My list of books I have finished in a day is really short. I've become a faster reader, but I still rarely finish a story in 24 hours. This book was wonderful and it will be a reread for sure.

At first, I was a little annoyed that a 300 some odd page book had 94 chapters. But for this book, it worked. It was perfect for wanting to know more and keeping the story going. Agreeing with another review I saw, as very cool as Finn's omnipresent perspective was, I felt she spoke beyond her years. With insight more advanced than a 16-year-olds would be. There were moments here and there that the teenager shone though, but for the most part, she seemed wiser than she should be.

I found the other characters relatable and very realistic, although I was hoping for a different kind of ending. I liked how she left, unraveling one by one as each of the most important people in her life let her and Oz go and move on. But I can't put my finger on the kind of ending I would have wanted or was expecting.

Either way for sure pick this book up! It's an amazing story that really makes you think about what you would have done in a situation as dire was theirs and questions the grey area in which people's actions define them as a person.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader opportunity.

This is a powerful story of looking within yourself. Finn is involved in a tragic bus accident. The choice and sacrifice people make to survive.

In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn is a moving, poignant & just heart breaking read.
I read this book in one sitting & will definitely be picking up everything this author writes!

This is the story of the aftermath of an accident seen through the eyes of one character. The author portrays the grief, guilt and anger of the survivors. The consequences of the choices, large and small, made by all the characters plays out throughout the book. And to paraphrase one of the survivors, sometimes you just make the wrong choice. The author did a good job showing that everyone grieves differently. Lastly, this is a story of survival, love and finding your way again. I recommend this book to readers looking for a book with an emotional punch. Thank you to the publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In An Instant is an original and thought-provoking read about how humans react to life-changing events. For some, it brings out selflessness and empathy. For others, it brings out selfishness and a callous disregard for the feelings of others. Finn Miller and her family are on their way to their cabin when a split second decision during a snow storm leads to them crashing in the middle of nowhere. With below zero temperatures and no phone signal, all seems lost. Finn is killed in the crash, but her spirit remains alive and is watching over events as they unfold. She witnesses her sister Chloe and boyfriend Vance leave the site of the crash to try to find help. And the next day her mother leaves with Kyle, as hope is fading. With her father unable to move due to a leg injury, she then watches on helplessly as her Uncle Bob manipulates her brother Oz into giving up his gloves and encouraging him to go in search of his Mum. Oz has learning difficulties and can become agitated so Bob encouraged him to leave so as to protect his own family. 

As the remaining members of the family are rescued, Finn is forced to watch her family and friends disintegrate as each tries to cope with the guilt and grief. Oz's body is never recovered. She is pleading silently for her family to remember her as a light, not as a void or a shadow. As time moves on and each character finds their own way out of the darkness we are left with a sense of hope, not sadness. A beautifully written story, inspired by an event that happened to the author aged eight.

This is a moving novel about mortality and our human nature. Make sure you have tissues handy, and you're ready to think about big topics like death and grief, but most of all... love.

Wow, In An Instance, is most defiantly that, I did not expect it to pack such a punch so quickly after the very casual start! 

On a friends and family trip to the family ski lodge, an incident turns lives around, showing the true colours of each character at the time of a life or death crisis. 

The story is told from the perspective of Finn, one of the middle children in the family, and how she looks in on all their lives; encouragement, elation, support, trying to pass on messages. 

I do not want to give anything away, but it is a good read, with a strong, clear family, and friends dynamic, each character their very own temperament showing through,  which was called to light and into question when it mattered most.

As Finn Miller turns to gaze at her family, the neighbors, and her brother's dog Bingo, she realizes she is viewing the scene disconnectedly. And the scene, her body, is not pretty. 

They had gotten to the cabin just fine with only a hint of snow, but had promised Oz, her brother, pancakes for dinner at their favorite resort restaurant and took off again, stopping to pick up a young man at his disabled auto. The snowstorm was becoming dangerous and before they could make the restaurant slammed into a guardrail and over the side of the mountain. 

