Review: One Moment by Kristina McBride

One Moment by Kristina McBride

Publication Date: June 26, 2012
Page Count: 272
Published by: Egmont USA
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis 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 remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party. She remembers climbing the trail 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.

One Moment is the first book I've read by Kristina McBride, and I must admit that I really enjoyed it. I thought the plot was a bit different and very interesting. The writing flowed very well and the pacing was perfect. I was immediately drawn into the story, it held my attention and I didn't want to put it down.

The protagonist, Maggie, is trying to deal with the sudden death of her boyfriend, Joey. Maggie was there when he died, but she doesn't remember anything that happened. Maggie must piece together her memories of that day to get to the truth. While finding out the details surrounding Joey's death, she realizes her 'perfect' boyfriend wasn't so perfect after all. Maggie starts to realize that she needs to find out the truth about Joey's life so she could move on with her own life. I can only imagine how hard it would be to find out that someone you loved so much wasn't who you thought they were.

I thought Maggie was a great character and I really liked her. Although she was sweet and likable, she was very naive at times, and too trusting (which ended up really working against her.)

I truly enjoyed the relationships between Maggie and her friends. The author was able to convey how each of them grieved Joey's death differently. They were all sad and devastated, and they all handled it in unexpected ways. But not everyone is who they seem to be, and those friendships will be tested as the truth about Joey is slowly revealed.

There is a slight romantic element that slowly begins to develop as the story unfolds. It was easy to see it coming, and I'm not sure the story needed to go in that direction. I thought it was a bit soon, but I wasn't completely against it because it made sense in a way.

The plot holds just enough suspense to keep your attention. And with Maggie's memories being so sporadic, you never knew when you would be getting another glimpse into the mysterious events surrounding Joey's death. I also felt that revealing the truth of Joey's life a piece at a time added drama and kept the story flowing.

I highly recommend One Moment to anyone who loves a great contemporary. It's a quick and easy read and quite emotional. While not completely depressing, it has plenty of sad and heartbreaking scene.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars