One Moment

By Kristina McBride

Following on the heels of her "must-read" debut novel (New York Times best-selling author Jay Asher) One Moment is perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Gayle Forman.

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.

Praise for One Moment:

"Infused with page-turning mystery, One Moment is as heartbreakingly real as it is unexpectedly romantic."—Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived

"One Moment took my breath away. Beautifully written, achingly romantic, and so much tension the pages seem like they're turning themselves. One of the best books I've read in ages."—Lauren Barnholdt, author of Two-Way Street

"A page-tuner that grabbed me by the throat, and was impossible to put down!"—Katrina Kittle, author of Reasons to Be Happy

"Good, solid drama about the power of secrets to test the bounds of friendship, with just enough tension to satisfy teen readers."—Kirkus Reviews

"McBride (The Tension of Opposites) skillfully interweaves Maggie’s flashes of memory with present action, making for a tense and absorbing psychological mystery."—Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781606842690

Kristina McBride

Kristina McBride has published two novels for young adults—THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES and ONE MOMENT. Kristina is a former high school English teacher and yearbook advisor, as well as an adjunct professor at Antioch University Midwest. Kristina has a thing for music, trees, purses, and chocolate. You might be surprised to learn that Kristina was almost kidnapped when she was a child. She also bookstalks people on a regular basis. Kristina lives in Ohio with her husband and two young children. Visit her online at http://www.kristinamcbride.com.

Reviews for One Moment

[booksovertv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Can I say WOW....WOWZERS! This book has my head spinning, what a wild ride. I flew through this book. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I had to know what was going on and Ms. McBride did an excellent job of building up the suspense to where I thought I might CRACK from the pressure.

The character building was great. Oh, how I felt for Adam. I knew from the first 5 pages that Joey had all kinds of juicy secrets and that Shannon was an accomplice. Poor, Poor Maggie, how easy it is to not see what we don't want to see. One Moment was standing ovation good. I completely enjoyed it and would recommend it to ALL readers.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Egmont USA for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[annabastos-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was ready for this to be a tearjerker and to be devastated by the time I was done but this book is a journey through grief and discovery. This is about healing.

Definitely deserves a 3.5.

Maggie has lost her two-year boyfriend in a horrible accident for which she was the only eye witness, and yet she can't remember a thing. They were a tight group of friends since forever but with Joey's passing, they now drift apart, and nothing makes sense anymore. And does she even want to understand what happened during that one moment?

This was quick to read, even if the topic might feel heavy. This story was beautiful. More than talking about tragedy, it focused on friendship and, as aforementioned, on healing. But it was even more exciting than that. A little bit like 13 Reasons Why, the main character and the readers have some mystery to solve. Fortunately, the answer felt more real in this book than it did in 13 Reasons. On the other hand, I won't say it 'hit me with a bang'. Then again, I don't think the author really wanted to 'hit us with a bang'. (I also felt that the style, the storytelling were reminiscent of If I Stay, so for once a comparison on the cover got that right.)

What really surprised me was Maggie's development through the story. She was definitely the sheltered on among the six but by the end she feels so mature and strong, it was a thumbs-up to any teen going through loss.

Also the characters were all not only relatable but also round. You could really feel their voices and personalities through the pages. To a point I wish, for example, there were a second part telling more about Joey's brother, Rylan. He sounds so nice but as he wasn't with the gang, we barely got to see him. Is that possible? Please?

While I think the story could have had more twists, I can say I was already satisfied. And I repeat, this really surprised me. I was ready for something much more melodrama-like, and not this precious book.

I'd also recommend this for group discussions. There are so many parts of the plot, as I mentioned, loss, friendship, guilt, choices, among others.



Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

[bookishthings · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't read many contemporary novels, but this one caught my attention.



It isn't the fluffy book you would expect from just looking at the cover. It's full of secrets, pain and death. Oh and don't forget to add in a dose of betrayal. You see the strength Maggie had to gain in order to overcome the loss of her boyfriend.



It is a predictable book. If you see the clues you'll have it figured out quickly. Some of the characters, I felt, weren't necessary to the story. It didn't detract from it though. You also go back and forth to events that happened prior to the accident. Maggie tries to put the puzzle pieces together so she can figure out what happened.



One Moment is a quick read that will keep you engrained in the plot. The writing keeps pulling you in so that you can understand why things occurred they way they did.

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Instead of Maggie's summer being filled with fun it's been filled with pain. Maggie remembers hanging out at the gorge with her best friends, she remembers climbing the trail with her perfect boyfriend, but she doesn't remember what happened when they were supposed to dive off the cliff together. What happened that left her scared up on the top of that cliff and Joey dead in the water down below? Maggie's memories return to her in pieces over time and finally she uncovers the ugly truth.

Even though things were predictable from early on, the fantastic writing made the book fun and easy to plow through. The characters, their situations - it all came to life and made you feel as though you were there with them. I really enjoyed it!

