Review : One Moment by Kristina McBride

Summary (from Goodreads)

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

Personal Thoughts

One Moment wasn't a book that I had heard about before seeing it on NetGalley, so I pretty much went into the book without any expectations. It's been exactly 4 days since I finished the book and I'm still a little doubtful about how I feel about it.

One Moment is the story of Maggie and her five friends. One day, while spending the day at a gorge, Joey, who's also Maggie's boyfriend dies during his dive. Maggie was with him at the top of the cliff, but unfortunately she can't remember a thing about what happened right before they were supposed to jump. Gradually, pieces of Maggie's memories of that fateful moment comes back to her. At the same time, Maggie has to deal with the death of the love of her life.

Maggie was a character who had a genuine and likable voice. The author did a fantastic job at really capturing her emotions. I could relate to her because she was an interesting character. The vast different feelings that she was bombarded with also bombarded me. I felt for her character and you can't help but feel sympathy for her. However, Maggie sometimes appeared way too clueless. There were so many hints right in front of her regarding Joey and how she couldn't see them was beyond me. Maybe, she was too overcome with sorrow, but still the evidence was crystal clear according to me. In a way, Maggie was torn and devastated. Joey was the one guy she opened up to. At the same time, she did feel pangs of guilt too since she was alive and Joey was not. Maggie really matured as a character throughout the book. At the end, she wasn't the girl that she was in the beginning. She ended up being the most generous and forgiving character I have ever come across. Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I definitely would not have had the same reactions as she did. Nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing Maggie grow a little throughout the course of the story and I was definitely upset by how some of her friends had treated her since she was someone really sweet.

The secondary characters in the book consist of Maggie's and Joey's other friends. They were all dealing with their grief in their own way. I think the one character who was hit the hardest by Joey's sudden death was Adam. He went through a somewhat depressive phase whereby he alienated from his friends and started to go downhill. The night before Joey died, he and Joey had an argument. Because of that, he was also feeling guilty. Moreover, Adam was withholding his secrets as well. Adam was a total sweetheart. I loved how supportive and protective (not in a creepy way) he was of Maggie. In a way, he helped her through her problems, but he also added to it. The fact that he wasn't a flawless character simply made him more likable. Joey might have been dead, but the reader gets glimpses into his life. Honestly, I despised him. I know he was dead and all, but what he did was just disgusting. All the lies and secrets he kept really infuriated me. (I can't tell you guys, because I would be spoiling things for you) The other characters weren't as developed as Adam and Joey, except maybe for Shannon. I wished the other two friends were a little more detailed because the few scenes they appeared on, I really liked them since they were a constant support to Maggie and Adam.

Unpredictability isn't something you should expect from One Moment. In fact, I knew what was going on from reading the prologue, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. What really kept me glued to the book was the writing. The writer did a fabulous job at really depicting the pain, the sorrow and the guilt that the characters felt. There wasn't anything extraordinary with the writing. It was simple. Yet, it managed to enchant me because of the way the story flowed. The fact that I flew through the book in less than a day pretty much proves that.

One Moment was a beautiful tale that wove numerous themes to create a book that had me weeping, smiling, and feeling utter hatred and frustration. Any book that manages to evoke all these emotions is one that I enjoy. One Moment may not be a major life-changer or one that's shocking, but it is a book that will pull you in.

Rating

Cover : 3/5

Plot : 3/5

Characters : 4/5

Writing : 4/5

Big Thanks To EgmontUSA  for providing me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.