In an Instant

This author was new to me but this particular book is more about being able to write from a unique POV. There are several characters in this book, but the author wrote each with a clear purpose to the story, made each one very human and relatable, and brought each one’s story to a close. Not necessarily packaged with a nice bow bc that’s not real life. But each found a resolution where you exhaled and said, “ok”, and might even shed a tear for them. The overall message was if you were in a treacherous situation, would you put yourself/your family first? Or another person? A child? An injured person? A weak person? Asks the question, is there a time where you sacrifice one to save the many? It was refreshing to have a book that didn’t jump back and forth to a different year or character with each chapter; so many are like that now. And I don’t mind that IF it is truly necessary to the story, but sometimes it feels like a gimmick. This book was very pure. Ok so SPOILER ALERT… we are guided through this story by the main character who is alive-adjacent lol. And I think some author’s could have totally ruined this POV… made it all about her anger, or sadness or pain, or even her fear about what plane she is on. But this author wrote it beautifully so the character uses this time to see these people she loves in a different light. And tries to leave them with a bit of peace. And make sure to read the Author’s Notes at the end, the author tells you where the idea for this book came about and how this lesson of putting others first is close to her heart. ❤️ Just fabulous reading. I’m so excited to read more by this author!

This is the story of Finn Miller and her family. They were going on a camping trip for the weekend when an unspeakable tragedy happens. Finn is killed in the accident but is trapped between this world in the next as she witnesses her family and friends fight to survive. The months that follow the tragedy are hard on Finn's family and friends and she bounces between them as they come to terms with the aftermath of the tragedy. The survivors start to piece together what happened immediately after the accident and the truth comes to light. This was a fair book. I know this type of story has been done many times, but I was still drawn to it. It is a very easy read and I got through it in two evenings. I didn't want to quit until I saw where it was leading and how everything was going to turn out for this family. It is pretty well written, and the characters were well developed. Some of the plot was....eh. But overall - it was a good read. It brings to mind what we would do ourselves in the face of a similar tragedy. I always read the Author's note in each book, and I encourage you to read this one when you finish the book.

• Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ • General Overview: The novel follows the story of two families who are caught up in a serious, tragic accident high in snowy mountains and the lengths that each individual go to to survive. The book takes the ingenious idea of narrating the aftermath of the crash from sixteen year old Finn’s PoV. It’s ingenious because Finn dies in the crash and therefore she takes on an almost omniscient role and the book becomes a sort of fly-on-the-wall exposé of the crash victim’s broken lives. •What did I think?: This book was an absolute page turner for me! I picked it off of the recommended shelf on Kindle Unlimited and I am so glad that I did! ‘In an Instant’ is such a beautifully written novel that tackles grief and how different people cope with traumatic events. Everyone reacts differently and this book shows the gambits of emotion from all sides and the emotions hit the reader as you read it. I was intrigued to find out that Suzanne Redfearn had inspiration from an event in her childhood when writing this novel. You can tell that her raw emotion from her memories really helped fuel the tone of all the characters as they navigate through the traumatic events that unfold. There are so many characters in this book and the author does an amazing job at going into detail of how each character is feeling emotionally and coping with the traumatic events they all just went through. Because of this, it is so easy to become attached to these characters and feel the emotions that is being portrayed by their thoughts and actions. There are also some plot twists in the story that I personally didn’t see coming and I’m a sucker for plot twists. There were moments where I was mad, sad, and shocked at some of the outcomes. Suzanne Redfearn did such a great job at using suspense to keep us locked in and turning the pages to see how everything would turn out. This is a novel that really asks questions about what we as humans are capable of doing to each other. It dares to look at our darkest thoughts of purely self preservation and asks the reader do you know what you would do in these most bleak of moments? No one character in this book is left guilt free. They all experience shame on some level at how they survived and because they survived. • Do I recommend this book?: Yes! This is one of those books that really the less you know about it the better. While the prose may not be that beautiful with an awkward narrative initially, this is still definitely worth a read if you’re in the mood for a character study type novel as the most thought provoking themes truly reveal themselves after approx 1/3 the way through.

