After seeing a lot of buzz about this book online, I was delighted that I was approved via NetGalley. At the time, I did not know that the story was based on an event in the author's life.

It's going to be a fun weekend for 2 families as they head to the mountains for some skiing and snowboarding. Once settled at their cabin, they head out to enjoy dinner, actually pancakes, which is their tradition. On their way to the restaurant, it has started snowing and the less traveled road they were driving on is now slippery. Jack Miller, sixteen year old Finn's father tries to avoid a deer and their van goes off a cliff. In that instant, the lives of these 2 families, change forever.

The story is told from Finn's perspective.

With some of them experiencing serious injuries, some have to make hard decisions as to what needs to be done for survival. The fear of not being found, others make difficult choices to leave the van and/or their children and try to find help, in now what is a blizzard. Some decisions are made selfishly, which causes a deadly outcome.

The aftereffect of this horrific situation, the families involved, try to deal with their grief, hurt, betrayal and love. They also realize that they didn't really know each other, as well as they, thought they did. Can these two families heal with the decisions they made? Did they truly survive?

The characters were three dimensional, some I absolutely did not like but at the same time, I also felt sorry for the situation they put themselves into. A couple of them were pathetic and others I was cheering for.


A poignant and compelling story that will tug at your heartstrings. And at the same time, there was also a tense element of suspense as to how this tragedy would end.

Highly recommend!

Posted to GR: 03/13/20 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2907736985
Posted to blog 03/17/20 http://cmashlovestoread.com/?p=22348

Thank you to the Publisher and to NetGalley.com for an ARC copy of this book.

It seems like every year I find that ONE BOOK... The one I can't put down; the one that tugged at every emotion, the one that made me question who I was as a person; the one that made me cry. "In An Instant" is that book for me for 2020.

I loved this book for so many reasons great and small.... I loved that the characters were based in my "home" - Orange County, CA (Woo hoo - OC!). Because of this, I could easily picture the drive up to Big Bear, the beach, the homes, every place the characters went. And while I sniffled and cried through most of the book, I loved that it made me question myself - would I do the "right" thing in an emergency? Would I be selfless? Or selfish? Would I be a Karen (the absolutely best / most appropriately timed named character of the year!)? Or would I be a Mo? Most importantly, the book made me rethink my ideas of love and if something or someone is worth fighting for, And that for every person, the answer is different...

Thank you for writing this book based on your life experiences - I couldn't, wouldn't put it down. In fact, my boss would like to have a word with you......

In an Instant is a novel about survival that morphs into a YA book. The premise is compelling-a family on a mountain adventure during a long weekend meets tragedy in those beloved mountains. Our narrator is their 16 year-old daughter, Finn, who is unfortunately killed in the accident (not a spoiler). What follows is a story of survival among the elements as the group is desperate to be rescued in blizzard conditions. Human nature is explored and tested-just how far will someone go to survive is depicted openly with rawness.

The aftermath, how Finn's family and friends attempt to move on, is more of the Young Adult genre. The tragedy has different implications and recoveries for everyone involved and is an interesting and at times fascinating journey; albeit depressing. The grief of losing a child is illustrated differently and while that itself could be (and often is) an entire other book, it was in some ways overlooked to allow for other storylines to move on. Overall, this is a very interesting read and Finn is a charming narrator. I hated the fact that she is dead because she was one of the most redeeming characters in the book but that was also known for the beginning. Overall, 3.5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher, writer and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

IN AN INSTANT
BY SUZANNE REDFEARN

This was such a phenomenally, mesmerizing read. All the more powerful and profound after reading the ending to come across the Author's note. She definitely based this story off of her own true harrowing experience when she was a child herself with her brother Jeff. She didn't experience anything like the catastrophic loss than this fictional family did but I certainly can see parallels in which the premise of this story goes in asking a few questions. Do you have any children? Would you give another parent's children the same amount of attention and care as your own children in a crises? Would you give the children that have been entrusted in your care more attention to their needs first before tending to your own children? The hair on the back of my neck stood up as much as she shuttered when she was riding up the ski lift when she got chills at how many times she as I have just tacitly handed our children off with the implied belief that our children would receive equal care. This story's biggest impact had on me that I like the author had handed our children over blindly not factoring that question in for her on the ski lift and for me after I read her words. Ir is chilling when you ponder how lucky we are not to have had to experience any major crisis when our children went on vacations, sleepovers, swimming or water parks, amusement parks etc. My two son's are 21 and 18 now going on 22 in May and 19 for my youngest in June of this year 2020.

