Well-written story of a tragic event and its aftermath. The author does a wonderful job of shifting focus between characters and sharing the trauma from their perspective.

I would like to thank Suzanne Redfearn and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC copy of In an Instant.

An absolute stunning and beautiful book. If you have read The Shack and The Lovely Bones, then you will also love this book.

The Miller family are all carrying their own burdens and nobody within their family can notice what is going on and they just move through day to day and carry on as normal.

Finn has a best friend called Mo whose mum is over protective and eventually starts to let Mo go away with the Millers if they promise to look after Mo and not let any harm come to her.

Then you have the friendly neighbours two houses down who are known as Aunt Karen and Uncle Bob with their daughter Natalie.

The Millers decide that a family break at the lodge in the mountains is what everybody needs and along for the weekend are Mo, Karen, Bob and Natalie.

As the story unfolds they pick up a teenage boy whose car has broken down on the mountain road (I wasn't sure why the recovery wasn't called) and they are then driving along in terrible weather conditions, for their vehicle to then crash into a deer causing their vehicle to fall down the mountain side.

From hereon in and not wanting to spoil the story line you learn that Finn has died in the crash, but is having an outer body experience as she is dying.

She can see all those who love her and can see their flaws and disappointments and each person takes on their own survival mode leaving some disastrous consequences to those involved.

It makes you think what would you do in those circumstances? Would you choose to save yourself at the cost of others, or would you stay and hope that the outcome is good for you all?

This book had me crying in every chapter and wondering is there a time between life and death? A very spiritual and thought provoking book.

Even reading the authors reason for writing the story had me crying. Certainly one of my favourites to have reviewed this year.

Wow! I devoured this book in one day. It was brilliant, horrifiying and thought provoking. I was questioning all my friendships hoping I never got into an accident with friends who turned out to be like Bob and Karen. This is the perfect book club read, there are so many discussions to have and it really makes you think about yourself and what you hope you would never do in a life/death situation.

Having Finn as the narrator is a clever move, she is able to move freely between the characters to show us the full picture. I didn't think Finn showed enough emotion regarding her own situation, she seemed fine about it and I would have thought a sixteen year old would have been angry, overwhelmed and scared but she never showed any of that. Even though she was the main character she felt like a side person, there for the purpose of other stories.

The real story was everyone's guilt over their actions on the night they almost died and how they dealt with it in the aftermath of their survival. Their guilt was driving a wedge between them stopping them from healing and moving forward. Their inability to talk to each other honestly and freely was causing isolation and negativity. The only person who appeared unaffected was the one who did the unthinkable act that caused a death. As the reader I was appalled, frustrated, sympathetic and happy in equal measure throughout.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an ARC. This is my honest review.

In An Instant is a remarkable book that I read with my whole heart. Life changes in an instant for a group of people—family, friends, and stranger—when they are involved in a tragic accident. 16-year-old Finn dies instantly, and the story is told from her unique perspective, something that adds so many layers to this story. We not only learn how it feels to be Finn, as she grieves for all she’s lost; Finn is also able to provide us with insight as to how the survivors of that horrific crash grieve, forgive, and heal. I felt completely immersed in these characters and the emotions that were overwhelming and haunting. Despite the tears tears that flowed freely down my own cheeks, the book was not maudlin or gloomy. There were also sweet, tender, poignant moments woven through the sadness, leaving me still broken-hearted, but also hopeful. This is a beautifully-written novel, one that I will never forget, one that I will find myself rereading and reliving for a very long time.

This story WILL make you sniffle, if not outright cry. Those of us who have lost a loved one will recognize the pain and suffering a family experiences after a sudden death, much less an accident that leaves several family members feeling guilty for surviving. Suzanne Redfearn describes the emotional aftermath while building the family's story and weaving in the view from above of our main character, who dies in the first part of the story. Yes, it brings to mind THE LOVELY BONES simply because it is such a good book and involves several of the same feelings, but it is definitely not a rewrite of that story. IN AN INSTANT left me thinking of what my family would do should a tragedy occur. An absolutely wonderful, emotional read.

Oh my goodness, my heart!

I received an e-copy of In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn from NetGalley for my honest review.

A gripping and emotional story of the after-effects that a family and their friends suffer after a deadly accident. We get to learn and understand how each character reacts, how they feel and what they go through during and after the accident.

A story of loss and how each person reacts to the loss. A story that will make you think about how short life really is and to take, appreciate and cherish every moment we have and every breath we take. Get your tissues ready, because you are going to need them.

As you can probably tell from the title , an incident happens with no prior warning that affects the lives of everyone in the book. The family consists of mom & dad, 3 daughters, 1 son, an "aunt & uncle" along with their daughter, in addition to 1 boyfriend, 1 best friend and 1 stranger who had broken down..