[nfmgirl2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maggie is anticipating a great summer vacation. It's the summer before her senior year of high school, she and her friends are breaking loose and having fun, and she has plans for a special surprise for her steady boyfriend Joey of two years when his parents go out of town and leave him home alone. But then everything changes with the sudden death of the boyfriend that is like a bright light in a dark sky-- full of life and intense energy and recklessness.Helping Maggie through these trying days are her best friend Adam and girlfriends Shannon and Tanna.But questions arise surrounding Joey's death and the weeks leading up to it, and Maggie begins to wonder whether she really knew Joey at all.I really enjoyed this lovely little YA novel.This was my introduction to author Kristina McBride, and I found the writing very effective, bringing scenes to life for me. The author does a wonderful job of beautifully capturing the fresh passion of new love.At times gritty and spirited, other times emotional and sentimental, the story grabbed me and held me throughout. I don't recall a moment when I was bored or wishing it would end. The characters were well-developed. I wanted to comfort Maggie, shake Adam, at times even slap Shannon. But most of all you will find yourself becoming Maggie's cheerleader.My final word: In a word, how did this book make me feel in the end? Hopeful...

[catiesmoviesinmyhead · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One Moment is a story of loss, betrayal and letting go. After Maggie loses her boyfriend in a tragic accident she discovers that he might not have been who she thought he was. This discovery threatens to send her entire world into a tailspin and she has to come to terms while also trying to figure out whom she can still trust. This story is not just about Maggie and Joey though. It is about six best friends and what happens to that bond when it is really tested. I will jump straight in (no pun intended - terrible, just terrible) and say that I loved this book, but, at first, I didn't think I was going to. So lets start this one with the dislikes and work up to what I really loved.DISLIKES:The first half of the book was really hard for me to get into. After Joey died, the rest of the first half just sort of dragged for me. I liked the characters for the most part (except for Pete who didn't seem to have much purpose) and there were some bright spots where Maggie's grief was very tangible, but there was a lot of repetition going on. See, Maggie can't remember anything about the accident, so much of the first half is her rehashing what happened with different people and lamenting the fact that she can't remember. Also, her boyfriend is dead, so naturally she's coming apart a bit at the seams. She kept flashing back to happier times and that could get a little confusing. More importantly, it is pretty apparent from the first chapter that Joey was sort of a tool. I mean seriously, this girl was in total denial. But, I suppose, that is all part of young love. Overall, I felt like the first part of the book could have been condensed into about a third of the size and still had all of the background that we needed. Luckily the second half made up for that. Finally, this book was just super super sad and depressing. I usually really enjoy sad books but this one was just really hard to push though sometimes. And it wasn't like I was sobbing on every page, I think if I would have cried it would have been better. It was just so dreary and the depressing atmosphere really stayed with me, but I guess that is a credit to the author.LIKES:The biggest positive with this book was that it was very well written and the author really had a grasp on what it is like to lose someone when you're in high school. Most of us probably new someone who died while we were in high school. Maybe they weren't your best friend or your boyfriend but it still had an impact on your life. There is nothing quite like the feeling of helplessness that goes along with losing a friend, and when you are still at an age where your life is pretty much controlled by others and you aren't even always in charge of your own emotions, it just makes the loss all the harder to deal with. Your mom might be able to tell you it's going to be alright, but she can't make the hurt go away, and you can't put your life on hold because someone else's is over. And there are really very few feelings that are stranger than going home after a funeral and studying for an Algebra test. McBride does a great job of capturing the normalcy that continues even in the midst of tragedy and this makes the story all the more sad. Along those same lines, the author explores the duality of death. We are all humans, we make mistakes, but immediately following someone's death, those mistakes tend to get brushed aside, at least for a little while. No one likes to speak ill of the dead and I've never been at a funeral and heard someone say "It's really too bad about Dave, and by the way did you hear that he was having an affair with his neighbor?". No, we leave well enough alone until the smoke has cleared. But when someone has wronged you and then they have the gall to die, it's really hard to deal with the grief and your anger. You feel like you don't have the right to be mad anymore. But death doesn't erase the sins of the past and McBride is so good at making the reader grieve for Maggies loss while still being angry with Joey. It's just great. Finally there's Adam. Adam is one of Maggie's best friend and he is adorable. He is sweet and loyal while also letting his pain and anger through. This allows Maggie to feel those same emotions and their friendship gives the reader something to hope for.Altogether, One Moment is a poignant and sad homage to loss and forgiveness. It is really hard to read this book without feeling what the characters feel and McBride is a master at understanding the complexity of grief. I would definitely recommend this if you are in the mood for a serious and sad read. Four stars!

[ilikethesebooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One moment Maggie is hanging out with friends, and the next moment her life is turned upside down and she has no way to get it back to the way it was before. One Moment is essentially about how much can change in a matter of seconds. Of how nobody thinks "it" will happen to them... until it does. There are some aspects that I really enjoyed about this novel, and a few that annoyed me. One of my problems is with the main character, Maggie. Her relationship with Joey has made her incredibly weak. Her whole life revolves around him in an unrealistic way. Yes, her boyfriends should play a role in her life, but he shouldn't be her life. Also, while Maggie is attempting to go through the stages of grief after the loss of a friend, her body blocks certain memories. This actually does happen, so that is not was frustrated me. What frustrated me was how mean everyone was towards her because of it. She lost someone incredibly close, she was hospitalized, lost her memory and now she is going to be ostracized? People are mean, but not every person can be that mean. Moving on, there were quite a few things that I did like. I appreciated the idea that one moment, even those that seem insignificant, play a huge role in the shaping of one's future. Teenagers tend to think that they are invincible, so seeing this novel play out, when the characters get such a rude awakening, was very interesting, albeit heartbreaking. About halfway through the novel, there was a change in Maggie which really got me interested in the story. Her transition from really hopeless and weak to slowly starting to take control was entertaining to see unfold. The subplot, which I will not spoil, was one of my favorite parts. Overall, if you are into the more serious and heartbreaking contemporaries, this one may be a good match for you.

[angelafristoe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I find myself really torn about One Moment. I enjoyed the book, reading through it in one sitting, but there was such predictability to it that I can't really say that it was an amazing read.The book started off really strong, and I immediately became engaged in figuring out what exactly happened on the top of that cliff. This aspect of the plot reminded me of Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf, but I was pleased when the further along I read the more different it became.One Moment focuses on it's characters, and the friendship they have. Everything between these friends changes when one of them dies, and it's not in the way they expect. At the center is Maggie, who is the only witness to the last moments of her boyfriend Joey. Her conflicted feelings over Joey and her lack of memories was nicely done. I could understand her reluctance to believe her doubts and especially her anger and despair when she finally knew everything that had been happening.The supporting characters were a nice mix of personalities and it was believable that they would have been friends. There was nothing extreme about their circumstances or actions that felt forced.McBride did a great job of building them in a way that kept them grounded in reality.Overall, One Moment was a good quick read. I will definitely be picking up more from McBride.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It has been a while since a book got my emotions all riled up. Literally this book has me fuming! It wasn't that this book isn't good, it's soooo good. The way the author created such an amazing plot blew me away. Now, why does this book blow me away? I must say, the characters. Hands down the characters are so well written. I loved just diving into the shoes of the characters, seeing and feeling their emotions. With every new chapter, each new secret is revealed unntil the finaly revealing and OMG, that part blew me away. The plot is also really addicting. I like that the main character is out of the loop along with the reader. As the reader discovers each new secrets, it's like a bomb blowing up on the reader. The ending with the reveal, lifted me anger like no other. BAM! Seriously, read this book, if you like an emotionaly rollercoaster. One Moment holds the reader on the threshold of excitment. With my heart racing, I raced through the book just to asbord every single piece of awesomeness. Addictingly beautiful, One Moment is amazing!

[chaysebwb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I haven't really had the chance to read much contemproary novels latley but luckily I was able to pick up this book and I wasn't upset with it one bit.What I loved the most was the whole mystery behind the whole accident. The suspense that built up throughout this book and the truths that unfolded with every page turn. Well we all know this saying, "The truth hurts." And trust me, with all the truths that were being spilled, sooner or later someone was going to get hurt.The suspense was what kept the book moving for me. Everytime I would put the book down, it wouldn't leave my hand for more than a couple seconds because of where I left off, or me just wanting to know more.Suspenseful beyond belief, anything could happen in One Moment, and it only takes One Moment for it to happen. I totally all readers to go check this book out and give it a chance, because it will leave you happy as ever.I give this book 5 souls!

