An Amazon Charts bestseller.
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 … 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.
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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.
Compelling Psychological Suspense Novel
This story of survival in a dire circumstance makes you wonder – who could you trust in the wake of a disaster? Are your friends really who they appear to be? What are seemingly good people capable of when they think no one is looking?
The beginning is a bit slow, but important, as it sets the stage for the harrowing experiences the characters endure in the aftermath of disaster. Using an all-seeing third person narrative, the author weaves together the stories of two families as they face tragedy, peril, and the physical and emotional struggle to move forward. The suspense builds as the spirit is forced to watch helplessly as her loved ones lives hang in the balance, secrets are kept and lies are told.
The frightening tale of human nature is made more shocking as you read the author’s notes at the end of the story. This is one the best psychological dramas I have read!
*Thank you Amazon First Reads, Suzanne Redfearn and Lake Union Publishing for the early reading opportunity.
It was hard to put down this tragic tale. Loved that it was told from the viewpoint of a dead teenager. It evoked some strong emotions and the subject was a bit scary because it was so realistic. But eventually there was a happy ending.
I loved this book! Very thought provoking! One of my favorite books ever!
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.
I received an early copy of this ebook via NetGalley and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
I am a California native and these venues are very familiar to me. This book was mesmerizing and impossible to put down! It was gratifying that many of the characters were able to work through a tragic situation!
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.
Many thanks to Great Escapes Book Tours and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book for review. I loved it so much I purchased my own physical copy. This is my honest and thoughtful opinion.
Told in gripping prose, In an Instant is both an addictive, suspenseful read and a thoughtful exploration of what each of us would do in a time of intense trauma. Redfearn’s characters are so real and the plot so mesmerizing I couldn’t think about anything else. A must for book clubs!
Breathtaking, compelling, heart stopping, and original. An utter page turner — I couldn’t put the book down. I highly recommend this unforgettable story. Kudos to Suzanne Redfearn.
In an Instant is a triumph! When tragedy strikes, two families are thrown into chaos as the lines of morality are blurred. Redfearn handles a family’s shock and grief with the perfect balance of empathy and hope and will have you contemplating what really lies underneath the shiny veneer of those closest to you. Make In an Instant your first read of 2020.
Suzanne Redfearn’s In an Instant is part ghost story, part love letter to a family in crisis after a devastating accident in the midst of a brutal snowstorm. This cleverly crafted novel chronicles a heartbreaking journey from grief and despair to one of acceptance, forgiveness, and ultimately hope. Through Redfearn’s luminous prose, In an Instant succeeds in building an unforgettable portrait of human frailty and strength in the face of unfathomable loss.
This was an incredibly good story, told in a very creative way allowing 16-year old Finn to follow everyone involved in the accident. I didn’t read the full back cover, so was surprised on her angle of the story, and I’m not going to say more about it if you want the surprise. The characters were well developed and the emotions were so raw. It was one of those books that ruined my sleep, not just because I couldn’t put the book down, but because I couldn’t get the story out of my mind.
With that said, if you don’t like tragic stories, then stay away. The story, especially the first half is so incredibly sad, and it’s impossible not to think of it happening to you or your family. But the book is about moving on after a tragedy, and I actually found lots of the second half somewhat uplifting and hopeful.
Suzanne Redfearn’s latest, In an Instant, is a captivating, heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting novel about a family’s devastating tragedy and its aftermath. Reminiscent of The Lovely Bones, the story is told by sixteen-year-old Finn, who struggles to find closure for herself while watching her loved ones do the same. Redfearn deftly explores those split-second decisions that can alter our destinies and the guilt we hold on to, despite our need to let go. In an Instant reminds us what it is to be human — vulnerable, fallible, and also resilient and triumphant when we face our challenges with unity and love.
This is an excellent book Sad at times but interesting. What happened to a family after a car accident.
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
It was so good – death from a different perspective. I didn’t want to put it down. Really enjoyable read.
Such an emotional read! I couldn’t put it down.
Beautiful, poignant, and incredibly heart-wrenching!
In an Instant is a tragic, pensive, moving novel that takes you into the lives of eleven people whose worlds are irrevocably changed in the blink of an eye when a fatal accident causes them to make individual decisions that will have enduring consequences.
The prose is eloquent and intense. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are complex, conflicted, and wounded. And the unique plot, narrated from beyond the grave by sixteen-year-old Finn is a compelling, sobering, emotional tale of life, love, loss, family, friendship, grief, guilt, acceptance, self-preservation, and redemption.
Overall, In an Instant will make you think, it will make you cry, and it will resonate with you long after the final page. It’s an impactful, enthralling, reflective tale by Redfearn that does a remarkable job of highlighting humanities weaknesses and emotional fragility and reminds us just how important it is to appreciate all those little things in life, the moments, the sunsets, and the shared smiles.
Wow. What an exceptional book. Kept me reading till the end.
This novel was an Amazon first read. I read the blurb and immediately wanted to devour the words within. This is an unforgettable story about the choices we make and the impacts of those choices. The story involves ten people and how in an instant their lives are forever changed. The words flowed effortlessly from the author, so many words, sentences, and pages highlighted. I was able to step back and really think about how every person interprets things differently. This novel will move the reader, some even to tears. I believe had I not read the blurb some parts of the novel would have been more jolting. The novel isn’t perfect. There definitely were characters I couldn’t connect with. Others I down right hated. Yet all the characters left me thinking about the way we show love and the sacrifices we make for those we love.
After the novel ends there is an authors note. Read the authors note! It’s eye opening especially for parents.