Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read the ARC.

The story is told from the perspective of 16 year old Finn who dies in an accident on a mountain. It follows her family and friends during and after the accident.

This book was so sad and one of the best books I have ever read.

5 Stars for this extremely emotional read!

Finn, her best friend, her family and her parent’s best friends go on a weekend ski trip ... only for it to become a nightmare. Their first night there, they are in an accident and Finn is instantly killed. The story is told through Finn’s eyes as she tries to make sense of the accident’s aftermath.

This book had me crying ... no, sobbing from the beginning. The story is told in such a way that one minute I hated a character and the next minute I felt sorry for them. It made me think of the same situation in from different perspectives. I could not put this book down and read till the wee hours of the morning just to finish it. This is the first book I have read from this author ... and it definitely won’t be my last. Ms, Redfearn has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are right there in the pages of the book. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy courtesy of Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

The point of view was very interesting to read. Very heartbreaking. To see a parent grieve from the dead child’s view was so sad

What a deeply moving novel that you will definitely  require a box of tissues nearby when reading. 

This story was so amazing,  had me hooked from the beginning, definitely an eye opener making me think at every turn.  Being a mother it's hard to think about putting another childs welfare above your own. 

A family along with a few friends takes their annual trip to a secluded cabin, on the way they swerve to miss hitting a deer,  but in that instant everything changes.

Warning: this book will break your heart, and you will not be able to put it down!
I haven't read anything like it since I read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. A story that will stay with you.
Sixteen year old Finn Miller takes off with her family and friends in an old camper, bound for the snowy mountains of Big Bear.
When her dad swerves to avoid a deer on the road, the camper falls over the guardrail and crashes below. In an instant, Finn is dead and the lives of everyone there are changed forever.
The story follows the aftermath, how each person reacts to the situation, bringing out the worst or the best in them as they fight for survival.
Finn's spirit hovers nearby, she can't bear to leave them as they struggle to try and put their lives back together.
There aren't words to explain how this one will make you feel.
As sad as it will make you, it will also bring you hope for the human spirit.
Don't miss this beautiful, inspiring and thought provoking story.
Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

This was such a great heartbreaking read! The author does a great job of setting the story, talking about how over protective Mo’s mother is that you don’t realise its not Mo you should be worried about its Finn! Finn Miller’s life is over in an instant, one minute she is chatting away the next she realises she is dead after a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain.

This story is told from Finn’s perspective, seeing her family make impossible choices that ultimately leave two dead, and others losing fingers and toes. Not only that we see how people left who should no better makes choices to protect their own instead of the children. I really hated how Uncle Bob treated Finn’s brother, I was crying as I read it as I know what was going to happen and I neither I or Finn could stop it.

In an Instant is a heartbreaking tale of survival, and the choices that you make how it reflects on you as a person and the devastating effects it can have on those that survive. We see Finn hang on the edge of two worlds, and as the story progresses and as everyone is moving on from her death, my heart ached a little with everyone letting her go, the one that made me completely come undone was when her father was packing up her sports shirt in the garage, that was the final thread that held her to this world.

I honestly loved this book and I can’t express in to words just how the book made me feel, I highly recommend giving this one a read.

5 stars

I was pleasingly surprised by this book. I really enjoyed the story and how the author was able to convey all the feelings!! I was so caught up in the story that I wasn't able to put down the book. Basically, the story is about two families that go on a trip and there's an accident, where the main character Finn dies and she is able to follow (as a ghost) what happens to the rest of the people involved in the accident. We are able to see the aftermath of the accident, following her family, her best friend and the other family that was with them.
This book is incredibly written and I would highly reccomend it!

A cool story to read during the winter months or while at home. Complex characters and interesting plot.

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.