One Moment: A Review

Memorial Day weekend was supposed to be perfect for Maggie Reynolds - Dutton’s blow-out party, cliff-diving with her life-long friends – a prelude to the carefree days of summer before the group would take over as seniors. But then something went terribly wrong.

Maggie remembers standing on the cliff, hand-in-hand with her perfect boyfriend Joey, ready to jump into the water below. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. But why can’t she remember what happened in that last moment, so she still stood on the cliff, and Joey ended up dead?

As memories start returning in brief snatches, they just lead to more questions: Why were Joey and his best friend, Adam, fighting at the party? Where did Joey go after dropping her off? And what other secrets was he keeping form her?

With everyone pressuring her to share what happened, her friendships on the verge of collapse, and Adam (who seems to know much more than he’s willing to tell) drifting away from the group, Maggie has never felt so alone.

McBride’s sophomore novel is a searing look at how one moment can alter someone’s entire world.

(From NetGalley)

They say anything can happen in a moment and this book certainly proves that with stunning clarity. Anything can - and does - happen in a moment in this book and it's a moment that will rule Maggie's life. If only she could remember it. You see, the moment was so traumatic, Maggie's brain shut down and won't allow her to remember what happened, even though everyone wants her to. The police, her friends, the parents of her boyfriend - all of them wish she would remember what happened so they can finally have some closure. And she tries, truly she does, because she, more than anyone else, wants to remember what happened the day her boyfriend died.

One thing about this story, nothing is as it seems on the outside. To most people who knew them, Maggie and Joey looked like the perfect couple. So in synch with each other, so in love (though Joey, for some strange reason, didn't want them to verbalize their feelings). But Joey was keeping secrets, secrets that are revealed in bits and pieces as the memories start to return to Maggie's traumatized brain. And in the end, Maggie is forced to question her entire relationship with Joey - and some of her friends.
All in all, this was a good book that had me hooked from beginning to end, resulting in a satisfying ending. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like books by Simone Elkeles, Sarah Dessen, and the like.