One Moment

by Kristina McBride

Overview

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?

McBride delivers a novel of secrets that packs an emotional punch, perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Gayle Forman.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510714571
Publisher:	Sky Pony
Publication date:	01/17/2017
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
Lexile:	730L (what's this?)
File size:	933 KB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kristina McBride is a former English teacher and yearbook advisor. She dreamed of being a published author since she lived across the street from a library as a kid. She is also the author of The Tension of Opposites and A Million Times Goodnight, and lives with her husband and two young children in in Centerville, Ohio.

Editorial Reviews

Maggie Reynolds is eagerly planning the summer before her senior year, which will include hanging out with her best friends Shannon, Tanna, and Adam, and losing her virginity to Joey, her boyfriend of two years. But when daredevil Joey dies cliff-diving with Maggie and she can’t remember the moment before his fall, an investigation ensues. Initially Maggie blames herself for the accident (“What if one small thing changed? Would we all be hanging out right now, listening to music while Joey laughed at something stupid”), but when Adam refuses to answer questions about the last 24 hours of Joey’s life it becomes clear that both Adam and Joey were hiding something from her. As Maggie’s memories gradually return, she collects clues to uncover the truth. McBride (The Tension of Opposites) skillfully interweaves Maggie’s flashes of memory with present action, making for a tense and absorbing psychological mystery. The dynamics among the tight-knit group of friends are well-drawn, and Maggie’s voice persuasively conveys her guilt, disorientation, and pain as she uncovers her friends’ secrets. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. (June)¦

Publishers Weekly

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

"Kristina McBride has written a poignant, heartbreaking tale of how one moment in a person's life can change everything. . . . [A] a worthy addition to teen collections." —VOYA

"Realistic dialogue and a first-person narration that leaves adults outside the circle of interest mark this as a quick read that offers an aftertaste of thoughtfulness. . . . McBride's story of death's effect on the living is both artistic and authentic. —Booklist

McBride . . . skillfully interweaves Maggie's flashes of memory with present action, making for a tense and absorbing psychological mystery..." —Publishers Weekly

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

"Kristina McBride has written a poignant, heartbreaking tale of how one moment in a person's life can change everything. . . . [A] a worthy addition to teen collections." —VOYA

"Realistic dialogue and a first-person narration that leaves adults outside the circle of interest mark this as a quick read that offers an aftertaste of thoughtfulness. . . . McBride's story of death's effect on the living is both artistic and authentic. —Booklist

McBride . . . skillfully interweaves Maggie's flashes of memory with present action, making for a tense and absorbing psychological mystery..." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Heading into summer with her closest friends, Maggie feels like she has it all, including a perfect boyfriend. She even plans to step up the level of intimacy with Joey. The day after a wild party, they're at one of their favorite hangouts--a gorge where everyone but Maggie has leapt off a cliff into a swimming hole. This time Maggie decides she's ready, if Joey holds her hand. Something about the bracelet on Joey's wrist tugs at the back of her mind as they climb, and in the moment before they leap, she stops. Joey doesn't, twisting in midair as he falls to his death. Adam finds Maggie cowering in the bushes on the trail with no memory of what happened. Maggie's first-person account meanders between comforting flashbacks of Joey and her struggle to confront her fear that she caused his death. Fragments of the incident return, revealing some unwelcome truths about Joey and their friends, some of whom are grieving for very different reasons from those she could have imagined. Like a puzzle, pieces of Joey's life start to fall into place, making Maggie realize that there might have been a reason not to trust him after all. Good, solid drama about the power of secrets to test the bounds of friendship, with just enough tension to satisfy teen readers. (Fiction. 14-17)

Kirkus Reviews