A truly gripping story. Each character in the book is deeply affected by an accident and, subequently, the variety of repercussions that will change their lives forever. The author weaves a powerful tale based on a tragedy that affects each character in a different way and it makes the reader question "what would I have done?" I was mesmerized by this story, a true work of literary excellence. It is right up there with the best novels I have ever read. Poignant. Believable. Surprising. Tear-jerking. Smile making. Breathtaking. This book made me feel every emotion known to humanity. It quickly awakened my emotions and immediatlely pulled me in. Thank you, Ms. Redfearn for a great read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-written novel that illustrates multiple facets of human interaction and behavior. I will keep this one.

Wow. What an excellent read! Beautifully written and great characterization. Loved Finn. Sad and heart wrenching as well as uplifting and spiritual.

This book is WOW. It delivers in every way; storytelling, characters who evolve on the page, empathy, compassion, ego, warmth and grief in absolute bucket load.. So perfectly and cleverly narrated by the wonderful Finn. I loved it and have already recommended it to friends and my daughters. I bought on kindle but I will also be buying copies for my book shelf! Which is a rare occurrence - reserved for books that have left a lasting impression on me. Well done Suzanne!

The fact that immediately takes you aback and even disappoints you is the choice of a dead person as onniscient narrator: obviously a ghost sees everything from above and knows everything. Too easy! Also, the part of the survival should have been better developed: the idea was good. All the rest is basically a " morality play" based on the central idea of guilt, regret, punishment, redemption, but....Coleridge did it much better. Pity, because the writer has good skills.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, sad. The tragedy happened in the beginning, and it’s the after, how everyone deals with what happened. From a very unexpected and interesting point of view, a psychologically perfect story. I devoured it in one day!

Well-developed and emotionally-charged "In An Instant” opens when a disastrous camper accident on a snow-covered mountain road kills sixteen-year-old Finn Miller and leaves her father seriously injured. With biting cold winds, snow falling and daylight gone decisions are made that have Finn’s sister Chloe and her boyfriend struggling through the storm looking for help, and when they don’t return her mother Ann and Kyle following them into the night. The Gold family; Finn’s friend Maureen (aka Mo); mentally challenged Oz Miller; and his dog Bingo are left behind to care for the injured Jack and will make tragic life and death decisions that will haunt their lives until the truth of that night is revealed. Told from sixteen-year-old feisty and stubborn Finn Miller’s perspective, as her spirit lingers on after her death, intensity and suspense escalate not only with the hazardous struggles to find help; the negligence causing a young boy’s death, but also in the decisions made to survive. Yet the most poignant and evocative part of the story lies in the choices made by friends and families who afterwards are guilt-ridden and searching for the truth of that night as they struggle to put the pieces of their lives back together. In a plot filled with anger, guilt, self-loathing, vengeance and lies, judgements will be made that will heal or destroy the lives of those affected. Intriguing with an affair, a search in the mountains, and a friend determined to make the truth known, the story quickly winds flawlessly to a compelling climax. Among a host of complex and fascinating characters are lawyer and mother Ann Miller who’s determined and relentless in a tough situation but domestically neglectful of her children’s needs; former yacht captain and stay-at-home dad Jack Miller who’s calm and caring until angry and vengeful after the accident; the self-absorbed Bob and Karen Gold; their haughty, self-centered daughter Natalie; overweight, mentally challenged thirteen-year-old Oz Miller; and the eighteen-year-old smart, tough, haunted Chloe Miller. All these personalities and others infuse this plot with emotional tension, heart-provoking power that captures the reader from the first page to the last. I thoroughly enjoyed “In An Instant” a story of tragedy, survival, and family love.

This was so good! I cried throughout the whole book. Great characters, my heart aches for all of them. It speaks to the sensitivity and care behind every journey. What a masterclass in writing! Well done, Suzanne Redfearn.