In an Instant

By: Suzanne Redfearn

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

An Amazon Charts bestseller.

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.

©2020 Suzanne Redfearn (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

Critic Reviews

"The characters are sensitively portrayed, as is their recovery, and the hopeful ending is realistic. Readers of domestic dramas will be enthralled." —Booklist 

It feels like my reality

14 years ago I lost my son. Listening to this book, which was read so very well, made me remember so many of the emotions so strong at that time. Many still remain. So many moments I felt my son near me trying to communicate with me. And at some point, a couple years later, feeling him slip away to only get a visit occasionally. And the pain and the happiness of both of that happening. Happy for him to move on and the pain of letting him go. This story may be fiction but it’s more real than any fiction I’ve ever read.

Beautiful Story

I am writing this review, as a mother who has lost 2 children. This book made me cry, gave me comfort and helped me see how grief changes people. I know how it has changed me, but the author truly has insight on how it affects the lives of all who are touched by tragic death.

Too Much Sad Not Enough Glad

I don't understand all the 4 and 5 star reviews this book was way too dark with very few happy points.
However, if I just wanted a lesson in depression there would be no need to listen to a book. I listen to travel to other places, other view points, other narratives other than my own. Real life is depressing in and of itself. This book never swings back, never gives you the good of it all.
Girl dies, life goes on without her. Isn't that just the way it is? In this book the soul of the girl goes on as a voyeur without much purpose to her hanging around.
The story feels hollow.
Then, at the end in the author's notes we find out this is really about her unresolved feelings about her real life Uncle Bob. Goodness, instead of channeling such anger in a book, perhaps you should have told everyone in the first place instead of carrying it around with you for so many years.
I will never buy a book from this author again
Jesse Vilinsky was OK with the delivery of the story

Story is good but characters are empty and left me completely flat

The writing is heartbreaking and raw—so much human nature dredged up and left open, for a reader to examine and reflect on. Makes you wonder what you’d do...what would you REALLY do?
The major HUGE problem I had with this book would’ve stopped me from reading it had I known. The family doesn’t acknowledge the horrific losses, the huge gap they leave behind. They each deal with things in their own way, but never in a realistic, satisfying or normal way. It just goes away. It’s just annoying at first, because the storyline is good...then when you realize the author isn’t going to make the characters heal or even acknowledge the traumatic losses-you might want to throw the book away. I kept hoping to feel ANY level of true love towards the dead, or feelings of loss. There are a few mentions, but it’s almost casual-if I were narrating my death, I’d be like dang, these people aren’t that sad at all I’m gone...The family member who wasn’t there is just cold and stupid and annoying. The rest -I just don’t get it. They cry a few times but I never once felt like they were really sad or hurt, and that is so NOT how it would be, so not ok. When the parents are throwing things away, but neither breaks down or decides to even keep one token, or offer one to a sibling or friend-?-nope nope nope. When at the first holiday and at wedding, there is no toast or mention or tears...nope nope nope. And ugh to the descriptions of “my mom wears a shirt you can see her nipples in,” and of the friend’s and sister’s physical love lives...totally unnecessary. I wanted to love this book! So much of it was heart-wrenching and absorbing! But the author was not skilled enough to make the characters go through their pain, mourn and heal—-making it seem like, to them, after they were done acting out (but never acknowledging the dead kids-??? So messed up), the loved ones just oops, went away. I cringed when one character says at the end he didn’t ask someone about the main event because he likes to “leave the part in the past-“ REALLY? Yes move on -!-but in this case they come off as messed-up and cold. That’s not how it goes.
Audiobook reader was excellent, tho!

Immature

This boom is for teens only. Not an adult book. Please refer to teen section with this book. Waste of money n

In An Instant

Excellent book. The suspense lingers from beginning to end. A reminder not to take one moment of life for granted.

Such a deep, beautiful book

Anything that I write in regards to this book, would not come close to describing it’s beauty. Just a lovely creation of characters, an exquisite examination of grief and healing. I suffered right alongside them, rejoiced in every happy moment, and fell in love with the author’s gift for world building. The narrator was perfect for this book and expressed every emotion right on point. I heard laughter in her voice, as well as tears and humor. This was overall just an incredibly written and narrated book. My words still fall short! Read it, listen to it, you won’t be disappointed. Be ready to laugh and cry, grab the tissues.