Finn is trapped by the connected threads of life to everyone aboard, neither heaven nor hell, the emotional connection not as quickly severed as her death. She can follow, observe, hear, and even discern some of their thoughts and feelings, watching them snug in the camper van as best they can against the elements of the blizzard, but then divide on the next survival step.

Each character handles the trauma differently. Who made selfless decisions and who abandoned any pretense of sharing or caring for more than their own? Extreme circumstances. Each of the characters are so well-developed you either rooted or loathed them.

Underlying the main plot is a sub-plot involving cross characters that leads the well-paced storyline through rescue, examining how each character handles the lingering post-trauma issues. They each view the story differently, trying to understand their part, each playing a blame game. Guilt, loss, regrets. No do-overs.

Reading the Author's Note at the end of the book tells her own story of the similar circumstances that formed the idea for her book. 

This one completely blew me away--glued to and flipping the pages, reaching for tissues, alternately gasping and raging at small tragedies and shouting hoorahs at tiny victories. I am MOST grateful to have been provided this uncorrected proof by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for a review. Totally recommending this heart-stopping narrative of the human spirit and survival experiences that shape each individual.

In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn had me captivated from the first page. I related to the story so well. The author’s writing was phenomenal. I could easily put myself in Finn’s shoes – I remembered being a teen. Feeling some of the things she was feeling. I also have a 17-year-old daughter which helps to make this story feel more real. I didn’t want to put this book down, I had to keep reading. I felt so many emotions while reading. The writing, characters, pacing…all of it was superb. I cannot wait to read more from Ms. Redfearn.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.. Opinions are my own. 

In An Instant left me emotionally ripped apart and I loved it!!! Such a well written thoroughly touching story! Grabbed me at the begging and was impossible to put down. One of those books I found myself walking around the house on errands reading. I loved all the wonder characters and the plot was unique.
One of my dear 5 star ratings!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an advance readers copy of this book for my honest review.

Deep and so moving. This book had me hooked from the beginning. It is a difficult book to read to start off with but ends as  a redemptive story about love, loss, family and the good and not so good we humans can do when faced with the unthinkable.

An amazing read that will have you thinking what would you do if faced with a similar situation. The point of view  is a new and fresh approach to storytelling.

The narrator in this novel is reminiscent of the young girl in  Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, but the story itself is very different.  This story is powerful, heart wrenching, and leaves you with deep questions about how you live your life and the choices you make.  This is a fast read that you won't want to put down (and get your tissues ready!).  Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing a digital ARC for review.

In an Instant is an emotional read. Narrated by 16 year-old Finn, who is killed in an accident on a family trip, the books explores themes of grief, family, friendship, culpability and human nature. 

For me, the highlight of the book was the connection between Finn and her father. You truly feel his grief and love for his child.

Overall, i think this book is best suited to a YA audience that like books that pull on your heartstrings.  I was not the target reader for this book, but appreciated it and have ranked it based on the audience it is better suited for.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Just finished this book. Emotional and full of angst. Heart wrenching. I absolutely loved this amazing book and so will you. Pick up this winner of a book and prepare to be dazzled.. Happy reading!

We all have heard the adage ‘ your life can change in an instant’. That is exactly what happens in this book . Great characters, great plot. Unable to put this one down ! Read in one sitting . More please !

I don't think I can do this book justice in a review. It is just absolutely amazing and heartbreaking and just all the things that make you not want to put a book down EVER. 



This  book about an accident that results in the death of a teenager and how all the survivors move on or try to, will just take all your emotions and get them in a total tizzy.



Finn, dies in an automobile accident that includes her bff her mom, dad, older sister, two family friends and their daughter.



Finn is left as a spirit to watch them as their lives crumble. Throughout most of the story, and even at the beginning, I found their mother hard to like. She was very self absorbed and I just didn't warm to her, even as the events unfolded. Sure she was strong and had great instincts, but ultimately, I hated her.



Mo is the character I loved and also Chloe, when it comes to the survivors. I had a hard time wrapping around the actions of Aubrey and Ben, who were to be married a few months after the accident? My little brain kept going, PEOPLE DIED and you aren't postponing the wedding?