Thankfully I am reading this Five star eye opener now after the fact. If I read this story before while they were younger I would act just as over protective as Mo's mother Mrs. Kaminski who all of the kids made fun of for obsessively worrying about Maureen. Because I am tending to agree with her that nobody watches out for their own kids as much as their own parent. I remember my only scare was with my oldest son and that wasn't until highschool when we got a call that he had been in a car accident with his girlfriend driving when an older woman hit my son's girlfriend's car head on totalling her car in a busy parking lot with traffic lights pulling on to a busy road in the rain. Nobody was hurt, thankfully. Now knowing what I know from reading this one dark night my husband and I just happened to be driving home the back roads at about 10:00 p.m. and my youngest son was sleeping over his friend's house and there were zero streetlights so it was completely dark when I see my then youngest son, Liam and his friend walking his friend's dog and we stopped and I was alarmed and I asked my son what are you doing out at this hour in complete blackout darkness at this hour. He said they were walking to the store to get snacks. I had them both get in the car and drove them to the store and my son asked me if I had any money. From the selections they made I felt like I was stocking his friend's kitchen with snacks. This was many years ago and I remember telling my son that the two of them could easily be hit by an oncoming car and we drove them back to his friend's house. I remember thinking what the heck is wrong with his friend's parents letting them walk the blackout back road with their dogs at 10:00 or after. I eventually told the mother the next time my son slept over that he only could if they were both inside the house before dark. Now after reading this I would have said no the next time he asked to sleep over that friend's house and I would have had him come directly home when we caught them walking the dark streets. It's only a rare coincidence that my husband and I were driving home that way. Later on when they were 16 years old and sleeping over another friend's house they snuck out and ended up at that same boy's house. We got a phone call and I still don't blame the single mother because she had no way of knowing. That was on me, his dad and most of all my youngest son Liam for being in a totally different town without a vehicle at 2:00 A.M. But we didn't stop him from other sleepovers either at our house or somewhere else. Liam had way too much freedom and after reading this had I to do it over again I would have not let him do most of what he did at such a young age. Unless I knew the parents really well. My oldest son barely slept over his friend's house so looking back he was under our care for the most part. Liam was always sleeping over his friend's houses and we never thought that something like what happened in this book could happen.

The author also said that regret is one of the most difficult emotions to live with and I agree with her on that as well. That is if you have a conscious which I know I do because I have done things which I couldn't live with myself until I said that I was sorry or took responsibility for and made amends even if it was something I said which was something that I regretted saying. It would eat me alive with torturing myself until I apologized most rarely but it has happened and sometimes just apologizing and clearing my conscious was enough to free me even if I didn't get the outcome I was hoping for.

In this book as I said the outcome was an unspeakable catastrophe that no parent would want to happen or live through. There were ten people some not seat buckled in but Ann, Finn the narrator's voice who gives us "a fly on the wall," witnessing what happens after the tragedy--her mother makes sure to clasp the seat belt on Maureen but not on her own children and their is death possibly from this oversight or was it negligence?? I think it was definitely the result of Mrs. Kaminski that was the catalyst for Anne giving Maureen Finn's Ugg boots and only seat belting in Maureen because Ann and Jack, Finn's parents promised Mrs. Kaminski that they would look after Maureen as if she was their own. It is the aftermath of the tragedy where the story and how things were handled is the point of this story also. Interestingly, Ann's best friend who Finn refers to as Aunt Karen and to her husband Uncle Bob are the exact same names in the author's note using Uncle Bob minus Aunt Karen.

I do not think Ann was a good mother the way she neglected Chloe her daughter who was so grief stricken and traumatized while Ann was cavorting with "Uncle Bob," that Chloe was almost going to commit suicide. I also didn't think Finn's mother Ann was such a great person for also considering to let Kyle, the only real hero who Ann considered letting go of the scarf in order to save herself and letting Kyle fall to his death. I also didn't think Jack was right by kidnapping Vance and making him look for Oz. Uncle Bob was the most vile because he knew Oz was mentally challenged and he traded Oz two packages of saltine crackers for Oz's gloves and knowingly sent a mentally challenged young boy to his death by taking his gloves and sending him to his death by telling him to go out and search for his mother knowing he wouldn't stand a chance of surviving in the freezing wilderness. Then he lied about it to the police so they wouldn't find his body while the search parties were looking for the missing. I don't think there was any justice done by him only getting a suspended sentence when Maureen recovered her memory and she met with the head of the search party albeit Sheriff or police. Then he has an affair with Ann, Oz's mother and lies to her when she finally confronts them.