The story is told mainly by Finn, the youngest of the 3 daughters. The best friend is Mo, who is closer to Finn than her sisters. There is a whole range of personalities, many of whom do not mesh well in good times, but bad times bring out the worst behaviors of all. Funny what stress does to "nice" people.

Finn's story grabbed me right away and even had me up late to read what came next. A new author for me!

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion .

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

Finn Miller and her family go on a vacation in the mountains. When an accident happens and the family all suffers injuries, Finn is killed instantly. She lingers and stays with her family. She watches as her mother goes for help, she stays with her sister as she is lost in the woods, and she watches over her 13 year old brother when he goes to find their mom. This is such an emotional story of a daughter and a sister whose life is cut short and she just wants to watch over her family and make sure they are safe. There are so many pieces of this book before the accident, during, and after as the survivors deal with the decisions they made. I recommend tissues as the emotions are powerful. I read this book in one sitting late into the night as I just couldn't put it down. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

3 for neutral. I thought this book was much different than I expected and just wasn’t able to get into it. I think because of a current situation in my life, so once that’s over I’ll give it another shot and update my review.

Emotionally gripping, In an Instant had me choking back tears by Chapter 6. I've read some real trudgers lately, and this was a breath of harrowing, heartbreaking, introspective, and dramatic fresh air. This is easily in my top 5 for the entire year. Years, maybe. Finn and her family set off on a wintery vacation to her grandfather's cabin, and in the blink of an eye, they've crashed over the edge of a guardrail, in an attempt to dodge a deer, and Finn is instantly, gorily killed. The other 9 people in the Miller Mobile (their camper), are alive initially but this book starts on a high note, ratchets the tension to nearly unbearable degrees, and keeps it there right to the very last sentence. We get to see Finn as she ping pongs among her family members and friends, seeing how each person deals with their grief, and the life changing decisions they each make under extreme stress. I cried, multiple times, laughed, cheered for these characters and ultimately walked away the better for having read this. Incredible book, well done.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

Definitely a great read that focuses on the human emotions when we are faced with decisions in a tragedy. Are we really the person people think we are or do we all basically fall to a human nature position to save ourselves and those we love and call our own. Exciting beginning as an tragedy happens and decisions have to be made. The rest of the story is told from the view of one who doesn’t make it and can see all that’s happening and the reasons for why. All sorts of emotion in this one! Great read. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

As I had cried my way through books like If I Stay and movies such as The Lovely Bones and Before I Fall, I thought I was mentally prepared for In An Instant. I wasn't.

Finn Miller is no longer a part of her body. She's stuck in the in-between. A brutal accident during a snowstorm has taken her life and there's nothing she could do but helplessly watch her family suffer through this harrowing ordeal.

We see the entire upcoming journey unravel through Finn's eyes, and it was interesting to see how her emotions towards her loved ones seem to alter drastically after this turning point. Finn gets to see her life and her family's clearly now. So many secrets. So much bottled-up burden. Guilt, regret and grief are the strongest emotions that some of our characters have to go through in this book.

There's the bond of sisterhood and motherhood, but I was especially amazed by how moved I was by the father-daughter relationship between Finn and her dad. Watching him grieve brought me to tears. But maybe the most precious memories are the ones Finn will make during this small period of time before she leaves this earth. Maybe when she learns the truth about herself and the ones she cares about, she will ready. And free.

In An Instant is a persuasive exploration of our true selves; an aftermath of the difficult choices we make following a life-changing moment. I hope this book will help and make an impact on other people the way it did me.

"Because I get it. You only live once, and no one has any idea how long that once is going to be, so grab on tight and hold on for the ride and don’t worry about it and don’t look back."

Wow

That was fantastic! It wasn’t a mystery or thriller, and I’m not sure how it was labeled, but it was exactly what I needed.

This book slightly reminded my of The Lovely Bones, which I also really appreciated. This journey is different though because it doesn’t try to figure out a crime, just how to live with the aftermath of a horrible accident.

The writing is superb, the characters so deep and real. Finn is a wonderful narrator and her thoughts hit me pretty hard. I loved the pacing and progression of plot.

The story did truly resonate with me on the topic of blame, selflessness and goodness and how that really isn’t black and white. There’s a lot of food for thought in this one.

I highly recommend and will check out more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Lake Union Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book is written from the perspective of a teenage girl that died in an accident that stranded her family and close friends for days with no hope of rescue. As her spirit lingers to watch them struggle for survival, their decisions will surprise and shock her. She watches them deal with their grief and regret after their eventual rescue and helps them to accept and forgive.
Grab a box of tissue for this one!! I love that it's from the perspective of a neutral character that can see and interpret the other characters decisions, emotions, and reactions while they thought they were alone. I thought it was a true reflection of human nature in a disaster situation, each helping themselves and those closest to them at the expense of the others.

