Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion

A few of us are planning to read In an Instant bySuzanne Redfearn starting on May 19th.



Feel free to join us whenever you want.

Summary
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?

Don't forget to use spoiler tags as needed.

I’d like to be one of those included?

Anybody welcome Kathleen :)

It's in my spreadsheet for the 19th!

Looking forward to it! My mom will be visiting right before. She is leaving on the 17th, so the timing should be perfect for me.

I'll join in :)

this has been on my to-read list for a while! maybe now this will give me the inspiration to finally read it! =)

Yep I made it here.

Include me, please. Is there a reading schedule?

Welcome, Pamela. There is not a schedule. We will just all start on the 19th. When we comment, we state where we are in the book and use spoiler tags.

Thank you, Kristie!

Ready for tomorrow... :D

Oh gosh! It's here already! lol I'll try to finish up my current book today. :)

Time flies!!!!

Tomorrow's the 19th?? Where has May gone?

Was anyone able to start this today? Any initial thoughts? I fell a little behind with my reads, but I plan to start it tomorrow.

I started but only late in the day and got up to Ch4. So far I'm really hating the Mum (but holding judgement as we haven't got a full story yet) but overall I have a feeling I'm going to like this.

I started it yesterday. I didn't realize that it is YA, but that's ok. It reads quickly and was not what I expected - in a good way.

@Lynn - I hate the mom too. I don't know what her issue is, but I think we are going to find out.
I'm starting chapter 12 and (view spoiler)[ I can't believe that Finn is dead. I so didn't see that coming. (hide spoiler)]

Oof, chapter 6 was a difficult one to read ..... well and after too. I’m currently in Ch14. I’m on my phone at the moment so will come back with more thoughts tonight when I’m on my computer but I definitely still have strong feelings about the mother .... and the sisters boyfriend!

I've read to chapter 22 and (view spoiler)[ I can't believe what Uncle Bob did. I get wanting to survive, but that was murder plain and simple. I don't know how, but I hope he gets his in the end. I'm beginning to feel a little sorry for the mom. She is wound so tight for whatever reason, but she is going to break soon. They have to find Oz. (hide spoiler)]
I can't put this book down!

So happy to see that, Jayme! I need a book I can't put down right about now.

I thought I missed this boat so I started it before the beginning date and finished it in a day and a half. It is a very good book, IMHO.
I didn’t think of it as a YA book. There are so many lessons in here for everyone I guess that’s why. And while a lot of reviews mentioned needing tissues, I didn’t find that like I have with other books. I had a good sniffle here and there but that was it. I thought a lot of the characters were very well drawn. Enough to make me really dislike a few but the ending really made even them more palatable. I won’t say more at this time for fear of spoiling something. But I’ll check back in.

@Kathleen - I totally agree about the characters each one was detailed and came to life.

I finished the book late last night and wow! It made me dislike a few characters and feel sorry for them at the same time. It is a very thought provoking book. (view spoiler)[We all imagine that we will step up and do the right thing when faced with an incredible life threatening event, but will we? Will we put ourselves first even if it hurts others? I'm glad there was some redemption at the end - a little bit of happiness. (hide spoiler)]

When you finish the book make sure to read the author's notes at the end - Not before. How Redfearn makes the reader dislike a certain character makes a lot of sense. So glad I read this book. 5 stars.

Wow! That was so fast! I'm really glad you both loved the book. I'll read your spoilers when I catch up.

I'm currently on Ch31 and wow this book is intense .... and gut wrenching ... and heartbreaking ....and thought provoking .... and anger inducing! I currently have so much hate for (view spoiler)[Uncle Bob! (hide spoiler)]

I thought I was the only one reading this so I came here to make sure Goodreads wasn't, once again, unnotifying me and of course it was. Grrrr So I'm up to chapter 5, dreading chapter 6 now that I've read the comments (minus spoilers).

Wow... chapter 6 was really hard to read. 💔 More thoughts on it later.

I'm almost done and I couldn't put it down.

Kristie wrote: "Wow... chapter 6 was really hard to read. 💔 More thoughts on it later."

And it just carries on .... such a good book, so well written

Lynn wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Wow... chapter 6 was really hard to read. 💔 More thoughts on it later."