I think "Uncle Bob," committed premeditated murder to Oz and by lying to everybody after he knew how wrong and cruel his actions were. I do think using Finn's perspective as a device for witnessing the aftermath gives the reader the actual facts rather than being given each person's point of view and that the aftermath is not altered by the different individuals shadowed perspective hence no unreliable narrators. I think the author was very clever in using this device in her storytelling. Finn didn't survive and along with narrating the story she has an in between her spirit witnessing her family and best friend grieve. If you loved "The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold you will also love this story. There is beauty and hope to this narrative to not make it completely dark. Also the cover for this book is the most beautiful book cover I have ever seen. It is a shame the book is only available in paperback and not hardcover because the cover is so stunning. I am buying this anyway in paperback as it is a brilliant story and I highly recommend it. It is unforgettable and partly inspired by true events as told in the author's note.

Publication Date: March 1, 2020

#InAnInstant #SuzanneRedfearn #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing

A beauitjfuly plotted and written novel of grief, regret, and ultimately, hope. This book- comprising short chapters- is the story of Finn's family and friends in the wake of her death, She narrates as she watches them deal with the aftereffects of the car crash that killed her. I found it much more emotional than I expected. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

“In an Instant” by Suzanne Redfearn is the account of a family and a tragedy. The story is told in a first person narrative by Finn Miller, an Orange County, California. Her family and some friends are going to near-by Big Bear for a winter vacation with winter sports and without television or radio or internet. Redfearn structures Finn’s conversations in present tense, which pulls readers into the scenes in a personal way. Finn shares her feelings and comments with readers as she is teen learning to drive, struggling with asking a boy to a school dance, and juggling family and friends. Readers follow Finn along in her everyday activities until pylons that hold the ribbon of steel snap from the mountainside, the camper goes out of control, and skids off the snow covered roads.

What follows changes everyone, in an instant..

I will not give spoilers, but Redfern continues the narrative in Finn’s distinctive first person account. Readers hear her describe the struggle to rescue victims of the mountainside disaster as the minutes tick by as slow as hours, all the unbearable details, the cold, the wind, the helicopter rescue. The tragic story just begins with the rescue, and Finn shares excruciating details as she follows participants through hospital stays and agonizes over their recovery. People try to pretend otherwise, but everyone suffers after this travesty of life.

Redfern’s choice for Finn to narrate this story is what makes it unique and compelling. Readers see everything through the eyes of a teenager who no longer has control over events unfolding around her. She is unsettled, dismayed, and looking for peace. I received a review copy of “In an Instant” from Suzanne Redfearn and Lake Union Publishing. It is an unusual and fascinating book.

Every so often a book comes along and stamps itself on your soul, and this story definitely did that to me. If I could rate this one a million stars, I would. Wow. This book. This. book. I'm just going to say that even though we're only about two and a half months into the year, this one will be on my best of the year!

It's so hard to completely discuss this book without giving away spoilers, and you really want to go into this one with very little information. Masterfully written and with such glorious prose, you'll find yourself mesmerized and so caught up in this family's tragic saga that you will not be able to let go until you know the end. This story is powerful and poignant, begging readers to question everything they ever thought they knew about themselves and others even those they trust.

"Nothing is as it was. The pretense of valor, her own and others', has been decimated and the ugly truth of human nature revealed."

This is a heartbreaking and truly unforgettable exploration of our own humanity. Split second decisions are made all the time, yet some of those result in ramifications that leave a legacy built on the consequences of those choices. As characters confront their own survival, the ultimate healing comes with forgiveness and not just to others, but to oneself as well. The road is not the same for everyone, but it is a breathtakingly emotional journey, especially as readers travel that path with them.

"Like everyone else, she is stumbling forward, one foot in front of the other, not always in the right direction but staggering on just the same."

The narrative is incredibly spiritual. There are so many moments scattered throughout that ask us to question our mortality and an afterlife, especially for Finn as she lingers between two worlds. Ultimately, Finn helps us to understand that it's okay to feel sad, but always remember to celebrate the time you had together with a loved one so their presence is never forgotten.

"Carry me inside you as a light that brightens your world and makes everything better."

