One Moment by Kristina McBride

Title: One Moment
Author: Kristina McBride
Release Date: June 26th, 2012
Publisher: Egmont USA
Pages: 272
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Young Adult

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?

I was really interested in this book when I first heard about it and excited for the chance to read it.

Not only did the cover take me, which is a really cool cover, but just the whole plot line itself. A thousand different theories were running through my mind of what happened even before I turned the page, so I couldn't wait to get into it.

Well, when I did finally read it I was a little bit let down. I liked that McBride took such a diverse group of people and made them fit very well. I liked that everyone had their own personalities that played an important role later on, because that's exactly how it happened, and McBride made Maggie a likable character. Yet, I found a lot of things that were just...wrong.

First, Maggie and Joey's relationship. When Maggie first said just how far their relationship went I realized that something wasn't all together there, and I am trying very hard not to give spoilers but it's very hard. All I'm going to say is that I was not surprised by what Maggie discovered. In fact, I was thinking it through the whole book because it's just how somethings work, I guess.

Second, Maggie herself. When Maggie lost her memory part is really when her character started to lose a little bit of substance. I felt like everything was going too fast and that something was missing throughout the whole thing. I didn't like the procedure that Adam took with her or everything that happened afterwards. Never having been in a situation like Maggie's I can't say how someone should act, but for some reason the way McBride took it made me feel like...eh.

And after the whole cliff-Joey-dead incident, everything just went downhill from there. Maggie trying to piece together the clues of her dead boyfriend and his secret life just went so painstakingly slow and I just kept thinking to myself, "When are things going to get better?"

It took a really long time for me to get into it. In fact, I don't think I ever did. I kept putting the book down and when I picked it up I was just like, "Yeah, here it is." So, needless to say, it wasn't the most exciting read or the most compelling me.

Three stars for not being completely awful, but for not being completely great. It's a book that I could have gone without reading to be honest, but I'm glad I got the chance. It was different and original and realistic, but it was also slow paced and could use some work.