And it just carries on .... such a good book, so well written"

Yes it does. I'm up to chapter 27 and about to read more once I check the spoilers in this thread and other updates.

The first thing I want to point out is that this is not a great book to read while driving. Oh my gosh... my eyes welled up and I had to dab. It is definitely one that you don't want to put down.

(view spoiler)[ I am horrified at how awful the "uncle" is! Tricking Oz like that and sending him off to his death with his dog! Wow. I agree with Jayme's spoiler - if Oz dies, that is murder. I have a feeling that even if he lives his poor dog is going to die. He is 11 years old! And so loyal. 💔 I understand Bob wanting to protect his family, but that is unacceptable no matter the outcome.

So far, that is the one thing that sticks with me as being completely inexcusable. Everything else, even when horrible looking at it from the outside, is somewhat understandable given the situation and emotions, particularly the fear.

The mom trying to let Kyle fall was right up there with jackass moves. I mean, at least try to save him before trying to let go! I'm giving her the excuse of initial reaction and that survival instinct kicking in. It seemed like she was shocked at herself, so I can only hope she regrets that initial reaction and is horrified at herself. Chloe's boyfriend is also up there on my poo list...
(hide spoiler)]

As others have stated this is really well-written and draws you in. Even though our MC is young and her thoughts go along with that youth, the writing isn't lazy or simplistic. I'm really enjoying it. I just bought another book by this author for future reading.

Kristie wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Wow... chapter 6 was really hard to read. 💔 More thoughts on it later."

And it just carries on .... such a good book, so well written"

Yes it does. I'm up to chapter ..."

HATE, HATE, HATE the (view spoiler)[Uncle! As you said, all the others while not pleased about I can kind of understand (hide spoiler)]

Yesss!!! Every time that person comes up, I look like this -> 😡

I'm at chapter 52 (view spoiler)[

The utter devastation of this family is so sad. It is difficult to read, but a credit to the author that I don't want to stop reading it. It seems that everyone was destroyed on some level, except maybe Bob. 😡

I wonder what happened to Kyle?? I'm sure he was affected by this on some level too. I wonder if we'll see him again.

(hide spoiler)]

I'm up to chapter 56 and I knew it!! (view spoiler)[ Bob and mom were just too much to not have something going on. I wonder if Karen knew too?

That guy is so bold to be inserting himself the way he is, especially at a time like this and with everything they're going through. And especially after what he did to their son!! You think that he'd have so much guilt he wouldn't want to show his face there.

(When was the affair?? Could Oz be Bob's??)
(hide spoiler)]

I wasn't able to get this one started with you guys. I think I am going to read it for my next audible though. Then I will come back and look at the spoilers.

It's so good Vicki, definitely pick it up soon!

Lynn wrote: "It's so good Vicki, definitely pick it up soon!"

Agreed. This was great.

I agree too. This was much better than I expected it to be. By the end, I thought that (view spoiler)[ Finn was a better person than me because she really felt bad for Bob and I thought he got what was coming to him. Everyone else made a split second decision and regretted it. He had to follow through with a plan. Granted it wasn't well thought out, but it was still an action he took. I get that he was looking out for his family, but sending Oz off to his death was over the top. (hide spoiler)]

I started this on audible. I got about 10% in ( I will need to pay attention to chapter markers)
But wow... what a start... This one is going to go fast
(view spoiler)[ I knew the girl was going to die based on the description, but man... that was graphic (hide spoiler)]

Agreed, Vicki. The whole book just pulls at your heart.

Cruising along with this one. I am at Chapter 79.
(view spoiler)[ The devastation is so real for each person (except for Uncle Bob, like someone noted), but once you see the regret, sadness, depression that has set in, it is easy to feel for each one of them. Though they are kinda getting what they deserve. It is impossible to go back and change the choices they made.
I like that Kyle came back into the story. I hope Mo heals. (hide spoiler)]

Finished!
I loved this book. the characters were well done. So sad and devastating.

Vicki Willis wrote: "Finished!
I loved this book. the characters were well done. So sad and devastating."

I liked (view spoiler)[ that Kyle came back into the story too. He and Mo were great characters. So good for each other.

I also liked the way the author released Finn. I thought it was creative and an interesting take on how people leave us. (hide spoiler)]

I also loved it.