When I read the synopsis of this book I wasn’t sure what to expect and whether I was going to enjoy the read. I sat down with a glass of red and settled in for what I hoped was a good read. You will NOT want to go out into the cold for a long time after reading this harrowing story. That glass of wine, turned into 3.

Finn is dead.

After the sudden split-second decision to miss a deer while driving to dinner, Finn's Dad sends their vehicle careening down a mountainside leaving Finn dead.
The choices that they make will change them all forever. Once the survivors make it back to the land of the living, she stays on and observes the aftermath and the lies that are told to hide the dark truth of what happened during the blizzard. The story is narrated by Finn who is watching from her afterlife, as her family and friends navigate through their heartache and all consuming rage. She sees everyone and can do nothing to ease their grief. They are all making choices, some good, some bad as they try and cope with the tragedy.

The whole book is very cleverly put together. She has the main character, who isn’t of this realm anymore, narrating like a fly on the wall so its all first hand what we are experiencing. Kind of in love with the concept. It was hard to put down. I’m not going to lie, I’m going to be purchasing a copy as soon as it’s available.

Its a compelling story of friendship, love, betrayal, and madness.
Best book, I think I’ve had as an ARC.

Has a similar vibe to the Lovely bones and I was nowhere near blown away with that book as I was with this one. I can’t recommend it enough!

If you want a page turning that you will hate to put down, this is your book. Time to hunt down the other books this author has written! I can see us becoming life long reading friends.

I rarely give 5 stars but this one is brilliant and I will make sure to let the world know they need to purchase this on release day!

#InAnInstant #NetGalley

The title says it all!
How fast things can change, begin and end is what takes place here in this wonderfully written novel!
I truly tried to put this book down and found I was glued to the pages. Finn, the main character tells the story of one tragic day,decisions that may have been made in haste and the days of her family and friend as life resumes.

"Now that I'm dead, I realize how awful people are to each other, how a pervasive cynicism exists in most of us that stops us from seeing the best parts of one another."
Truly eye opening, as well as thought provoking.
A nightmare in real time!

I found myself angry, sad, happy and definitely heart broken during this story. Do not hesitate to grab this novel!

I loved this book! It was unlike anything I've read in a really long time. Ten people go on a trip up into the snowy mountains but tragedy strikes. The story is told by Finn, a 16- year-old girl who didn't survive the accident. Shes in an in-between type world after she dies. She can see and hear everything from her friend and family members and how they all dealt with life afterwards. Some of them remembered details differently than others, so they put the blame on different people. She watched them struggle to continue on with their lives afterward. It's one of those books that even after you finish it, you can't get the story out of your head!

This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 14 February 2020 .

Finn is your average teenage girl headed out on a family trip to the mountains. Coming along with the family is her best friend Mo, and her parents longtime friends Aunt Karen & Uncle Bob. Their daughter Natalie, whom Finn and Mo despise will also be along for the trip. Finn’s family has had this cabin on a remote mountain road for generations.

Finn’s brother Oz has a mental disability that makes him behave as though he’s much younger than his 13 years. Her father has given up his career and life to care for Oz, as there hasn’t been a caregiver able to handle him for many years. Finn’s mom is an attorney. Mo is an only child with a rather protective mother, but she’s learned to trust Finn’s family.

Everyone piles into the “Miller Mobile” for the trip. Once they reach the cabin, the snow is starting to fall, and all the kids rush into the cabin to claim their beds for the weekend. It is President’s Day weekend. Dad has promised Oz pancakes for dinner, and though the weather is changing fast, once a promise is made to Oz that promise must be kept. So the family piles back into the van for the trip to the local diner. Along the way they pass a young man along the road with a broken down car. They pick him up to drop him in town.

At a rather precarious point on the road, a deer suddenly darts in front of the vehicle, though best attempts are made, the van loses control and careens down an embankment imperiling everyone inside. It is night, the snow is falling, and some of the occupants are hardly dressed for this weather.

In an Instant is a novel about finding out who you are in the darkest moments, and who you are when the moment has passed. Redfearn has done an incredible job of relaying a story of life and death and after death in the most riveting and gripping fashion. I could not put this book down. Chapters are short which keeps the story moving at a fast pace. The characters are not perfect, and we get to see some of the darkest sides of human nature, as well as some of the brightest. The novel captures an interesting concept of storytelling from one person’s view.

4.5 stars