One Moment [Hardcover]

Kristina McBride (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 26, 2012

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

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Maggie and Joey are the perfect couple. He's outgoing and a little crazy, while she's a little more cautious and calm. They have a fantastic group of friends, and the summer between their junior and senior year stretches out in front of them. They're looking forward to parties, hanging at the pool, and the jumping hole. Everyone has jumped numerous times, except Maggie. Her fear of heights has always stopped her, but this time is different. As she prepares to jump with Joey, everything goes blank. There is yelling and her friends find her hiding in the bushes. And Joey is dead. Maggie can't remember a thing from the cliff top and the police are asking questions. Her friends are falling apart around her. Then little things start to happen that make them all begin to realize that Joey was not the legend they thought he was and that they all have secrets. The question becomes not will Maggie remember what happened, but will their friends survive this trauma. One Moment explores themes of loss, friendship, love, grief, and betrayal, and McBride does an excellent job of keeping them from becoming overwhelming. Readers will feel the bond between the teens and their pain. The big reveal is a little obvious, but it doesn't detract from the compelling story.-Melyssa Kenney, Parkville High School, Baltimore, MDα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About the Author

Kristina McBride is a former English teacher and yearbook advisor. She’s published one previous novel, The Tension of Opposites, which the Deseret News called “engrossing and fascinating, painful and hopeful.” She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. Visit her online at www.kristinamcbride.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: EgmontUSA (June 26, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160684086X
• ISBN-13: 978-1606840863
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kristina McBride, a former English teacher and yearbook advisor, dreamed of being a published author since she was a child and lived across the street from a library. Kristina has published two novels for young adults - The Tension of Opposites (May 2010) and One Moment (June 2012). She lives in Ohio with her husband and two young children. Visit her online at www.kristinamcbride.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Emotional June 29, 2012

By brandileigh2003

Format:Hardcover

This is a contemporary with a lot of emotion, that is for sure. I love how it was written where we have this big dramatic scene at the beginning where Joey dies. The catch? Maggie can't remember what happened, and we piece everything together right along with her. I like how Kristina McBride wrote in the memories of Joey, while at the same time, revealing not so savory stuff about him that Maggie didn't know before. I got to see why their relationship worked and why she is so messed up about it, while at the same time feeling this rage against a book boy. Like her, I am caught in the middle of a mess he left behind.
The title is so fitting, One Moment. Because it really is mind blowing how just one moment, that may even seem insignificant at the time can change things so much, and then there are those big moments, happy or sad that you know is going to effect your life, even if you know know how.
My only complaint is that I wished that we figured out what exactly happened sooner so that we could see more growth in Maggie instead of basically being told about it. I also pieced together what happened pretty far ahead of Maggie, but I don't think that took away from my reading experience.
I liked how it ended, tied up but still loose at the same time, with her making peace, and being able to start moving on, while still holding on the right amount to be healthy, or at least on the road to getting there.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Touches the Heart June 26, 2012

By Amanda Welling

Format:Hardcover

First Impressions: Continuing on my summer reading adventure, One Moment was the next book on my list of must-reads. I was super excited to read this one because I had really enjoyed Kristina's first book for young adults and I think she is a very good writer. The plot line of One Moment sounded thrilling and I was curious about the events leading up to Joey's demise. I had a feeling that this book wouldn't let me down since I had such high hopes. I also like the how simple the cover art is, but it's still eye-catching.

First 50 Pages: The plot line holds a lot of suspense and it most definitely had me hooked from the beginning. Maggie's memories are very sporadic and so you never knew when you were going to be given another piece to the puzzle. I think somewhere around halfway through One Moment, I had guessed what was going to happen and by the end, I was a least partially correct. I wouldn't say that this book is predictable, but if you are clever enough you can figure it out. There are clues everywhere, maybe a little bit too much in my opinion after I've had some time to reflect. I'd also like to say that Kristina McBride's writing had improved even further with this book, especially with character development. She knows how to write a good story and keep her readers interested and entertained.

Characters & Plot: The plot starts off fairly simple and becomes more complicated as book progresses. The story follows our teenage protagonist, Maggie, as she struggles to figure out how exactly how her boyfriend Joey died, even though she witnessed the tragedy. Maggie doesn't remember anything that happened, on the exception of the events leading up to Joey's demise. In order for her to move on and come to terms with his death, she must remember what happened. It's a complete struggle for her to remember and it doesn't get easier as she begins to dig around. Maggie thought that she knew Joey so well before he died, but as the story continues, she uncovers some unexpected secrets that Joey had. What is worse is that everyone else seemed to know his secrets except for her.

I'll admit that One Moment was kind of a depressing read even though I liked how everything turned out in the end. One thing that made it more enjoyable was Maggie as a character. I absolutely loved her! She is very sweet and I think everyone who reads this book will become very attached to her. She can come off as being very naďve, especially when the secrets start to pour out, but she is an amazing character who had been through so much for being so young. Some of Maggie's friends were pretty cool as well, especially Adam and Tanna. I can't talk too much more about Maggie's other friends without giving away the whole plot line. I can say that Joey and Shannon are very complicated characters (Joey is obviously more complicated than the rest) and I pretty much hated Shannon. I had a hard time finding any redeeming qualities about her and I tried so hard to like her, but I couldn't.

Final Thoughts: I had a ton of emotions rolling through while I read One Moment. I don't think I've been so personally invested in a story like I was with this book in a very long time. It just goes to show how fantastic the author is! This is a story about young love and the realization that people can and do keep secrets. I'm happy with the way everything played out and I liked the ending of this book very much. One Moment is an awesome contemporary read and I would highly recommend it to fans of the genre and to people who are struggling with the loss of a loved one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely LOVED LOVED this book. September 25, 2012

By Wanda (Good Choice Reading)

Format:Hardcover

This book is one of those books that just leave you wanting more. I was hoping for a sequel because I wanted to continue reading about these characters but sadly this is a standalone. One Moment had me filled with emotions. I wanted to mourn with Maggie, cry with her and just plain have a fit when secrets were revealed. That is how good the author wrote this book.

I'm not sure how the McBride came up with this story. But she wrote this novel with such raw emotions, almost makes me think this novel was inspired by true events. She was so descriptive with every single event to the point that you grieved along with her characters. Every single moment in this book was realistic, from the second Joey died to the ending of the story. McBride takes you on a twister of events that'll have your eyes filled with tears and your heart filled with sorrow.

Hands down One Moment has been added to my favorite books of this year. You know a book is good, when you finish reading it yet you're still thinking about the characters. A blogger friend of mine read this book around the same time and we were texting each other back and forth about it. That's how good One Moment is. This novel has a perfect combination of characters you love to hate and characters you just plain love. One Moment get 5 golden stars and a definite Good Choice for Reading!

[...]