But perhaps it is best not to discuss whether I liked certain characters or not. Its more what this story is about. Survival and the aftermath of loss.



And the two things that happened while they were in survival mode will leave you gobsmacked. (No spoilers..but SCREW YOU Bob!)



This book is super emotionally charged. There was another book I read awhile back that made me feel the same way was Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. Similar only in that they involved the death of young person, but both left me in tears as I read them and both are books that I will recommend to anyone that asks for a great read. Just make sure you have a whole lot of tissues handy, because you will need them.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.
A heartbreaking story of loss, love and life decisions.  This story follows what happens after a fatal accident.  The book was a nice read even though I shed many tears.

This book has left me breathless. It’s one that has so much feeling and will without a doubt make you think about things differently. One that may in parts make you laugh but without a doubt will make you cry. It’s a very heartfelt, heartbreaking, story of love and loss. A family caught in the worse possible circumstances. A family who along with their best friends go to hell and back. One family may not have made it completely back though. Through actions of such horrible greed and in my opinion, selfishness, they get what they deserve. At least one does. Their daughter is an innocent child in all of it though. She may not be very likable, but she is a child and innocent in the events that happened.
This story is told from sixteen year old Finn’s point of view. She is caught between moving on after the horrific wreck that has taken her at such a young age and see’s each person’s strengths and weaknesses. She tries so hard to help. Watching her family almost destroy each other is a bit much for her as is watching her best friend try and figure things out. There is so much sorrow in these people it’s just heartbreaking. There was eleven people in the van when it wrecked, nine survived and moved on.
There are some very likable characters in this book. Most in fact are likable. Finn is adorable as is her best friend, Mo. Chloe, Finn’s older sister, is lovable, although she is a bit of a troublemaker at times too. There’s Oz, who is developmentally challenged, Finn’s brother. Overall I liked everyone except Uncle Bob. Him I came to hate deeply. I can almost believe he didn’t do anything with intent, but not quite. What he did was unforgivable. One of those who you think is your friend but is really very selfish and cold. I can’t even buy that he truly cared that much for his own family. I just could not connect or care about this excuse of a human being.
This book made me cringe so much in many places. There was only one thing that I didn’t like about this book. That I didn’t feel I got complete closure where Oz was concerned. Though in my mind I can see it clearly and that may be exactly what the author was intending. Ann, Finn’s mother, was way more loving and caring than most knew. Finn saw that side of her where no one else ever had. Letting go has to be the hardest thing a parent ever does. If it’s at all truly possible.
The Author’s Note at the end is a must read. It sheds so much light on why this author wrote this book. It’s another sad part but necessary too. I hope this book helped her to get more closure. I agree that you have to be very careful who you entrust your children too. I imagine it was/is very hard for her to trust anyone completely with them.
This book will definitely pull at your heartstrings. Bring tears to your eyes and leave you with your mouth hanging open in parts. It will make you think about who you can or can’t trust. Wonder what you would do in this situation. I believe with all my heart that I would be fair to all children. I certainly hope I would. It’s such an important thing and children learn from what they see and what they feel.
Thank you for writing this beautiful, heartfelt, tearjerker of a story.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #Lake Union, #Suzanne Redfearn for this ARC. This is my review.
I had to give it a 5 star rating and a very high recommendation. Be sure and have lots of kleenex handy though.

An emotional story about the aftermaths of a tragic accident and the effects it has on all of those involved. 

How do you respond in a tragedy? Do you let it define you? Can you make it past? Can you move forward.? 

These are all things that Ms. Redfearn addresses  in her current novel.

This was deeply emotional for me. I really liked how this was written. A group head out for a nice getaway, they swerve and go off the side of a mountain. Finn, who is only sixteen dies. What really got me was she watches everyone she loves struggle with grief as they try to move forward. This moved me so deeply. I cried my eyes out. Have tissues. Even with that being said you won't be prepared for the depth of this story.

Dawnny-BookGypsy 
Novels N Latte 
Hudson Valley NY