This is one of those perfect reading experiences that will always hold a special place in my heart. I have so much love, respect, and appreciation to the author for sharing this story (be sure to read the Author's Note at the end). As hard as it was to pick up the next book on my schedule, we learn so gracefully from In an Instant that life marches on, so onward I go, but the memory remains.

3.5 stars
This book surprised me. It was definitely not what I was expecting, but it turned out to be both heartbreaking and intriguing at the same time. Graded it down a half star because I am not a fan of unresolved threads and there was one big one in this book that bothered me.
This was reminiscent of The Lovely Bones, but in a good way that made me uplifted rather than depressed in the end. It made me really think about my own family and the choices I would make if placed in a similar situation.

A family and friends' ski weekend is turned upside down when an accident occurs and changes their lives forever.
In an Instant is quite a compelling read - I found that I could not put it down for the first 1/3 of the book (the part focusing on the accident and immediate aftermath). Once the characters returned to their regular lives, I found that the book dragged on a bit - the characters did not develop quite as much dimension as I would have liked to have seen, and I felt that the length of time that the story followed their recoveries and resolutions was not realistically long enough. I think the author could have used the concept of time in a more clever manner. The use of Finn as the omniscient narrator was interesting - her voice, however, was much more mature than that of a teenager who is watching her friends and family try to rebuild their lives. I feel that if she had also struggled a bit in her "afterlife", the story may have been more authentic.
The chapters are super short, which at times were great and at times caused a bit of choppiness. I feel that this book would be best as a YA novel.
Not a bad read - initially, I had hoped it would blow me away like many of the review I have seen for it, but it became a bit too blah for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

I cried. A lot. This is a heartbreaking story of an accident and it’s impact on the participants, told from the perspective of a 16 year old fatality. I devoured this book in one night with the characters drawing me back each time I attempted to take a break. Each story was told with brutal honesty but also compassion, forcing you to ask that question that is running through this novel: “ what would I do?” I loved the fact that this doesn’t pretend to offer clear black and white answers and that each character’s story revealed so many shades of grey. I particularly loved Oz who is so central to the novel. Not an easy read but a worthwhile one.

What a unique story. I absolutely loved that Finn kept saying that she wanted her friends and family to remember her and be happy and not have sadness when they think about her.

In An Instant
Suzanne Redfearn
5 Stars

Synopsis:

A deeply moving story of carrying on even when it seems impossible.
Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive.
Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret. Unable to let go, Finn keeps vigil as they struggle to reclaim their shattered lives. Jack, her father, who seeks vengeance against the one person he can blame other than himself; her best friend, Mo, who bravely searches for the truth as the story of their survival is rewritten; her sister Chloe, who knows Finn lingers and yearns to join her; and her mother, Ann, who saved them all but is haunted by her decisions. Finn needs to move on, but how can she with her family still in pieces?
Heartrending yet ultimately redemptive, In an Instant is a story about the power of love, the meaning of family, and carrying on…even when it seems impossible. (Goodreads)

Review:

This is a book that will stick with you long after you have finished reading it. The story is heartbreaking, touching and thought provoking. None of us know what we would do in a similar situation, and hopefully none of us will have to find out.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and those descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Whether it was being stranded in the woods in the middle of a blizzard after the crash, or working through the feelings of guilt, I felt like I was right there in the middle of it.

This book brought so many emotions while reading it. I felt sadness, anger, frustration and outrage to name just a few. I think that is something very difficult to do and I think it takes a special author to invoke all of those feelings within a book.

I think the character development was amazing and I felt like I knew the characters very well. Not all of the characters were likable and some of the characters I thought I liked at first did not stay that way. The one character that I consistently liked was Finn. I liked that the book was written from her perspective, I felt it gave me more of an insight into her character. I felt very sad for her and I could feel her frustration not being able to help those she loved.

I highly recommend this book and I think everyone should read it. This is the first book I have read from this author, but I will be looking forward to reading more. This is a must read!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Wow! This story was such a heavy read. There was a lot of sadness and bitterness throughout the book, but somehow I didn’t shed a tear which for me is very surprising. I’m the type of person to cry at the littlest things so I was shocked I never cried.
With all the sadness in this book, I’m pleased to say there are just as many happy moments too. There isn’t much I would change about this one.

“No one watches over yours the way you watch out for your own.” This quote resonates with me because as a special needs mom- I know without a doubt no one watches my son as closely as I do. And this powerful and moving story proves this belief to be true but also proves that people can still surprise you.

