts in an atmosphere of extreme tension, and ramps it up to unbearable levels until you can't take it anymore. I read the whole thing in one sitting. It was terrific.