[amberfib · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One Moment is the first book I've read by Kristina McBride, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. McBride is a master at showing instead of telling, and for the most part, the characters' reactions are believable and realistic. Each character is flawed, but I couldn't keep from caring about each of them. Even Shannon, who does some terrible things over the course of the novel. Each character also grows throughout the story, and by the end, everyone has changed. The dialogue is annoying at times, and McBride used the same three words to describe everything. The plot isn't unique, but it is well thought out. Even though there was no big mystery and no action, I still could not put this book down. I was as obsessed with getting to know the real Joey as Maggie was. To me, that is the mark of a good book. One Moment begins at the gorge, and we get to walk through witness first hand what happened through Maggie's eyes. However, there are some parts missing from what we learn at the beginning of the book, and it isn't until the last half of the novel that we learn everything that happened on top of that cliff. I like how McBride showed us who Joey was instead of telling us who he was. From my brief observation of him, I could tell that he was full of life and wildly irresponsible. My assessment proved to be true, but he was also so much more than that. He was a liar and extremely selfish. The more I learned about him, the less I liked him. I don't think he deserved to die, but he did deserve a good kick in the business. Maggie is a very weak character at times, and she refuses to believe what is right in front of her. Over the course of the story, she learns how to face things and that the truth, while not always pleasant, is important in order to live a balanced life. She also learns who her real friends are and aren't. Her friends, Tanna and Adam are my favorites, other than Maggie, of course. I didn't get to know Tanna as much as I would have liked, but this novel wasn't really the place for that. I did get to know quite a bit about Adam, though, and the more I got to know about him, the more I liked him. He is kind of the "anti-Joey." The book is fast paced, but nothing felt rushed. The plot, while not unique, is intriguing, but I really feel that it was McBride's ability to make the reader feel what her characters are feeling that had me hooked. I laughed and cried right along with Maggie. When she told Joey goodbye, I told him goodbye, too. I felt everything she felt, other than her guilt. If I'd been in her place, I would have had a lot more guilt than she had... or at least a lot more guilt than I, as the reader, was shown. I didn't feel like she felt guilty enough for her pain about Joey's death to be completely believable. I would have liked a little more time spent on how she felt responsible for his death. That would have made things seem a bit more realistic. The two main things I didn't like about this book are the descriptions and some of the dialogue. Everything was "sugary." The sky was sugary, the donuts were sugary, the ice cream was sugary, everything was sugary. Seriously there are plenty of other adjectives that can be used. Also the dialogue really annoyed me at times. I hated how McBride insisted on writing, "whaddo you mean?" instead of, "what do you mean?" Seriously, most people say it like "whaddo," there is no need to write it out phonetically. That's just obnoxious. And it wasn't just for one character. Every single character, if they were going to say "what do you mean," it came out "whaddo you mean." That took me out of the story and was extremely unnecessary, in my opinion. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good contemporary YA novel. It's not some feel good novel, but it is an excellent summer read. There are some heartbreaking parts, but the ending allows the reader to hope for happiness for Maggie, after all. Also, One Moment is a beautiful story of forgiveness, acceptance, and learning to let go. This is a story that will be enjoyed by both teens and adults.

[tfs93 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought Maggie was a wonderful character. I found it quite easy to relate to her and her situation. I think at one time in our life we have all had or will have a "friend" like Shannon. Maggie's ability to overlook the bad going on around her just shows what a trustworthy friend she is. McBride's writing was so so easy to read. It flowed nicely and the pace and mystery and suspense were perfect. I would like to read more by McBride.

[vanyadrum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley to review.

Oh.My.Gosh! This book was AMAZING! It was so completely different, so mind-blowing and so all-consuming that I feel like I'm floating in the air, now that I've finished it. It was pretty short, so it didn't take me too long to get to the end. Besides, the story was so enthralling that it had me pulled in from the very first page. And it never let me go.

At first, I thought that perhaps all the flashbacks that were used to put the pieces together, might ruin the story somehow, but they didn't. If anything, they made it sound so much more realistic, so much more true. And I can say that this is one of those books that have a ring of their own. A sound that makes you think of all the good things and all the bad things in life, and how just one moment could ruin or lift up your entire world and it would never be the same again.

This is a book with a moral lesson - one that many people don't ever get to learn, until it is too late. It's the lesson where you must learn to trust your eyes and heart to see the reality of things. That you shouldn't make up a reality where everything's bright and yellow and you feel comfortable so you choose to live in it. That the truth is what sets us free from the burden of all the lies and secrets and the things that we hide, tucked away so that nobody would see how ugly and corrupted we are on the inside.

It talks of love so deep it makes you go blind to everything else; of pain so excruciating it could tear you apart and break you into gazillion pieces; of letting go and learning to cope. And finally, of hoping and finding what's real and true and worth living for.

Here are my thoughts of the characters, who, by the way, were so realistic in every single thing they said and did, that as I was reading I felt I was right there in the story with them. It was simply amazing!

*Maggie was the narrator, through whose eyes and ears I saw the story unfold. It was her pain I felt, her misery that knocked on my heart, her devotion, etc. And even so, she wasn't the central figure in this story. I think she wasn't even the central figure in her own life. Until the horrible accident that took all her happiness away and threw her into a reality she'd never even thought she'd had to face. But through the pain, the lies and secrets she uncovered, and the anger that had built up in her, she managed to resurface and find her ground. And she grew up and stood tall and boy, was that brave! I wanted to be there, congratulating her for the decision she made in the end, because she deserved to be free of all that pain. I loved Maggie through and through. She wasn't a silly girl who couldn't get a reign of herself. She wasn't clueless, or brutal, or merciless. In fact, she was what an everyday girl looks like. With her fears and hopes.

*Joey was the other major figure in this story. Not because he was actually so much in it - because really, he was there in only the first couple of chapters. But his presence lingered in the rest of the pages. And those flashbacks brought him to life over and over again. I don't think I liked him though, even in the beginning, when I was clueless of where the story was headed. But as Maggie figured all clues and details, one after the other, I got to dislike him even more. In the end, I sort of hated him even.