Wow! This book doesn’t waste any time jumping into action. By chapter five the major catastrophe has happened and then I was left furiously flipping through the chapters to see how this one wrapped up. I went from sobbing, to smiling and back to sobbing again.

Two families are on their way to a cabin in Big Bear when the worst happens- they crash through a barrier and plummet down the mountainside. As they take stock of injuries and the weather conditions, they realize they are trapped overnight. Those that are able to go for help set out on a mission knowing they may not be successful. And those that stay behind are entrusted to look out for each other.

I don’t want to say too much about this story because I want you all to pick this one up and read it for yourself. This book really takes a look at the aftermath and what each survivor has to live with knowing the choices they made in those terrible hours after the crash. No matter what, they will always feel like they could have done more and have to learn to live with that regret.

My heart hurt reading this one, but this special story will stay with me. Reading the author’s note at the end, I appreciated this book even more. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advance reading copy- this one just came out on 3/1/20.

This book is the first book I have read from Suzanne Redfearn and it was BRILLIANT! It is full of sorrow, grief, and the choices made when faced with a devastating situation. It moved me, touched every emotion, made me cry, and then smile. It reminded me somewhat of "The Lovely Bones'.

16 year-old Finn and her family (dad, mom, older sister Chloe, and younger brother Oz who is mentally disabled) along with Aunt Karen, Uncle Bob, their daughter Natalie, and Chloe's boyfriend, decide to go skiing in the mountains for a 3 day weekend. They ride together in an RV. After they get to the cabin, they all leave to go get supplies. Along the way, they pick up a stranded motorist named Kyle, whose car broke down. In an Instant, the RV swerves to miss hitting a deer in the road and plummets down the mountainside, rolling and hitting trees along the way before finally landing upside down. After everyone accesses the damage, they find Finn has died. Finn's dad is barely hanging on.

The story continues from Finn's point of view. She is caught in between heaven and earth watching her family and RV mates struggle to survive and move on with their lives. The choices that were made to survive are so sad, necessary, and sometimes selfish. I read this book in a day and a half. I couldn't put it down. It made me think what would I have done in that situation. Would I have made the same decisions...What would I have done differently. When ordinary people are put in extraordinary situations, what choices will they make?

"I wonder about this, about whether our humanity is determined more by circumstance than conscience, and if any of us if backed into a corner can change."

This is one of the best books I have read in awhile. The choice that was forced upon Oz made me cry so hard. The ending made me smile and cry happy tears. The grief of Finns parents really touched my emotions as I couldn't imagine how I would react if I lost my children. Be prepared to tear up when you read this book & I really recommend reading this book. The author adds her own moving story at the very end, which totally shows her bravery. Well done, Suzanne Redfearn.

#inaninstant, #netgalley

Hush! Listen carefully! Can you hear something? Nothing? Yes, that was me while and after reading the book. This was the book where my soul stood silent in shock when I read how the survival instinct could bring out the good or the bad in us.

It took a road accident where the bus fell off the cliff to reveal the truth. The Miller family along with 5 of their friends were trapped in that bus. Finn Miller died instantly, and the entire story was narrated through her eyes as she saw the actions of each one of them.

Father was badly injured, sister and boyfriend decided to leave first, a few hours later, mother and a friend went to get help, and the rest tried to stay alive. Help came after 2 days, but life suspended for those survivors until best friend Mo got to the truth.

My first book by Suzanne Redfearn, and I was simply shaken to my core. The concept of the story was brilliant, the writing took me right there at the site of the accident. The emotions that coursed through me left me bruised and battered. I cried and ranted, I screamed and swore. I wanted to judge them all, but a part of me wondered how I would behave if had faced such a crisis. Would I help everyone or save myself? Even the best would let go.

The story stayed with me long after I finished reading it. I was sad for the Miller family and hoped life would come back on track for them. There were a couple of characters who made my blood boil. The author's writing was poignant, and the words chosen were beautifully balanced. Through Finn's eyes, I was shown the truth of the human psyche without becoming too overly judgmental. There was something about the prose which kept the words flowing through my brain even as I slept.

I wonder about whether our humanity is determined more by circumstance than conscience, and if any of us, if backed into a corner, can change.

Would I? I don't know.

Simply a beautiful read. Simply a brilliant author.

