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 !

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.

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