Review: In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn

4 stars for In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn.

After I emerge from the depth of the Mappie Murders series, I thought I will have difficulty getting into the next book. Luckily, my worry is unfounded. I manage to choose the next book well and In an Instant steps up to fill the empty void left by the whodunnits much better than I expect.

The book is about a sudden accident that causes great damage and suffering. The story is not so much about the mishap itself, but rather the revelation of a base instinct for self-preservation and the natural tendency to protect one's own, that when tested makes the characters in the story capable of things they never believe themselves to be capable of. This and the aftermath of that fateful day, when the consequences of the choices made by the survivors come back to haunt them, are what make the story so engaging and thought-provoking.

The story revolves around three families, the Millers, the Golds and the Kaminskis. The entire story is told in first person viewpoint by a sixteen-year-old Finn Miller which later evolves into a fly-on-the-wall perspective. I think it is impressive that the author thought of such a brilliant way to narrate the story; the fly-on-the-wall perspective turns the protagonist Finn invisible and silent, a witness to everything - yet she is nothing but an awareness - thus enabling honest insight into all the other characters, even when they think they are alone.

What makes the story memorable is the heartbreaking journey of travelling alongside Finn who bears witness to all that happen but yet entirely helpless as she moves fluidly from scene to scene with ease that makes perfect sense.

The story explores the theme of friendship, loss, grief, denial, regret, guilt and love.

One of the focal points of the story is the friendship between the Millers and the Golds. The lesson taught here is that outward appearances are deceiving and people are not what they seem. The perfect friend you think you have can turn into a perfect foe in an instant, in a single tragic night.

Another focal point is how the characters cope with their loss. One character chooses the easy way of denial where out of sight equates out of mind while another prefers to be constantly reminded so that the loss will not be forgotten.

The story explores the theme of regret well. Regret is a difficult emotion to live with because there is no turning back. What's done is done. There is no "what-if". But in order to have regret, one needs to have a conscience, and that's where the irony comes in. The author put it down beautifully in a single sentence. To quote "I’ve always believed regret is the most difficult emotion to live with, but in order to have regret, you need to have a conscience: an interesting paradox that allows the worst of us to suffer the least in the aftermath of wrongdoing." So, yes, there is one character who is portrayed as such.

Then there is the theme of love, that of husband and wife, parent and child, friend and friend, human and animal, and above all, a mother's love for her child. The story explores the different dynamics of relationship. One may seems indifferent or even ignorant of another within the family but it may well turn out to be otherwise.

I enjoy every bit of the story until I hit the 64% of the book after which, it feels very much like reading a young adult novel rather than a literary fiction. I am not saying that it is not good as the protagonist is, after all, a sixteen-year-old teenage girl who is full of zest and supposed to be having the time of her life. And her good friend and sisters are all in that age bracket which makes sense to the story being kind of young adult. It is just that, well, call me jaded or whatever, I am not a fan of young adult story.

At the end of the story, I am surprised when the author reveals that the story is inspired by a real-life event that happened when she was eight years old. I actually feel sad for the author that the two not-so-nice characters in her book are not crafted out of thin air but from her experience in life. Reality bites but that is life.


Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication date: 1 Mar 2020

*** Favourite Quote ***

Regret is a tough emotion to live with, impossible to move on from, because what's done is done.

~ In an Instant
Suzanne Redfearn

@}--->>--->>-----

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 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?

*Blurb from Goodreads*

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