Awful

This book was the single most depressing story I've ever read....and I'm a historical fiction buff so that includes a dozen books on the Holocaust. Not a single redeeming character, not a single redeeming incident in 95 chapters of gloom, self-pity, adultery, and anger. I'm honestly not sure why I finished it...tho I did fast forward a couple chapters. The narration only added to the misery. Not only does the teenage 'voice' sound like an English professor with a thesaurus at the ready...but in her attempt to sound 'masculine', she manages to make every male character sound like an uneducated dullard. Just. Please. Stop.

Great Book but One Lingering Question

Head scratcher: Where were the clothes they packed for the trip? Maybe I just missed that part.

I love this narrator, she always does a fantastic job. The story was very well done, thought provoking, emotional. It touched on true human feelings that are hard to face. I'll be watching for more of her work!

this listening experience was absolute torture!

I genuinely do not know why this got so many great reviews. I really encourage you not to waste your time with this book it was torturous to listen to it being performed it sounded like the person was crying the entire time she was reading the book. Imagine someone tried to tell you a story with their eyes full of tears and their throat cracking that's what it was like listening to this book!

Did not like narration.

The premise of this book is very good and the characters were well drawn.
Towards the end it got a bit slow and some of the actions of the main characters were quite implausible. This is a shame as it was a distraction.
I did not like the breathy, emotional narration. I prefer a more detached recounting. There is a lot of drama and trauma and loss so the narrator is crying or close to tears much of the time. A previous reader observed the same and before I listened I dismissed that as misogynistic but actually I found it annoying too.

THANK YOU!! Free on Kindle Unlimited but worth full price

Rarely do I give a full 5 star review, but this is has made it into my top 3 all time Audible favourites.
(1st The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 2nd The Help by Kathryn Stockett)
A moving story told through the eyes of a 16yr old, witnessing the lead up to, and the aftermath of her death during a road traffic collision in a snowy mountainous area and the survival experience of her family and friends that were with her in the crash.

The decisions made and later regretted (or not) brings home the question of what WOULD we really do in such situations and are we actually as caring, noble or grwcious as we believe we are, when the very basic instinct to survive takes hold.

The story cleverly flows between characters and is well written.

What tips this into a 5 is undoubtedly Jesse Vilinsjy's narration. For me it is on point. Believable pitch of a 16yr old, emotionally driven with catches in her voice at just the right moments, that transport you to the pain the protagonist, Finn, is feeling.
Despite being an emotional person, I don't often cry when listening to books but Jesse's delivery combined with Suzanne Redfearn's writing did just that. I cried 3 times within the first two hours!

What's more, I got this free on Kindle Unlimited with free audible sync!!!

I sure lucked out with such an incredible find!!!
Thank you.

Be kind. Be safe. x

Hate it from content to tone

The woman narrating this book made it unbearable. The constant moaning, voice-breaking, on-the-brink-of-tears voice made me want to scream! The characters are so unlikeable. I hate this book!!!!

A brilliant book

Don't start this book unless you have loads of time and tissues galore. It was hard to put down, such a fantastic listen, it has poignancy drama and laughter, a perfect mix and very well written. I must now go and get some sleep....

Moving, believable, beautiful.

The narrator is fantastic. The emotion in her voice is moving and believable and I felt like I was listening to someone who had actually gone through the experience. It’s a very immersive story and I couldn’t wait to go out on my daily walk so I could continue listening. Gripping and beautifully written. This story will stay with me for a long time.

beautiful, heart reaching journey

beautifully written, and read - heart reaching, emotional, wonderful, and a story I'll never forget . Thank you

Brilliant

I had a job to stop reading this book it’s was utterly incredible I cried and spoke to the characters.....

very sad

it was a bit slow at the beginning, but once the thing happened the story was so tense and exciting i couldn't put it down, its an unusually written story all through the eyes of 16 year old Fin, when the whole family and Fins friend Mo go off for a three day break along with three friends and neighbours the tense life and death situation arises I enjoyed this book and found it different to anything else l have ever read you need a box of hankies