*Adam won me over from the very beginning. Now that I think about it, even his name drew me near to him. Adam... Adam... sounds nice, doesn't it? Anyway, I just felt like he belonged to this story. With his caring and considerate actions, he just completely won me over. And to be honest, I sort of wanted him for myself. I was a bit angry with him for allowing all those secrets to be kept for so long, but I honestly couldn't hold it against him. All I could do in his presence is swoon. Hard. Especially when it all got revealed in the end.

Well, those are the major characters. The minor ones did matter too, and they were all perfectly portrayed in their different layered personalities. I honestly can't believe how extremely well each one of them was created. But they were, and I think I might be re-reading this story soon.

I not only recommend this book, I ENCOURAGE you to buy it and read it. Because it's THAT good. And I can tell you that it was worth every second of every minute of every hour of my time. Enjoy!

[kerrikins · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One Moment is a book about Maggie Reynolds, a teenage girl going into what she thinks will be the best summer of her life. She loves her boyfriend, she has four awesome friends, and everything seems to be going her way. This book is one that brings alive what it means to be a teenager as their summer takes a sudden turn, spinning on a moment that takes one of them away forever, and threatens to tear their group apart.

The writing in this book drew me in - it is incredibly descriptive and lyrical, so much so that at times if I closed my eyes after reading a sentence, I could exactly picture that in my head. Lush summer days, the rush of first love, days at the beach - it's there, painted in words across the page, and I really enjoyed it. That's exactly what a book should do, and it made the pages leap by, taking me into Maggie's head as she struggles to cope with her feelings. She's a teenage girl who is incredibly in love with her boyfriend, whose life up until now has been incredibly normal.. School and homework, friendship, summer and swimming and parties.

Then everything changes in the span of one afternoon - the description for this book is very accurate, here. It shows how everything can change in an instant. The rest of the book takes us through Maggie's memories, and her struggles to deal with the realization that nothing is quite as perfect as it seems, including her friends and Joey, and how she finds her way forward from having her life fall apart around her.



I found all of the characters very believable, here, and it seemed to be an accurate examination of what it's like to lose someone and then find out that on top of them being gone forever, they're not who you thought they were. Maggie's pain is very real as she deals with the loss of Joey and then slowly realizes that the people around her have been holding things back, including one of her closest friends, Adam. Through her thoughts and memories we see her struggle to deal with her heartache and pain over losing Joey, and the pain of realizing that he was never quite the person that she thought he was.

Tanna, Shannon and Adam come alive through Maggie's eyes, and through them you sometimes see Maggie reflected back - the expectations that she has, and how naive they think she has been, in some ways. And even if Maggie can't see their pain, it comes across in their conversations, things that Maggie notices but might not understand - that was one thing that stood out to me about the writing in this book.

The book isn't completely perfect, which is why I only gave it four stars. The sessions with the therapist - the one part that I would have changed a bit. Coming off of the whirlwind of emotions that the rest of the book has explored, it feels too rushed - I didn't feel it quite matched, that the characters or the reader is quite ready for it.

Overall I found this book to be one that touched me. I could feel Maggie's pain, confusion and frustration, and it was easy to sympathise with her situation as she deals with her loss and her memories, and finding a way forward. Life as a teenager isn't as easy as we like to think, sometimes.

An e-galley was generously provided through Netgalley for review.

[cheriereads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first word that comes to mind after reading this book is "sweet." This book is really a very sweet and poignant journey through grief. The main protagonist, Maggie, deals with the loss of her boyfriend but beyond that, the loss of perfect memories that are tainted when she learns some unexpected truths about their relationship. This book is her journey through their relationship with all of the intensity that only a teenage first-love can have. It is her journey through the trials of friendship and her journey through the truth of her relationship.

The plot is fairly straightforward. There is a little bit of a mystery here but it is somewhat predictable. The pacing was excellent. Things moved along quickly enough to keep the reader interested but at a pace that allowed the characters and scenes to shine. There is enough description to paint a picture without becoming overly wordy or boring. The ending is satisfying and again, sweet.

The strength of this book is in it's characters. The author does a fantastic job of portraying these teenagers honestly - with enough drama that it is believable without becoming cheesy as in so many other YA books today. The memories and flashbacks make the reader feel just what Maggie is feeling - the nervous flutterings in the pit of your stomach on a first date, the giggling, the longing, the ache, the intense devastation a teenager can feel when it feels like nothing in the world will ever be right again, the highs you can only feel when you are with your best friends in the world and it feels like nothing will ever be better than this. The extreme highs and lows of adolescence.

Overall a very enjoyable book and recommended to fans of YA - realistic drama in particular.

[sunflower38_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Can I say WOW....WOWZERS! This book has my head spinning, what a wild ride. I flew through this book. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I had to know what was going on and Ms. McBride did an excellent job of building up the suspense to where I thought I might CRACK from the pressure.

