Review: In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn (audio)

Title: In An Instant

Author: Suzanne Redfearn

Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky

Published: March 2020, Brilliance Audio / Lake Union Publishing

Length: 10 hours 43 minutes / 332 pages

Source: Audio via Publisher / Print – Paperback via Author

Summary:

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 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.

My thoughts:  I have been a fan of Suzanne Redfearn’s books for quite some time now and was delighted when she reached out to me to review her book. I then was given the opportunity to request the audiobook and so I decided to listen to it and it was so well done on audio.  

This is an emotionally charged book about not only a horrific accident, but more so the aftermath of it. It is narrated by the ghost of one of the victims of the accident and at first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this, but I ended up loving it. It was such a compelling and gripping way to tell the story and really guts you. 

It’s hard to say much about this book without giving too much away, but it is extremely thought-provoking and takes you on an emotional journey as the families involved deal with the choices they made after the accident. You will find yourself wondering what you would do if you ever find yourself in this situation. And be prepared for tears…I sobbed at times, but there were also some happy tears along the way as well.

I highly recommend this book – it is wonderfully written and one I certainly will not be forgetting anytime soon. Suzanne Redfearn has a way with capturing human emotions and writing real, complex, flawed characters. She explores human grief and the dynamics within a family. This book will take hold of you and once you start, you will not be able to stop reading, or listening. 

Audio thoughts:  I loved this audiobook. Jesse Vilinsky is a new narrator to me, but I thought she handled this story so well. It was not an easy story to narrate, given the emotional nature of it at times, but she added just the right amount of tension and emotion to her voice as necessary for each character. The whole book came alive under her narration.