Reviewed by Danelle Petersen for Readers' Favorite

Don't Look Inside by Nichole Heydenburg is a story about a young woman’s traumatic experience of sexual abuse and the psychological damage it causes the women who have suffered through it. Elena is looking forward to her junior year at college and hopes that her new dorm mate, Mara, isn’t some weird psycho. Her previous dorm mate transferred and now she’ll have to make do with the strange redhead who dresses like an old maid. But while Elena tries her best, Mara remains aloof, causing Elena concern. Who is Mara really, and most importantly, what is she hiding in that huge freezer inside her bedroom? But Mara’s story is much more complicated than Elena had initially thought, and it soon dawns on Elena that moving in with Mara may have been the biggest mistake of her life…

Don’t Look Inside is a suspenseful thriller. Mara is a deeply disturbed character who is a prime example of what happens when you don’t seek the help that you need. The repercussions of staying quiet about sexual abuse are huge, and Nichole Heydenburg fully brings this to readers' attention in Don’t Look Inside. The novel highlights the things that go on at parties and the methods used to take advantage of young women while also encouraging survivors to speak out and not feel ashamed of being victims. I liked how unpredictable and realistic the storyline was and how Elena’s character developed, becoming stronger and more independent. Don’t Look Inside was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend this page-turner to fans of psychological thrillers and victims of sexual abuse.