The character building was great. Oh, how I felt for Adam. I knew from the first 5 pages that Joey had all kinds of juicy secrets and that Shannon was an accomplice. Poor, Poor Maggie, how easy it is to not see what we don't want to see. One Moment was standing ovation good. I completely enjoyed it and would recommend it to ALL readers.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Egmont USA for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[missaligirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How well can you really know someone? That is the question Maggie asks herself time and time again. As all the secrets and lies told by the someone she trusted entirely come out after his death. How well can you really know someone? Does it matter? After they are gone from this world, do the secrets and lies change anything? Do they change everything?Those are the questions that kept my head in One Moment, nonstop, until I read the very last word. The story is fairly predictable from the start. There are clues everywhere that lead to what Maggie eventually comes to realize herself. But that isn't where the tale really lies. It's not in the mysterious actions of her dead boyfriend and two of her best friends. The tale is how you deal with learning that the person you loved before they died wasn't necessarily the person you knew and the effect it has on how you cope with their death. Does it make it easier or so much more complicated? Maggie is an endearing character from the start, she's real and you can easily relate to her. Adam is the nice guy, the type you hope your teenage daughter brings home. Caring to a fault and I instantly liked him. All the other characters where interesting and played their parts well.One Moment is a touching tale of heartbreak, struggle, self-awareness, betrayal, lies, truth and healing. You run the gamut of emotions with this one but I think it ends in a nice fitting place. Thank you Egmont USA & NetGalley.

[thehidingspot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Since the moment I finished Kristina McBride's debut novel, The Tension of Opposites, I've been waiting for her to offer readers something new. When One Moment arrived unexpectedly at my doorstep, my wait was finally over. But now the moment of truth was upon me... would my high expectations be met?Yes! Those expectation have been met and exceeded and I want to jump up and down and tell everyone how undeniably brilliant One Moment is. (Phew.) It has been a couple weeks since I finished reading McBride's sophomore novel - and by "reading" I mean "inhaled in a matter of hours" - but it refuses to leave my head. I find myself thinking about it when my mind randomly connects things in real life with small, sometimes seemingly insignificant details from the story.The other day, someone mentioned a quilt. In the novel, right after the accident in which Maggie's boyfriend Joey ends up dead, Maggie huddles on her couch wrapped in a quilt her grandmother made. I was immediately transported back to Maggie's world and found myself thinking about and revisiting parts of her story. I might just be a crazy person, but I like to think that it's Kristina McBride's ability to appeal to her readers' emotions and pull them fully into her characters' worlds that keeps bringing me back to One Moment time after time... no small feat!While both of McBride's novels are contemporary YA that feature rather dark, sad events and female protagonists, they're a world apart. While I could clearly tell that One Moment was a "McBride" novel, it was unique and had it's own power completely separate from that of The Tension of Opposites. Maggie is very different than McBride's first protagonist, yet I still connected deeply with her, just as I did with Tessa.There is so much more I could say about One Moment, but I fear becoming spoilery, so I'll stop while I'm ahead. If you're already a fan of McBride, for goodness sake, preorder One Moment! For the rest of you, if you like a well written contemporary YA rife with emotion, mystery, drama, and romance, you simply must read this novel... and The Tension of Opposites while you're waiting!

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Originally posted here.

Like I do with most books, I went into this one blind. I had no clue what it was about, so I was a bit surprised to be reading about the popular kids having a party. I did like the narrative voice, though, and the group dynamic. Then I hit the end of that first chapter, which is one of the best hooks I've read. I defy you to read to the end of that chapter and not NEED to know what comes next. Of course, the blurb will tell you what's going on, so I guess I'll talk about it too, but still, going in with no clue, it was epic. (If you don't want to know, probs skip to the end of the review).

So, yeah, here's what happens in the opening of this novel: Joey jumps, Joey dies, and Maggie doesn't remember what she happened in the first chapter, because of some sort of amnesia. Grieving, she faces cops, friends and Joey's family members, all wanting to know what happened, and she would like to know too. In the process of sorting out her memories and her feelings, she learns a lot of things she never knew, things about Joey and about her friends. I really enjoyed this, but I will say that I had all of the big revelations figured out within 20 pages. Reading how they happened and learning the details was still fun though.

What drove this book, though, were the characters. Although they definitely are not going onto my mental list of best characters ever, they worked. This group had a real and believable dynamic. Actually, my only concern about them as a friend group is that all 6 of them were friends from childhood. I don't think I've ever encountered a group of friends from childhood that all stayed that close through high school. Obviously, things will be changing for them now, but I don't know. Maybe that happens, but I've only seen it in pop culture. Most of the people I know only talk to a couple of people from high school any more, let alone elementary school.

