Character

Narrated by Finn after her death, the story follows her friends and family's fall from a mountain cliff after swerving to miss a deer in the road. I am not a fan of the way this was done. It's a convenient way to peer into people's lives but lacks in creativity because of what it seeks in transparency. There is a give and take and for me, I'd rather the secrets. I just don't care for omnipresent stories. Again, that is my opinion on how I experienced the story.

Mo was probably my favorite character as she was beautifully written and really made the novel. I would have loved to see this written from her POV versus Finn's. Finn was a way to relay everyone's story, but she didn't sell the entire story for me. She tells (versus shows) because she can't interact (although that doesn't stop her from trying) and that means something is missing.

You can't help but dislike the Gold family - Bob, Karen, and Natalie. It is hard to feel any sympathy for Bob but it could be extended to Karen and Natalie. Their trauma is the type that sinks in and strikes unexpectedly. They became neurotic and internalized their emotional pain.

Overall the characters are well balanced with wide-ranging personalities. 

Plot Development 

The story happens so rapidly that the accident is jarring in the horrendous tragedy of Finn's death. She even describes her own deceased body in the aftermath of the entire accident. The story is mostly after the accident occurs, as Finn is desperate to see her family healthy and happy but knows it can't truly happen until certain aspects from the accident come to light. In this, she attempts communication with the living only making them scream in fear and pain. She watches aspects of her family that no one should ever be privy to. She learns the fundamental insides and outs of her family and how imperfect they are. 

Quality of Writing 

The overall writing was great. I had very few complaints about the actual writing of the story and my biggest complaint comes from the lack of authenticity in the writing of Finn. (A lot of times) Finn comes off much more like an adult pretending to remember what it was like to be, act and think like a teenager. Most people might say, "But Liz... does it matter?" Yeah, it does. As a writer, myself, this is a challenge of being a writer. 

And I'm not just talking about a mature sixteen-year-old, or wise beyond her years. I was all of those things but didn't change that I was still a teenager. Teenagers in high school have their own lingos, they create patterns of conversations with their friends and close family. Much of this is missing even when Finn was alive. The Redfearn creates small things like this to link them together but it often falls off and misses the mark.

I can excuse a few "cockamamies" thrown in but "bureau" instead of dresser. Do people still say bureau? I remember this from hanging around my mom who was a licensed antique dealer. Buxom which is a common enough word that a beauty company is even named Buxom but that doesn't mean its common vocabulary for a sixteen-year-old.

Ending  

I didn't care for the ending but that doesn't mean that it was bad. I just didn't care for it. I understand the choices the author made to make the ending as pleasant as possible. A lot of closure and happy endings but something about it didn't sit right with me. It was unrealistic. Having been in a car accident that could have been devastating but thankfully wasn't (we rolled a 2004 Expedition off the side of the highway going from Las Vegas towards Reno. If you've ever been to the Nevada high desert, then you know that it can go from flat to mountain cliffs randomly.) although the hospital and financial burdens of everything hurt. Not to mention the emotional trauma of the entire ordeal. 

Stories written with the narrator speaking from beyond the grave can be done well but I've yet to read one that worked for me.  This is a good book overall, but the ending was too happy. You may come to find that I am not a fan of overly happy endings, even in romance. In an Instant happens to have people who were maimed from this accident from injury and frostbite so it's not beaming with sunshine and Skittle-filled rain clouds. I think that's why the ending didn't work for me.

Conclusion

This is a really good book. The story is emotional and enthralling. You feel like a voyeur probably the way Finn felt while watching over her family. Yes, there could have been more attention to the authenticity of the character and age, this is a good book.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the ethical aspects of it. What would you do if you were trapped in a situation and you had to choose between people and your own family? What is the fallout of these decisions. Redfearn gives an interesting situation and explores the fallout from the perspective of someone who lost their life.

In an Instantby Suzanne Redfearn is an all-encompassing, gripping, stunning novel on the after-effects and ripples that travel outward after a family/friends suffer through a catastrophic accident. The accident itself is really only the beginning of the ordeal. How each character that survives acts during the time of the incident and how they act after creates life-changing consequences with each other and to themselves. 
This is a story about humanity in its most fundamental experiences, and what happens when you are faced with tragedy and life or death decisions.  No one is perfect, nothing is black and white, and one never knows how they will respond in that type of situation until it happens to them. This is a story about finding what matters in life. About realizing life is fragile, it is short, and so precious. It is about a story of redemption and survival, about moving on. 
This is the first kind of book I have ever read like this and it is stunning, just stunning.  This will always stick with me. You must read this.

5/5 stars 

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

This is posted to my GR account immediately and will be posted to my Amazon, Bookbub, and B&N accounts upon publication.

I adored this book! I fell in love at page one and was completely drawn in with the fast paced, beautiful storytelling. I read the synopsis but as I was reading I was so wrapped up in the story that it was a plot twist when the narrator died even though they told me it would happen. I love books that pull you in to the point where you don't remember what's supposed to happen.I also cried a lot throughout the book so have tissues at your side and maybe don't read it in public. Overall, this is a 5 star rating and my favorite book of the month. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for sending me this fantastic novel!!

** spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars

There was a moment in this book,when I thought it might have me crying all the way to the end.
A story of a serious crash,and how everyone reacts afterwards,and it makes you wonder what you would have done,who you would have saved,what choices you would have made.
Then the aftermath of how you come to terms with it,and how you deal not only with your actions,but the actions of others.
This packs an emotional punch for sure,but for me,it went on a little too long.

In an Instant so much can change. This book was sad, happy, heart breaking. I could have finished it in  one day but didn’t want to rush through it. 
I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

Loved this book! Couldn't put it down. The very compelling story of 2 families and a serious accident high in the snowy mountains, while on a skiing vacation.  Such raw human emotion.  The story is told by Finn, a young member of one of the two families involved. The lengths that they went to in order to survive! Very emotional read. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

I loved this unputdownable book!

It was a emotional and beautiful  read.  The characters were realistic.  The plot was gripping and satisfying.  Run, do not walk, out to get this fab book.
Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for making E-ARCS of this phenomenal  story available. I do not think anything I say will do this story justice. It is heart-breaking and beautiful,  It is beautifully written. I re-read several passages just to savor the writing itself.

I LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH . 
I kept reading and reading until I finished the whole book in one sitting .
It was emotional , Interesting and so beautiful . 
I connected with the characters and Suzanne Redfearn words so much .

In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn a five-star read that will transport you. This has been the hardest review I have written in a long time. I finished the novel well over a week ago, its just trying to put into words how powerful this little story is, one 16-year-old girl telling her story will just captivate you and leave you in knots. I have sat down to write this and then deleted what I had wrote so many times, as I don’t want to give any details away, but I wanted to portray how much this story needs to be read. The whole premise was a little off and I nearly didn’t bother to pick it up as it sounded a bit dreary and boring. All I will say is that it was so much more than I imagined, one incident changed so many lives so much, it makes you second guest everything. Allowing Finn to be the storyteller just made this an intense story, watching the aftermath unfold just broke me, but as you get through the story the pieces start getting put back together. Do not miss this powerful story, I suspect it is going to be a big favourite of mine this year.

The Publisher's description of this book does not do it justice.  The book is far more compelling.  The reader feels everything the characters are experiencing, as if he or she was there.  Beautifully written.  I could not put this book down!

A family skiing trip has tragic consequences when their camper van skids on the snow and tumbles over a cliff. 
Finn their teenage daughter is killed instantly, her father is very badly injured.
This story is about the actions of the others in the group and the consequences of their actions during and after the event which leave the survivors changed for ever.
This was a very powerful story and the first I have read by this author and I will be looking out for more of her work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This novel has many twists and turns 
This story is beautifully thought out and beautifully written 
This book will stay with me for some time 
It’s a tragic nail bitting read.

Two families are in a bad accident, which results in teenage Finn's death. She narrates the story as she hovers over the family, watching them in their work to keep warm, find help, and then move past the tragic events. The family and friends struggle with some of the events and stories that get relayed after the accident. There are a few twists and turns in the story that helped to keep my interest.

"No one watches over yours the way you watch out for your own."

In an Instant is a beautifully crafted and raw novel that examines tragedy and how, though, people maybe experience it together, their experiences may greatly differ.

Narrated by Finn, a teenage girl who went on vacation with her family and best friend, the story takes us through a deadly accident and the recovery of those who survived. Finn tells the story after death, from a fly on the wall perspective, about how the accident and her death affected her friends and family and how the survivors coped with fear, loss, and guilt. 

People are brought together and people fall apart in this story of raw human action and emotion. I felt so drawn to this book and I did not want to put it down. I loved the perspective in which it was told because it allows us to follow every character and learn intimate details that help to shape them. This is definitely a novel I would recommend, as the story and characters were both well developed and interesting.

Be sure to read the author's note as well, it is equally emotional and raw as the novel itself.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.

A wonderful story told by the ghost of Finn, a 16 year old who dies in a auto crash during a family vacation. This book was fantastic, just like all Suzanne Redfearn's others.

Thank you Net Galley and Publisher for allowing me to read it.

Wow, this was an incredibly powerful book. It had many moments of sheer devastation but was also incredibly insightful and moving. It is a very unique book and one that will stay with me for quite some time. So glad I read it!

This book just had me as it moved quickly with short chapters and it content seemed so real. Life does change in an instant and when a person dies the struggle for those left behind is real, especially when the death is that of a young person and unexpected. Finn knew she was dead but leaving those left behind was difficult until she knew all were going to be okay. The death of Oz was so sad but as the book brought to light no one can predict how they will cope in a stressful situation. This book is about loss, love, coping , family and moving forward when life goes sideways in an instant.

One of the BEST books I have read this year!!   I could not put it down.  It has wonderful,  well developed characters, and the story, well, you will need tissues, as you can see from the description of the book.  
The book grabs you in from the beginning, and you won't be able to put it down.
Thanks so much for #Netgalley for this ARC.   This is a definite must read.  


Releasing March 2020!!!  
#InanInstant #Netgalley #SuzanneRedfearn