This book held my attention from the get go. I found myself feeling as if I were Finn while reading everything that was happening around her. Very well written and a great story line

In an Instant by Susan Redfearn shows what can happen with a family in the middle of a snowstorm when they are involved in a car accident in which members of a family pass away. What would you do if you were them? It shows how two families in which the mothers were best friends grief.

Check out my in-depth Q&A Interview with Suzanne Redfearn “An Elevator Ride with the Author” (March 1, 2020) and get the “behind the scenes” exclusives of IN AN INSTANT, plus 50 fun facts about this talented author and more!!!

“Heartrending and ultimately redemptive, IN AN INSTANT is a story about the power of love, the meaning of family, and carrying on…even when it seems impossible.”

In the event of a tragedy, survivors must live with the aftermath and decisions that are made “in an instant,” which is a perfect title for this poignant, emotional, heartrending, and beautifully written novel.

Told with compassion and hope, Suzanne proposes many thought-provoking questions, as well as exploring how different families and characters react accordingly. How do they move on?

A group decides to take a trip to Big Bear, California. However, what was intended as a fun winter ski getaway, turns deadly. A devastating car accident. Lives are lost. There are survivors. What happened during this tragedy? Could the outcome be different if other decisions had been made?

What would you do if you found yourself amid a life-threatening situation? What you do in a split second could haunt you forever.

We hear from Finn Miller, a sixteen-year-old who was one of the victims. She did not make it, but in the novel, she has a strong voice and is looking down at everyone. She is trying to resolve the lives of the aftermath. The survivors. Her family and friends. Their lives are shattered.

Can they move on? How will they survive? Some are living with guilt, and some are not. Lines are crossed, and integrity is the focus.

We hear from Jack, the father, her best friend, Mo, her sister Chloe, and her mother, Ann. Some are haunted by decisions made. Will they ultimately find peace, solace, and redemption?

First, what a stunning book cover with this beautiful snow!

I discovered this talented author years ago and the opportunity of reading— Hush Little Baby and No Ordinary Life, which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you are new to her work or have not read her previous books, highly recommend.

When I heard about IN AN INSTANT, I was very intrigued by the premise and the atmospheric setting. I had to ask myself, “what would I do if placed in the same situation?” What if?

Many thought-provoking questions and emotionally charged topics.

What If?

What would you do in a moment of crisis?

What if you had children of yours and others under your care? You are responsible.

How well do you trust others to care for your children? Your split-second decision amid a tragedy could change the lives of many, as well as your own.

What about a stranger? Would you treat them differently? What about your moral integrity? Crossing moral lines. What if you were tested?

Redfearn deftly explores those split-second decisions that can alter our destinies. A timely book, especially in our world of school shootings, airplane and car accidents, and acts of violence where we may have children under our care. There may come a time you have to step in and act quickly. An emergency or a critical situation at any given time.

How will you react "in an instant?"

How do you choose which person to help first? It could be a car accident with friends or family or even a stranger on the street. It will make you stop and think.

If you enjoy authors, Jodi Picoult, Heather Gudenkauf, and Kristin Hannah (three of my favorites), you will love Suzanne’s lyrical prose and character-driven, IN AN INSTANT. Sure, to please fans of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions.

A special thank you to Lake Union, the author, and NetGalley for an early reading copy.

#JDCMustReadBooks
@JudithDCollins

This is my first official five star review of an advanced reader copy and I am so excited about it! In An Instant is an incredible book. It follows a tight knit group of people in the midst of a horrendous tragedy that befalls them on a road trip. But how tight knit can you really be when life and death decisions have to be made? Life and death decisions that cannot be taken back, even if you wanted to. The aftermath of these decisions are enough to shatter families and decades of friendship.

Finn, sixteen and in the prime of her teenage years, does not survive the trip. She struggles to find out where she belongs in the afterlife as she watches those she loves the most, and who survived, learn how to move on. Grief takes on a different shade for everyone involved and Finn desperately wants to help her loved ones through the aftermath of her death. She sees them all at their most raw and vulnerable stages, when they think they are alone. These characters are so realistic. You feel like you know each one personally as you go through the many layers of the story. You'll cry for them one minute and cheer for them the next.

This book is about overcoming tragedy and figuring out who you really are when everything is on the line. It's ultimately about love and the power of family. Although this was a very different story, this book reminded me of The Lovely Bones, which is one of my favorite books of all time. If you liked that one, you will LOVE this book.