The funny thing is that, in other circumstances, I would have hated these people. Joey and his crew are the popular kids at the school. They party every week, they do fun things, they drink a lot, and are generally admired by everyone. Had this not been about a serious crisis, carrying about their dramas would have left me cold. Even so, I don't like Joey. Even early on before everything came out, I didn't care for Joey: he's reckless and cocky. No thanks.

Maggie is better and I did like her voice. She had a real feel to her, although one I have trouble reconciling with her usual social status. It's really hard to say if she was like that all the time or if this was a weird side of her. I rather suspect the latter, because she was never comfortable in this book. Even in the opening scenes before tragedy struck, she was paralyzed by her fear of heights, worried, concerned and afraid of judgment. Only a the end did I see a slight vision into what she might normally be when confident and happy, but I'm still not sure.

One Moment is a wonderful contemporary that makes you think about the power of a moment and about how well we actually know even our very best friends. There will definitely be more Kristina McBride in my future!

[howifeelaboutbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger—plausible, though, not a build-up that will leave you disappointed when you turn the page. Maggie and her boyfriend Joey were going to jump off a cliff into the water below, but Maggie pulls back at the last second. Joey jumps, but hits his head on the way down. Maggie can’t remember anything about that afternoon, but when her friends and family start questioning her and the police open an investigation, Maggie goes to a therapist to help recover her memories. As the moments before the jump come back to Maggie, many other secrets come to the surface.

[readerscandyb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Going into this book, I expected teenage drama, lack luster emotion, and over the top metaphors.... What I didn't expect was a heartfelt story full of guilt, mystery, and life lessons.

One Moment opened my eyes to the things that are hard to acknowledge. It showed me that life is short, regrets are damaging, and forgiving is the key to one's well being. It gripped my heart in it's fist and squeezed tightly. I was consumed by the mind twisting mystery and overwhelmed by the reality that one moment can truly change everything. It made my mind race and my heart pound. I wanted the truth to be revealed, but then once it was, I wanted to hurry and bury it again.

Maggie was an average teen facing adult problems. Her life turned upside down when her boyfriend died and her memory left with him... To make things worse, secrets slowly surface and her truth quickly turns to lies. As her memory fades in and out, she is left with the painful what if? question. Adam, her close friend is linked to the chaos in an intimate way and though Maggie wants to keep him at arms length, eventually the walls crack and true feelings shine through.

There was bitter anger, painful goodbyes, but also new beginnings. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it to all readers. It may be based around teens, but the message is clear for people of all ages.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book started well. I liked the mystery and suspense that surrounded Joey's death, but once is 'secret' was revealed the book became ho-hum. I also liked the friendship that existed between the six main characters, but I didn't particularly connect with any of them except for Adam, but even he annoyed me at times. This book had some emotional parts, but the predictability of the plot stopped me from totally investing in it.

[woodtop255 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What I Liked: One Moment is a great beach read. You can kind of turn off your brain and go with it. I liked the writing style of the author and felt she depicted teenagers in a realistic and honest way. The first few chapters were really good and kept me reading. I also liked how we went through the phases of grief with Maggie as she came to terms with not only the death of her boyfriend, but finding out he wasn’t exactly the person she thought he was.What I Didn’t Like: I kept waiting for MORE to happen. During 272 pages nothing much happens. The big reveal about Joey’s secret can easily be guessed from the get-go. I think there was plenty of potential for a big twist to surprise the reader. I also felt the story lacked character development. I would’ve liked to know more about Maggie and her life outside of Joey.Star Rating: Three out of Five Stars

[karisyalitwit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had very mixed feelings while reading this book, and I really didn't form a solid opinion of it until the very end. One Moment is a YA Contemporary Romance that tries very hard to be a Mystery, but never quite pulls it off. It was just way too predictable from the beginning. I saw each "big" reveal coming a mile away and was always disappointed when I realized that was right. I kind of felt like Kristina McBride wasn't giving her readers enough credit, dropping way too many clues and hints, revealing too much, too soon for it to legitimately fall into the Mystery genre. That said, I kept turning the pages anyway, hoping that I would be surprised, and I did get a small one in the end, and that sweet surprise at the end was what saved this book for me, but honestly, it wasn't enough...Another problem for me was that it was so similar to another book that I recently read called Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf (read my review HERE). Now,if you haven't read Breaking Beautiful, you can just skip this part of the review, because this problem would not be relevant to you, but if you have this is important! I don't fault the author, because obviously, she wouldn't have had any idea that such a similar book would be published just two months before hers, but the similarities between the two books nagged at me the entire time I was reading One Moment. A girl witnesses boyfriend's tragic accident, represses memories so that she has no clue what happened, finds out boyfriend had secrets, wants to remember but knows that there is something that is making her subconscious not want to remember, etc. There were some differences, sure, but I still spent the whole book comparing the two, and finding that I liked Breaking Beautiful better. I just never connected with the protagonist, Maggie, or most of her little group of friends, and although I really liked one character, there were a couple who I outright despised, and as I've said in other reviews, I have a difficult time with books that have characters I don't like. Now, you may think, from reading what I've written so far, that I didn't like this book, and that isn't true. I actually thought it was pretty well written if you overlook the predictability, and it was certainly a page-turner (I read it in under 24 hours), it just didn't go where I would have hoped it would. It was a quick, engaging read, and I thought it was great for reading by the pool during the summer. Sometimes it's nice to read something that doesn't force you to think very much. Like I mentioned above, I did like the ending a lot; it was sweet and it made sense. It also was the only thing I didn't call way ahead of time. I wouldn't say that this book was disappointing, I just think it was trying too hard to be something it wasn't, and would have been better off just being what it is, a YA Contemporary Romance.Overall, I would say this... If you are a fan of Contemporary YA authors like Lauren Barnholdt, Sarah Dessen, Deb Calletti, and Jennifer Echols, then you will probably like this book. If you're looking for a great YA Mystery, then I think you will be disappointed. If you've already read Breaking Beautiful, then skip this one altogether because you will spend a lot of time thinking that you've already read this book...My Rating: ★ ★ ★ Grade Level Recommendation: There's lots of teen drinking and some sex, but nothing graphic. I would say this book is fine for grades 8 and up (ages 13+).

