Review of One Moment

Goodreads Summary: "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."

Death is a difficult subject matter for me, I've been up close and personal with it and the memories sneak up on me at the worst possible times. In fantasy novels I can handle it just fine, they are fantasy and therefore different. When it comes to contemporary though, I tend to avoid novels dealing with death like the plague. They are difficult. They churn up memories better left forgotten. But something compelled me to click the READ NOW button when I saw One Moment pop up on Netgalley.

One of the strengths of this novel is that so much of it is told through memories. Memories that were lost, memories that were treasured, memories that are given to characters from other characters. The whole story is built up of these memories centering around Joey. I loved this build-up, how you got to know him through the eyes of everyone around him. How the story was built up of these fragments, how Maggie's story is reconnected through these fragments. Its the ultimate mystery with each of this fragments acting as clues. An intriguing way to tell a story and keep a reader turning the pages.

Its also a realistic way of dealing with death. In my experience at least. If I try to flash back to these memories, if I try to remember every little detail they won't come. I don't get a tidal wave composed of those days. I get bits and pieces, those same fragments that make up One Moment. I get little pictures. I hear smidgens of dialogue. I remember a color. A person. A name. For me, memories of death are made up of these fragments. Death is a tragedy, a difficult thing for anyone. Its hard to bring it all back, our bodies and minds want to protect us from these things. So fragments are often the easiest way to deal.

I absolutely loved Adam. He was hands down my favorite character in the entire novel. Quite possibly because he reminded me of my own best friend but that's neither here nor there. I didn't feel as much of a connection with the girls, Shannon and Tanna. Having been in Maggie's shoes, meaning having lost someone close to me though not someone I've dated, I could relate to her. I was her. I could understand her emotions, her motives, everything. Yet, I'm not sure if I can honestly say I liked her.

One Moment is a novel about secrets, about memories, and about friendship. It explores how no matter how close a group of friends may be, no matter how much they share, there will always be things hidden deep down. No one ever knows everything about anyone. One Moment also deals with the death of a loved one, the different emotions that comes with that and it handles them very well.

Rating: 3/5

This E-ARC was provided by Netgalley and Egmont USA in exchange for a fair and honest review.