Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: In an Instant

an instant of time is longer than you think

Reviewed in Australia on 15 November 2021

Who wants to ugly cry as you've never done before? I'm talking full-blown, gut-wrenching sobbing, snot in your mouth, tears running uncontrolled, horrific painful there is nothing in the world that will help me get over this, ugly crying?

Who wants to try to describe the story you just read, only to find your voice cracking with the need to cry again? Who wants to read a story that will stay with you in such a way that when you think about it while driving your car, you can't help the tears that start to burn your eyes?

This is pretty much the hardest. most heartbreaking book I've read in a long time, possibly ever and I couldn't wait to share it with you. stumbled across this book buried in my kindle TBR list and mistakenly started it at 8 pm on Sunday night... 1 am I had to force myself to put it aside in order to get a few hours of sleep before work. I dove back in during my lunch break - bad idea because I barely ate and had to lock myself in my office so no one could see my tears. After work, I was back in again and now I feel wrung out and utterly heartbroken after reading this story. The story is so painful, and yet so compelling and magnificent to read that you're never going to want to put it down. Now I've finished it, all I want to do is go back and start again in the hope of changing just one little thing and saving everyone, characters, other readers and definitely myself the pain that they are about to experience. This story quite frankly is like nothing I've ever read before and this author has a truly amazing gift.

Do yourself a favour, stock up on tissues, lock the family out of the house for a day or two, take the phone off the hook, pull on your daggy t-shirt and leggings and prepare to torture yourself and destroy your own heart and soul. You'll be glad you did - eventually.

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narelle bennett

In an Instant

Reviewed in Australia on 27 February 2020

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A very unusual way to write a book - through the eyes of the deceased but I found it very uplifting.

One person found this helpful

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Joolsa

In an instant - how everything can change

Reviewed in Australia on 23 February 2021

Verified Purchase

I found this novel gave a really good look at how people who we think we know, but put into a life or death situation, becomes a completely different person altogether. A really good read. Would recommend.

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Melissa N.

In an instant

Reviewed in Australia on 4 March 2021

Verified Purchase

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, couldn’t put it down. Well written and easy read. The concept of the book (without giving anything away) was great, different to normal fiction and pulled at the heart strings constantly.

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A MOVING NARRATIVE 4.5 STARS

Reviewed in Australia on 20 June 2020

'In an Instant' is a story about one person's unique observations of the various actions and reactions of family (and others) following a life changing, dreadful accident. The observer is sixteen year old Finn, as she oversees and processes the various human emotions that follow the tragedy, including: survival, guilt, bereavement and reconciliation.

The author's approach to telling the narrative (and I won't give too much away) is very moving, as we readers also experience what Finn sees and feels, along with her own sense of helplessness. Through Finn, we witness the unpacking of this deeply character-based plot and the unfolding of the stages of grief, as well as secrets and revelations.

Given the insightful writing, I wasn't surprised to find that author, Suzanne Redfearn, had experienced a similar circumstance as a younger person. In turn, that experience inspired her to write 'In an Instant'.

I'm not sure if the book will be appreciated by everyone, as it is frankly, very sad, but it's also touching, heartfelt and well-written.

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Debbie Harris

Oh my goodness, this story hit a nerve!

Reviewed in Australia on 20 March 2021

This was so close to what happened to me when I was 16 on a school excursion overseas. On a wet and stormy night the bus we were on skidded off the winding road, rolled down a cliff, landing upside down in a river. I was thrown out of the bus as it rolled down the embankment suffering injuries and concussion. I made my way down to the river and helped aid people as they were rescued from the upside down submerged bus. Then I made my way with some of the others, up the cliff to get help. Three people, two of them students, died that night and many of the others, including teachers, were badly injured. I returned home, attended funerals, sought medical attention for the glass embedded throughout my body and went back to school for my final year exams- without any help, counselling or much support, apart from family and friends, it was as if it never happened in some ways Although this all happened to me over 40 years ago, I can still remember it vividly and this book brought it all back again in an instant. I couldn’t stop reading and despite the story being different, I could relate to it so much. The drunk bus diver (I didn’t learn this until later), the fear, the sadness, the depth of my feelings and the sheer resilience I found in myself to continue on, to make the most of my life, to live boldly and use it as a positive rather than dwell on the negatives. A friend read this book, and knowing some of my story, she said it made her think of me at the time. I was in two minds about reading it but I’m so glad I did. I copied so many of the quotes as they could have related to my story. I didn’t write about this accident until a few years and this has helped me too.

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Patricia Poole

In an instant

Reviewed in Australia on 13 August 2020

A wonderfully written book. Kept me reading well into the night. The characters are so 'real' I would recommend this book in a heart beat. Can't wait to read her other two novels

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Jacykay

In an Instant

Reviewed in Australia on 29 September 2020

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this book immensely, the story line was very different from other stories.I found looking through Finn’s eyes at the other characters was very moving.The story made me wonder how I would react under such gruelling circumstances and I hope I would do the right thing but I just don’t know!!!

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Helen

In an Instant

Reviewed in Australia on 31 July 2021

Verified Purchase

I couldn't put this book down, I read it in two days. It was so realistic and so well written. The author really showed the different emotions and reactions of the characters as they coped with the tragic situation they found themselves in. It was such a good book, I just couldn't put it down.

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In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn a five-star read that will transport you

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2020

Verified Purchase

In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn a five-star read that will transport you. This has been the hardest review I have written in a long time. I finished the novel well over a week ago, its just trying to put into words how powerful this little story is, one 16-year-old girl telling her story will just captivate you and leave you in knots. I have sat down to write this and then deleted what I had wrote so many times, as I don’t want to give any details away, but I wanted to portray how much this story needs to be read. The whole premise was a little off and I nearly didn’t bother to pick it up as it sounded a bit dreary and boring. All I will say is that it was so much more than I imagined, one incident changed so many lives so much, it makes you second guest everything. Allowing Finn to be the storyteller just made this an intense story, watching the aftermath unfold just broke me, but as you get through the story the pieces start getting put back together. Do not miss this powerful story, I suspect it is going to be a big favourite of mine this year.

8 people found this helpful

5 star		57%
4 star		32%
3 star		9%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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