[booktwirps · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I read the synopsis for this one, I expected a really good mystery. Maybe a few twists and turns — something completely unexpected. After the first chapter I had my suspicions on what was probably going to happen, and sure enough, in the end, that’s exactly what the deal was. There was no surprise at all.When we first meet Maggie, she’s hanging out with her friends over Memorial Day weekend. They’d attended an epic party the night before and Maggie is making plans to “seal the deal” with Joey — the love of her life. Maggie finally works up the nerve to dive off the cliff her friends have been diving off. She’d tried before, but chickened out. Joey walks her up to the cliff, and they plan to jump together. But then she sees that he is wearing a bracelet and she knows she’s seen it somewhere before. Right before the jump, Maggie realizes who it belongs to and the next thing she knows she’s scratched and bloodied, cowering at the top of the cliff and people are screaming below her.The rest of the book deals with Maggie trying to piece together what happened during those few moments between when she planned to jump and when Joey was found dead.I felt like I was tricked a bit by the synopsis. It really sets the book up as a mystery, but I didn’t feel like it was at all. It’s more of a contemporary novel about a girl struggling with the loss of her boyfriend and how she deals with the secrets she uncovers about who he really was (which was also no real surprise). I felt that the whole memory loss plot point was totally unnecessary, and that it was only thrown in to lengthen the story.The good thing about the book is that Ms. McBride’s writing flows well and she paints vivid pictures and creates a cast of (mostly) likable characters, even though I did feel that some of them were a little unsure of who or what they wanted at times. All in all this is a descent read, and I’m sure plenty of readers will like the watered down mystery and Maggie’s journey of discovery. For me, it was just okay.

[margaraawr-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

“Fear about what, exactly?'

'Everything,' I said. 'But mostly just the realization that all it takes is one moment for your entire world to turn upside down. One wrong decision, and it's over.”
How do you keep standing when everything that you believed in was all a big, fat lie? This book is about how people can still be so clueless even if the truth is screaming right in front of their face..

Brief Summary:

Maggie and Joey were together for almost two years now. They were friends with a bunch a people (Shannon, Adam, Tanna and Pete) since childhood. One day, they all decided to go to the Jumping Hole, a cliff that they agreed a cool place to hang out. Maggie never jumped before but she decided to do it now with Joey. Then, suddenly Joey fell off the cliff in a wrong way but Maggie was still at the top of it. She was so shocked that she didn't remember anything, how it all happened. They were all devastated when Joey died, blaming themselves one way or another. The memories of Maggie came back slowly, one by one. Now, she was having difficulty in distinguishing the lies from the truth..

There are plenty of reasons why this book didn't work for me.

First of all, Maggie, the main character, is so slow that it's so frustrating. I guessed the huge secret only at the first chapter. I thought the secret was something bigger because it dragged so long but no. I am freaking right. It was very anticlimactic.

Secondly, Shannon as a friend was quite a bitch. I knew from the start that she was onto something. I knew she must be hurting in her own way after everything that happened but I can't sympathize with her. It was just hard.

Finally, everyone blaming themselves! Or blaming someone else! Yeah dude like that helps. It was like Joey was just so perfect to them that they bow down to him when in fact, he was far from it. Far from perfect, I mean. Yes they are grieving, but how does it help when the friendship these guys have are crumbling down especially now when they are the ones each other need most? They should be helping each other up!.

Anyway, I liked how Maggie let go of Joey in her own way. She dealt with her grief in a way she knew how...It was just sad to know that we'll never find out how Joey felt at those last moments before he died. It was so sudden.

Overall, this was an interesting read but one that didn't appeal to me very much. There were just so many things that irritated me.